Prisons should trial free cannabis schemes for drug-dependent inmates to ascertain whether it could reduce overdose deaths, bring down violence and help people overcome opioid addiction, a police and crime commissioner has said. “If they’re on opioids, why can’t they be prescribed cannabis?” said the former police officer, 66, who is not seeking re-election. If they’re serious about reducing violence in prisons they should be addressing the causes and that’s psychoactive substances. There were 88 drug-related deaths in prisons between 2008 and 2016, mostly from methadone, heroin and benzodiazepines, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics. However, spice deaths have increased sharply in recent years.

Source: The Guardian January 10, 2021 11:48 UTC