Pubdate: Fri, 18 Dec 1998 Source: New Zealand Herald (New Zealand) Contact: http://www.herald.co.nz/nzherald/index.html Copyright: New Zealand Herald Author: Eugene Bingham CANNABIS IFS AND BUTTS Marijuana use may be inching towards decriminalisation. After eight months of deliberation, a parliamentary committee has blown away the smoke and found that the fire may not be as bad as first thought. The health select committee tabled its report into the mental health effects of cannabis yesterday, finding that the drug has probably been unduly criticised. "Based on the evidence we have heard in the course of this inquiry," the committee concluded, "the negative mental health impact of cannabis appears to have been overstated, particularly in relation to occasional adult users of the drug." Pro-cannabis campaigners are already touting the report as a breakthrough. "It shows there has been a shift both in public opinion and the opinion of Parliament," Chris Fowlie, a spokesman for the group Norml, said yesterday. But the committee has been careful that it does not underplay the serious consequences of use of the drug for some people. "Evidence received in the course of this inquiry has raised serious doubts about commonly held beliefs about cannabis," wrote the committee. "Moderate use of the drug does not seem to harm the majority of people though we do not deny the serious impact cannabis use may have on certain individuals, particularly those with schizophrenia or those with a vulnerability to psychotic illness." The chairman of the committee, Brian Neeson, said the inquiry found that there was inadequate research into some areas. "We are concerned that cannabis use may accelerate the onset of schizophrenia in predisposed individuals and may be a complicating factor in the treatment of people with mental illnesses. "We found that treatment services for people with drug-related mental illnesses are inadequate. 'We have recommended that the Government address this issue through funding, the greater provision of facilities, workforce development and better service coordination." The other MPs on the committee were Shane Ardern, Phillida Bunkle, Judy Keall, Annette King, Roger Maxwell, Tukoroirangi Morgan, Katherine O'Regan, Jill Pettis and Ken Shirley. The committee noted that cannabis was the third most popular recreational drug after alcohol and tobacco. "While the abuse of any drug is undesirable, we accept that people will continue to use drugs," says the report. "Therefore, this inquiry has not focused on the legality of cannabis use but has concentrated on its mental health effects." In its conclusions, the committee noted that many of the 70 submissions stated that the mental health risks for adult users was low. "A number of submissions made the point that risks posed by cannabis are currently less than those posed by alcohol. The weight of available evidence suggests that long-term heavy use of cannabis does not -Produce severe or gross impairment of cognitive function. "Evidence received during the inquiry supports the view that there can be subtle cognitive impairment in cannabis users." In this respect, the committee drew to a large extent on the work of Wayne Hall of the Australian National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, who was commissioned to report on scientific research in this area. He found that long-term use of cannabis may cause subtle impairment in the higher cognitive functions of memory, attention and the organisation and integration of complex information. "Hall and the Health Funding Authority Pointed out that cannabis should be viewed as a lesser threat to cognitive functioning than alcohol." The committee said the evidence also suggested that cannabis did not cause behavioural difficulties, rather that cannabis was frequently used by youths who misbehaved. Neither was it a cause of suicide. The 18 recommendations contained in the report call for increased funding of research, particularly among Maori, and for greater provision and coordination of services to help people seeking drug treatment. It was also believed that a change in the law may help to draw more people who need help. Some submissions told the committee that the criminal status of cannabis heightened paranoia and anxiety. Those who develop problems are less likely to seek help because they use an illegal substance and may spiral into alienation, anti-social behaviour, criminality, mental illness or violence." - --- Checked-by: Don Beck