Here’s an article I did around the topic of Cannabis and where it might go in the next couple of years. Click below to see the article as it appeared in the magazine, keep scrolling for a text only version.
Cannabis – Where do we go from here
Cannabis – Where do we go from here? : Text only version
When a recent high-profile ruling permitted the use of cannabis oil in exceptional cases, it was seen by many as the first step on the way to decriminalising the drug. This brought joy to those in favour and abject horror to those strongly opposed. When it comes to cannabis there are claims of great benefits and dire consequences – but who is telling the truth? Who is right? What can we learn from the American cousins’ changing attitude to weed?
Let’s examine the claims.
Those in opposition say that cannabis is a gateway drug, that its use encourages young people to move on to harder drugs. While those in favour will say that they only move on to harder drugs because they are forced to buy cannabis from dealers – thus being exposed to temptation from a ‘bad element’.
But cannabis leads to psychosis, doesn’t it? Well the pro-weed lobbyists maintain that there is no evidence of a causal link between cannabis use and psychosis. They will say that certain people have underlying issues that are exacerbated by cannabis use and their experiences are not reflective of the wider population.
The lack of definitive data means that neither claim can be disproved, a point raised by an American psychologist, Alex Berenson. Dr Berenson has drawn parallels between the current cannabis claims and similar debates about smoking in the 1950’s. He asserts that cannabis use causes paranoia and psychosis and that they in turn cause violence.
Today, over 25% of Americans have access to legal cannabis, creating an industry that is estimated to be worth $50 Billion a year. But Dr Berenson maintains that a 50% increase in the number of hospital admissions for Schizophrenia since 2006 is directly linked to the doubling of marijuana consumption over the same period of time.
He also cites a 2013 study of 12,000 school pupils that found those who said they had consumed marijuana were three times more likely to be aggressive. For context, there is no clarification on whether their violence led them to use marijuana or if the marijuana was actually the trigger.
However, Dr Berenson goes on to cite other studies that give grave cause for concern. For example, Washington State was among the first to legalise cannabis in 2014. Crime figures show that the murder rate in the state rose by 44% between 2013 and 2017 – this figure is twice the national average. The number of fatalities on Colorado’s roads that involved a positive test for Marijuana has almost doubled from 75 in 2014 to 139 last year.
What about the benefits of marijuana when it is prescribed for its medicinal qualities? Well those that have advocated marijuana as a medicine will be able to site some pretty compelling cases.
There have been remarkable instances of success in the treatment of epilepsy. Again in Colorado there was a 3-year-old infant named Charlotte Figi who was suffering 300 seizures every week. Medicinal marijuana calmed her brain and has since limited her seizures to two or three per month. The UK rulings were inspired by similar cases in England and Northern Ireland.
Those with debilitating conditions such as MS often find that marijuana is more effective at managing their pain and their symptoms than any pharmaceutical treatment. But this is perhaps the crux of the argument. There is a major difference between legislating for the prescription of medicinal marijuana and making the drug legal for all.
There is a fear that legalising cannabis will give the drug a sense of respectability – that the government is satisfied that there is little or no risk to those who use it. Furthermore, with the potential revenues at stake there are powerful lobbyists who will campaign for and promote the drug as a healthy lifestyle choice.
But there are lobbyists who campaign against marijuana. For years, major drug and pharmaceutical companies fought to keep their monopoly on medicines. But now many erstwhile opponents have had a change of heart – those who once opposed the drug now boast their own production lines.
Among the latest big business advocates for cannabis are tobacco companies. The owner of Marlboro cigarettes, Philip Morris, has identified cannabis (and vapes) as the way to replace dwindling tobacco sales. They have backed up their
belief with investment funds of $1.8 Billion set aside for
marijuana.
Those who advocate for cannabis will often draw comparisons to alcohol. Both can have serious impacts on our physical and mental well being. But the problems associated with alcohol do not negate the problems that are attributable to cannabis. These problems are also being exacerbate by specially grown super-strength versions of the drug.
In 2005, 50% of British police’s total cannabis seizures were classed as high-potency. That figure had risen to 85% by 2008 and stood at 94% in 2016. These strains of marijuana are grown specifically to boost the levels of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the psychoactive part of the drug. In 1995, the average THC content stood at around 5%. Today’s figures put THC levels near 20%.
But perhaps the most appealing argument to parliament will relate to money. New York State is on the verge of legalising marijuana, and it is believed the government will make in excess of $300 million from marijuana sales in the next 3 years.
There will be a further saving in relation to policing, court and prison costs arising from the reduced enforcement and prosecution costs. Liberals have also cited the thousands of individuals who have had there lives ruined because of convictions arising from cannabis use – the majority of whom are from poorer backgrounds to begin with. It is also argued that decriminalising will impact the wealth and power of organised crime.
But while the exchequer may profit and the Home Office might make savings, would we simply be swapping the current bill for policing cannabis to a bill for Mental Health services in the NHS?
