Warning on health risks of chronic dagga use
WHILE a Western Cape High Court ruling that dagga users may now legally grow and consume it in the privacy of their homes without fear of arrest has been hailed, the South African Medical Association (Sama) has warned of the health implications of its use.
Rastafarian lawyer Gareth Prince, the Dagga Party and several others brought the issue before court arguing that dagga should not be a prohibited substance listed in the Drugs and Trafficking Act.
The court found laws which prohibit the possession, cultivation, transportation and distribution of cannabis are “inconsistent with the constitution and invalid”.
Parliament has 24 months to bring the laws in line with the constitution. Anyone arrested for using dagga will have their cases stayed until the laws governing the use and ownership of dagga have been brought in line.
In a statement, Parliament said it was in the process of obtaining the judgment to study exactly what it says. “If the two laws mentioned have been found to be un-constitutional, then the Constitutional Court would have to confirm the judgment before Parliament can act. The state could also appeal against the judgment.”
Once litigation is finalised and the Constitutional Court confirms the judgment, Parliament is still required to rectify the defects identified in the laws.
Sama vice-chairperson Mark Sonderup, however, said the medical body could not condone the use of recreational dagga. He said, while the ruling would be respected, there are health risks.
“The issue remains, that there is a notion or idea that somehow smoking dagga – which is the common way people use the drug – is safe. The problem is that it is not,” Sonderup said.
He said those who smoke dagga are at risk of chronic lung disease; there were concerns over the drug being used as a form of self-medication; and that the use of marijuana could expose issues of underlying psychological disorders, including schizophrenia.
“We cannot condone the use of something that has health consequences. And it does.”
Sonderup said there is a need to make a clear delineation between recreational and therapeutic cannabis. Medical cannabis refers to the use of cannabis for the management of specifically indicated health conditions, under professional supervision. The Medical Innovation Bill seeks to legalise innovative use specifically of cannabinoids for medical purposes.