The German government has approved latest laws which decriminalises cannabis.
This policy allows over-18s to own a maximum of 25 grams of cannabis for private use and grow up to a few plants at home.
From July 2024, German residents may also have the opportunity to affix not-for-profit cannabis social clubs or growers associations where plants are cultivated en masse for the good thing about members.
In the UK, however, the federal government continues to support prohibition, unlike many western countries – including Malta, Canada and a number of other states within the US – which have opened up access to cannabis lately.
The UK government cites concerns concerning the risk to mental health related to using cannabis as a justification for supporting prohibition.
Cannabis and mental health
There is extensive research exploring the connection between cannabis and mental health problems, similar to psychosis. However, no causal link has been established because to run such studies can be unethical.
There is, though, a significant association between cannabis and psychosis. The evidence suggests that some people could also be more vulnerable than others to developing psychosis through cannabis use.
Although these health concerns are shared by some organisations in Germany, this has not prevented policy reform.
The German cannabis clubs can have quality control as a part of their ethos, providing details about potency and any potential contaminants.
This is essential because the evidence suggests there may be a dose-response relationship – an association between the quantity consumed and the incidence of effect – between the strength and frequency of cannabis use and the chance of developing problems similar to psychosis.
Cannabis users who experience psychosis are only a few in comparison to the entire number using the drug. One study estimated that to avoid one person developing psychosis, as much as 10,000 men and 29,000 women aged 20-24 would should be prevented from using cannabis.
The risk to mental health related to cannabis, then, is comparatively low.
Alcohol and tobacco: regulated but riskier
Unlike cannabis, alcohol is regulated within the UK. Although there are restrictions on its use, these have been loosened lately. As with cannabis, there are risks to mental health as a consequence of using alcohol.
The risk of developing depression amongst heavy alcohol use is critical: one in two will experience depression. So despite alcohol being regulated or legal, the risks to an individual’s mental health are greater than those posed by cannabis.
A major advantage of decriminalising cannabis can be the potential public health advantages. In the UK, most individuals using cannabis mix it with tobacco to smoke. The risks to health consequently of using tobacco are well documented and include a spread of cancers in addition to heart disease and stroke.
Although many young people consider themselves non-smokers they will be inadvertently introduced to tobacco once they smoke a cannabis joint. This creates not only a health risk but additionally the prospect of becoming depending on tobacco.
However, there may be also evidence that cannabis used without tobacco may increase the chance of physical health problems. A recent study from the US, for instance, where fewer people mix cannabis with tobacco, found a link between cannabis use and heart disease.
Because cannabis is prohibited, it’s difficult for tax-funded organisations similar to those promoting public health to intervene.
Public health
In contrast, German policy reform features a public health education programme which goals to scale back the risks of using cannabis.
Under prohibition, there isn’t a quality control or information concerning the potency of cannabis or which chemicals it incorporates. The lack of regulation leaves buyers on the mercy of the illicit market.
The Office for National Statistics estimates that 2.5 million people in England and Wales reported using cannabis in 2023.
Despite the relatively widespread use of cannabis within the UK, the main political parties, Labour and the Conservatives, show no sign of fixing the legal status of cannabis. Perhaps influenced by polling suggesting support for the present policy approach.
We know from experience that governments don’t have to wait until there may be public support to vary their policy approach to drugs. In 2007, when the Labour government introduced a ban on smoking in public areas, this wasn’t supported by many individuals.
The risks to health from using cannabis, then, are relatively small in comparison with regulated drugs similar to alcohol and tobacco. But even when the health argument isn’t enough to trigger a policy change, the economic case might be.
While decriminalising cannabis within the UK would save on criminal prosecution costs, going a step further and legalising cannabis could herald significantly higher financial returns.
The estimated tax revenue that might be raised by the legalisation (moderately than simply the decriminalisation) of cannabis in Germany is €4.7 billion (£4 billion) annually. A regulated industrial market like Canada’s could create jobs in addition to raise income from tax.
As the UK public funds proceed to be squeezed, particularly across the NHS, persisting with the prohibition of cannabis is a missed opportunity for the nation’s health and a costly policy for its public services.