Removing criminal penalties for possessing cannabis for personal use, or introducing tightly controlled legalisation of cannabis, does not appear to increase levels of cannabis use.
However, the commercial sale of cannabis is linked to increased health risks, with large-scale for-profit markets – such as those seen in the US and Canada – resulting in more potent products and higher rates of addiction.
These findings are reported in a study published on Wednesday, June 17, in The Lancet Psychiatry led by experts in addiction and mental health at the University of Bath in the UK, together with an international team from the Americas, Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Asia.
