Did you know, that the harmful use of alcohol worldwide results in 3.3 million deaths each year according to the WHO!? On average every person in the world aged 15 years or older drinks 6.2 liters of pure alcohol per year. Less than half the population (38.3%) actually drinks alcohol – this means that those who do drink consume on average 17 liters of pure alcohol annually.
Cannabis is one of the most common and easily accessible drugs around the world, regardless of the legalization laws in the different countries. There are a number of studies related to the dangers of cannabis overdose conducted over the years. For instance, a study looked at 45,450 Swedish army conscripts between 18 and 20 years of age. It was found after 15 years that both users and nonusers had similar life expectancy. A 2009 study in American Scientist on the relative toxicity of recreational drugs indicated one would have to use more than 1,000 times the effective dose of cannabis in order for it to be potentially fatal.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the USA, no deaths have occurred directly from overdosing with cannabis. For comparison, in 2016 a total of 17,465 people died from overdosing on illicit drugs like heroin and cocaine last year, while 25,760 people died from overdosing on prescription drugs, including painkillers and tranquilizers. The numbers about alcohol-related deaths are even scarier – around 88,000 people.
Of course, due to the its psychoactive components, cannabis isn’t exactly safe. It can heavily impact both physical and mental health. Conditions include chronic cough, respiratory infections, memory loss, depression and panic attacks, psychosis, hallucinations and suicidal thoughts. A 2012 study indicated people who smoked cannabis before age 17 were 3.5 times more likely to attempt suicide than those who started smoking marijuana later in life. Subsequent research published in 2014 indicated daily adolescent users were 18 times more likely to become dependent on cannabis, seven times more likely to attempt suicide and eight times more likely to use other illegal drugs in the future.
The following statistic shows recorded cases in England and Wales, in which cannabis is related to the actual cause of death (e.g. car crash, overdose with stronger drugs).
Cases, in which the cause of death is cannabis poisoning, do exist, but they are very rare. A German study published in Forensic Science International in February 2014 is the first known documented case of somebody dying from cannabis use alone. For two other isolated cases of seemingly healthy young people, it was the autopsy that later revealed severe underlying cardiovascular issues, which in combination with the cannabis’ toxins lead to the fatal end.
Best regards,
your Cannabisradar-Team
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