- Details
- Category: News
- Published: 22 October 2013
This year`s WeFree Days offered a lot of scientific basis to relinquish cannabis both as drug and as "medicine". A number of internationally profiled experts in drug policy, scientists and researchers presented arguments against using cannabis, ever.
The most interesting presentations were made by Giovanni Serpelloni, the Head of the Drug Control Policy Department of the Presidency at the Council of Ministers, who also directed the Center for Preventive Medicine; Daniela Parolaro, Professor of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology at the University of Insubria; and Dr. Gilberto Gerra, addiction specialist and director at the Prevention Department at the Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC in Vienna.
"The unbearable lightness of cannabis"
cluded Raymond Yans, the President of the INCB, General Arthur Dean, President of CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America), John Geluardi, author of "Cannabiz: The explosive rise of medical marijuana industry", 2012 and more.Panel discussion was focused i.a. on social disapproval of marijuana use, something that is effective and scientifically proven. A research supported by NIDA (US National Institue on drug abuse) showed that the greater the social dispproval about the drug use was, the lower was the use of marijuana amongst adolescents (Source: Keyes, K.M. et al., "The social norms of birth cohorts and adolescent marijuana use in the US. 1976-2007, Addiction, 2011). When the level of disapproval was 90%, the use in the last year was 17%. At the level of disapproval of 47%, the use in the last year grew to 49%.
Also Mr Serpelloni pointed out that cannabis users get a degeneration of white matter in the brain, based on the research of Neuroscience Verona Group, G. Serpelloni, 2011. Another research paper that is important to take notice of is "Effects of long-term cannabis use on anoxal fibre connectivity", by Andrew Zalesky, Nadia Solowij, Murat Yucel et al. In addiction to that, another scientific paper was mentioned in the discussion, concerning the neuropsychological decline from childhood to midlife that persistent cannabis users show (by Madeline H. Meier, Avshalom Caspi et al., 2012).
The visit to SanPatrignano Community was truly inspiring. ECAD group had an opportunity to visit textile craftmanship and wallpaper production, printing works, winery and have a private session of questions and answers with the senior staff of SanPatrignano.
ECAD Seminar focused on two drug addiction communities, a Norwegian rehabilitation centre for drug addicts, Jegersberg and an Italian addiction treatment community in the region of Lazio, Mondo Nuovo. Seminar materials will be published here in a couple of days.
And now a few glimpses from ECAD and SanPatrignano WeFree Days-2013:
It has become a tradition for ECAD members to participate in WeFree Days and ECAD seminarium at one of the world´s largest therpeutic communities close to Rimini in Italy. San Patrignano has taken in young people into the recovery programme for free since 1978, offering them home, healthcare, legal assistance and opportunity to study and learn a job.
This year`s Preliminary Programme of the WeFree Days with ECAD can be downloaded here (PDF). ECAD thanks warmly SanPatrignano Community for the generous opportunity to visit and share the WeFree Days with the community members. It was a wonderful experience for all in our group!