Recent policy changes in a number of states legalizing cannabis for medical and/or recreational use suggest a shift in societal attitudes and perceptions around cannabis. University Health Services takes a harm reduction approach to all substance use, including cannabis.
Cannabis Harm Reduction
If you are considering using cannabis, here are some tips that you can use to reduce your risk of harm and bad experiences:
- Avoid cannabis smoke if possible. Cannabis smoke contains tar and toxins.
- Take shallow puffs, not deep inhalations. About 95% of the THC in the smoke is absorbed in the first few seconds, so you don’t need to puff hard or hold your breath.
- Leave tobacco out of the mix. Tobacco contains many cancer-causing toxins, so it's safer to smoke cannabis by itself.
- Water bongs are not as safe as joints. Bongs filter out more THC than tars since water tends to absorb THC. This requires you to puff harder, increasing the amount of tar you inhale. Plus, pipes and bongs made of plastic/rubber emit toxic fumes.
- Stay away from the steering wheel. Cannabis can impair your motor coordination, judgment, and other skills related to safe driving. It's safest to wait three to four hours after using cannabis before driving.
- Trust your best judgment and be safe!
Health Information
Cannabis use has both potential therapeutic benefits and real health risks.
- Therapeutic effects may be myriad and are experienced differently by different people. We encourage you to consult a medical provider about your symptoms and treatment options.
- As with any medication or substance, individual experiences with side effects and outcomes of use will vary depending on a number of factors, including dosage, frequency of use, method of use, genetics, physical and mental health, and personal life history and context.
Consider the following:
- How do you choose to be an “educated consumer,” “non-user,” and/or “bystander” with cannabis? Having information about risks and effects, as well as harm reduction strategies, can help you make decisions that align with your health and values and minimize unintended consequences.
- If you choose to use it, how do you get the good without the not-so-good? Be aware of potential risks and use harm-reduction strategies to minimize them.
- When, where, why, and with whom are you using? In different circumstances, you may have differing experiences - some positive, some less so. Identify your optimal use conditions. Consider the context—time, place, mood.
- What form of, and source for, cannabis products are you using? There are multiple ways to use (smoking, vaping, edibles, etc), and you might experience different effects. And even similar products may have different strengths.
- What is the balance of good and not-so-good effects that you experience over time? People can simultaneously experience good and not-so-good effects. Do you feel your use tilts toward the good?
- When was the last time you used it? Because cannabis potency has increased in recent years, the way it affects you after a break in use may have some unexpected aspects.
- Is cannabis a good match for you personally? Not all substances are for everyone, so if you experience a pattern of undesirable consequences, maybe cannabis isn’t the best choice for you.
- You are unique. No matter what research says, or what your friends’ experiences are, there is no universal way that people experience cannabis, so your decisions about use are yours to make based on your unique biochemistry, personality, and values. You can choose to use, or not to use.
- Do you have enough unbiased information? Many organizations have a vested interest in slanting information in an anti-cannabis or pro-cannabis direction. How do you discern which sources will provide you with non-partisan information?
- How do you support a friend who may be struggling with their use? Stigmas on cannabis use and on seeking support may prevent someone from being able to seek help, even if they are struggling.
Policy and Legality
In November 2016, California voters passed Proposition 64, legalizing recreational use among people over the age of 21. However, because federal law still prohibits the use, distribution, and possession of cannabis, it remains prohibited on all university property and at all university events, except for approved academic research.
In addition, smoking cannabis or any product on university property is prohibited by UC policy per the University of California – Policy on Smoke and Tobacco Free Environment
Resources
If you are concerned about your use or someone else’s use:
- For UC Berkeley students: Social Services, (510) 642-6074
- Marijuana Anonymous/MA World Services, (800) 766-6779 or (510) 287-8873
For more information regarding the legality, health effects, and other issues related to marijuana:
- DEA declines to loosen restrictions on medical cannabis
- Cannabis and the Mission of Higher Education
- Marijuana Drug Facts
- Erowid is a member-supported organization providing access to non-judgmental information about psychoactive plants, chemicals, and related issues
- Getting It Right from the Start examines medical cannabis policy from public health and harm-reduction perspectives.
Principles of Responsible Cannabis Use
The following is a classic set of guidelines from one of the original cannabis advocacy groups, NORML. It may offer some additional perspectives on the social and societal aspects of cannabis use.
Washington, D.C.: The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, the nation’s oldest and largest interest group dedicated solely to marijuana law reform, has adopted a set of Principles of Responsible Cannabis Use. NORML maintains that when marijuana is enjoyed responsibly, subjecting users to harsh criminal and civil penalties provides no public health benefit and causes terrible injustices. For reasons of public safety, public health, economics, and justice, the prohibition laws should be repealed to the extent that they criminalize responsible marijuana use. The key points of the Principles of Responsible Use are as follows:
- Cannabis consumption is for adults only. Many things and activities are suitable for young people, but others absolutely are not. Children do not drive cars, enter into contracts, or marry, and they must not use drugs.
- The responsible cannabis user does not operate a motor vehicle or other dangerous machinery impaired by cannabis. Although cannabis is said by most experts to be safer than alcohol and many prescription drugs, public safety demands that impaired drivers be taken off the road and that objective measures of impairment be developed and used, rather than chemical testing.
- The responsible cannabis user will carefully consider his/her setting and regulate use accordingly. The responsible cannabis consumer will be vigilant as to conditions -- time, place, mood, etc. -- and does not hesitate to say “no” when those conditions are not conducive to a safe, pleasant, and/or productive experience.
- Use of cannabis, to the extent that it impairs health, personal development, or achievement, is abuse and should be resisted by responsible cannabis users. Abuse means harm. Some cannabis use is harmful; most is not. That which is harmful should be discouraged; that which is not needed need not be.
- The responsible cannabis user does not violate the rights of others, observes accepted standards of courtesy and public propriety, and respects the preferences of those who wish to avoid cannabis entirely. Regardless of the legal status of cannabis, responsible users will adhere to emerging tobacco smoking protocols in public and private places.