Finland debates the decriminalization of cannabis

Last February, two members of the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), an organization under the aegis of the Finnish Ministry of Health, wrote an article calling for the decriminalization of all drugs along the lines of Portugal and the Czech Republic. As reported by the site Talking Drugs, the article provoked a national debate on the issue.

A health perspective

The decriminalization of drug use is a point of view adopted by an increasing number of international institutions - including certain UN agencies and the WHO - and governments. Portugal has decriminalized all drugs in 2001, followed by the Czech Republic and Norway which Parliament voted in favor of. This position is part of a global shift in attitude towards drug use, which sees it as a health problem rather than a public safety issue.

«We are aware that drug use can cause a lot of damage. Nevertheless, punishment is not effective in preventing abuse and harm. It is also ill-suited to the values of modern society and public health objectives».» write the two THL experts. «In a context where the drug user does not fear punishment or criminal sanctions, it is much easier to provide support. Discussions about drug use in many services, including care services, would become more natural for both parties if drug use were no longer considered a crime».

This theory seems to hold true in Portugal where, since decriminalization, the overdose rate has fallen massively. The country now has one of the lowest overdose rates in the European Union (5.8 per million). Finland, on the other hand, has one of the highest overdose rates in the world. the highest (43 out of a million), almost eight times that of Portugal.

Cannabis in Finland

A survey conducted in 2018 by the same Institute on 3,229 Finns aged 15 to 69 shows that it is increasingly common for 25-34 year-olds to use or have tried drugs recreationally. 45% of respondents in this age group admit to having done so at least once in their lives. This recreational use mainly concerns cannabis - less than 5% of respondents said they had tried other narcotics such as amphetamines or ecstasy. Compared to a THL survey dating back to 1992, the proportion of recreational cannabis users has quadrupled from 6% to 24% in 2018.

While the authors of the article make it clear that the issue is not the legalization of cannabis, they do note that most drug offences involve the use of cannabis. They generally concern private consumption, between friends, or possession for personal use, and do not give rise to a criminal investigation. For 42% of 2018 survey respondents, cannabis use should be decriminalized. For 20%, all recreational drugs should be decriminalized.

A national debate

Within the government, the proposal did not meet with unanimous approval. Justice Minister Antti Häkkänen spoke out against it, and a spokesperson for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health said that there would be no legislative changes under the current government. Interior Minister Kai Mykkänen adopted a more nuanced position against decriminalization, but in favor of «prioritization» within police services, which he believes should focus on trafficking cases and more serious crimes.

Li Andersson, president of the Left Alliance party, on the other hand, was in favor of this kind of approach: «Social and health interventions can be much more effective than punishment.» she said, adding There is no evidence that decriminalization leads to increased use; on the contrary, it appears that harm can be reduced without increasing consumption«. This is not the view of Tom Packalén, a member of parliament from the right-wing Finns party, who said declared Decriminalization will lead to increased use and availability«.

According to a report by the British association Transform, Portuguese consumption rates have fallen since decriminalization.