Cannabis discourse

The health risks of cannabis use have been gaining considerable traction within public discourse in recent days, and it seems now is an opportune moment to delve, not into a list of pros and cons, but rather the ground realities of drug use in Sri Lanka, and how we can build towards a lasting solution.

According to a recent survey by the Dangerous Drug Control Board, there are over 300,000 cannabis users in Sri Lanka, while the first six months of 2020 saw over 20,000 cannabis related arrests.

Alluding to such stark figures, MP Namal Rajapaksa brought up an interesting point on Twitter recently, when he referred to addiction as an illness as opposed to a crime, the implication being that drug addicts should not be imprisoned but rather helped and cured of their addiction. 

This has proved to be a hugely successful initiative in many other countries, with both crime and prison congestion reducing. However in countries with zero tolerance policies on drug possession, overcrowded prisons have become the norm, while unemployment rates have also risen sharply – and with it crime – as individuals imprisoned on minor drug charges struggle to find jobs and thus turn to illegal means to secure income.

It’s encouraging to see MP Rajapaksa using his vast platform to address an issue with such wide spanning consequences, but as Minister of Youth Affairs there is still more he could do. For one, education on drug use is sorely lacking in Sri Lanka. Most of it centres on the negatives of using drugs such as cannabis, but fails to account for the fact that a cursory Google search will offer a plethora of contradicting information.

A majority of the discourse in Sri Lanka when it comes to educating youth about drugs, and more specifically, cannabis use centres on fear-mongering.

Indeed, those opposed to the legalisation of cannabis have a veritable arsenal of information at their disposal. Several studies have shown frequent cannabis use to be associated with addiction, depression, anxiety and eating disorders, while also opening up the possibility of long-term lung problems such as cancer, as well impairing individuals’ ability to concentrate and recall information.

Sounds bad right? Well, not quite. While these are all valid points, they are also lacking in context. These same studies have also failed to account for extenuating factors and variables. For example, it is impossible to know if someone who has depression or anxiety issues suffers from these issues because of cannabis use or otherwise. 

And anecdotally, the prevalence of cannabis use, both locally and globally – to the extent it has been legalised in certain countries – suggests that many of the health drawbacks may have been overstated.

In short, there is no direct cause and effect. Indeed, one could argue how alcohol has similar correlation to addiction, depression, anxiety etc. Yet alcohol remains legal.

That said, there have been studies done to show that cannabis use among young kids can impair the development of the brain, and potentially lead to mental health issues in the years after. These studies have however not managed to show the same correlation among adults using cannabis frequently. 

It is critical that educators give youth these facts, and trust them to make informed choices as opposed to simply threatening them with jail time – something that has time and again proven to be ineffective.