Heavy cannabis use by teens is more dangerous than alcohol

I think that it's safe to assume that this study will prompt more research on the comparative effects of alcohol and pot. Let this new battle in research wars begin!

People who start using cannabis as teenagers are more likely than drinkers to suffer from mental illness, have relationship problems, and fail to get decent qualifications or jobs, according to a new study by academics.

'Cannabis really does look like the drug of choice for life's future losers,' says Professor George Patton, who conducted the 10-year study that followed the fortunes of 1,900 schoolchildren until they were 25. 'It's the young people who were using cannabis in their teens who were doing really badly in terms of their mental health. They were also less likely to be working, have qualifications or be in a relationship and more likely to be taking other drugs.'

The 10-year study is the first of its kind to compare drinkers with cannabis users. Almost two-thirds of people had tried cannabis before they turned 18.

Heavy users of the drug were between three and six times more likely to use other drugs, compared with drinkers, less likely to be in a stable relationship and up to three times more likely than drinkers to have dropped out of education or be unemployed.