Possible Consequences of Cannabis Legalization - What Do Research Show?

Indian hemp (lat. Cannabis sativa subs. Indica) has been used as a source of industrial fiber, seed oil, food, medicine for some somatic diseases, and it is also used as a psychoactive substance. Cannabis can be used by smoking, evaporation, as a food ingredient, or as an extract. Acute and chronic cannabis use has been shown to be detrimental to several aspects of psychological and physical health and many experimental studies done on healthy people indicate the potential of Δ9- tetra hydro cannabinoid (THC) in inducing transient, dose-dependent psychotic symptoms, but also affective, behavioral, cognitive, neurovegetative, and psychophysical symptoms. Cannabis is the most commonly used illegal drug globally. In many communities, cannabis is perceived as a low-risk drug, leading to political lobbying to decriminalize its use. The wave of laws and initiatives to liberalize cannabis use continues to spread across the United States and the rest of the world, and there seems to be a political debate in the background about the potential risks and benefits of cannabis use. Aim is to present the possible consequences that the legalization of cannabis would have from the aspect of mental health and mental disorders.

Authors reviewed the literature using PubMed resources on the effects of cannabis using the keywords: cannabis use, cannabis use and psychoticism, cannabis use and depression, cannabis use and anxiety, cannabis use and cognition, cannabis use and insomnia, legalization of cannabis.

Authors examined the effects of cannabis use on psychiatric disorders and the review of the legal status of cannabis use in the world was also made. The possible consequences of cannabis legalization on the public health system were also considered, based on experiences from countries where legalization has already been done. The evidence cited in this article suggests that strong claims about the need to legalize cannabis are still questionable, and may, even in the long run, remain mixed, inconclusive, or even contradictory. Political interference in this issue can trigger a wide range of unintended but profound and lasting consequences for the health system and the health of the individual.

We recommend further research on this topic and data collection with an emphasis on the effects and consequences of cannabis use on mental health, and in particular the benefits and harmful effects of medical cannabis use.