Leading International Researchers Destroy 13 Anti-Cannabis Claims

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap radius”]N[/dropcap]othing impacts drug policy more than peer-reviewed scientific research. On Aug. 12, the International Centre for Science in Drug Policy (ICSDP) reviewed thirteen studies that claim cannabis is dangerous or that cannabis is a gateway drug. The document breaks down each falsely accepted claim one by one.

State of Evidence: Cannabis Use and Regulation was released listing over a dozen false cannabis claims, dissecting the research involved. “We are at a critical juncture, as more and more jurisdictions are reconsidering their policies on cannabis,” Dr. Dan Werb, Director of the ICSDP said in a press release. “Yet, the public discourse around cannabis is filled with frequently repeated claims that are simply not supported by the scientific evidence. Given that policy decisions are influenced by public opinion and media reports, there is a serious danger that misrepresenting the evidence on cannabis will lead to ineffective or harmful policy.”

Despite all of the misinformation, Uruguay and several states have legalized cannabis. Canada, Jamaica, Italy, Spain, Latin America, and several U.S. states are set to join in with legalization initiatives in 2016.

Renowned doctors from all over the world participated in the study. Dr. Carl Hart o Columbia University explained, “The claim that cannabis is ‘gateway’ drug, for example, confuses correlation and causation. Worse still is the fact that a false claim like ‘cannabis is as addictive as heroin’ is reported as front page news. The evidence tells us that less than 1 in 10 people who use cannabis across their lifetime become dependent, whereas the lifetime probability of becoming heroin-dependent is closer to 1 in 4. False claims like these hamper public understanding of these issues and ultimately lead to harmful policies.”

The ongoing discussion continues on Twitter with
#CannabisClaims at @ICSDP .