What Comes After The Legalization Of Cannabis?

Under international laws, countries are obliged to impose criminal penalties for the supply of drugs for non-medical purposes. Marijuana is considered a drug with addiction effects. Therefore, cannabis was illegal.

After research showed that cannabis can have some medical benefit, countries have started showing more tolerance to using Marijuana. In the U.S., 31 states have over the past 22 years authorized its medical use. It is being prescribed to treat PTSD, schizophrenia and chronic pain among others.

The same is the case in Europe, but in 1970 the Netherlands was the first country to regulate the use of cannabis by coffeeshops which are outlets for the sale and (often on-site) consumption of cannabis. No national government in Europe supports the legalization of cannabis sale for recreational use, and all countries have prison sentences for illegal supply.

In this podcast Professor Nancy A. Haug, a licensed clinical psychologist and Associate Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, talks about her recent research on practices of dispensary staff with respect to the recommendation of cannabis strains/concentrations for specific patient ailments.

“With this shift toward cultural acceptance, it is important to keep in mind that cannabis has addictive potential and may exacerbate mental health problems, particularly among adolescents and emerging adults.”

Authorizing medical cannabis enabled widespread access among the population. But what is the training and practices of cannabis dispensary staff to give them the qualification to recommend a suitable type of cannabis for the patients? And should we call them patients or customers?