terryhammond

Cannabis – To legalise or not to legalise?

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 15:17:33 GMT

Will legalising cannabis offer the public freedom of choice and take it away from the hands of criminals, or will it be a public health disaster as teenagers see us adults giving them the green light to use it, at a time when science has proved cannabis can cause very serious damage to the brains of teenagers? I hope this blog will help the debate move forward.

As countries worldwide relax their laws on recreational cannabis use and big businesses snap at the heels of governments to legalise cannabis, the pressure is on for the UK to liberalise its cannabis laws. Increasing numbers of countries have decriminalised cannabis, and an even greater number have legalised it for medical use, including the UK (2018). Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, has recently announced the setting up of a Commission to look at the issue, so it could be only a matter of time before the political tide turns in the UK.

The pros and cons of legalising cannabis

Arguments for legalisation

There are compelling arguments on both sides of the debate. Supporters of cannabis argue that it is safer than alcohol which, according to NHS digital, was linked to 358,000 hospital admissions in 2018. The numbers adversely affected by cannabis are, it is argued, tiny compared to alcohol. Legalising cannabis takes it out of the hands of criminals and helps reduce exposure to the more potent strains of cannabis, which harms the brains of young teenagers. The 2.6 million people who use cannabis yearly demonstrate that prohibition is not working.

Arguments against

Those against relaxing the law on Cannabis argue it would give the green light to teenagers, which scientists have shown are at greater risk of cannabis-induced mental illness, including psychosis. Therefore, to condone a substance that we know can damage young people’s brains would be irresponsible. Studies have shown that cannabis can reduce students academic performance leading to poorer exam results and dropping out of school and college. Studies have also shown that cannabis use can affect an individual's career prospects - earning less than their peers who don't use cannabis. It can affect some individual’s ability to form long-term relationships and is associated with a more unstable and chaotic lifestyles. According to the US National Institute on Drug Abuse and many other reports worldwide, cannabis is now accepted as a gateway drug and can lead to addiction.

Legalisation – how effective has it been abroad?

To help develop the debate on this controversial subject, where better to look than those countries that have already legalised cannabis for recreational and medical use. These countries have created a large cannabis experiment, which offers the rest of the world an opportunity to observe and learn from their experiences. Some studies have already taken place in many of these countries, and, although it is still early days, they show some important trends.

What the Studies Show.

In October 2019, 'The Lancet' published a paper called: 'Public Health Implications of legalising the Production and Sale of Cannabis for Medical and Recreational Use'. This paper is very comprehensive. It looks at various studies in countries that have legalised cannabis. The paper points out that legalisation is at an early stage, but all the same, it reports on some very important findings.

One of the key findings is that adult use of cannabis appears to have increased since legalisation. Adolescent use has stayed much the same, although one worrying trend shows that the 'perceived' risk of cannabis for people under 21 has increased. This backs up the concerns of those who said that legalising cannabis would send the wrong message to teenagers. The paper also identifies surveys showing that some individuals have reported increased dependency and mental health issues. In some US states, road crash fatalities linked to high levels of THC have increased after legalisation.

The US Journal of Addiction' published a study in February 2016 entitled: 'What we know about the impact of laws related to marijuana' by Maxwell & Mendleson. It reported on post legalisation in Denver and Seattle, cities that legalised cannabis in 2012. They found an increase in hospital admission to emergency departments and calls for help to drug centres related to cannabis following legalisation. They also reported that cannabis-related arrests were down, but an increase in the level of illegal trafficking of cannabis between US states.

Oregon legalised cannabis in 2014. A report by the Oregon Health Authority in 2016: 'Marijuana attitudes and health effects in Oregon' reported that more youths in Oregon use cannabis than smoke tobacco (10% of 12 to 13-year-olds and 19% of 15 to16-year-olds). So, is it any wonder that calls from teenagers to helplines have increased?

Another revealing report from Oregon Health Authority: 'Oregon Medical Marijuana Program Operations and Compliance Assessment May 2018'. This report highlights insufficient funding and staffing resources to meet the demands of robust regulation, and "Inspection did not keep pace with applications".

Looking through a few blogs, cannabis users are still using the 'illegal market' because it is stronger and more potent than legal products. Also, there were not enough 'legal' outlets to obtain cannabis. This is something that users in other countries who have legalised cannabis have complained about.

Another useful paper, published by the Society for the Study of Addiction: 'Evaluating the Public Health Impacts of Legalising Recreational Cannabis Use in the United States' by W Hall and M Lynskey, appears to back up concerns raised in other studies. The report found:

Legalisation of recreational marijuana will probably increase in the long term, but the magnitude and timing of any increase are uncertain. It will be critical to monitor: cannabis use in household and high school surveys, cannabis sales; the number of cannabis plants legally produced; and the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of cannabis. Indicators of cannabis-related harms that should be monitored include car crash fatalities and injuries; emergency department presentations; presentations to addiction treatment services; and the prevalence of regular cannabis use among young people in mental health services and the criminal justice system'.

This report is important as it highlights the need to monitor the legislation, which is going to require substantial investment by legislators.

The way cannabis is supplied in countries that have legalised is fast developing into a major issue and presents some real challenges to legislators. The 'Transform Drugs and policy Foundation'- a charity based in Bristol in the UK, made some very interesting observations in their report: 'Cannabis Legalisation in Canada - One Year On'. The report points out that the Canadian approach has been criticised for creating barriers to entry for smaller enterprises because of the requirement of major production investment before they can obtain a licence, thereby favouring the larger corporate companies who now dominate the market. The report goes on to highlight how large investment organisations are moving into the cannabis market in other parts of the world.

Further afield, the emergence of multi-billion-dollar cannabis corporations has led to accusations of predatory activities in emerging cannabis markets in low and middle-income countries. In Colombia, for example, Canadian companies currently represent 85% of total investment in the emerging medical cannabis market. Local farmers have expressed concerns about both environmental impacts marginalised from decision making. Canadian venture capital has been similarly prominent in emerging cannabis markets in Mexico, Jamaica, Lesotho and elsewhere.

I fear that the good intention of legislators to liberalise and control the supply and use of drugs, such as cannabis, could be undermined by the single-minded greed of some Corporations and Venture Capitalists.

The wider issues of illegal drugs

Cannabis is part of the wider issue of illegal drugs, which is a major international problem. The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime estimates that the illegal drugs industry is worth $435 billion each year and accounts for 5O% of all international crimes. It was the US President, Richard Nixon, who, back in the 1970s, declared a 'War on Drugs'; that war has clearly been lost. Drugs have become a dreadful scourge, wrecking people's lives and causing havoc to families. According to the 2017 'HM Government drugs Strategy', the social and economic cost of drugs is, costing £10.7 billion annually, £6 billion for theft alone. Cannabis is a part of this huge problem and cannot be separated from it; even if you legalise cannabis, it will still not stop individuals from getting hooked on it and moving on to harder drugs such as heroin.

Legalising cannabis must be seen in the context of the wider struggle to tackle illegal drugs and the impact it is having on all of us – especially if you live in a neglected, run-down inner-city. We can not bury our heads in the sand and leave it to future generations to sort out. We are yesterday's future generations, so we must act.

So how do we tackle this huge problem?

We know drug-taking is linked to a complex web of social and economic factors: parenting, poverty, unemployment, mental health, genetic makeup, and peer pressure, to name a few. Many brilliant programs are already trying to tackle these social issues - mostly woefully under-funded, but they are there. We need to build on what we know works: Prevention programs, Improved social care, and Effective regulation. Let's first look at the role of prevention.

Prevention – pulling it up by the roots.

One area that needs far more recognition is prevention programs, which have proved to be highly effective in the past in changing public behaviour. Take smoking; according to the government's own figures, In the 1950s, over 70% of men smoked cigarettes; today, it's around 15%. This is a result of a well-funded and sustained health education program over decades. Confronting cancer and mental illness and the spread of covid are all areas where well-funded and sustained health education programs have been proved successful in helping to, change people behaviour and saving lives – substance misuse is no different. Indeed, we have already seen a very successful cannabis awareness campaign that helped to reduce the use of cannabis substantially.

In 2003 the then labour government set up a brilliant campaign, 'Talk to Frank', which targeted young people about cannabis. The government developed an excellent website and produced adverts at cinemas, TV and on the radio. It also produced information packs for schools and colleges. When the campaign was launched in 2003, cannabis use was at an all-time high, with around 32% of adults admitting to using cannabis. In less than eight years, cannabis use went down to 16%. But then the new Tory Government substantially cut the Frank budget, under their austerity program and, surprise, surprise, cannabis use 'flat lined' and started to increase; by 2018, it had risen to 20% and is sadly still rising amongst teenagers.

The starting point for the government to tackle the increasing problem of cannabis use amongst teenagers is to refund the Frank campaign and extend it. This should include encouraging parents to talk about cannabis and drugs to their children by well-funded public information programs, backed up with cannabis awareness programs at schools, colleges, and universities, all of which should be working with parents when they identify a vulnerable student.

Just to remind why we should focus on cannabis is because it is a 'Gateway' drug to 'harder' drugs, as previously mentioned. So, by tackling cannabis, we will be making a start at pulling this social scourge up at the 'roots,’ at the point most people are introduced to the pathway to dangerous drugs. It may take a generation or more, but I am convinced we can reverse this terrible blight on society and eventually for it to become a subject that future generations only read about in history books.

Improving Health and Social Care

We now know that cannabis can harm people's health, so if the state endorses its use by legalising it, it will need to take responsibility for those harmed by its use, especially vulnerable young teenagers.

The government will need to increase its investment in funding treatment programmes, family support, social housing, rehabilitation programs and sheltered employment. They will need to make talking therapy, and other psychological therapies more readily available and invest in more Community Support Workers, Community Psychiatric Nurses, and Psychiatrists. Without such a commitment, it would be totally immoral to legalise a substance knowing it will do harm and not mitigate against that harm. Failure to invest in social and health care, will in the long term cosy society dearly.

Regulation

It will be essential to have very robust regulations backed up by the law and, above all, the resources to monitor that regulation. The Government must oversee the growing, distribution, and sale of cannabis and cannabis extracts through very controlled licence arrangements. We cannot leave this to the hands of large corporations to play market forces with such a potentially dangerous substance; market forces cannot be trusted when, understandable, their prime motivation is to maximise profits for their shareholders. Of course, we will need the private sector, but it should be limited to a small number of commercial companies strictly licensed to grow and sell cannabis.

The potency of cannabis should be tightly controlled with a limit on the levels of THC. Claims made by companies about its health benefits must be fully backed up with published research and agreed upon by government scientific advisers. There needs to be an age limit to use cannabis - possibly 21 - bearing in mind the damage THC can cause to developing brains. The tax revenue from the sale of cannabis should be used to fund prevention programmes and funding the associated Health and Social Care needs.

The way forward

So, should cannabis be legalised? Well, not until the government can put in place the steps I have described - steps that we know will help reduce the impact cannabis will have on young people. The public health of our citizens must be at the centre of any legislation to legalise cannabis or indeed any drug.

Those who bulk at further public investment need to be reminded that such investments will, in the long term, save billions in social and economic expenditure and will lead to healthier communities and communities that feel much safer.

Image credit: Outlook - Releaf Medical Cannabis

Cannabis use amongst teenagers

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 22:31:11 GMT

Cannabis use amongst teenagers is increasing, along with an increase in young people developing cannabis-induced mental illness. How do we stop this dangerous trend? In this blog, I draw on the experience of the 1990s, which managed to reduce cannabis use dramatically.

In the UK, cannabis is the most popular illegal substance across all age groups, with a prevalence of five times more than any other drug used. It is the illegal drug that teenagers first experiment with. In Suffolk, children as young as 11 have been found using cannabis. Teenagers are more likely to have tried illicit drugs than smoking cigarettes – cannabis being the most popular choice.

'One youth worker told me that some young people smoke cannabis like drinking tea'.

According to the 2018/19 NHS Digital survey of 193 UK schools, involving 13,664 pupils, a staggering 38% of 15-year-olds reported that they had tried drugs. That means in a class of 30 children, 11 pupils will have used drugs, mainly cannabis. One youth worker told me that some young people smoke cannabis like drinking tea.

Cannabis use amongst teenagers was at its highest in the 1990s and started to drop at the start of the millennium but is now back on the increase. It is worth looking at some of the reasons Cannabis use dropped to see if there are any lessons we can learn today.

This change in teenage behaviour in the 90s could be down to several factors - more health awareness programmes taking place, schools being more proactive with drugs awareness, parents being more open about talking about drugs to their children, more media stories exposing the dangers and, of course, the increased number of research papers exposing the dangers of cannabis. Governments can also take some credit. In 2003 the then Labour Government invested in a major cannabis/drugs awareness campaign called 'Talk to Frank' (www. talktofrank.com). The Government substantially invested in a major advertisement campaign with the media – TV, newspapers, and cinemas. It also produced information packs for schools and advice to parents; it reached out to millions of young people. The website is still up and running. This campaign undoubtedly had a positive impact because. Cannabis use dropped dramatically when 'Talk to Frank' was launched (2003). Unfortunately, cannabis use started to flat-line at the same time the new Government decided to cut the Talk to Frank budget in 2012. Since then, cannabis use has increased, so I will leave the reader to draw their own conclusions on the wisdom of cutting the Cannabis awareness budget.

Another major factor is the legalisation of cannabis that is taking place in many countries around the world – medical use of cannabis is legal in the UK. This has sent a very confusing message to young people; legalising cannabis has given the green light to teenagers – we adults are inadvertently saying that it is ok to use. That is why we desperately need a balanced debate about the legalisation of cannabis. Yes, there are powerful arguments for legalising cannabis, but equally, there are compelling arguments to be more cautious, especially if we want to protect young people's mental health. It is essential that we adults give young people the correct information about cannabis and make them aware that cannabis can harm young peoples minds and leave them with permanent damage to their brains.

We managed to reduce smoking by users being honest about the dangers and the Government actively dissuading people from smoking. Young people were given an informed choice. If we are to tackle this cannabis epidemic amongst teenagers, the Government must show leadership on this issue and start reinvesting in a major cannabis awareness program; otherwise, we will sleepwalk into a major teenage public health issue.

This blog is an extract from my book 'Gone To Pot – Cannabis: What Every Parent Needs To Know'.

Is Cannabis a Gateway to Hard Drugs?

Mon, 21 Feb 2022 18:09:17 GMT

Supporters of cannabis have argued for years that cannabis is not a Gateway drug. In this blog I dispel this myth and provide the facts.

This is not a straightforward question because there is no evidence, as far as I can find, that using cannabis will cause a person to go on and use class ‘A’ drugs or ‘hard drugs’ such as heroin, cocaine or amphetamines. But then there is no evidence to say that it doesn’t lead to class ‘A’ drugs either.

It is correct to say that the vast majority of the 2.6 million cannabis users do not go on to use hard drugs. Supporters of cannabis quite rightly argue that cannabis users also smoke tobacco and drink alcohol, so you cannot just point the finger at cannabis. However, a study done in the US in 2015 has focused upon the gateway between cannabis and other, harder, illegal drugs. The study found that 44.7% of regular cannabis users (weekly and daily) went on to use hard drugs. That still does not prove that cannabis ‘causes’ a person to use them, but it does show that it substantially increases the risk, especially if they are regular users of cannabis.

I fully accept that only a minority of users of cannabis will go on to use hard drugs. Still, it is not a small proportion of heavy users of cannabis, as the research shows, and remember, we are often talking about vulnerable young teenagers. These young people lack maturity and can easily be led.

There are very good reasons why cannabis users graduate to hard drugs; these include:

• Accessing cannabis can bring them in contact with members of criminal gangs, especially if they are regular clients.

• Cannabis users may look for a bigger ‘high.’

• Associating with peers who are prepared to break the law

• Living in a run-down area

• Poor parental supervision

• Childhood trauma

• Coming out of care and having no family support or friends

• Poverty and homelessness

• A lack of self-worth and feeling detached from society.

It is absurd of cannabis supporters to deny that cannabis is not a gateway drug; 80% of heron addicts admitted that they used cannabis before taking cannabis. Denying cannabis is a gateway drug is like denying that poverty is not linked to crime or alcohol is not linked to violence.

I have seen cannabis users graduating to hard drugs in my professional career and personal life. A close friend, oldest son, started smoking cannabis at 14, graduated to hard drugs in adulthood, and has become continually hooked on them ever since. Now in his 40s, their son's life is a complete mess, and the parents are in perpetual despair. Sadly, this story could be told by thousands of parents up and down the country.

It is when smokers and the tobacco industry in the 1960s first admitted that smoking could harm your health that young people then were in a position to make an informed choice – that is the critical reason smoking dropped from 70% of males in the ’60s to 15% now – just think how many lives have been saved from a painful lingering death. It's time cannabis supporters come clean and be honest with young people that there is a risk and offer teenagers the chance of an informed choice and stop peddling false information to young people.

This blog is an extract from my book ‘Gone To Pot – Cannabis: What Every Parent Needs To Know’.

The Impact of Cannabis on Adolescents

Mon, 07 Feb 2022 17:56:43 GMT

This is For years, supporters of cannabis have rejected the many studies linking cannabis with psychosis, claiming that research has yet to prove cannabis can lead to mental illness. That link has now been proven, especially amongst adolescents.a subtitle for your new post

In 2017 the US National Academy of Medicine, a completely independent organisation and considered one of the foremost research organisations in America, issued a 468-page research paper entitled, The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids, concluded cannabis use is likely to increase the risk of developing schizophrenia and other psychoses; the higher the use and the younger the person is consuming cannabis, the greater the risk.

The report's key finding confirmed previous evidence of the harmful effect on the mental health of regular use of cannabis, especially of high-potency types. Importantly, they indicate for the first time how cannabis use affects the incidence of psychotic disorder, especially amongst teenagers

A more recent study in 2019 has shown an eight-fold variation in the incidences of psychosis across 17 centres; the highest rates were found in London and Amsterdam, cities where young people have been reported to be taking the high potency cannabis. Indeed, in these two centres, the use of high potency cannabis accounted for almost one-third and a half, respectively, of all new cases of psychosis. The main concern by scientists is the impact cannabis use is having on young people whose brains are still developing.

In a report by Public Health England: 'Young People's Substance Misuse Treatment Statistics 2018/19', 14,485 young people in the UK needed treatment for substance misuse; 88% of these young people in treatment reported that cannabis was the main problem, followed by 44% who said it was alcohol. This contradicts those young people who say that cannabis is safer than alcohol; it most definitely is not! A study in Canada of 3,826 young students (12 to 13) in 31 schools showed that cannabis use had a more lasting effect on a young person's brain than alcohol. It was found that cannabis use can lead to a decline in learning ability, decision-making, and overall academic achievement, which can last into adulthood. The poor educational outcome has been linked to numerous studies linking cannabis use with a decline in the neurocognitive development of young teenagers' brains. The result of this decline is that the brain does not develop to its full potential, hence the link with poorer academic achievement.

The message is now very clear; the more potent strains of cannabis that now populate Western towns and cities can damage the development of adolescents' brains and refute the arguments that cannabis is safe and does not cause mental illness.

This blog is an extract from my book 'Gone To Pot – Cannabis: What Every Parent Needs To Know'.

Effects of Cannabis on Teenagers Mental Health

Fri, 14 Jan 2022 13:08:23 GMT

Many parents are oblivious of just how dangerous cannabis can be for teenagers. In this blog, I provide compelling evidence that exposes these dangers

To understand the effects of cannabis on teenagers it's important to understand how this complex plant affects teenagers' brains. Cannabis is made up of many chemicals. But the two key ones that affect the brain's functioning are THC and CBD. THC is the chemical in cannabis that brings about the high and the feeling of euphoria. This is what gives users the buzz. CBD is the chemical that can provide therapeutic value, for example, pain relief. Criminal gangs have genetically modified cannabis, so it has higher levels of THC, so users get a greater mind-altering experience. These high THC levels can be highly dangerous, particularly for young people whose brains are still developing.

Over 90% of the drugs being sold on the streets today contain these higher levels of THC, which can between 10% and 70%. In the 1960s, the THC levels were between 3 and 5%. Scientists have now proven beyond any reasonable doubt that high levels of THC currently contained in cannabis is causing many young people to develop long term mental health problems. Many are developing schizophrenia. Over 30% of all new cases of psychosis in parts of London have been directly linked to cannabis. Make no mistake about it; cannabis-induced mental illness is fast becoming a major teenage public health issue.

In a report by Public Health England: 'Young People's Substance Misuse Treatment Statistics 2018/19', 14,485 young people in the UK needed treatment for substance misuse; 88% of these young people in treatment reported that cannabis was the main problem, followed by 44% who said it was alcohol. This contradicts those young people who say that cannabis is safer than alcohol; it most definitely is not! A study in Canada of 3,826 young students (12 to 13) in 31 schools showed that cannabis use had a more lasting effect on a young person's brain than alcohol. It was found that cannabis use can lead to a decline in learning ability, decision-making, and overall academic achievement, which can last into adulthood. The poor academic outcome has been linked to numerous studies linking cannabis use with a decline in the neurocognitive development of young teenagers' brains. The outcome of this decline is that the brain does not develop to its full potential, hence the link with poorer academic achievement.

The science is now very clear: if young teenagers use cannabis monthly, weekly or daily, then they substantially increase the risk of damaging their brains; the more regularly they take it and the younger they are, the risk increases. By using cannabis, they are potentially gambling away their future lives. If cannabis caused premature baldness, then I suspect young people would run a mile from it but, because the impact on their health is less obvious, kids blindly use cannabis, oblivious to the very real dangers that could be awaiting them. If they cannot see the dangers, then we adults have a duty to protect teenagers and young people from this dreadful modern scourge.

This blog is an extract from my book 'Gone To Pot – Cannabis: What Every Parent Needs To Know'.

Does Cannabis Cause Mental Illness?

Fri, 07 Jan 2022 13:50:35 GMT

The question whether cannabis causes mental illness has been asked for hundreds of years. In this blog I look at the evidence.

For years supporters of cannabis have rejected the many studies that link cannabis with psychosis, claiming that research has yet to fully prove a link. I was on a radio programme some years ago and was challenged to provide evidence that cannabis actually ‘causes’ psychosis. Well, of course I couldn’t because ‘causes’ implies that the action of taking cannabis will definitely result in developing psychosis, in the same way that drinking arsenic will definitely end up in death.

It is impossible for any scientist to say that cannabis is a definite cause of psychosis because it depends on the individual’s age, dosage, gender, and genetic makeup.

There are simply too many variables to categorically state that if anyone uses cannabis, they will, for certain, develop psychosis. What the scientists have been trying to do over the decades is to identify whether there is an ‘association’ or ‘link’ between taking cannabis and the development of mental illness, and that is precisely what they have achieved. There is now compelling evidence if teenagers regularly use cannabis, they substantially increase the risk of damaging their brains, which can lead to long term mental health issues, including psychosis and long-term conditions such as schizophrenia.

That is why it is so disingenuous of supporters of cannabis to keep on repeating that cannabis does not cause mental and downplaying the dangers of cannabis. The tobacco industry used similar arguments in the 1950s, dismissing the studies which showed smoking was linked to cancer and blaming pollution and people’s lifestyles. Thankfully we now have the research on the link between cannabis and psychosis, which is now beginning to convince the sceptics.

After decades and hundreds of studies trying to identify a possible link between cannabis and mental illness, we now have the evidence. In 2017 the US National Academy of Medicine, a completely independent organisation and considered one of the foremost research organisations in America, issued a 468-page research paper entitled, ‘The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids’.

They concluded:

“Cannabis use is likely to increase the risk of developing schizophrenia and other psychoses; the higher the use and the younger the person is consuming cannabis, the greater the risk”.

More recently in 2019 another major study, ‘Cannabis Use and the Risk of Psychosis and Affective Disorders’ was undertaken by a team which included one of the world’s foremost experts on cannabis and schizophrenia, Sir Robin Murray. This study produced compelling evidence of the link between cannabis and serious mental illness, especially amongst teenagers. The study looked at 13 major studies that had taken place in different countries around the world. Ten of the studies confirmed the link while two showed a similar trend and one was not considered reliable. The study reported that the incidence of schizophrenia in South London had doubled between 1965 and 1999.

A very recent and large Trans-European study has shown an eight-fold variation in the incidences of psychosis across 17 centres; the highest rates were found in London and Amsterdam, cities where young people have been reported to be taking the high potency cannabis. Indeed, in these two centres the use of high potency cannabis accounted for almost one-third and a half, respectively, of all new cases of psychosis.

The report went on to conclude:

Our findings confirm previous evidence of the harmful effect on mental health of daily use of cannabis, especially of high-potency types. Importantly, they indicate for

the first time how cannabis use affects the incidence of psychotic disorder. Therefore, it is of public health importance to acknowledge alongside the potential

medicinal properties of some cannabis constituents the potential adverse effects that are associated with daily cannabis use, especially of high-potency varieties.

The message is now very clear; the stronger strains of cannabis which now populate Western towns and cities can damage the development of young people’s brains and refutes the arguments that cannabis is safe and does not cause severe mental illness.

This blog is an extract from my book ‘Gone To Pot – Cannabis: What Every Parent Needs To Know’.

Can you Become Addicted to Cannabis?

Thu, 30 Dec 2021 14:04:43 GMT

In This Blog I look at whether cannabis is addictive.

Can people become addicted to cannabis? The answer is yes. According to the National Institute on Drugs in the US. Marijuana (the American word for cannabis) can lead to ‘marijuana use disorder’, which takes the form of addiction in severe cases. Recent data suggests that 30% of those who use marijuana may have some degree of marijuana - use disorder.

People who begin using marijuana before the age of 18 are four to seven times more likely to develop a marijuana - use disorder than adults”. The UK Government’s own website FRANK states:

Heavy cannabis users often get cravings and find it hard not to take the drug – even when they know it’s causing them physical, mental or social problems.

When heavy users do try to stop, they can:

• feel moody and irritable

• feel sick

• find it hard to sleep

• find it hard to eat

• experience sweating and shaking

• get diarrhoea

If you roll your spliffs (a term often used to describe mixing cannabis with tobacco), you’re also at risk of getting addicted (or staying addicted) to nicotine. A World Health Organisation (WHO) report talks about cannabis users becoming dependent on cannabis: (Chapter 9.1.4 ‘What we know about the long-term effects of regular cannabis use’). The report also states that ‘Regular cannabis users can develop dependence on the drug. The risk may be around 1 in 10 among those who ever use cannabis, 1 in 6 among adolescent users, and 1 in 3 among daily users’.

If you would like to know more on this subject, then either contact your GP or local Community Mental Health Team. Also, you could talk to one of the specialist mental health charities which specialise in drug misuse; charities such as:

Adfam: 02038179410, www.adfam.org.uk

Families Anonymous: 02074984680, www.famanon.org.uk

DrugFam: 03008883853, www.drugfam.co.uk

This blog is an extract from my book ‘Gone To Pot – Cannabis: What Every Parent Needs To Know’.

New book explores the ticking time bomb of cannabis and its impact on the mental health of teenagers

Tue, 09 Nov 2021 13:14:09 GMT

A new book will delve deeper into whether increasing numbers of teenagers risk wrecking their mental health by consuming more potent strains of cannabis.

Award-winning mental health worker and campaigner Terry Hammond, who lives in Packington, spent the last 18 months researching information for his debut book: Gone To Pot - Cannabis: What Every Parent Needs To Know and spoke to teachers, professionals and families about the issue.

The book outlines how scientists have provided compelling evidence that the new, more potent strains of cannabis are damaging teenagers' brains, leading to long-term impairment because teenagers' brains are still developing.

Terry said: “Cannabis use amongst teenagers is on the rise; one teacher told me that it is not tobacco that you smell behind the bicycle sheds these days; it's cannabis. Using my professional mental health background, I decided to write a book to warn parents of its dangers and to provide parents with a step-by-step guide on what to do if a son or daughter is using cannabis or is affected by it.”

Terry hopes the book will add vital knowledge to the increasing debate on cannabis use by highlighting key facts around potential harm but also detailing the healing qualities of cannabis.

Additionally, Terry warns that unless schools, colleges and the government take action in preventing further use of more potent strains, there is potential for a public health crisis as soaring numbers of teenagers turn to stronger cannabis rather than tobacco.

For more information on the book, Gone To Pot-Cannabis: What Every Parent Needs To Know, visit www.terryhammond.org.uk .

The Truth About Cannabis - Cannabis as a Medicine

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 12:49:06 GMT

The medical use of cannabis goes back centuries. In ancient China, physicians mixed cannabis into medicine to treat pain and used it as an anaesthetic. In Ancient Greece cannabis was used to stop nose bleeds. Queen Victoria is alleged to have used it for period pains. The use of cannabis as a medicine increased during the 1900s and its use continues to increase. Prior to the second world war there were 2,000 cannabis medicines produced by over 280 manufacturers (BBC Panorama, 2001). Whilst these products were produced without any scientific basis, there was considerable anecdotal evidence that cannabis-based medicines had some impact on alleviating certain conditions, particularly pain relief. As modern medicines developed during the 1900s, new and more laboratory-tested drugs were developed such as aspirin (1899), and cannabis medicines fell out of favour as people turned towards the more scientifically proven drugs. The use of cannabis as a medicine continued but was very much a niche market.

In 1973 Tod H Mikuya, a psychiatrist from California, published a paper claiming that cannabis helped glaucoma. There were further studies undertaken, most of them small scale, highlighting the potential therapeutic benefits of cannabis for a variety of medical conditions, such as pain relief, help with muscle spasms, and relief from the nausea caused by chemotherapy. This helped to spark a renewed public interest in cannabis. Medicalised cannabis provided a strong argument for those who for years had been campaigning to legalise cannabis, claiming it was a harmless recreational drug and, far from being dangerous, actually had healing qualities. As the use of cannabis increased during the 1960s, so did the calls to legalise it. Pressure groups sprang up calling for the decriminalisation of cannabis, riding on the back of its therapeutic value for a range of medical conditions.

There is now compelling evidence that cannabis does have therapeutic qualities but there is equally compelling evidence that cannabis can damage the complex wiring system of the brain, leading to long term mental health issues, especially those who start using cannabis as teenagers. To understand why cannabis can harm and heal people, you must understand the complex make up of cannabis and understand the difference between THC and CBD the two primary chemicals in cannabis (see my previous blog 2). It is the THC which can be dangerous if taken in excess or the user consumes cannabis with high levels of THC. The cannabis sold on the streets today tends to be genetically modified cannabis with high levels of THC - which can be lethal to the young minds of teenagers.

This blog is an extract from my book ‘Gone To Pot – Cannabis: What Every Parent Needs To Know’. If you would like to know more about the impact cannabis is having on young teenagers and what you can do to protect your children visit my website: www.terryhammond.org.uk

Understanding the Truth about Cannabis 2

Wed, 20 Oct 2021 17:16:55 GMT

During Napoleon Bonaparte's invasion of Egypt in 1798, alcohol was unavailable as Egypt was an Islamic country. In place of alcohol, Bonaparte's troops resorted to trying hashish (extracts from the cannabis plant) which they found to their liking. As a result of the conspicuous consumption of hashish by the troops, the smoking of hashish and consumption of drinks containing the substance was banned in October 1800 because of the adverse effects it was having on the troops and the local people. In 1904, Dr. George F. W. Ewens, the Superintendent of the Punjab Lunatic Asylum, produced a report, 'Insanity Following the Use of Indian Hemp' (an extract of Cannabis). His report states:

There is a special form of mental disease met with in India, usually classed as Toxic Insanity, which seems to have direct relation to the excessive use of hemp drugs. The symptoms are entirely mental, among the large number I have now seen, unlike the results of alcohol.

During the 1920s the Egyptian government was so concerned about the detrimental effects cannabis was having on the working population, it requested that Cannabis be added to the 'Geneva International Convention on Narcotics Control'. On 28 September 1925, the Dangerous Drug Act became law in the UK, and Cannabis was included in the list of 'dangerous drugs’ and was made an illegal substance. Many countries followed suit and, by the end of the twentieth century, most developed countries had banned Cannabis use.

Human use of Cannabis goes back thousands of years, and it is one of the earliest known plants to be cultivated. Cannabis has been used for food, medicine, rope-making, religious ceremonies and for recreational purposes. In first-century China, scholars recorded in the first comprehensive reference guide on herbs and drugs called the Pen-ts'ao ching, that excessive Cannabis smoking caused 'seeing the Devil'. By 100 AD, Chinese physicians believed the drug, if taken in excess, would make one communicate with the spirits and lightens one's body.

So what is that can cause an individual to feel a sense of euphoria and make users feel as though they have been possessed? Cannabis has a chemical called tetrahydrocannabinol, most commonly known as THC, which is the principal psychoactive constituent of Cannabis and is what gives users the 'high'. One of the reasons Cannabis is so potentially dangerous is that, when it is ingested either through inhaling or digesting, it goes straight into the bloodstream and within seconds is absorbed into the brain. THC has the ability to interfere with dopamine neurotransmitters and distort the signal, causing the neurotransmitter to send a surge of dopamine to the reward part of the brain, which creates the immediate high.

This sounds good; however, the problem is that the effects of THC can stay in the brain, not just for hours but days and even weeks. It is not just the high the brain has to contend with, but impaired memory, hand coordination, movement and behaviour. That is why it can be so dangerous to drive a car even days after taking Cannabis. It is not only driving; if you work with machinery your chance of an accident also increases. It affects your movement, concentration and your ability to process thought.

So it does not take a lot of working out to realise that continued use of Cannabis with high levels of THC can cause long term impairment to the communication systems of the brain. Indeed, scientists now know with reasonable certainty that long term use of Cannabis, especially with high levels of THC, can lead to dependence, addiction and long-term damage to the brain.

Next time we will look at the benefits of Cannabis.

Understanding the truth about cannabis

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 17:12:28 GMT

Growing up in the back streets of South London in the sixties, cannabis was not a part of ‘working-class’ culture at all. Everyone was mainly out drinking in pubs. Yes, cannabis was about, but mostly used by students and the middle classes.

I never really came across cannabis until a relative in the 80’s started to use it to relieve muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis. But it was not until I started looking after people with schizophrenia that I discovered another side to this incredibly complex plant.

I was working for a special needs Housing Association looking after people with long term mental health issues. Justin (not his real name) one of the residents, approached me and said, “Can you see the TV in my eyes? Look closer and you will see my eyes are tuned into Channel Two; go on have a good look”. I did look, but being careful not to go along with Justin's obvious delusions, and also being careful not to upset him, I responded; “I can’t see what you can see Justin, but I believe that is what you can see”. Justin had recently been discharged from a psychiatric hospital and placed in the supported home I managed back in the early 1980s. Three years earlier, Justin put a brick through the window of a TV shop, jumped inside and sat amongst his ‘friends'. He was arrested, put in prison, then later moved to a psychiatric hospital. As part of his rehabilitation, he was placed in the care of the supported home. I later discovered that Justin had been a long-term user of cannabis, as had several other residents we looked after.

This was the first time I started to question whether cannabis might be linked to mental illness.

Thirty years on, we now know with reasonable certainty that cannabis can help to heal and harm, especially the new strains of cannabis and this is backed up by scientific studies. Sadly, I don’t think society has grasped just how complex cannabis is and how dangerous these new, more powerful strains of cannabis are and how they can cause serious damage to brains communication systems – especially to teenagers. It is essential that parents try to understand this incredible Jekyll and Hyde plant and teach their unsuspecting teenage children that by using cannabis they are playing Russian roulette with their mental health.

terryhammond

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