Long-term cannabis use can cause problems to respiratory functions. Apart from that, if you’re not predisposed to psychosis and don’t smoke huge amounts of THC-rich cannabis from a very early age then your health is unlikely to suffer too much. Of course problems with the criminal justice system and untrustworthy drug dealers will have their own adverse effects on health.
Education is the best tool available to prevent young people using cannabis. However, the information has to be delivered from a credible source as users simply don’t trust a ‘just say no’ message. Education should be given to children on a regular basis throughout their school life. Teachers are a good source for this information but they must be seen as credible by their students.
Prior to reclassification many inner-city police forces would deal with cannabis offences informally. One unforeseen problem of changing the law might be that more people are now cautioned by the police simply because this caution can take place on the street and involves less paperwork.
It seems as though a lenient drug policy actually results in fewer people using drugs. Moreover, if a lenient policy is adopted toward cannabis then less people might use the harder substances.
All in all a very interesting seminar, the best part of which was talking to people during the breaks. Most drug professionals have to be a jack-of-all-trades, so their expertise on cannabis is somewhat limited. However, they were open to talking about the substance without prejudice and it is clear that the vast majority of people at the sharp end of drug treatment feel the law doesn’t work and should be changed.
Now if only the Government would stop playing politics and start listening to the people who know.
