Nearly 4% of adults in the world consume cannabis
(AFP) - 2 days ago
PARIS - Almost 4% of adults worldwide use cannabis, despite the adverse effects that this drug can have on health, according to an article published in the British medical journal The Lancet dated Saturday.
The authors cite data from the United Nations Organization on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimating that in 2006, there were 166 million cannabis users aged 15 to 64, or 3,9% of the world population of this age group.
This product is most used among young people in wealthy countries, with the United States, Australia and New Zealand in mind, but seems to be spreading worldwide.
Australian professors Wayne Hall and Louisa Degenhardt provide an overview of cannabis research.
In terms of a public health problem, by comparison, cannabis use "is probably modest" compared to the burden of alcohol, tobacco use or other illegal drugs.
However, cannabis is not without risks: deterioration of respiratory functions as for tobacco, risk of traffic accident, anxiety attack or psychotic episode in predisposed subjects, dependence ...
About 9% of people who have smoked cannabis become addicted, according to the authors. By comparison, the risk of nicotine dependence is 32%, 23% for heroin, 17% for cocaine and 15% for alcohol and 11% for stimulants.
Most heavy smokers (or long-time smokers) also smoke tobacco, making it difficult to discern its exact part in the occurrence of lung cancer, for example.
As with tobacco, cannabis smoke contains various toxins, sometimes in higher concentrations. Cough and bronchitis are common among regular cannabis smokers. Likewise, smoking tobacco and / or cannabis during pregnancy can help reduce the weight of the unborn child.
The marketing of selected plants with a high content of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in cannabis, raises concerns.
High THC levels may increase anxiety attacks, depression and psychotic symptoms in new users and the risks of addiction if regular smokers cannot measure their dose, the authors note.
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