Ministers despise science by denying the impact of drugs on public health

By advancing the vote in favor of the decriminalization of marijuana, the President of the Federal Supreme Court, Minister Rosa Weber, said, this Thursday (24), that the use of drugs for personal consumption will not cause problems to public health, diverging from entities of health that deal with the subject.

“The mere conduct of bringing narcotics with you for your own consumption, contrary to what is sustained, does not have public health as a legal right, as it – public health – would only be at potential risk if we started from the first fruit, in my opinion not acceptable , that every user is a potential trafficker and that he will commit crimes to satisfy his use”, stated Weber when reading parts of the opinion.

Minister Alexandre de Moraes mentions in his vote, also in favor of decriminalization, that “the possession of drugs for personal use does not offend the so-called ‘public health’ (legal object of the crime of drug trafficking), but only, and at most , the personal health of the user”.

As Gazeta do Povo has already shown, entities in the health area, such as the Federal Council of Medicine (CFM) and the Brazilian Association of Psychiatry (ABP), are against the decriminalization of the drug precisely because it foresees considerable risks not only to users, but also to the public sphere.

According to the institutions, marijuana “causes a very serious dependence, with very important physical and mental damage, including precipitating psychotic conditions (some non-reversible) or aggravating symptoms and the evolution of sufferers of mental comorbidities of any nature, making their treatment difficult, leading to damage to all life”.

“In addition, drug consumption also contributes to the higher incidence of traffic accidents, homicides and suicides, with a reduction in the world and an increase in Brazil. It is also considered that decriminalization, by increasing consumption, also increases the power of trafficking, contributing to higher rates of violence”, they emphasized in a note published before the resumption of the trial.

CFM and ABP also state that there are other strategies with proven efficiency that could be adopted. “Against the risks inherent in this debate, the Brazilian State should invest in effective strategies to combat drug trafficking, strengthen preventive and educational actions, especially with the most socially and economically vulnerable population, and expand and qualify the network of medical and psychosocial to users.”

Today, the individual who is caught using drugs himself, despite not serving a sentence, receives warnings about the effects of drugs, in addition to being referred to provide services to the community and to attend educational programs. If the STF decriminalizes this conduct, these measures will be suspended.

In the international field, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) also highlights the problems generated by drug use, especially related to mental health, with consequences for the community.

“The consequences of drug use can have ripple effects that hurt families, potentially across generations, as well as friends and colleagues. Drug use can endanger health and mental health and is especially harmful in early adolescence. Illicit drug markets are linked to violence and other forms of crime. Drugs can fuel and prolong conflict, and destabilizing effects too, as social and economic costs impede development,” as the 2022 World Drug Report shows.

Another point considered, this time by the International Council for Narcotics Control, is that, after the legalization of cannabis, there is a probability of an increase in records of use, with young people being more affected.

“In the United States, teenagers and young adults have been shown to consume significantly more marijuana in federal states where marijuana has been legalized compared to other states where recreational use remains illegal. There is also evidence that the general availability of legalized cannabis products decreases the perception of risk and the negative consequences involved in their use”, pointed out a document published in March by the international body, as quoted by Gazeta do Povo.

So far, six ministers have spoken out. The score is 5-1 in favor of legalizing marijuana possession. On Thursday’s afternoon (24), Minister André Mendonça asked for a review of the process, temporarily suspending the trial.