Standard units for grading the potency of cannabis – similar to those already used for alcohol – would result in significant improvements in the mental health of users, according to addiction experts, writes Jamie Doward for The Observer.
Researchers from the Addiction and Mental Health Group at the University of Bath, working with staff from King’s College London, UCL and the Australian Catholic University in Melbourne, say more needs to be done to make people aware of the levels of THC – the main psychoactive component – in the cannabis they are consuming.
Writing in the journal Addiction, the experts suggest a unit level should be set at 5mg of THC – the amount that would typically be found in a small joint. This is enough to induce intoxication but without psychotic symptoms, they say.
“Our findings add to a growing body of evidence that suggests the health effects of cannabis are dose-related,” said lead author Sam Craft, from King’s College London, as reported in The Observer. “We believe a unit system would help both users and healthcare professionals by providing clearer information on the types of cannabis products and their strength.”
Previous research from the team has highlighted how concentrations of THC in cannabis have doubled across Europe in the past decade. But although use of the drug is widespread and there are moves in some countries to legalise it, standard units – which have been commonplace for alcohol for many years – have not been adopted in health guidelines.
Full report on The Observer site
[link url="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/oct/13/grading-cannabis-strength-health-effects"]Grading cannabis strength ‘will improve mental health of users’[/link]