Chapter I: Cannabis and cannabinoids for medical, scientific and “recreational” use: risks and benefits
Recommendations
- Under medical cannabis programmes implemented in Canada and possibly in some other States, and in some states in the United States, the medical use of cannabinoids is poorly regulated. Those programmes are inconsistent with the international drug control treaties in failing to control cannabis production and supply. They fail to ensure that good-quality medicines are provided under medical supervision and they enable cannabis and its derivatives to be diverted to non-medical use.
- “Medical cannabis” programmes may also have been used by advocates of the legalization of cannabis use to facilitate the legalization of non-medical cannabis use, which is contrary to the international drug control treaties. Such programmes have used very broad definitions of “medical use” and allowed commercial businesses to supply illicitly produced cannabis. In the United States, those programmes also appear to have reduced public perceptions of the risks of using cannabis and have weakened public concern about cannabis legalization.
