WHO Project on Health Implications of Cannabis Use:

A Comparative Appraisal of the Health and Psychological Consequences of Alcohol, Cannabis, Nicotine and Opiate Use
August 28, 1995

By Wayne Hall,
National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre,
University of New South Wales
and
Robin Room and Susan Bondy,
Addiction Research Foundation,
Toronto

Contents

I. OUR APPROACH

II. THE PROBABLE HEALTH EFFECTS OF CANNABIS USE

• Acute Psychological and Health Consequences
• The Health Effects of Chronic Cannabis Use
• Psychological Effects of Chronic Cannabis Use

III. A QUALITATIVE COMPARISON OF THE HEALTH RISKS OF ALCOHOL, CANNABIS, NICOTINE AND OPIATE USE

• Acute Effects
• Chronic Effects

IV. COMPARING THE MAGNITUDE OF RISKS

• Quantifying the Relative Risks of Adverse Health Effects of Cannabis Use
• Public Health Significance
• Some Direct Comparative Evidence on Consequences: What Users Report

V. CONCLUSIONS & REFERENCES

TABLE 1: SUMMARY OF RATINGS OF OVERALL EFFECT OF DRUG USE BY CURRENT USERS (PERCENT)

TABLE 2:TYPES OF PROBLEMS REPORTED IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS BY CURRENT USERS AGE 18 TO 34 (ONTARIO 1992)