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Going soft on cannabis

Publication

  • April 2019

Cannabis campaigners are on the march. They want the drug legalised, and they want it now.

References

References

  1. 1 BBC News online, 19 June 2018, see https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-44531112 as at 22 October 2018; The Sun, 12 September 2018
  2. 2 The Independent, 14 July 2018, see https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/cannabis-decriminalisation-oil-uk-cigarettes-alcohol-bmg-research-poll-a8445631.html as at 9 October 2018
  3. 3 Barber, S,Medical Use of Cannabis, House of Commons Library Briefing Paper 8355, 2018, page 6; ‘Cannabis: the Facts’, NHS Choices, see https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/cannabis-the-facts/ as at 25 October 2018; Grof, C P L, ‘Cannabis, from plant to pill’, British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 84(11), May 2018
  4. 4 Hall, W, ‘What has research over the past two decades revealed about the adverse health effects of recreational cannabis use?’, Addiction, 110(1), 2014, page 8; Weiss, S, Howlett, K D and Baler, R D, ‘Building smart cannabis policy from the science up’, International Journal of Drug Policy, 42, 2017, page 6
  5. 5 Di Forti, M, Marconi, A, Carra, E et al, ‘Proportion of patients in south London with first-episode psychosis attributable to use of high potency cannabis: a case-control study’, The Lancet, 2(3), 2015, page 236
  6. 6 Cannabis and mental health: for young people, Royal College of Psychiatrists, see https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/parents-and-young-people/young-people/cannabis-and-mental-health-information-for-young-people as at 21 March 2019
  7. 7 Gobbi, G, Atkin, T, Zytynski, T et al, ‘Association of Cannabis Use in Adolescence and Risk of Depression, Anxiety, and Suicidality in Young Adulthood: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis’, JAMA Psychiatry, February 2019
  8. 8 The Times, 20 December 2013
  9. 9 Dugre, J R, Dellazizzo, L, Giguère, C-E et al, ‘Persistency of Cannabis Use Predicts Violence following Acute Psychiatric Discharge’, Frontiers in Psychiatry, 8:176, 2017
  10. 10 Aldington, S, Harwood, M, Cox, B et al, ‘Cannabis Use and Risk of Lung Cancer: A Case-Control Study’, The European Respiratory Journal, 31(2), 2008
  11. 11 Reid, P T, Macleod, J and Robertson, J R; ‘Cannabis and the Lung’, Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, 2010, page 330; ‘Cannabis: the Facts’, NHS Choices, see https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/cannabis-the-facts/ as at 25 October 2018; Hall, W, Op cit, page 10
  12. 12 United Kingdom Drug Situation: Focal Point annual report 2017, Public Health England, Home Office, Welsh Government, The Scottish Government, Public Health Wales, and Department of Health (Northern Ireland), 2017, table 3.1, page 68
  13. 13 Taylor, M, Collin, S M, Munafò, M R et al, ‘Patterns of cannabis use during adolescence and their association with harmful substance use behaviour: findings from a UK birth cohort’, Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 71(8), 2017
  14. 14 Fergusson, D M, Boden J M, Horwood L J, ‘The developmental antecedent of illicit drug use: Evidence from a 25-year longitudinal study’, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2008, 96(1-2), pages 165-177
  15. 15 United Kingdom Drug Situation: Focal Point annual report 2017, Public Health England, Home Office, Welsh Government, The Scottish Government, Public Health Wales, and Department of Health (Northern Ireland), 2017, table 1.4, page 5
  16. 16 The Association of British Neurologists, ABN statement on use of marijuana (cannabis) related products in the treatment of complex epilepsies, August 2018
  17. 17 Hall, W, Op cit, pages 5-6
  18. 18 Meier, M H, Caspi, A, Ambler, A et al, ‘Persistent cannabis users show neuropsychological decline from childhood to midlife’, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 109(40), 2012
  19. 19 National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, Press Release, Cannabis-smoking teens less likely to complete education, 2015
  20. 20 The Guardian online, 19 April 2016, see https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/apr/15/what-are-the-risks-of-taking-cannabis as at 21 March 2019
  21. 21 Hall, W, Op cit, page 3; Driving Under the Influence of Drugs: Report from the Expert Panel on Drug Driving, Department for Transport, 2013, page 67
  22. 22 Wolff, K, ‘Informing the development of cannabis driving policy: Reflections on developments in the UK.’ Presentation at Third International Symposium on Drug-Impaired Driving, Lisbon, 23 October 2017
  23. 23 Driving Under the Influence of Drugs, Alcohol and Medicines in Europe – findings from the DRUID project, European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, 2012, page 26
  24. 24 Assessing Impact: Update from the UK, Department for Transport, February 2018, page 3
  25. 25 Cannabis and Driving: Questions and answers for policymaking, European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, May 2018, page 6
  26. 26 Ending Marijuana Prohibition in Colorado: Colorado Highway Safety Office, Colorado Department of Transportation, page 13
  27. 27 Ibid, page 14
  28. 28 Society for the study of Addiction, Press Release, What twenty years of research on cannabis use has taught us, 7 October 2014
  29. 29 ‘Cannabis Addiction Warning Signs and Symptoms’, UK Addiction Treatment Centres, see https://www.ukat.co.uk/drugs/cannabis/symptoms-signs/ as at 1 March 2019
  30. 30 ‘Know Cannabis’, Cannabis Information, see http://www.knowcannabis.org.uk/cannabis1/ as at 22 February 2019; ‘Cannabis’, FRANK: Friendly, Confidential Drugs Advice, see https://www.talktofrank.com/drug/cannabis#the-risks as at 22 February 2019
  31. 31 NatCen Social Research and Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2014: Drug Use and Dependence, Health and Social Care Information Centre, 2014, pages 266 and 277
  32. 32 United Kingdom Drug Situation: Focal Point annual report 2017, Public Health England, Home Office, Welsh Government, The Scottish Government, Public Health Wales, and Department of Health (Northern Ireland), 2017, page 45
  33. 33 The Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales, Press Release, PSAEW: Position statement on reclassification of cannabis, 3 April 2008, see http://www.politics.co.uk/opinion-formers/police-superintendents-association-of-england-and-wales/article/psaew-position-statement-on-reclassification-of-cannabis as at 9 October 2018
  34. 34 Business Insider UK online, 20 June 2018, see http://uk.businessinsider.com/marijuana-canada-eclipse-liquor-sales-2020-2018-5 as at 17 October 2018
  35. 35 World Drug Report 2017: Market Analysis of Plant-Based Drugs, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2017, pages 49-50
  36. 36 GlobeNewswire online, 28 June 2018, see https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/06/28/1531033/0/en/NEW-REPORT-Legal-Marijuana-Markets-Projected-to-Reach-23-4-Billion-Employ-Nearly-a-Half-Million-Americans-by-2022-Effective-End-of-Federal-Prohibition-is-in-Sight.html as at 9 October 2018; Forbes online, 12 December 2017, see https://www.forbes.com/sites/duncanrolph/2017/12/12/marijuana-is-the-next-big-investment-but-heres-why-most-investors-will-have-to-wait/#1b1752f62329 as at 9 October 2018
  37. 37 Daily Mail, 20 June 2018
  38. 38 Loc cit
  39. 39 Wang, G S, Le Lait, M-C, Deakyne, S J et al, ‘Unintentional Pediatric Exposures to Marijuana in Colorado, 2009-2015’, JAMA Pediatrics, 170(9), 2016
  40. 40 Freeman, T P, van der Pol, P, Kuijpers, W et al, ‘Changes in cannabis potency and first-time admissions to drug treatment: A 16-year study in the Netherlands’, Psychological Medicine, 48(14), 2017, page 3
  41. 41 Portugal: Country Drug Report 2018, European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, 2018, page 3; Reuters online, 15 June 2018, see https://www.reuters.com/article/us-portugal-health-cannabis/portugals-parliament-legalizes-cannabis-based-medicines-idUSKBN1JB1X4 as at 10 October 2018
  42. 42 Splitting the Bill: Alcohol’s Impact on the Economy, Institute of Alcohol Studies, 2017, pages 3 and 50
  43. 43 United Kingdom Drug Situation: Focal Point annual report 2017, Op cit, table 1.4, page 5; World Drug Report 2017: Market Analysis of Plant-Based Drugs, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2017, page 42; Caulkins, J P, ‘The Real Dangers of Marijuana’, National Affairs, Winter 2016, see https://www.nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/the-real-dangers-of-marijuana as at 31 October 2018
  44. 44 Lessons Learned from Marijuana Legalisation in Four U.S. States and D.C., Smart Approaches to Marijuana, 2018, pages 6-7
  45. 45 BNN Bloomberg online, February 6 2019, see https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/canadian-pot-sector-s-teething-pains-to-lower-sales-by-30-scotiabank-1.1210088 as at 21 March 2019
  46. 46 Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs), Ministry of Justice, June 2014, page 10; The Guardian online, 14 July 2018, see https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jul/14/police-decriminalising-cannabis-prosecutions-fall-norman-lamb-mp as at 10 October 2018
  47. 47 Drug Misuse: Findings from the 2017/18 Crime Survey for England and Wales, Home Office, July 2018, tables 1.03 and 1.07
  48. 48 World Drug Report 2017: Market Analysis of Plant-Based Drugs, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2017, pages 44 and 48-50
  49. 49 Cannabis: The case against legalisation, Centre for Social Justice, December 2018, page 28
  50. 50 ‘The Facts: How it Works in the Brain’, Cannabis Skunk Sense, see https://www.cannabisskunksense.co.uk/the-facts/how-it-works-in-the-brain as at 11 October 2018; Business Insider UK online, 14 June 2018, see http://uk.businessinsider.com/right-amount-of-marijuana-to-help-people-relax-2017-6 as at 23 October 2018
  51. 51 ‘Cannabis Can Mess With Your Mind’, FRANK: Friendly, Confidential Drugs Advice, 12 October 2011, see https://www.talktofrank.com/story/cannabis-can-mess-your-mind as at 10 October 2018
  52. 52 Health matters: harmful drinking and alcohol dependence, Public Health England, January 2016, see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-matters-harmful-drinking-and-alcohol-dependence/health-matters-harmful-drinking-and-alcohol-dependence as at 10 October 2018
  53. 53 United Kingdom Drug Situation: Focal Point annual report 2017, Public Health England, Home Office, Welsh Government, The Scottish Government, Public Health Wales, and Department of Health (Northern Ireland), 2017, page 5; Adult drinking habits in Great Britain: 2017, Office for National Statistics, May 2018, page 3
  54. 54 Baxter J H, Baker, H M and Reece, A S, ‘The Use of Cannabis for Medicinal Purposes’, The Journal of Global Drug Policy and Practice, 7(1), 2013, page 2
  55. 55 Home Office and The Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, Government announces that medical cannabis is legal, 11 October 2018, see https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-announces-that-medicinal-cannabis-is-legal as at 24 October 2018; Home Office Circular 2018, Rescheduling of cannabis-based products for medicinal use in humans, 1 November 2018; Barber, S, Op cit, page 6
  56. 56 Letter from Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to the Government, 11 September 18, see https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/739636/Consultation_on_Cannabis-derived_medicinal_products.pdf as at 21 March 2019
  57. 57 The Times online, 2 November 2018, see https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/epileptic-boy-billy-caldwell-facing-fresh-battle-over-cannabis-law-tw2qlhhb3 as at 21 March 2018
  58. 58 ‘Medical cannabis (and cannabis oils)’, NHS, see https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/medical-cannabis/ as at 21 March 2019
  59. 59 Barber, S, Op cit, page 5
  60. 60 Ibid, pages 5-6
  61. 61 Ibid, pages 6-7; ‘Cannabis: the Facts’, NHS, see https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/cannabis-the-facts/ as at 25 October 2018
  62. 62 Barber, S, Op cit, page 5; Home Office, Factsheet: cannabis for medicinal use, 18 June 2018
  63. 63 The Times online, 5 September 2018, see https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/medical-cannabis-panel-is-failing-us-families-tell-sajid-javid-m2xsj0xnr as at 10 October 2018
  64. 64 Letter from Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to the Government, 22 December 2017, see https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/670663/ACMD_Letter_-_Legitimate_use_of_controlled_drugs_research_and_healthcare_22_Dec_17.pdf as at 28 March 2022
  65. 65 The Independent online, 11 September 2017, see https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/schizophrenia-henry-cockburn-mental-illness-father-son-patrick-art-folkestone-triennial-art-festival-a7940126.html as at 11 October 2018; The Independent online, 26 November 2012, see https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/henry-cockburn-i-can-hear-what-other-people-can-t-8349055.html as at 23 October 2017
  66. 66 The Telegraph online, 11 August 2017, see https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/11/does-smoking-skunk-trigger-psychosis-arent/ as at 11 October 2022
  67. 67 BBC News online, 16 February 2015, see https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/health-31491765 as at 11 October 2022
  68. 68 Daily Mail, 22 June 2018