According to the UK authorities cannabis use in any form is very dangerous – even more dangerous than alcohol – and this is why cannabis is listed as a B Class drug under UK law. B class drugs, although deemed as being less dangerous than A Class drugs, still kill many people every year, (e.g. Mephedrone, Ketamine, Amphetamines, and Methylene – to name just a few), but the same cannot be said about cannabis. The truth is that no one has ever died from using cannabis in the whole of human history, and yet it is listed alongside drugs that are known killers.
The NHS states that the main risks of medical cannabis that includes THC are:
1. Psychosis – some studies suggest regular cannabis use could increase the risk of developing a mental health illness (e.g. schizophrenia), but there are others reporting that cannabis has no effect on mental illness. In other words, the science is mixed, and countries in which cannabis has been fully legalised (e.g. Portugal, Spain, Canada, etc.), are not seeing such outcomes; if they were, wouldn’t the British authorities make sure the public was made aware of any adverse effects? Of course they would! And the fact they’re not, should speak volumes.Â
2. Addiction or dependence – despite the fact that this is now seen by scientists as being extremely small (see below).
Interestingly, the NHS website cites no references (links) to scientific evidence that proves these risks as being true, despite this being professional practice in the academic world. And while it is true that there have been a number of scientific papers published in recent years that were aimed at proving possible risks, there is still no conclusive evidence that cannabis use is addictive or causes any form of psychosis. Instead, ‘it appears that multiple other factors may be involved in these processes which are beyond neurobiological factors.’ The study concludes that science has been unable to establish definitively that cannabis use is dangerous, and that it is no more addictive than coffee!
The notion that cannabis is a dangerous, addictive drug is something that people believe because that is what the authorities tell us. The reality is that cannabis is medicine – a fact that is scientifically supported by the existence of the endocannabinoid system – and ALL cannabis medicines are far, far less dangerous than ALL pharmaceutical drugs. Furthermore, they are responsible for millions of deaths every year, whereas cannabis is responsible for none.
In 2014 (a long time ago), the European Commission estimated that adverse reactions from prescription drugs cause around 200,000 [..] deaths each year in Europe alone (so including the UK at that time), and this number has been dramatically rising annually ever since. Written for the Centre for Ethnics at Harvard University (US), the author goes on to state that health authorities, such NICE (UK) and the FDA (US), ‘do not acknowledge these facts and instead gather a small fraction of the cases,’ thus meaning that the actual number of people dying from complications with prescription medicines such as morphine (opioids) are possibly far higher. And of course, it is commonly known that prescription drugs are highly addictive – as demonstrated by the current global opioid epidemic.
Although medical cannabis is a relatively new concept in Britain, the same cannot be said for countries and places where cannabis use has been legalised for years, even decades in places such as California, but also in Canada, Portugal, Spain.. and the list goes on. In fact, some 40+ countries have now legalised or decriminalised for medical use, with many lifting restrictions on personal possession and the right to grow small amounts of plants for persona use.
If cannabis use is as bad as the British authorities state, then where are the reports from these countries showing increases in, for example, psychosis in younger generations, mass addiction, or shades of ‘reefer madness.’ There aren’t any. Instead, reports show that there has been a reduction in cannabis use among young people in these places (e.g. Portugal, Australia, Canada, many US states, and the Czech Republic), a factor that is believed to be associated with cannabis use losing its rebellious appeal, and
Although medical cannabis is a relatively new concept in Britain, the same cannot be said for countries and places where cannabis use has been legalised for years, even decades in places such as California, but also in Canada, Portugal, Spain.. and the list goes on. In fact, some 40+ countries have now legalised cannabis for medical use, with many lifting restrictions on personal possession and the right to grow a small amount of plants for personal use. So, if cannabis use is so dangerous, then where is the flow of media reports showing this? Instead, reports from these countries are largely positive. For example, there has been a reduction in cannabis use among young people in places that have either legalised or decriminalised its use (e.g. Portugal, and Australia, and the Czech Republic), and other places (e.g. Canada and the US) report the same.
The success of these programs, including in those countries and US states that have fully legalised cannabis use, has been reported worldwide. Unlike prescription drugs, reports show that cannabis medicine is far less harmful and only mildly addictive – if addictive at all for some people. This is not to say that use is without risks, but it is wrong to say it is dangerous without this having been scientifically proven
