Reduce risks Cannabis should only be smoked without tobacco

Physicians are looking for ways to make cannabis use safer
In many countries around the world, the attitude towards cannabis has changed dramatically in recent years. Final bans on cannabis are increasingly being replaced by looser legislation. Scientists are now looking for ways to reduce the negative health effects of cannabis. Researchers found that many of the risks to users are reduced if cannabis is consumed without tobacco.

The scientists of the accredited King's College London and the UCL found in an investigation that the use of cannabis is much less harmful when the cannabis use takes place without tobacco. The doctors published the results of the study in the journal "Lancet Psychiatry".

Many consumers of cannabis smoke it with the help of tobacco. However, many health risks could be reduced by smoking cannabis pure without tobacco. (Image: Syda Productions / fotolia.com)

Consumers should take pure cannabis through a vaporizer
It is critical for health officials that action be taken to reduce the harm of cannabis use. Many of the health risks can be avoided by encouraging users to consume cannabis without tobacco and, for example, with the help of so-called vaporizers.

In the current drug policy, consumers must be protected from adverse effects
The rapidly changing laws on cannabis are leading to the need to protect users from the most harmful effects, say the experts. Further research was urgently needed to scientifically monitor the changed drug policy.

Cannabis use has doubled in four decades
It is quite difficult to estimate which cannabis strains and what quantities of cannabis are consumed in general. However, estimates indicate that cannabis use has doubled on average over the past four decades, the researchers explain. In many countries, cannabis dominates with high potency on the black market.

Consumption of cannabis should be made safer
Over the past eight years, the number of Europeans who have undergone treatment for problems with cannabis has increased by more than 50 percent. It is unclear how many people volunteer for treatment or how many have been hospitalized in clinics, the authors explain. Scientists are now working to make consumption generally safer.

Cannabis laws have changed in many countries
Several European countries have already changed their laws on cannabis. These include, for example, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal. In the US, eight states have formally legalized cannabis. There are also many regions where cannabis is used as a medical drug, the researchers add.

Effects of the changed drug policy are still unclear
The legalization of cannabis is expected to reduce the cost of cannabis. It is extremely unlikely that the number of users will be reduced. To what extent the changed drug policy with regard to cannabis will lead to an increased use and will lead to increased health problems remains according to the scientists also unclear. But we know that consumers of cannabis have an increased health risk, the author adds. Amir Englund from the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London.

What do the main compounds in cannabis do??
The main compounds found in cannabis are THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) and cannabidiol (CBD), the experts explain. The THC leads to the typical so-called cannabis high. High levels of THC are associated with an increased risk of psychosis. However, there is some evidence that CBD counteracts the negative effects of THC, including poor memory and paranoia, the researchers explain.

There is a need for action to protect consumers
We can not always wait for a lot of research, we need to get the best possible results from the evidence we know, says author Dr. Englund. Only in this way can consumers be protected to a certain extent from negative health effects.

Cannabis should not be smoked with tobacco
This year, Dr. Englund, in another study, investigated whether different levels of CBD can reduce the harmful effects of THC. The European habit of smoking cannabis with tobacco is one of the biggest known health risks for cannabis users. However, this problem is largely ignored in the public health debate, say the medical profession. Health damage can be minimized by developing effective strategies to reduce the smoking of cannabis with tobacco in the general population, the experts add. (As)