Teenagers who use cannabis daily are seven times more likely to attempt suicide and 60 percent less likely to complete high school than those who don't, latest research shows.
It also found teenage users of cannabis are 60 percent less likely to get a university degree and more likely to use other illicit drugs.
The report, published in the latest edition of medical journal The Lancet, combined data from three long-running Australasian studies that examined associations between cannabis use in adolescence and outcomes in later life.
One of the studies was the University of Otago's Christchurch Health and Development Study (CHDS).
Researchers, including the CHDS's Doctor David Fergusson, found a strong connection between the use of cannabis before the age of 17 and a number of outcomes assessed up to the age of 30.
Dr Fergusson says the findings reinforce the message that cannabis use in adolescence is not without harm.
"Any changes to legislation around cannabis use should be carefully assessed against the potential for increasing the availability and/or use of cannabis to young people."
Compared with those who never use cannabis, daily users were 18 times more likely to become cannabis dependent and eight times more likely to use other illicit drugs.
The study also found risk of these outcomes increased steadily with the amounts of cannabis used. Daily users have higher risks than weekly users, and weekly users have higher risks than monthly users. Dr Fergusson says preventing cannabis use amongst young people could reduce harm.
3 News
source: newshub archive
