Citation

Hall W. Aust. J. Public Health 1995; 19(3): 235-242.

Affiliation

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

Copyright

(Copyright © 1995, Public Health Association of Australia)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

7626673

Abstract

A fair appraisal of the public health significance of cannabis use has been hampered by the polarised opinions about its health effects expressed by partisans on both sides of the debate on its legal status. The findings of a recent review of the literature on the adverse health and psychological effects of cannabis are used to estimate the major probable public health risks of cannabis use in Australia. These appear to be, in order of approximate public health importance: adverse psychological effects; motor vehicle accidents; cannabis dependence; respiratory disease; precipitation and exacerbation of schizophrenia in vulnerable individuals; low-birthweight babies; and perhaps subtle cognitive impairment. On current patterns of use, cannabis use is a modest public health concern by comparison with alcohol and tobacco, although given the scale of public health damage caused by the latter drugs, and the currently low prevalence of regular cannabis use, this is not cause for complacency.

Language: en