Cannabis Use and Dependence: Public Health and Public Policy

Description

The use of cannabis in the late twentieth and this century is an area of medical and moral controversy. Despite its illegality, cannabis is the most widely used drug after alcohol and tobacco among young adults in the USA, Europe and Australia. This book explores the relationship between health policy, public health and the law regarding cannabis use. It assesses the impact of illegality in drug use and relates this to contemporary policy analysis in Australia, the UK, the US and other developed societies. It evaluates current debates about 'safe use' and 'harm minimization' approaches, as well as examining the experiences of different prevention, treatment and education policies. Written by two leading drug advisors Cannabis Use and Dependence makes a valuable addition to this important field of research.

Wayne Hall is Director of the Office of Public Policy and Ethics at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Australia. He has been an advisor to the World Health Organisation and is a current member of their Expert Advisory Panel on Drug Dependence and Alcohol Problems. Rosalie Pacula is an Associate Economist with the RAND Corporation and a Research Fellow with the United States National Bureau of Economic Research. She has published extensively on drug administration and policy and is a leading advisor in her field.