Pubdate: Thu, 11 Sep 2014
Source: Manawatu Standard (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2014 Manawatu Evening Standard
Contact:  http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1057
Author: Cate Broughton
Page: 5
Cited: http://drugsense.org/url/YrpHq1ck Lancet Psychiatry

EVIDENCE MOUNTS AGAINST CANNABIS

Regular cannabis use by teenagers can lead to an increased risk of 
suicide, greater use of illicit drugs and poor educational 
achievement, a Christchurch study says.

The study, published in medical journal The Lancet, showed daily 
cannabis users under the age of 17 were 60 per cent less likely to 
complete high school or attend university and were nearly seven times 
more likely to attempt suicide.

Daily users were also 18 times more likely to become addicted to 
cannabis and eight times more likely to use other illicit drugs.

Researchers from three large, long-running studies, in Christchurch 
and Melbourne, combined data to investigate the link between cannabis 
use in adolescence and outcomes later in life.

Professor David Fergusson, leader of the University of Otago's 
Christchurch Health and Development Study, said the research was the 
largest single consistent study done on adolescent use of cannabis.

New Zealand Drug Foundation chief executive Ross Bell said New 
Zealand was known as one of the highest users of cannabis in the world.

Despite this and the new evidence on the potential harm of cannabis, 
he believed the issue had been put on the backburner by politicians.

Bell said the Internet-Mana Party was the only political party to 
address the issue and even the Green Party, which had previously 
campaigned on the issue, had sidelined the debate.

Internet Party leader Laila Harre said the study supported the 
argument for decriminalisation and legalisation of cannabis.

"It's because of research like this, which is consistent with a lot 
of studies, that we are of the view that cannabis needs to be 
regulated by government rather than regulated by the black market," she said.

Green MP Kevin Hague said while the party supported 
decriminalisation, it had not made the topic a priority in the 
election campaign.

Bell said whether cannabis was legalised or not, the Government 
needed to fund better drug education programmes.

Odyssey House youth services team leader Jim Marsters said children 
as young as six were being introduced to cannabis, mainly by family 
members. "For some young people, the family view is: I'd rather you 
smoke with me, than down the road with whoever."

He said 98 per cent of young people came to the service seeking 
treatment for cannabis addiction.

Young people at Odyssey House had all the negative outcomes found in 
the study, Marsters said.

A recent and worrying trend of self-harm among girls was also 
associated with regular cannabis use.

While decriminalisation would remove the "middle man" and the burden 
of conviction for the young, Marsters was worried about the increased 
availability of cannabis if it was legalised.

A 19-year-old factory worker said that he started using cannabis when 
he was 13 but decided to give it up after he lost his job.

"I found it hard to get up in the morning and I lacked motivation."

Cannabis use was rife when he was at school.

Fairfax NZ
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom