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Cannabis and Mental Health

Since it was downgraded from a class B substance to class C in January 2004, a cyclone of social dispute has revolved around the grey area of cannabis legality. The announcement by the government of their intention to demote cannabis on the hierarchy of police drug resources was followed by widespread confusion about the new amendment. Some believed that the drug had been legalised for the first time since it was outlawed in 1928 and police officers no longer had a clearly defined procedure for dealing with cannabis possession. The reclassification succeeded in reinvigorating the debate about the possible dangers of cannabis use and in particular the suspected link between cannabis abuse and mental illness.

In 2006, Home Secretary Charles Clarke laid out a manifesto for tackling cannabis related mental illness but two years on and the problem lies unaddressed. Studies have revealed that the two million regular cannabis smokers in Britain are more likely to develop schizophrenia or depression than non-smokers. Research has also discovered that cannabis usage in adolescence can act as a precursor for mental health problems later in life and researchers in Australia have reported that regular smokers are five times more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety in later years. There is clearly a worrying correlation between cannabis and mental illness.

It has been widely reported that today’s generation of smokers are consuming a stronger potency of cannabis than thirty years ago. Although cannabis with high levels of THC (the psychoactive ingredient) has existed for centuries, its availability has increased dramatically in recent years. Strains such as Skunk are grown using sophisticated techniques that increase the THC content which yields more powerful weed and advancement in growing equipment has enabled many smokers to grow strains of potent weed in their own homes. The abundance of stronger cannabis is illustrated by the American market where the average level of THC in cannabis is 8.5%. In 1988 it was more than fifty percent lower at 3.5%.

Although research into cannabis and mental health is ongoing and, to a certain extent, inconclusive, there is certainly enough evidence to suggest that cannabis is more sinister than its hippie-era connotations of love and peace suggest. Around one-in-ten smokers experience unsettling states of mind after consumption; paranoia, anxiety, confusion and self-doubt are four common adverse effects. Like stronger psychoactive drugs such as acid, magic mushrooms and mescaline, the mindset of the user prior to consumption can directly affect their experience of the drug.

The popularity of cannabis demonstrates that altering its legal status is inefficient as a means of ensuring public health. Attaching a class B or C label to its legality is futile alongside the government’s true responsibility which is ensuring that all citizens are properly educated on the nature of drugs, their health risks and also providing adequate treatment for those in need of it.