Experts in addictions Clinic-IDIBAPS (August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute) of Barcelona conclude that the consumption of 5 or more joints a week implies a risk for health, according to Infosalus.
Those in charge of the analysis, participating experts are mental health, public health, primary care professionals and researchers who have worked on the consumption, prevention and treatment of risks in alcohol or cannabis, determine that risk consumption occurs with the consumption of five or more joints a week, there are populations in which any consumption, however infrequent and intense it may be, implies a significant health risk. For example, in those under 21 years of age, pregnant and lactating women, people who suffer from physical illnesses -cardiac and respiratory, above all- or mental illnesses, according to what the Hospital Clínic published this Friday.
Cannabis use in Spain
Spain is the EU country with the highest cannabis use in the last month (9% of the population) and one of the ones with the highest percentage of users daily or almost daily (3.7%)the highest risk pattern, according to experts.
In addition, 15% of the Spanish population between the ages of 15 and 64, and 11% of adolescents, think that consuming cannabis has no health consequencesaccording to the studies of the Survey Program on Alcohol and Other Drugs in Spain (EDADES) and the 2022 ESTUDES (Survey on drug use in Secondary Education).
“The low risk perception of these substances by Spaniards, added to unreliable sources of information or directly or with commercial interests, makes it difficult for the population to have access to credible health messages based on scientific evidence”, say the Clínic researchers.
For his part, Dr. Hugo López, head of the IDIBAPS Addictions group and vice president of Socidrogalcohol adds that “any cannabis use of more than 10% of THC is a risky consumptionas well as driving under the influence of cannabis or doing so if there is a family history of mental disorders. cannabis use along with other drugsincluding alcohol, also involves risky consumption.”
They emphasize that the prevention is the key to a literacy of society in the consumption of these substances. “Prevention has to be universal, based on evidence and away from sensationalist discourse. In short, it must be credible, coherent and solid”, explains Balcells. In addition, they warn of the need to reduce those stimuli from society that romanticize and praise cannabis.
Experts have wanted to warn that the use of cannabis it is not innocuous although its usefulness as a treatment for some ailments has been raised. People with mental health problems worsen their well-being and pathologies through their consumption, which also has risks on physical health; and they conclude that no amount of cannabis is completely safe.
