doi: 10.24095/hpcdp.40.7/8.04.
- PMID: 32667881
- DOI: 10.24095/hpcdp.40.7/8.04
Abstract
The Government of Manitoba created a cannabis public health surveillance system in 2018 in preparation for nonmedical cannabis legalization on 17 October, 2018. An initial evaluation was conducted to assess the usefulness, flexibility and simplicity attributes of the system, using an online stakeholder survey, website metrics, system analysis and interviews. Resulting recommendations included creating a detailed communication plan for surveillance products, changing the format and frequency of reporting, maintaining strong relationships with partners and building towards a centralized provincial substance use surveillance database and surveillance system.
Keywords: Manitoba, cannabis, evaluation, public health surveillance
Plain Language Summary
Evaluating public health surveillance systems is essential for understanding system performance and providing guidance for improvement. An initial evaluation of Manitoba’s cannabis surveillance system showed that the system was moderately useful, highly flexible and moderately simple. Recommendations included creating a detailed communications plan prior to surveillance product release to increase the audience reach; producing a shorter infographicstyle product that sets cannabis in context of other substances once or twice a year; and leveraging the existing provincial opioid misuse and overdose surveillance system to include cannabis and other substances.
Conflict of interest statement
The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
