In New Zealand we have the Green Party with a passionate commitment to pushing a, “Cannabis is safe and wonderful” message, and yet the evidence is building in places where cannabis has been fully legalised that things are not that rosy at all. Oklahoma has led the way in legalisation, but sadly, “permissive laws have led to increased adolescent use and illicit market activity has raised public health concerns”. The old argument that legalisation will stop cannabis “being the doorway to other drugs”,  has been proved totally wrong and dangerous drug use has expanded in those areas where cannabis is legal, and the harm has expanded also.

In Oklahoma the marketing of drugs is now mainstream with up to 74.5% of Oklahomans being exposed to cannabis marketing in any 30 day period. There has been a 73% increase in adolescent drug use since 2012. Neurodevelopmental consequences are now being noticed as a consequence of adolescent cannabis use, including, disruption of cortical maturation, pre-frontal cortex impact with impaired executive function, attention regulation affected, impulse control and increased major depressive disorder and increased suicidality amongst the under 30s.

The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry study 2012-2022 of over 30,000 young adults over age 15 has showed that cannabis use has doubled since legalisation in 2018 and so have mental health issues, with a 44% increase in suicidality. There is what the authors call a “growing association” between cannabis use and increases in adolescent anxiety, depression and suicidality. Rates of Gen-X major depressive episodes and anxiety have nearly doubled since 2012.

I remember Sir John Key, our then Prime Minister, refusing to support legalisation of cannabis for the reason, that he did not want to send the message that this was “okay” as he feared long term impacts would be detrimental. He was roundly mocked by the Greens at the time, but his caution is now receiving serious support, and major challenges are being made to the open use of non-medical cannabis, for it is proving problematic amongst the young. Let’s not be influenced by the “trendy” legalisms of this powerful drug – its way more dangerous than they will argue.