Among young occasional users, the decriminalization of possession can increase consumption, while regulatory restrictions can reduce it, but among frequent cannabis users at risk of addiction, the different policies do not matter, stated the research of the Institute of Clinical Physiology (IFC) at the CNR.

The scientific entity commented that cannabis policies are one of the most debated issues worldwide and pointed out that the CNR-IFC research, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, is based on data from 300,000 students from more than 20 countries and carried out for two decades.

The so-called European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) was coordinated by Sabrina Molinaro, of CNR-IFC, who pointed out, quoted by the CNR note, that ‘drug policies are increasingly focused on the effects they can have on adolescents.’

Molinaro underlined an aspect emerged in the research that cannabis is particularly the most used substance.

Sixteen percent of European teenagers say they had used it at least once in their life in 2019.

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