UN: Cannabis legalization is harmful to public health

When a European country is as important as Germany Paving the way for the legalization of cannabis, the UN body has warned that the policy increases consumption among young people, does not reduce the illegal market or crime and is generally harmful to public health.

In recent years Uruguay, Canada, Malta and 19 American states. have approved the recreational use of cannabis, a global trend that is on the rise despite being banned by international drug treaties.

In response to this situation, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), the UN body that ensures compliance with international drug conventions, shows in its latest report, published in Vienna, its concern about the dangers What do you see behind legalization?

Use cannabisthe most popular drug in the world with about 209 million users, is allowed in contracts only for medical and scientific research, but in no case for recreational purposes.

The INCB, which defines itself as a quasi-judicial body made up of 13 experts, has drawn criticism from some non-governmental organizations in the past for its conservative stance on the issue, as it is the guardian of the current anti-drug accords.

Million dollar business
The committee claims that behind the current international current supporting legalization is a lobbying industry that moves tens of billions of dollars a year.

“The booming cannabis industry is selling products to attract young people, which is a matter of great concern, as is the way in which the harms associated with the use of high-potency cannabis are being reduced,” warns INCB President Jagjit Pavadia from India.

In the US, according to the INCB, the legal sale of cannabis-derived products is one of the fastest-growing industries, with a turnover of about $25 billion in 2021, 43% more than the previous year.

This is stated in the report of the Board of Directors “The most worrying effect of legalizing cannabis is the likelihood consumption is growing, especially among young people.

At the same time, it ensures that the legal availability of marijuana reduces the perception of risks associated with its consumption.

“New products, such as edibles or vaporizers sold in attractive packages, have increased this trend. The INCB believes that this has contributed to the trivialization of the effects of cannabis use in public opinion, especially among young people,” the Committee concludes. .

That’s what the experts say Cannabis is legalized everywhere an increase in health problems associated with its consumption has been observed.

Between 2000 and 2018, global cannabis-related medical admissions increased eightfold, while treatments for psychotic disorders for the drug also quadrupled.

Finally, the INCB believes that another of the goals it advocated for legalization has not been achieved: the reduction of the illegal economy and crime.

The illegal cannabis market, according to the INCB, is still at a high level in all places where it is legalized and is 40% in Canada, almost 50% in Uruguay and reaches 75% in the American state of California.