In recent years, several countries, including Canada and Uruguay, have legalized cannabis for recreational use, while others have decriminalized it or allowed its use for medicinal purposes.

The INCB, which is a United Nations body responsible for monitoring the implementation of international drug control treaties, has warned that these developments could undermine the international drug control system and lead to an increase in drug abuse and related harms.

The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which was adopted in 1961, aims to combat the abuse of drugs and ensure their availability for medical and scientific purposes.

The convention categorizes drugs into four schedules based on their potential for abuse and medical use. Cannabis is listed in Schedule I, which includes drugs that have a high potential for abuse, have no recognized medical use, and are particularly dangerous.

The INCB has emphasized that the legalization of cannabis for non-medical purposes is incompatible with the provisions of the Single Convention and could undermine the efforts of countries to prevent drug abuse and related harms.

The Board has also expressed its concern about the lack of scientific evidence on the long-term effects of cannabis use and the potential risks associated with it.

Moreover, the INCB has pointed out that the legal regulation of cannabis for non-medical purposes could lead to a significant increase in drug abuse and related harms, particularly among young people.

It has also warned that the production and distribution of cannabis in a legal market could be exploited by criminal organizations and undermine efforts to combat drug trafficking.

While some proponents of cannabis legalization argue that it can generate revenue for governments and reduce the harms associated with the illicit market, the INCB has stressed that such arguments do not outweigh the potential risks and the need to comply with international drug control treaties.

Many people don’t comprehend why or how other people develop drug addictions. Any person who uses opioids runs the danger of becoming addicted. It depends on your history and how long you’ve used opioids, but it’s impossible to predict who will eventually become addicted to and abuse these medicines.

Truth be told drug addiction is a complicated condition, and it typically requires more than just determination and good intentions to overcome. 

The “reward circuit” of the brain is affected by most drugs, opioids being one of them which elicit euphoria and flood the brain with the chemical messenger dopamine. Many drug users continue to use drugs despite being aware.

There’s no turning back, hence the addiction!

According to the World Health Organization, cannabis is the substance that is most often grown, traded, and used. Legislative acts show that general acceptance of cannabis use, for both recreational and therapeutic purposes, is growing across countries. 

To treat symptoms including pain, nausea, and other medical conditions, numerous states do permit its use. The term “medical marijuana” refers to Cannabis sativa plant products that are used to treat symptoms brought on by particular illnesses.

The use of medical marijuana for therapeutic purposes is still up for dispute. Marijuana is legal for medical use in more than 30 states in the US. And an increasing amount permits leisure use.

Debating over the merits of legalizing medical cannabis has always been in the process but never concluded. The Pew Research Center reports that 91% of Americans favor legalizing marijuana. Of them, 60% believe it should be permitted for both medical and recreational purposes, while 31% believe it should only be permitted for medical purposes.

As per healthline, Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen, which might have significant side effects, are often said to be replaced with medical marijuana in some cases.

People often are confused about everything related to Cannabis, Hemp, and Cannabinoids because of which they end up mixing all of them even though they differ from each other. (Be it their physical appearance, or existing chemical compounds).

All items made from the Cannabis sativa plant are referred to as “cannabis” products. The cannabis plant alone contains about 540 chemical substances. The four major compounds that have received the most attention are d-9-THC, CBD, d-8-THC, and cannabinol.

Cannabis sativa plant components or byproducts that have high tetrahydrocannabinol concentrations are referred to as “marijuana” (THC). Whereas, may extract CBD from hemp or marijuana.

However, the part where they differentiate is, that for hemp to be legal its THC content should be 0.3 percent or below.

The primary psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, THC, is what gives users a “high.”. Additionally, it comes in tinctures, capsules, foods, oils, and other forms. A consumer usually prefers smoking it.  

Both these compounds interact with your body’s endocannabinoid system, but their effects are quite different, depending on their THC content.