STUDY FINDS CANNABIS RISK

One-third of teenagers who smoke cannabis at least once a week will become
dependent on the drug by their early 20s, according to a new study of
Victorian high school students.

While almost 60 per cent of young people will experiment with marijuana,
the risk of dependence was much higher for regular users.

One in five people who started using marijuana in their mid-teens are
likely to become dependent, with the risk jumping to one in three for
weekly users.

Dependence - when a person does not feel normal unless they are regularly
using a drug - was more common in boys than girls. In both sexes,
teenagers who smoked cigarettes or showed signs of antisocial behaviour
were also considered more at risk.

The findings were based on a study of 1601 secondary students by
Melbourne's Murdoch Children's Research Institute and published in the
British Journal of Psychiatry.

They have added fuel to the debate over the WA Government's push to soften
cannabis laws. Under the Cannabis Control Bill people growing two plants
or possessing less than 30g of the drug for personal use will not be
treated as criminals but have to pay an on-the-spot fine of up to $200.

Australian Family Association spokesman Richard Egan said the research tied
with previous studies and showed that marijuana was not the harmless drug
which drug law reformists painted it to be.

In contrast, the Government's Bill gave children the message that cannabis
was OK. "They say they are going to run an education campaign but children
know double-speak and hypocrisy if they see it," Mr Egan said.

But supporters of the law change said the research supported their views.

National Drug Research Institute senior research fellow Simon Lenton said
under the proposed legislation, teenagers would not be eligible for the
on-the-spot fine. Instead, they would be referred to a juvenile justice
team and required to undertake drug education or treatment.

Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation State president Jason Meotti said the
legislation would free up police resrouces to concentrate on big drug dealers.

Parents concerned about their children's cannabis use should call the
Parent Drug Information Service on 9442 5050 or (country callers) 1800 653 203.