Standard units for cannabis dose: Why is it important to standardize cannabis dose for drug policy and how can we enhance its place on the public health agenda?

• Published in: The International journal of drug policy 2021-11, Vol.97, p.103350-103350, Article 103350
• Main Authors: López-Pelayo, Hugo, Matrai, Silvia, Balcells-Olivero, Mercè, Campeny, Eugènia, Braddick, Fleur, Bossong, Matthijs G., Cruz, Olga S., Deluca, Paolo, Dom, Geert, Feingold, Daniel, Freeman, Tom P, Guzman, Pablo, Hindocha, Chandni, Kelly, Brian C, Liebregts, Nienke, Lorenzetti, Valentina, Manthey, Jakob, Matias, João, Oliveras, Clara, Pons, Maria Teresa, Rehm, Jürgen, Rosenkranz, Moritz, Swithenbank, Zoe, van Deurse, Luc, Vicente, Julian, Vuolo, Mike, Wojnar, Marcin, Gual, Antoni
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cannabis; Crime; Drug dosages; Drug policy; Hallucinogens; Health risks; Humans; Legislation, Drug; Marijuana; Narcotics; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Public Health; Public Policy
• ISSN: 0955-3959; 1873-4758
• DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103350

Cannabis is the third most used psychoactive substance globally. An estimated 192 million people used cannabis during 2018 (3.9% of the global population aged 15– 64) (United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime, 2020b). Legislative frameworks relevant to cannabis are evolving globally. In 2020 the United Nations removed cannabis from Schedule IV of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs but retained it in Schedule I (potential therapeutic but significant public health risk) (United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime, 2020a). This represents a moment of opportunity for deeper evaluation of how to manage such rapidly evolving changes.