I'll call our meeting number 66 back to order.
Now we have a panel here to discuss prevention, treatment, and low-risk use of cannabis. We welcome our visitors by video conference and those who are present.
I'll go through an introduction.
As an individual we have Gabor Maté, retired physician, by video conference from British Columbia.
Then we have, from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Benedikt Fischer, senior scientist, Institute for Mental Health Policy Research. Hopefully we also have Bernard Le Foll, medical head, addiction medicine service, by video conference from Toronto.
Do we have him?
I don't think we have him. We have an empty chair.
From the City of Toronto we have Eileen de Villa, medical officer of health, Toronto Public Health.
Thanks very much for coming.
As an individual we have Sharon Levy, director, adolescent substance abuse program, Boston Children's Hospital, by video conference from New York.
Welcome. Thanks for taking the time to help us with this.
From the Ontario Public Health Association we have Michelle Suarly, chair of the cannabis task group, and Elena Hasheminejad, a member of the cannabis task group.
Welcome, and thanks very much.
We're going to open with 10-minute opening statements. I understand that some of you are splitting your time, but we'd like to try to keep it to 10 minutes.
I'm going to offer Dr. Maté, retired physician, to open up with a 10-minute opening statement.
If you would like to, give us an idea where you stand.