Registered Delinquency in Cannabis-Dependent Patients Presenting for Treatment

Abstract: Aims: The law regarding the legalization of cannabis for recreational use was passed by the Federal parliament in Germany. It has been argued that legalization could reduce delinquency of cannabis users. Using data from the German central registry of criminal convictions (“Bundeszentralregister”, BZR), this study aims at characterizing cannabis-dependent patients with regard to the registered criminal offenses and convictions in the pre-legalization era. Methodology: Male adult patients presenting for cannabis dependence treatment without being court ordered or on probation had an interview regarding socio-demographic characteristics and addiction history. In addition, their data from the BZR were analyzed. Results: Patients (n = 135) were between 18 and 30 years old (median 25 years). The proportion of BZR-registered offenders was 34.8 %. The majority of offenses had been committed against the criminal law (143 offenses), the minority against the narcotics law (60 offenses). About 1 out of 7 patients had committed violent offenses or other severe crimes. During the last 3 years before treatment, there was a marked increase of registered delinquency. Delinquency was often accompanied by unemployment and low educational attainment. Conclusions: Official registry data showed high delinquency in cannabis dependents in drug-specific treatment. It has yet to be determined whether the legalization of cannabis will influence the non-drug-related delinquency in this population.