Whilst drug deaths are a real public health concern this story confuses several issues. Firstly it suggests that drug deaths have risen following the reclassification of cannabis in 2004. however the data only runs up to 2004 and so it cannot have been the policy change that led to the recent rise. it is also impossible to show any causality between the cannabis policy change and a rise in drug deaths that are primarily opiate related (none were cannabis related) indeed recent surveys suggest that cannabis use has fallen since 2004, heroin use has been stable for several years and ecstasy use has also fallen marginally. Linking cannabis reclassification to opiate deaths seems a huge stretch since the drug cultures are largely distinct. moreover the science select Committee in the UK parliament recently reported that there was no evidence of a deterent effect of drug classification.

It is important to get our facts and analysis accurate in this important policy arena.