UNODC April 2021
Side event to the 64th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs
“Strengthening the Prevention and Treatment of Cannabis Problematic Use”
Thursday, 15th of April 2021,14:10-15:00pm
Organized by Dianova International with the support of the European Federation of Therapeutic Communities (EFTC), the Rotarian Action Group for Addiction Prevention (RAG AP), and the European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies (ENCOD).
This event aimed to broaden the debate on the legal status of cannabis by focusing on how prevention and treatment programmes could be adapted to problematic cannabis users.
Firstly, Antonio Molina (Complutense University of Madrid) presented the main outcomes of the study on the regulation and legalization of the therapeutic and recreational uses of cannabis and their addiction, social and health-related risk conducted for Dianova.
Then Heidi Heilman (RAG AP) made a number of recommendations from a primary prevention point of view, addressing aspects such as laws and regulations, data collection and education.
The third speaker, Phaedon Kaloterakis (EFTC) stressed how therapeutic communities should better adapt to clients’ needs, and gave examples of how they could meet the needs of the younger population.
Lastly, Ana Afuera (ENCOD) presented cannabis users’ viewpoints and offered concrete recommendations on how to avoid harmful situations, including safer consumption methods or behavioural prevention interventions.
