Are adolescents who moderate their cannabis use at lower risk of later regular and dependent cannabis use?

Abstract

Aims To examine whether moderation of cannabis use among adolescent cannabis users is associated with reductions in cannabis use frequency and risk of dependence in young adulthood. Design Ten-year representative cohort study with six surveys in adolescence (mean age 14.9-17.4 years) and two in young adulthood (mean age 20.7 and 24.1 years). Participants Inception cohort of 1943 Victorian secondary school students (96% response rate), with 1520 (78% of adolescent participants) interviewed in the final wave. Measurements Participants were classified into six groups according to the maximum level of adolescent use and the extent of subsequent moderation in such use: non-users, occasional to ab..