Treatment of cannabis-related disorders in europe

Cannabis is the illicit drug used most widely and most frequently in Europe; for those who experiment with banned substances in their youth, cannabis is the first,and in many cases the only, controlled drug they will experience. For most, use will be experimental, occasional and short-lived`- but an important minority of consumers will go on to develop a long-term attachment to the drug and report periods of sustained and regular use. Over the last decade, our understanding of the potential problems that can be associated with the use of cannabis has grown substantially. Acute problems, though rare, can occur even among naive, occasional and inexperienced users - sometimes sufficently serious to require emergency responses - with implications for drug prevention and harm-reduction activities. It is the chronic use of cannabis, however that is of particular concern in the context of the need for drug-treatment interventions - andit is this area which is explored in detail in this new EMCDDA publication.