Research Index | Medline Index

Authors

- Donnelly N, Hall W, Christie P

Title

- The effects of partial decriminalisation on cannabis use in South Australia, 1985 to 1993.

Language

- Eng

Date

- 1995 Jun

Issue

- 1035-7319

Source

- Aust J Public Health

Pages

- 281-7

Country

- AUSTRALIA

Abstract

- In 1987 the Cannabis Expiration Notice scheme decreased penalties for the personal use of cannabis in South Australia. Data from four National Campaign Against Drug Abuse (NCADA) household drug-use surveys covering the period 1985 to 1993 were analysed to measure the effect of the decriminalisation on cannabis use. The main outcomes used were the self-reported prevalence rates of having ever used cannabis and current weekly use. Logistic regression was used to control for the potentially confounding effects of age and sex. Other outcomes were rates of having ever been offered cannabis and willingness to use cannabis if offered it. Between 1985 and 1993 the adjusted prevalence rate of ever having used cannabis increased in South Australia from 26 per cent to 38 per cent. There were also significant increases in Victoria and Tasmania, and to a lesser extent in New South Wales. The increase in South Australia was not significantly greater than the average increase (P = 0.1). Adjusted rates of weekly use increased between 1988 and 1991 in South Australia, but did not change through 1993. Although the effect was in the direction of a greater increase in South Australia, this was not statistically significant when compared to increases in the rest of Australia (P = 0.07). The greatest increase in adjusted weekly use occurred in Tasmania between 1991 and 1993, from 2 per cent to 7 per cent. Although the NCADA survey data indicate that there were increases in cannabis use in South Australia in 1985-1993, they cannot be attributed to the effects of partial decriminalisation, because similar increases occurred in other states.

Research Institute

- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney.

Source

- Aust J Public Health 1995 Jun;19(3):281-7

Id Code

95204075

Authors

Chambliss WJ

Title

Why the U.S. Government is not contributing to the resolution of the nation's drug problem.

Source

International Journal of Health Services

Date

1994

Issue

24(4)

Pages

675-90

Abstract

When the U.S. Surgeon General suggested looking at the experience of countries that have officially or de facto decriminalized drugs, the administration's reaction was unequivocal: under no circumstances would the decriminalization of drugs be considered. This reaction prevails despite the admission by almost everyone that the so-called "war on drugs" is not merely a failure but a disaster. Had the Surgeon General's suggestion been followed the results would show that decriminalization--judging from the experience of other nations and states within the United States that have decriminalized marijuana--would have few negative consequences and many positive ones, not the least of which would be a lessening of crimes associated with the prohibition of drugs. In the United States the effect might also be to reduce the hidden racist war that takes place nightly in the ghettoes of the nation's underclass.

Authors

- Cermak TL

Title

- Addiction medicine perspective on the medicalization of marijuana [In Process Citation]

Language

- Eng

Date

- 1998 Apr-Jun

Issue

- 0279-1072

Source

- J Psychoactive Drugs

Pages

- 155-62

Country

- UNITED STATES

Abstract

- Many medical, ethical, legal and political issues have been raised by legislation in California removing criminal penalties for the medical use of marijuana. The California Society of Addiction Medicine (CSAM) has taken an addiction medicine perspective on the use of marijuana as medicine in an effort to create a neutral framework for dealing with these issues. As part of this perspective, CSAM has called for marijuana to be rescheduled beneath its current Schedule I status. Guidelines for safely integrating cannabis into accepted medical practices are suggested.

Source

- J Psychoactive Drugs 1998 Apr-Jun;30(2):155-62

Authors

- Hendriks VM, Garretsen HF, van de Goor LA

Title

- A "parliamentary inquiry" into alcohol and drugs: a survey of psychoactive substance use and gambling among members of the Dutch parliament.

Language

- Eng

Date

- 1997 May

Issue

- 1082-6084

Source

- Subst Use Misuse

Pages

- 679-97

Country

- UNITED STATES

Abstract

- In the fall of 1994 a survey was conducted on the use of alcohol and drugs and on gambling among members of the Dutch parliament. The survey indicated that almost two-thirds of the representatives sampled supported legalization of marijuana. A smaller majority (57%) was in favor of reducing the number of coffee shops selling marijuana. At least a quarter of the members of parliament had used marijuana themselves at one time or other. Alcohol consumption could be said to be "excessive" or "very excessive" for nearly 10% of the members of parliament. In general, the nature and extent of the parliamentarians' substance use was comparable to that in the Dutch general population.

Research Institute

- Addiction Research Institute Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Source

- Subst Use Misuse 1997 May;32(6):679-97

Authors

- West R

Title

- Addiction, ethics and public policy.

Language

- Eng

Date

- 1997 Sep

Issue

- 0965-2140

Source

- Addiction

Pages

- 1061-70

Country

- ENGLAND

Abstract

- Addiction affects the lives of all of human kind, either directly or indirectly. The cost to individuals and societies is immense and tackling the problem is as much one for policy makers as clinicians, counsellors and scientists. Ethical issues permeate much of the work of all these groups. The issue of what is right and wrong, morally defensible or morally unacceptable arises at both an individual and societal level. This special issue contains 21 commissioned articles from leading figures in addiction research. To set the scene for these in-depth analyses, this article reports the results of an expert panel survey on addiction, ethics and public policy. A total of 199 people from 24 countries identified as first authors of research papers abstracted in Addiction Abstracts in 1994 and 1995 completed a postal questionnaire asking their views on a range of issues. They were asked to state their position on the issue and to identify what they considered to be the most important factors in the decision. Among the findings of interest were: a majority believed that possession of cannabis should be legal but that possession of 'hard drugs' should be illegal. An overwhelming majority believed that tobacco advertising should be banned, that smoking should be prohibited in public buildings and offices and that the legal age for tobacco sales should be 18 or more. A majority believed that researchers should not accept backing from tobacco companies; opinion on accepting backing from the alcohol industry was more evenly divided. An overwhelming majority believed that drug addicts should be able to attend treatment centres on demand and that some form of methadone maintenance should be available to addicts who want it. The survey should prove a useful resource when debating the issues in policy and research arenas.

Research Institute

- St George's Hospital Medical School, London, UK.

References

- 0

Source

- Addiction 1997 Sep;92(9):1061-70