Report reveals growing impact of cannabis on young people

The number of youth admitted to the hospital for mental health issues related to cannabis has increased by 54%, according to a new report involving researchers from the University of York.

The authors warn of a "blind spot" for the growing impact of cannabis use among young people due to policy failure and the increased criminalization of young resellers.

The report cites easy access to very powerful cannabis, virtually no drug education during school hours, and outdated advice for parents as contributing factors.

The findings are included in The Children's Inquiry – a comprehensive study on the availability and use of cannabis in the UK, produced by Volteface, a think tank on drug policy.

Reduce harm

Ian Hamilton, Department of Health Sciences, University of York, said, "The report makes it clear that cannabis is not harmless, especially for young people.

"Cannabis use among youth has been stable or decreased in recent years, but the problems associated with it seem to be increasing.

"It is possible that stronger cannabis strains are to blame, but this is likely due to a variety of factors including ease of access, social media and an increase in mental health problems." self-medication against anxiety, depression and disturbing thoughts.

"The report highlights the need for a more concerted approach to cannabis policy if we want to reduce the problems reported by young people." It is possible to reduce the harm done to young people if this issue is considered a health problem rather than a problem. criminal. "

In a survey conducted for the report, one-third of 16- and 17-year-olds who had tried cannabis said they thought the use of the product made them "worried or depressed". In England and Wales, the number of inpatients with cannabis-related psychosis in the last five years has increased 112%, compared to 12% for adults.

exploitation

Other new figures presented in the report show that prosecutions and convictions of youth in England and Wales for cannabis supply have increased by 15% and 26% respectively in the last five years, while Adult lawsuits decreased by 16%. It was only a 1% increase in their beliefs.

Children and young people are increasingly being exploited by adult drug traffickers in the shadows to distribute more and more powerful cannabis – and sell it to friends – to win money. money, get a status and.

The report makes a number of recommendations, including:

1. Further investigation into how social media companies are facilitating the youth cannabis trade should be incorporated into the code of practice for social media companies currently under consideration by the government.
2. Improved diagnostic registration of youth with mental health services for children and adolescents.
3. Youth cannabis smuggling should be viewed as a potential indicator of vulnerability, not crime, and should be protected and supported.
4. Intervention: It is urgent to invest in services for youth aimed at improving the self-esteem, confidence and life chances of young people.
5. A deeper understanding of the socio-economic situation of youths engaged in the sale of cannabis is needed.
6. Overhaul of drug education in schools, with at least annual sessions for students. Teachers and staff teaching drugs should be trained by experts.
7. We should look at evidence from Canada and the United States to see what impact a legal and regulated cannabis market could have on the well-being of young people.

Policy failure

Anne Longfield OBE, Children's Commissioner for England, said: "In all aspects of the world of illegal cannabis – growth, smuggling, distribution and consumption – children are more likely to be vulnerable or victims. when they are involved in elements of crime, cannabis clearly presents mental health risks related to its use, but we know that when it is distributed, young people are at the bottom of the # Scale and are the most consumable of the chain. violence and exploitation are commonplace.

"This report suggests that we have not yet found the best way to tackle this problem and that we may need to look again at how we protect our youth by not criminalizing them too early."

Liz McCulloch, Policy Director at Volteface, said: "There is a huge blind spot about the impact and effect of cannabis supply and use in the UK, and this report clearly shows that that our current approach risks harm rather than protecting them. "

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More information:
The report is available online: volteface.me/publications/the-childrens-inquiry/