As more countries and jurisdictions are relaxing their laws around cannabis, many questions have arisen. Will legalisation affect potency? Could some types of cannabis actually reduce psychosis? What are the choices in cannabis legislation, is it just prohibition or legalisation? And if cannabis is legalised, will everyone start using it? These are just a few of the questions answered by myself and two other researchers from King’s College London in the fourth episode of a new podcast; What’s the Crack.

We created the podcast with an aim to improve public awareness of the complexity and reality of addiction, policies, stigma surrounding drug use and drugs scandals in the newspapers by exploring the evidence base. We are all passionate about the drugs and addiction research field and every episode draws upon our collective knowledge and experience, addressing the health, criminal justice, social and individual side to a story. The podcast links the academic world to the public, bridging the gap and filling in the blanks with research evidence that the media have left out. Previous episodes have covered Dry January, Fabric nightclub in London, drug consumption rooms and now it tackles cannabis legalisation.

This episode introduces different policy options of cannabis legislation, providing alternatives to the usual dichotomous choice of prohibition (possession and supply is illegal) or legalisation (cannabis is freely and widely sold). Alternative legislation is discussed; decriminalisation (it is only illegal to supply) and regulation (a government monopoly). In addition, various factors in the legalisation debate are considered, such as psychosis and THC (active chemical that make users feel “stoned”)/CBD (cannabinoid with various potential medical applications) levels and the impact of legalisation on these. Cannabis is made up of the chemicals THC and CBD and emerging evidence suggests that cannabis high in CBD may mean that people experience fewer psychosis-like symptoms when using the drug. Arguably an incentive for controlling the THC/CBD ratios.

We conclude that after considering the evidence in the field and applying it to the arguments surrounding the legalisation debate, it would be better for individual and public health if cannabis was not criminalised, and there could be limits placed on the amount of THC in the drug. This realistically would require cannabis to be legally regulated by the government, an argument previously put forward in a report by the Liberal Democrat party with recommendations provided by an independent panel of experts.

The podcast is supported by funding from the Wellcome/King’s College London Public Engagement Small Grant Scheme.

Listen to What’s the Crack every fortnight here

Subscribe for future episodes here and follow on Twitter for updates @WhatTheCrackPod

‘The Independent View‘ is a slot on Lib Dem Voice which allows those from beyond the party to contribute to debates we believe are of interest to LDV’s readers. Please email [email protected] if you are interested in contributing.

* Elle Wadsworth is a Research Assistant at the National Addictions Centre at the Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience, King’s College London. Her research is in both the field of New Psychoactive Substances and their supply chain on the deep web, and e-cigarettes. She is due to start a PhD in drug policy later this year.