Young still ignore cannabis warning

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation report, based on interviews with 100 heavy cannabis users aged 16 to 25, says that the average age participants startedusing the drug was 13 years and eight months.

It highlights a "circular relationship", whereby young people who are unemployed, have left school with few educational qualifications and are experiencing family problems, tend to use more cannabis. This, in turn, often makes their personal circumstances even worse.

However, the study says: "For young people in more socially secure situations, their cannabis use did not seem to interfere with their studies or relationships with their parents, not least because in some instances parents were not aware that their child was using cannabis. These young people, therefore, appeared to be on track to make successful transitions, particularly from education to the labour market."

It finds many professionals working directly with young people regard cannabis use asless harmful than the young people do. "They may, therefore, be underestimating the potentially negative impacts ofexcessive use," it adds.

Most young people interviewed for the study said cannabis should be legalised, although a majority also said its legal status had no bearing on theirdecision on whether or notto take it.

The report calls for vulnerable young people to be provided with opportunities at school that would allow them to make the transition into "higher status roles" within the labour market, and to avoid their further marginalisation, for example by excluding them from school.

Researchers also argue there should be a more consistent approach to cannabis across police forces, to avoid sending out mixed messages.

The report, The impact of heavy cannabis use on young people: vulnerability and youth transitions, has been produced by a team led by Dr Margaret Melrose of the University of Bedfordshire.

- www.jrf.org.uk.