Policy and Advocacy: Cannabis, Matters of Substance article

Despite cannabis being the most widely used illicit drug worldwide, it is rarely the focus of international drug policy control discussions. In light of this, The Beckley Foundation has released a report claiming prohibition is doing more harm than good and calling for urgent discussions on cannabis policy. If the ‘War on Drugs’ must continue, Rob Zorn asks, is it time we removed cannabis as one of its targets?

New Zealand’s response to an apparent increase in drivers under the influence of cannabis seems likely to be more legislation and new penalties. But is this good policy, based on solid evidence? It might be, but Geoff Noller argues that the issues and evidence are complex and require much more discussion before we act.

"Skunk 25 times more potent than resin sold a decade ago" - so the recent headlines go, accompanied by articles reporting record numbers of young people requiring drug rehabilitation, and worrying statistics about their cannabis usage. But just how much stronger is ‘the devil's lettuce' these days, and is it causing more young people to need treatment? Marilyn Head looks to bring a little balance to a subject often fraught with exaggeration and over-simplification.

Incidents involving cannabis provide some of our best chances to foster students' success even while the important social and health issues involved are addressed, argues Trish Gledhill. The way we view and deal with these events can make all the difference in promoting young people's resilience, and the results can be quite surprising.