SINGAPORE: The United States has formally moved to loosen restrictions on marijuana, with plans to reclassify it as a less harmful drug.
Under the move, marijuana - which has been classified since 1970 as a Schedule I drug alongside heroin, LSD and ecstasy - will be downgraded to a Schedule III drug, putting it in the same category as drugs like testosterone or painkillers containing codeine. Schedule III drugs are deemed to have a “moderate to low potential” of dependence.
“No one should be in jail merely for using or possessing marijuana,” US President Joe Biden said in a video on May 17. “Far too many lives have been upended because of failed approach to marijuana and I’m committed to righting those wrongs.”
Earlier this week, Maryland pardoned more than 175,000 marijuana convictions, becoming the latest state to do so after similar mass pardons by Massachusetts and Oregon, among others.
The intent could be politically motivated, or even empathic. Regardless, it is a regressive step in the global fight against drugs, and undermines decades of progress in drug control efforts and contradicts extensive scientific evidence on the adverse effects of cannabis.
Research reported in The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse highlights that prolonged cannabis abuse can disrupt brain function, particularly during critical developmental stages.
Similarly, the Singapore Medical Journal featured local research that attests to these findings, showing that early initiation of cannabis use leads to greater long-term negative impacts.
The reclassification of marijuana at the federal level could legitimise the cannabis industry and accelerate the normalisation of recreational cannabis use at the state level, despite concerns about the risks.
In Singapore, recent data highlights growing concerns about drug use among youths.
The 2022 Health and Lifestyle survey by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) revealed that the mean age of drug initiation in Singapore is 15.9 years.
Drug-related arrests are also on the rise, increasing by 10 per cent to 3,122 cases last year. Notably, there was a 17 per cent increase in cannabis abusers arrested. Amongst new cannabis abusers arrested, close to two in three were below the age of 30.
These statistics reflect a troubling trend that underscore the need for more robust and concerted drug prevention measures. Despite Singapore’s comprehensive demand and supply reduction efforts, endorsed by strong public opinion, misconceptions about cannabis are prevalent among youths.
In the 2023 National Drug Perception Survey by the National Council Against Drug Abuse (NCADA), 90.4 per cent of youths agreed that “drug-taking should remain illegal in Singapore”, but only 79.3 per cent supported the continued criminalisation of cannabis.
Qualitative interviews revealed that some youths believe cannabis use can be personally regulated, while young adults in their early 30s often view cannabis as a “soft” drug suitable for recreational use without addiction risks.
But research invalidates the perception that cannabis is less harmful than other drugs. In a study published in the Singapore Medical Journal last year, researchers found that almost half of the 450 participants surveyed progressed to using other illicit drugs after trying cannabis, with 42 per cent progressing to heroin.
The distorted knowledge among youths is unfortunately compounded by social media and pop culture. The task of combating misinformation about drugs is made more difficult by the vast digital landscape, where young people encounter a wide array of information, some of which can potentially fuel drug-abusing behaviours.
The repercussions of drug abuse extend far beyond individual abusers, deeply affecting their families and the community.
A 2020 study by Singapore’s Ministry of Social and Family Development stated that children of parents who committed drug offenses are 5.18 times more likely than other children to have contact with the criminal justice system in the future.
Additionally, youth offenders from households with a history of substance abuse are 2.2 times more likely to join gangs.
Research shows that children of drug-abusing parents experience a range of social-psychological deficits including weakened social bonds to conventional institutions and role models.
People sit near stalls selling cannabis on a street in Phuket, Thailand, on Aug 27, 2023. (Photo: Reuters/Jorge Silva)
The Biden administration’s decision to relax its stance towards marijuana has been lauded by advocates for addressing what they say is an uneven drug enforcement policy that has fuelled mass incarceration and disproportionately affected certain communities. However, this commendation appears contradictory, as it fails to recognise the potential adverse effects such a move could have on socio-economically deprived and disadvantaged communities already afflicted by the drug scourge.
Empirical evidence from countries that have adopted harm reduction approaches, such as Portugal, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada, and Australia, reveals mixed outcomes.
For instance, the Netherlands, known for its regulated sale of cannabis through so-called “coffeeshops”, continues to face issues of drug tourism and associated social ills where children as young as 14 years old are recruited as “cocaine collectors”. In January 2024, the Mayor of Amsterdam warned in an opinion piece published in the Guardian that the Netherlands risks becoming a “narco-state”.
In Sweden, the number of fatal shootings has more than doubled since 2013, reaching 391 in 2022, primarily due to gang-related drug and arms conflicts. A lawyer representing teenage shooting victims told the BBC in December that “children are using their own bags not to carry books, but to carry the drug markets of Sweden on their shoulders.
Similarly, Canada and Australia, despite their comprehensive harm reduction strategies, persistently encounter drug-related crime and health issues. In 2023, British Columbia decriminalised drugs to reduce overdose rates, but only to see it surge by 5 per cent, the BBC reported. BC authorities are now considering re-criminalising the use of hard drugs in public places.
Closer to home, Thailand is planning to relist cannabis as a narcotic, just two years after it became the first in Southeast Asia to decriminalise its recreational use.
These cases illustrate the complexities and potential negative consequences of relaxed drug policies, particularly for vulnerable populations.
It is precisely for this reason that Singapore maintains its unwavering commitment to shield vulnerable communities from the devastating effects of drug abuse and prevent the intergenerational cycle of crime, arrest, incarceration, and re-incarceration.
Singapore’s approach, guided by science and sensible considerations, prioritises harm prevention over harm reduction and serves as a robust framework for tackling this pervasive issue.
Tan Chong Huat is Chairman of National Council Against Drug Abuse (NCADA) and Associate Professor Narayanan Ganapathy is an NCADA member.
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Under the move, marijuana - which has been classified since 1970 as a Schedule I drug alongside heroin, LSD and ecstasy - will be downgraded to a Schedule III drug, putting it in the same category as drugs like testosterone or painkillers containing codeine. Schedule III drugs are deemed to have a “moderate to low potential” of dependence.
“No one should be in jail merely for using or possessing marijuana,” US President Joe Biden said in a video on May 17. “Far too many lives have been upended because of failed approach to marijuana and I’m committed to righting those wrongs.”
Earlier this week, Maryland pardoned more than 175,000 marijuana convictions, becoming the latest state to do so after similar mass pardons by Massachusetts and Oregon, among others.
The intent could be politically motivated, or even empathic. Regardless, it is a regressive step in the global fight against drugs, and undermines decades of progress in drug control efforts and contradicts extensive scientific evidence on the adverse effects of cannabis.
Research reported in The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse highlights that prolonged cannabis abuse can disrupt brain function, particularly during critical developmental stages.
Similarly, the Singapore Medical Journal featured local research that attests to these findings, showing that early initiation of cannabis use leads to greater long-term negative impacts.
The reclassification of marijuana at the federal level could legitimise the cannabis industry and accelerate the normalisation of recreational cannabis use at the state level, despite concerns about the risks.
Related:
RISING CONCERNS ABOUT DRUG USE AMONG SINGAPOREAN YOUTHS
In Singapore, recent data highlights growing concerns about drug use among youths.
The 2022 Health and Lifestyle survey by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) revealed that the mean age of drug initiation in Singapore is 15.9 years.
Drug-related arrests are also on the rise, increasing by 10 per cent to 3,122 cases last year. Notably, there was a 17 per cent increase in cannabis abusers arrested. Amongst new cannabis abusers arrested, close to two in three were below the age of 30.
These statistics reflect a troubling trend that underscore the need for more robust and concerted drug prevention measures. Despite Singapore’s comprehensive demand and supply reduction efforts, endorsed by strong public opinion, misconceptions about cannabis are prevalent among youths.
In the 2023 National Drug Perception Survey by the National Council Against Drug Abuse (NCADA), 90.4 per cent of youths agreed that “drug-taking should remain illegal in Singapore”, but only 79.3 per cent supported the continued criminalisation of cannabis.
Qualitative interviews revealed that some youths believe cannabis use can be personally regulated, while young adults in their early 30s often view cannabis as a “soft” drug suitable for recreational use without addiction risks.
But research invalidates the perception that cannabis is less harmful than other drugs. In a study published in the Singapore Medical Journal last year, researchers found that almost half of the 450 participants surveyed progressed to using other illicit drugs after trying cannabis, with 42 per cent progressing to heroin.
The distorted knowledge among youths is unfortunately compounded by social media and pop culture. The task of combating misinformation about drugs is made more difficult by the vast digital landscape, where young people encounter a wide array of information, some of which can potentially fuel drug-abusing behaviours.
Related:
THE INTERGENERATIONAL IMPACT OF DRUG ABUSE
The repercussions of drug abuse extend far beyond individual abusers, deeply affecting their families and the community.
A 2020 study by Singapore’s Ministry of Social and Family Development stated that children of parents who committed drug offenses are 5.18 times more likely than other children to have contact with the criminal justice system in the future.
Additionally, youth offenders from households with a history of substance abuse are 2.2 times more likely to join gangs.
Research shows that children of drug-abusing parents experience a range of social-psychological deficits including weakened social bonds to conventional institutions and role models.
People sit near stalls selling cannabis on a street in Phuket, Thailand, on Aug 27, 2023. (Photo: Reuters/Jorge Silva)
The Biden administration’s decision to relax its stance towards marijuana has been lauded by advocates for addressing what they say is an uneven drug enforcement policy that has fuelled mass incarceration and disproportionately affected certain communities. However, this commendation appears contradictory, as it fails to recognise the potential adverse effects such a move could have on socio-economically deprived and disadvantaged communities already afflicted by the drug scourge.
Empirical evidence from countries that have adopted harm reduction approaches, such as Portugal, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada, and Australia, reveals mixed outcomes.
For instance, the Netherlands, known for its regulated sale of cannabis through so-called “coffeeshops”, continues to face issues of drug tourism and associated social ills where children as young as 14 years old are recruited as “cocaine collectors”. In January 2024, the Mayor of Amsterdam warned in an opinion piece published in the Guardian that the Netherlands risks becoming a “narco-state”.
In Sweden, the number of fatal shootings has more than doubled since 2013, reaching 391 in 2022, primarily due to gang-related drug and arms conflicts. A lawyer representing teenage shooting victims told the BBC in December that “children are using their own bags not to carry books, but to carry the drug markets of Sweden on their shoulders.
Similarly, Canada and Australia, despite their comprehensive harm reduction strategies, persistently encounter drug-related crime and health issues. In 2023, British Columbia decriminalised drugs to reduce overdose rates, but only to see it surge by 5 per cent, the BBC reported. BC authorities are now considering re-criminalising the use of hard drugs in public places.
Closer to home, Thailand is planning to relist cannabis as a narcotic, just two years after it became the first in Southeast Asia to decriminalise its recreational use.
These cases illustrate the complexities and potential negative consequences of relaxed drug policies, particularly for vulnerable populations.
It is precisely for this reason that Singapore maintains its unwavering commitment to shield vulnerable communities from the devastating effects of drug abuse and prevent the intergenerational cycle of crime, arrest, incarceration, and re-incarceration.
Singapore’s approach, guided by science and sensible considerations, prioritises harm prevention over harm reduction and serves as a robust framework for tackling this pervasive issue.
Tan Chong Huat is Chairman of National Council Against Drug Abuse (NCADA) and Associate Professor Narayanan Ganapathy is an NCADA member.
Continue reading...