New report released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
According to a new report recently released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), cannabis use worldwide has increased due to cannabis legalization and the COVID-19 lockdown. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said the use of cannabis has skyrocketed in countries that have legalized cannabis before or after the coronavirus outbreak, and that the COVID-19 lockdown has had a similar effect. It also warns that the risk of depression and suicide is also increasing as the use of cannabis increases.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Vienna, Austria ⓒ United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
Effects of cannabis on mental health in adolescence
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, cannabis is the most produced and consumed controlled drug worldwide. According to the report, the content of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) also continues to increase. Of the 400 chemical components in cannabis, about 60 cannabinoids are involved in the hallucinogenic action of cannabis. Among them, tetrahydrocannabinol is the main hallucinogenic component of cannabis, and the above content indicates the hallucinogenic action strength of cannabis and hemp extract. For reference, cannabis (Cannabis sativa L., Moraceae) is the most abused drug in Korea and is classified as a hallucinogen.
Research results have been published that cannabis in adolescence can have a major adverse effect in the future. ⓒ Getty images
According to a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, the adverse effects of cannabis on adolescent thinking, attention, cognition, and memory are more severe than alcohol consumption. The study found that adolescents and students who took marijuana had lower memory, reasoning, and behavioral control skills than those who did not. In addition, the more cannabis use increases, the more severe the brain damage. In addition, students and adolescents who have taken cannabis are at an increased risk of developing psychosis in the future, and if you stop taking cannabis abruptly, withdrawal symptoms such as sleep disturbance may occur. This result reveals that cannabis has a significant adverse effect on the brain development of teenage students, and emphasizes the importance of the drug prevention program.
Legalization of non-medical cannabis use
However, many countries around the world are increasingly legalizing the use of cannabis. Several states in the United States have legalized non-medical cannabis use, starting with Washington and Colorado in 2012, and similar actions are being taken in other states. Uruguay and Canada also started legalizing non-medical cannabis use in 2013 and 2018, respectively.
The report asserts that this legalization of cannabis appears to have accelerated the growing trend of drugs. For example, during the COVID-19 lockdown, cannabis use increased significantly in 2020 and cannabis prevalence among teenagers did not change much, but use of high potency (high tetrahydrocannabinol content) cannabis increased significantly among young adults. said to have done
Most countries in Europe, several states in the United States, and most countries in South America and Oceania allow cannabis for medical purposes. ⓒ Jamesy0627144
In Canada, statistics over the 16-month period during the spread of the corona virus were surveyed, and as a result, alcohol and cannabis consumption among Canadians was 5.5% and 25%, respectively, higher than initially expected. In response, Professor James Mackillop of Hamilton McMaster University pointed out that alcohol and drug addiction problems may arise after Corona, so it is necessary to prepare for it.
Rising consumption of cannabis increases the burden on healthcare facilities
According to the report, cannabis-based drug treatment accounts for approximately 30% of drug treatment in the European Union (EU). Additionally, in certain countries in Africa and Latin America, most medical treatments are associated with cannabis addiction. It is said that hashish (a blackish-brown semi-solid resin with concentrated hemp resin) on the market and the increase in the strength of cannabis increased the use of cannabis in Western Europe, which in turn led to an increase in the number of mentally ill in Western Europe. According to the report, in 2020, an estimated 284 million people said they used drugs such as heroin, cocaine, amphetamines or ecstasy, of which 209 million used cannabis. Cocaine production also hit a new high in 2020, he added, adding that sea trafficking is on the rise.
In fact, two New Zealand men have been caught growing large quantities of cannabis by renting a warehouse during the 2020 coronavirus lockdown. One of the men was convicted on charges of growing, selling, and possessing marijuana, as well as obtaining methamphetamine (methamphetamine) and cocaine.
Ukrainian war could increase illicit drug production
According to the UNODC report, based on previous experience, there were concerns about the potential to make synthetic drugs anywhere in the conflict zones in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. It is also said that as wars increase, illegal drug production may continue to increase. According to a UNODC report, the number of decommissioned amphetamine laboratories in Ukraine increased from 17 in 2019 to 79 in 2020, the highest number of confiscated laboratories in any country reported in 2020.
Angela Meh, director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime ⓒ UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Angela Me, director of the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime and narcotics expert, said it was physically impossible for police to travel through conflict zones and block synthetic drug laboratories. warned of
(24)
