Cannabis Commission Chapter on reforms at national and subnational levels

With international colleagues conduct a review of the literature on the effects of cannabis policy initiatives at national and subnational levels of reform within the international prohibition system intended to mitigate adverse effects, including initiatives to decriminalize cannabis possession, to reduce penalties for use or possession, to divert to treatment or other handling, and to license and tolerate such as the Dutch coffee shop system. The review will describe the diverse initiatives in concrete terms, and summarize what evidence is available on the effects of each on amount and patterns of use and of harm. This will be one chapter of a 4 chapter report on Cannabis Policy in a Global Perspective. The Commission’s report will address four major topics relevant to a reconsideration of cannabis policies. (1) An up-to-the-minute review of what s known about the health consequences of cannabis use, and its public health significance. (2) A review of the evidence on the effects of the current system of prohibition and control, (3) A review of the effects of policy initiatives at national and subnational levels of reform within the international prohibition system intended to mitigate adverse effects, and (4) A consideration of the potential means of altering the present international convention status of cannabis, to allow controlled availability for adult use in national or subnational regulatory regimes.