Young Marijuana Smokers at Highest Addiction Risk


People who begin using marijuana early are more likely than others to become dependent, new findings show.
In a study of over 2700 marijuana users in Ontario, Canada, those who started smoking at 17 years or later were twice as likely to eventually quit compared with those who started at 14 years or younger. “We believe this study has uncovered important information regarding the effects of patterns of marijuana use on the risk of desistance and progression to marijuana- related harm Dr. David J. DeWit, of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, in London, Ontario.
“We observed a significant.. relationship between frequency of lifetime marijuana use and marijuana desistance,” the authors say.
Compared with infrequent use, a lifetime frequency of 100 to 199 uses predicted an almost five fold higher likelihood of developing marijuana disorders, they report.
Prevention programs that are effective in delaying initiation of marijuana use until the age of 16 and beyond may greatly diminish the likelihood of prolonged consumption and consequently serve to avert serious problems later in life” DeWit and colleagues conclude.

People who begin using marijuana early are more likely than others to become dependent, new findings show.
In a study of over 2700 marijuana users in Ontario, Canada, those who started smoking at 17 years or later were twice as likely to eventually quit compared with those who started at 14 years or younger. “We believe this study has uncovered important information regarding the effects of patterns of marijuana use on the risk of desistance and progression to marijuana- related harm Dr. David J. DeWit, of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, in London, Ontario.
“We observed a significant.. relationship between frequency of lifetime marijuana use and marijuana desistance,” the authors say.
Compared with infrequent use, a lifetime frequency of 100 to 199 uses predicted an almost five fold higher likelihood of developing marijuana disorders, they report.
Prevention programs that are effective in delaying initiation of marijuana use until the age of 16 and beyond may greatly diminish the likelihood of prolonged consumption and consequently serve to avert serious problems later in life” DeWit and colleagues conclude.

SOURCE: Preventive Medicine 2000;31 :455-464

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