The following could be called academic feather-bedding,
political opportunism, or cultural prejudice, but hardly "research".
They begin with the assumption that cannabis is not benign,
and that there is a proven "association between cannabis
and mental health problems".
If there were there would have been a significant
statistical increase in the number of mental health cases in
Australia since 1968, but there has not. This is conveniently
ignored, as a political and the cultural agenda of cannabis
demonisation that gained traction in the Howard years is still
pursued. Now it is a cash cow for universities and health organisations
prepared to prostitute themselves to flawed and truth impaired
policies.
It is possible that "potheads" are enthusiastically
persecuted because they can be politically and culturally active
and vocal, unlike most other varieties of drug users. There
is not really any particularly satisfactory explanation otherwise.
Sydney Morning Herald, weekend edition,
11th & 12th of October
Research boom for academics
Universities are recruiting new staff
and generating ideas to overcome critical problems, writes SarahThomas.
Cannabis is at the heart of a new cutting edge
research unit, which is developing strategies that could be
used to tackle use of the drug worldwide.
The University of NSW set up its $12 million National
Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre to tackle what it
perceived as gap between research and practice in the treatment
of issues associated with the drug.
The work of UNSW is one example of how universities
in Sydney are developing innovative approaches to expanding
their research capabilities.
Professor Jan Copeland is director of the cannabis
centre, which was officially launched in April by the Health
minister, Nicola Roxon. Copeland says the idea behind the centre
was to tackle growing evidence about the association between
cannabis and mental health problems.
The centre links with the workforce and the community
to provide advice and training. Cannabis is the most widely
used illegal drug in Australia, with 33.5 per cent of the population
reporting having used it at some point, according to the 2007
National Drug Household Survey. Treatment for cannabis problems
has tripled since 1992.
The centre's workforce training covers interventions
for anyone who comes into contact with cannabis users, such
as healthcare practitioners, drug workers, mental health professionals
and youth workers, in the form of workshops and written materials.
The community can consult a website, ncpic.org.au,
which provides help for users as well as the friends and family
of users. It also runs a helpline, 1800 304 050.
Copeland says there has been strong demand for
its training and has distributed, 200,000 booklets and pamphlets.
It is also working with state governments on their
cannabis approaches, and other groups, such as people working
with indigenous communities in Far North Queensland, are coming
to the centre for guidance.
"We are being recognised as a resource and
a centre of expertise, and that has been one of our personal
aims," Copeland says.
The centre is working on "off the shelf'
guidelines for clinicians, which will be the first such guide
produced worldwide.
Getting cannabis on the agenda has been an achievement,
Copeland says. She says the centre has taken a middle path between
the two extremes of the cannabis debate – those who are
pro legalisation,and those who view any use as catastrophic.
Macquarie University has launched several centres
of research expertise as part of a recruitment strategy for
staff as it seeks to make big investments, says deputy vicechancellor
of research Professor Jim Piper.
"The guts of that strategy is to identify
our best areas and best people, and then attracting people to
them, Piper says.
In its first tranche of expansion two years ago,
the university established nine areas of research and recruited
42 staff. It's now in the process of recruiting a further 44
staff, with other areas added.
It has 16 areas, including emotional health, social
inclusion, wireless communication and language sciences.
PUTTING CANNABIS ON THE AGENDA
Amie Frewen is setting up a world first: clinical
guidelines for dealing with cannabis use. The senior research
officer from the National Cannabis Prevention and Information
Centre at the University of NSW says that research into the
drug has lagged behind other areas, such as alcohol and tobacco,
because it has wrongly had the perception of being a "benign"
drug.
As a result there is no basic source of information
that clinicians can readily access. Frewen's guidelines, which
will be published in February, will be used by doctors and youth
workers who work with cannabis users.
"It will be a hands on guide for busy clinicians
who don't have time or access to the evidence about the best
way to treat cannabis", Frewen says.
The guidelines will include how to screen and
assess patients and how to deal with specific groups such as
adolescents.
"The end result is that treatment is better,
more consistent, and has better outcomes."
