Singapore, Cannabis & Youth (Addicted: The Cannabis Trap)

Introduction

CNA traverses the front lines of various countries to investigate the world of illicit substances in Addicted. This three-part documentary series offers a rare, unfiltered look at the global production, trafficking and consumption of traditional and synthetic drugs.

This second episode, The Cannabis Trap: Why Youths Are Falling For It, explores the rising use and acceptance of cannabis in Singapore, were teen cannabis use is growing, fueled by social media myths and drug-friendly trends from nearby countries like Thailand. This documentary follows CNB officers in action, shares stories from former addicts, and reveals how today’s stronger cannabis strains pose serious risks. Experts, counselors, and community groups warn: early exposure can have lasting consequences. With raw access and real voices, The Cannabis Trap reveals the harsh truth—cannabis is far from harmless.

Episode 1: Curse Of Crystal Meth: Addiction, Trafficking & Dangerous Production Exposed
Episode 2: Destructive Cocaine and Fentanyl: Unraveling the Harrowing Impact on Lives

Quotes

“Last year [2024], 61% of cannabis abusers arrested were new abusers, of which 57% were under 30 years old. The youngest abuser arrested last year was 13 years old. Cannabis is a Class A controlled drug in the First Schedule of Singapore’s Misuse of Drugs Act.”

“90.4% of youths surveyed by NCADA [National Council Against Drug Abuse Youth Forum] in 2023 felt drug-taking should remain illegal in Singapore. 79.3% of them agreed when asked the same for cannabis.”

“There are several chemicals in cannabis but the main chemicals are THC and CBD. One of them, THC, is psychoactive. Cannabis is a highly addictive chemical. The reason why is that it has a long-standing effect in the brain, which can cause psychosis, mood symptoms, as well as sometimes in some cases, suicidal tendencies too.”

VIEW: How Cannabis Effects the Brain & Body – Huberman Lab Podcast

“Some individuals have a higher risk factor of developing addiction than others, especially genetics. Some don’t even realize they have those early mental health conditions and that cannabis can exacerbate that or make it worse, especially things like schizophrenia. So the way they cope with things is using substances, whether to numb themselves or to fill a void.”

“In 2022, under the Prayut administration, Anutin Charnvirakul, the then Public Health Minister [of Thailand], proposed the Free Marijuana policy … this has led to the spread of cannabis in many [Thailand] communities, making it accessible to young people.”

VIEW: Thailand’s Cannabis Revolution

“At present, cannabis is still considered freely usable but the controlling law is not a very good one. It cannot really arrest or fine people and cannot punish those who do wrong. Unlike selling alcohol which has a restricted area that bans sales. Similarly, stores that sell cigarettes have to conceal the products, but cannabis has no such restrictions.”

VIEW: On the Frontline of Thailand’s War on Drugs

“Adolescents are at a much higher risk for developing addiction to cannabis, at least twice as high as adults. They’re much less likely to get high grades in school and more likely to be absent from school.”

“What we see now is that, after cannabis was legalized, young people don’t really understand it. They see cannabis as good for medical purposes because they’ve been constantly told several times that its legislation is for health reasons. It has a good image. Business owners also try to present it as something harmless and easy to access.”

“We have encountered smugglers who have modified their vehicles to conceal drugs. Some of the locations we have encountered [are] inside the bumpers, in between door panels, or even the floorboard of the vehicle. Some even hide the drugs under the seats of the car.”

“In 2023, there were 945 joint operations at the checkpoints to stem the flow of drugs into Singapore.”

“We do monitor online platforms. In fact, since 2019, when we started to see this trend, we have been watching it very closely. We have mounted many operations to take out abusers and traffickers who are using this platform to pursue their illicit activities. People tend to think that such platforms give them certain anonymity so that they can evade detection but they cannot be more wrong.”

“For Triad Trails, we have participants from different walks of life. The most commonly asked question when it comes to Singapore is about the death penalty.”

“In 1975, Singapore introduced a mandatory death penalty for trafficking substantial amounts of drugs.”

[Jix Sze – Author of Chasing the Dragon Out] “I think the death penalty had an impact on drug distribution because back then, particularly in 1977, the death penalty affected the supply at that time and hence the dealer had no choice to further adulterate the quality of the heroin. I believe that the penalty helps to deter the activities in the supply of drugs. For me it was instrumental in stopping me in my involvement in selling drugs.”

“When you look at how Singapore has effectively controlled serious crimes in Singapore, whether we’re talking about murder and drug trafficking, I think one could say that the reduction in lives being affected, in terms of people who consume drug or crimes committed as a result of drug activities, that they have gone down significantly over the years.”

“I kind of recalibrated my life compass inside. Fast forward to the next 10 years, 15 years, and that was when I decided I really wanted to help people [Architects of Life] … one of my deep passions is really the whole conversations and dialogue with the next generation.”

“In my opinion, big tobacco is pushing for big cannabis simply because that’s the big cash crop and that’s the most money it can make ever since tobacco has started to decline.”

[Dr. Yvette van der Eijk, who leads research to support tobacco policies in Singapore] “Tobacco companies have actually been interested in cannabis since the 1970s and, as of now, all of the major transnational tobacco companies have invested in [the] cannabis industry. So the tobacco industry actually uses quite a a wide range of lobbying tactics.”

[Luke Chan] “At the age of around 15 yeas old, my friend introduced me to cannabis … from that until the age of 17, I saw a couple of my friends who [were] taking methamphetamine. So from there I was thinking, hey since I’m already taking this cannabis, why not try something harder? And that led me to a full-blown 3-4 years of addiction.”

[Luke’s Mother] “I put so much effort into raising you and now I was questioning how you ended up going down this path. I kept thinking, maybe it’s because I got divorced and that affected you when growing up. I couldn’t help but blame myself.”

“What is unique about us [WE CARE Community Services] really is that this space is safe [and] is non-judgmental, so everything that happens at the center is voluntary. People come here they can connect with other persons who are a little bit further down the recovery.”

“Break the Cycle started 5 years ago. I realized there was a social gap where the community was needed to support ex-offenders and I also recognized that the cycling, as a sport, was also a very highly social activity. As an ex-offender myself, I understand that to break a habit is very difficult. You can’t just say, I quit or I stop. You need to replace a bad habit with a good habit.”