Drugs: January 2008 Archives

In 2006/7 16,500 adults in England sought treatment for cannabis use, according to a report on the BBC news website. Although the legal classification of cannabis remains a controversial area, with advocates for both Class B and Class C, the rise by 50% of people seeking treatment since the drug was reclassified downwards from Class B to Class C is a worrying trend. The rise could be explained by the availability of better treatments but it is unlikely people would seek treatment unless they were experiencing a problem. As evidence continues to mount about the harmful effects of cannabis, the people who previously regarded cannabis as a harmless drug are strangely silent. The British Medical Association remains opposed to the Class C classification. It’s debatable what difference it would make to reclassify it now.