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Major Studies of Drugs and Drug Policy
Canadian Senate Special Committee on Illegal Drugs
Volume I - General Orientation

Chapter 6 - Users and uses: form, practice, context

Conclusions

 

We have learned the following from all the information on trends, patterns, circumstances, trajectories and social consequences of cannabis use:

 

Conclusions of Chapter 6

On trends in use

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On trajectories

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the gateway effect

 

 

 

On violence and crime

 

Ø      The infrastructure of national knowledge about the trends and circumstances of cannabis use is fundamentally weak and desperately needs strengthening.

âØ            The epidemiological data available indicates that close to 30% of the population (12 to 64 years old) has used cannabis at least once.

âØ            Approximately 10% used cannabis during the previous year.

âØ            Up to 30% of those who used cannabis in the last year are current users (have used cannabis this month).

Ø      Approximately 15% of current users would be daily users

âØ            Use is highest between the ages of 16 and 24.

âØ            The prevalence of use during the current year is highest, approximately 40%, in young people of high school age.

âØ            The prevalence of monthly use in young people is approximately 30%.

âØ            The prevalence of daily use in young people is approximately 9%.

 

Ø      The average age of introduction to cannabis is 15.

âØ            Most experimenters stop using cannabis.

âØ            Regular users were generally introduced to cannabis at a younger age.

âØ            Long-term users most often have a trajectory in which use  rises and falls.

âØ            Long-term regular users experience a period of heavy use in their early 20s.

âØ            Most long-term users integrate their use into their family, social and occupational activities.

 

âØ            Cannabis itself is not a cause of other drug use.

âØ            Cannabis use can be a gateway because it is illegal, which puts users in contact with other substances.

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âØ            Cannabis itself is not a cause of delinquency and crime.

âØ            Young people with a trajectory of regular and heavy use are often already on a deviant if not delinquent trajectory.

Ø      Cannabis is not a cause of violence.

 

 

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