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Mental Effects of Cannabis Abuse

The UK government’s 2004 decision to downgrade all forms of cannabis from a Class B to s Class C status – meaning the punishment for possession or supply is much less harsh – saw cheers raised from many sections of the liberal press. The Independent newspaper in particular had long been campaigning for a lessening in the severity for punishments relating to the possession of the drug. However, a glut of studies in the following months led to a renewal in debate over the law being put into practise.

Essentially, they claimed that an increase in the active ingredient of cannabis (THC) through many years of growers inbreeding the plants to increase their potency has led to the cannabis plant having a powerful psychotropic effect. Rather than the so-called ‘hippy weed’ of the 1960s and 70s, which had a relatively low THC content, the contemporary ‘super skunks’ have a far more of the active substance in them and subsequently have far stronger effects. The physiological effects of inhaling any smoke to the lungs is well documented and irrefutable: multiple studies have shown that chronic heavy cannabis smoking is associated with increased symptoms of chronic bronchitis, such as coughing, production of sputum, and wheezing. The real debate, thus, lies within the psychological effects of the drug.

Several studies have seen progress made in identifying who might be at risk from cannabis use: the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study published research showing that a quarter of the population held a genetic disposition that made them more susceptible to so-called ‘cannabis psychosis’. A 2007 study also found that whilst an individual’s use of cannabis only increased their risk of mental illness by around 2%, approximately 14% of the UK’s schizophrenia cases were directly related to cannabis consumption. Shorter-term effects are well documented and barely questioned for their validity: memory loss, paranoia, loss of motor skills and a reduced reaction time are all temporary effects. Studies are looking into any permanent loss of function from the consumption of cannabis.

The dangers of cannabis use are a muddy argument with many complex issues at stake. In the case of mental health though, the water seems to be clear. With some proportion of the population clearly at risk from severe mental health problems from consumption of the drug, it is pressing and essential that accurate and unbiased information on the drug is made public immediately.