ST. THOMAS, USVI, Sept. 19, 2014, CNS – The region has been urged to “Proceed with an abundance of caution” on decrimimalisation and legalisation of marijuana.
Addressing a panel discussion on the public health perspective on decrimimalisation and legalisation of marijuana, Dr. James Hospedales, the executive director of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), pointed to the significant adverse effects of cannabis smoking on health and social and occupational functioning, and especially so among youth.
“We already have two major legal substances of abuse, alcohol and tobacco, which cause a tremendous amount of harm,” he said.
“In the case of the latter, it is harmful when used as directed and in all its forms, hence the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.”
The debate surrounding marijuana tourism has taken a sharper focus in recent months following its legalisation for recreational use by two US states, including Colorado. Uruguay has also become the first country in the world to make it legal to grow, sell and consume cannabis.
Since it became legal to smoke marijuana in Colorado at the start of the year, there have been several reports of a boom in arrivals from both within and outside the United States. The Colorado office of state planning and budgeting reported US$19 million in tax revenue from recreational marijuana during the first half of the year, although it didn’t say how much of that was from tourism versus local buyers.
But Hospedales said many different types of public health and scientific studies clearly demonstrate significant adverse effects of cannabis smoking on physical and mental health, as well as its interference with social and occupational functioning.
“These negative data far outweigh a few documented benefits for a limited set of medical indications, for which safe and effective alternative treatments are readily available,” he said.
“If there is any medical role for cannabinoid drugs, it lies with chemically defined compounds, not with unprocessed cannabis plant. But legalisation or medical use of smoked cannabis is likely to impose significant public health risks, including an increased risk of schizophrenia, psychosis, and other forms of substance use disorders.”
CNS/ml/2014
