More harm than good.
An opinion on sensationalist reporting of Cannabis use.

Ten years ago the Independent on Sunday launched a campaign asking for cannabis to be decriminalised. It was very successful, and in 2004 cannabis was reclassified from a class B to a class C drug, meaning that although it is still illegal to possess cannabis, it is not an arrestable offence. Yet on Sunday 18th March, the Independent on Sunday apologised, saying they were wrong 10 years ago, stating that the increase in the strength of cannabis available today was causing mental health problems in young people. In my opinion this is a sensationalist piece of reporting, promoting moral panic, and is based on information that is inconsistent and inconclusive.

Not only was the apology printed on the front page, they also published supporting articles; ‘Skunk’ and ‘Were we out of our minds? No, but then came skunk’. Their comment section was also taken up with this story, with one comment by Rosie Boycott, who was the Independent’s editor at the time of the original campaign. They mention in their reports that due to a change in the market, ‘skunk’ now counts for 60% of the country’s cannabis consumption. The problem being they say, is that it is 25 times stronger than the cannabis resin which was more available in the past. This information is backed up by a recent report published in the Lancet which says that cannabis is more dangerous than LSD and Ecstasy.

Unfortunately they can’t agree on how much stronger ‘skunk’ is than the so called ‘traditional’ cannabis resin. In the articles, they report it’s 25 times stronger, 30 times stronger and 10 to 20 times stronger. What they fail to mention, is that there has always been a difference in the potency of cannabis available on the market. High potency skunk has been available for many years, including when they were calling for decriminalisation. In true sensationalist journalism form, they have compared the weakest cannabis ten years ago, with the strongest skunk available today, to provide themselves with a juicy media story. Their stance is a complete turn around, from their original campaign, when still in the aftermath of Leah Betts death, Ecstasy was the drug portrayed as being dangerous, and the focus of media propaganda.

In their reports, the Independent on Sunday makes links between the availability of high potency skunk, and the rise of mental health problems in young people. They report that 9,600 under 18 year olds are in treatment for cannabis addiction, and link the smoking of skunk with schizophrenia and psychosis. They report that the proportion of cannabis smokers entering treatment for addiction has risen from 6% to 12% in the last decade. Professor Colin Blakemore from the Medical Council agreed there was a link between heavy cannabis use and psychosis in vulnerable individuals, particularly young people.

Throughout the articles they mention studies, including one conducted by the Advisory Council on the misuse of Drugs, in which they conclude there could be a link between heavy cannabis use and mental health, however they only briefly mention that conclusive evidence does not exist. Colin Blakemore’s opinion also suggests the links made are not as simple as the Independent on Sunday suggest. There are many other factors involved. No drug is harmless, and cannabis smoked in large quantities can undoubtedly cause paranoia and exacerbate mental health problems. In the same article Michael Linnell from Lifeline suggests that people developing mental problems turn to cannabis to self medicate, and to try and escape their problems if only for a short period. He says that cannabis is still one of the safest drugs and this is being distorted by the current media reporting.

The Independent on Sunday reports 9million people plus in the UK have smoked cannabis, however they do not mention a high proportion of these people do so without any damaging effects on their lives. They fail to point out that many of these people have professional careers, bring up families, and having a smoke in the evening is often the extent of their law breaking. The Independent on Sunday now calls for cannabis to be upgraded. However this call is based on a small proportion of vulnerable teenagers who have problems with the drug. If their campaign is successful it will affect the millions of non-problematic cannabis smokers.

They also underestimate the intelligence of smokers suggesting that as skunk is stronger than cannabis resin, everyone smoking it is likely to get more stoned. They ignore the fact that most people know their desired level of intoxication, and if the cannabis is stronger they are likely to put less in their joints, or not need so many joints in an evening. Julie who has smoked cannabis for 20 years said “I prefer resin to skunk, I prefer a milder smoke, and don’t like to get too mashed, I have too much to do, and I need to be clear headed in the morning for work.”

In my opinion they are right on one count, there has been a change in the market. Recent research published by the organisation; Drugscope reports that 10 years ago only 11% of cannabis sold in the UK was grown here, but the success of law enforcement in targeting local suppliers has lead to a ‘cannabis resin drought’ in many areas. As there is, and always will be a market for cannabis, there has inevitably been a rise in the production of hydroponically/indoor cultivated skunk to fill the gap in the market. The Independent on Sunday seems blind to the fact that the rise in the production of high potency skunk, is a result of the criminalisation they are now supporting.

There is no evidence to suggest that the illegality of cannabis acts as a deterrent. Prohibition ensures organised criminals control the market, and to increase their market share and profit, they are likely to produce stronger strains of skunk to keep up with the competition. It costs the government vast amounts of money to enforce the drug laws, with many people ending up in our already overcrowded prisons. Prohibition has not worked, and contrary to the Independent on Sunday’s view, the criminalisation of cannabis is instrumental in causing the problems they are reporting.

All drug use involves risks, but these risks are likely to be minimised, if cannabis is decriminalised, and appropriately regulated and controlled by the state. The Green Party’s Drug group would like to take the drug trade out of criminal control and make cannabis available in a legal environment, with the introduction of ‘cannabis café’s’ and ‘pot pubs’. In a poll asking whether cannabis should be legalised on their website, 90% of the 3385 repondents, agreed that it should.

The number of young people smoking vast amounts of skunk, and the resulting effects on their mental health is a real concern. However hyping up the problem for a good story is not helpful. The Independent on Sunday have presented studies as conclusive, when they’re not. It has glossed over findings from the studies mentioned, which suggest the evidence is inconclusive, and that there are many other factors causing the problems we are seeing today. It has presented the problem of high potency skunk as recent, when it has actually been available for many years, including when they were calling for decriminalisation. They’ve underestimated the intelligence of many smokers, and lumped them in with a small minority of people having problems. Their reporting has failed to even consider these problems could be caused by the criminalisation they are now supporting. All in all this is a sensationalist piece of reporting, and it is disappointing to see this in a supposedly progressive thinking paper.