Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "If we don't want our streets to smell of marijuana like in the US and Canada, this historical mistake must be reversed."
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Founding Rector of Üsküdar Üniversitesi and Psychiatrist, sent a letter expressing his serious concerns regarding the legal regulation that paves the way for the medicinal production of cannabis, to TBMM Speaker Prof. Dr. Numan Kurtulmuş.
The bill introducing regulations in the health sector passed the TBMM Health Commission and came to the agenda of the General Assembly. According to the proposal, medical products, health and support products obtained from cannabis will be offered for patient use only on the condition that they are sold in pharmacies.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Founding Rector of Üsküdar Üniversitesi and Psychiatrist, expressed his serious societal concerns regarding the legal regulation that paves the way for the medicinal production of cannabis, in a letter addressed to the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Mr. Prof. Dr. Numan Kurtulmuş.
The letter addressed to TBMM Speaker Prof. Dr. Numan Kurtulmuş revealed the potential dangers of the law. In his letter, Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated; "According to the information I obtained from the press, the Cannabis Law is about to come to the agenda of our Grand Assembly for enactment. The advantages of cannabis production industrially are known. However, its high risks in reduced doses and formulations for clinical applications are also known. Marijuana is frequently used as the first choice substance by 'substance-dependent' patients. These patients are often difficult to manage for clinicians working in the field of addiction." With these sentences, he drew attention to the use of cannabis in psychiatric treatment.
In his letter, Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that patients in this group are the ones who cause the most violence in polyclinics and emergency rooms, saying, "This law has the potential to increase violence in healthcare. There is a causal link between the frequency of substance use in this group and domestic violence, the destruction of the family institution, and the decrease in fertility and marriage rates. According to statistics, over 50% of cases involving crime in society are patients who use mixed substances. These are the cases most controllable by the probation system. With the enactment of this law, the probation system's effectiveness will be weakened." He also shared this prediction.
In his letter, Prof. Dr. Tarhan noted that he believes the "Supply prevention" efforts carried out by the Ministry of Interior will also be largely disrupted, stating, "While 'Demand reduction' efforts, known as primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention in the fight against addiction, are more important, this practice will cause a 'demand explosion' even under the name of medical marijuana. A new tangle of problems is being handed to young people and families at risk, leading them to say 'it's already legal.' The 'Probation' efforts carried out by the Ministry of Justice will become inoperable. This is because patients avoid using THC (Marijuana) due to fear of being arrested if it tests positive in their urine."
Prof. Dr. Tarhan also stated that Germany, the last country to legalize this issue, 'confessed its state's impotence by saying, 'we can't control it anyway, at least we'll allow controlled use',' and listed his concerns regarding societal impact and the addiction epidemic in light of academic literature during this process, which will put Turkey in a difficult position, as follows:
"'CBD oil' can be a medicine. It has widespread use in oncological pain treatment and by Neurology specialists. It is recommended for neurological conditions like Epilepsy and MS. Its use for cancer pain and childhood epilepsy, just like Opium or Morphine, can be appropriately managed with existing and proposed legislation. International academic literature indicates that the legalization of medical cannabis is a complex issue with both benefits and significant risks. Just as morphine-like drugs are imported, this can be supplied by the same method. Considering the treatment of 1000 patients is appropriate. However, ignoring the jump of the 'global addiction epidemic' to Turkey, sociopsychological damage, cultural disintegration, and erosion of values when we embark on this path would be a 'historic mistake.'
Studies following legalization have reported 'a general 25% increase in substance use disorders, 33% according to the UN. A 35% increase in chronic homelessness. A 13% increase in arrest rates' in the literature."
Prof. Dr. Tarhan pointed out that the fact that the proposal has not yet become law offers an opportunity for comprehensive evaluation and additional measures, emphasizing, "For the health and future of society, a gradual and strictly controlled approach based on scientific evidence must be adopted. Substances with one benefit and nine harms are not medicine, but poison. Even if weakened, marijuana should be evaluated like Morphine. For this reason, I would like to express my sensitivity regarding our TBMM not contributing to the process of 'Normalization of Evil' by adding Medical Cannabis production in the form of medicine to domestic medical cannabis production, and by falling for the game of those 'acting with a capitalist lust for profit,' thereby serving the 'sanctification of hedonism.' If we don't want our streets to smell of marijuana like in the US and Canada, we should reconsider."
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that cannabis can be produced for industrial purposes with the regulation numbered 32661 dated September 13, 2024, and warned, "Its production in medicinal form and the irrational competition expectation regarding this issue will cause a serious 'perception change towards the normalization of use' with its impact on family and social life. All resistance of parents against their children will be broken. This is a great responsibility."
