Cannabis row - evidence both ways

Tuesday December 1st, 2009

Britain should embrace cannabis as a substitute for alcohol, according to one researcher.

According to a study in California, USA, people with alcohol addiction find they can use the drug to control their cravings.

But a second British study published today warns of the risk of developing psychosis from using too much cannabis.

The findings add to the controversy in Britain about the sacking of government scientific adviser Professor David Nutt, who says alcohol is more dangerous than cannabis.

The findings, reported in the Harm Reduction Journal, come from a survey of 350 clients of a medical cannabis dispensary.

Many users - 65 per cent of the sample - took cannabis because its side effects were not as bad as alcohol, illegal drugs or prescription drugs. About a third said it caused fewer withdrawal problems than other substances while 57 per cent said cannabis improved their symptoms better than other treatments.

Researcher Amanda Reiman, from the University of California, Berkeley, USA, said: "Substituting cannabis for alcohol has been described as a radical alcohol treatment protocol.

"This approach could be used to address heavy alcohol use in the British Isles - people might substitute cannabis, a potentially safer drug than alcohol with less negative side-effects, if it were socially acceptable and available".

However another, British, study today warns of dangerous side-effects from the most concentrated form of cannabis - skunk.

Researchers in London found that skunk smokers were seven times as likely to develop psychotic illness as users of traditional cannabis. The risk was also increased among other frequent cannabis users.

The findings, reported in the British Journal of Psychiatry, come from comparing some 280 patients at a psychiatric hospital with 174 healthy people.

Researcher Dr Marta Di Forti, of the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, said: "Our study is the first to demonstrate that the risk of psychosis is much greater among people who are frequent cannabis users, especially among those using skunk, rather than among occasional users of traditional hash."

She added: "Unfortunately, skunk is displacing traditional cannabis preparations in many countries, and the availability of skunk on the UK street market has steadily increased over the past six years. Public education about the risks of heavy use of high-potency cannabis is vital."

* The British government today launched a novel "alcohol tracker" application for mobile phones. The "app" is designed to help people keep track of their drinking - and get feedback on their safety levels.

Harm Reduction Journal (In Press) British Journal of Psychiatry, 195: 488-491

Tags: Drug and Alcohol Abuse | Mental Health | North America | UK News

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