She’s no fan then!
SINGAPORE – Misinformation on cannabis is pervasive, along with all kinds of claims about the drug, amid a bleak global drug situation.
This likely contributed to a more permissive attitude towards cannabis among young people, according to surveys, said Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo.
“There are all kinds of ridiculous claims. For example, cannabis is natural, so it must be safe… or cannabis is not very different from alcohol and tobacco,” she said.
Despite the nation’s strong drug control regime, she noted, the cost of drug crime to Singapore was $1.2 billion in 2015, according to a Nanyang Technological University study.
Mrs Teo, who is also Minister for Digital Development and Information, was speaking to more than 900 participants at the DrugFreeSG Champions Conference at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre on March 10.
The conference recognises the champions, such as educators, student leaders, counsellors and youth workers, who spread drug-free messages in their communities.
“These assertions, however, cannot be further from the truth. The science on cannabis is very clear, and it is compelling. Cannabis is addictive, with far-reaching and irreversible health effects,” she said.
She pointed out that physical ailments arising from cannabis consumption include headache and nausea, as well as more severe effects such as psychosis, memory issues and mood swings.
Mrs Teo said it is unfortunate that other jurisdictions are experimenting with cannabis for recreational use despite having access to the same research findings.
“This is dangerous and irresponsible because they are essentially experimenting with the lives of their people. And the experiments have invariably failed,” she said.
Pointing to Thailand, Mrs Teo said the number of cannabis addicts quadrupled within six months of decriminalising the drug, prompting the authorities to try to recriminalise its use, but to no avail.
“The Thai government had then intended to recriminalise the use of cannabis, but faced fierce opposition from those seeking to profit from it. So that shows very clearly, once you decriminalise (it), you will find it very difficult to roll things back,” she added.
Results from regular surveys show that young people in Singapore appear to have a more liberal attitude towards drugs, she said.
And abusers are starting at a much younger age. The youngest drug abuser arrested in 2024 was just 13 years old, according to statistics from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB). More than 80 per cent of the 156 abusers under the age of 20 arrested in 2024 were newly convicted.
