Policy Hub
On 24 October 2007, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) published a report (The impact of heavy cannabis use on young people) which finds that heavy cannabis use among vulnerable young people can exacerbate existing social problems, such as low educational achievement, homelessness and unemployment. However, for others, particularly those in higher or further education, the effects appear to be relatively benign.
The report drew on 100 interviews with 16 to 25 year-olds, selected because they had been using cannabis on a daily basis for the past six months. Most were smoking 'skunk'.
When asked about the positive and negative consequences of taking the drug, the young people initially only listed what they felt to be positive: relaxation, socialising, and the feeling of being 'stoned'. It was only when various aspects of their lives were probed in more detail that associations between their use and problems such as unemployment, educational under-achievement and homelessness became apparent - particularly for those with less structured lives. Moreover, those with the greatest number of social problems tended to use most heavily.
The impact of heavy cannabis use on young people: vulnerability and youth transitions