This presentation describes the findings from a research study that looked at whether there is a causal relationship between cannabis use before the age of 18 and leaving education early.

1. Does early use of cannabis
cause early exit from education?
K.J.H. Verweij et al. / Drug and
Alcohol Dependence 133 (2013)
580– 586
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2013.07.034

2. Background
• Cannabis is the most
widely consumed illicit
drug worldwide, and
prevalence of use is
especially high among
adolescents and young
adults
• Use associated with
accidents, violence,
and use of other drugs
and regular use can
cause physical or
psychological problems
15-year-olds who have
ever used cannabis
30
25
20
% 15
10
5
Boys
Girls
0
Source: Currie C et al. eds. Social determinants of health and well-being among young people. Health Behaviour in
School-aged Children (HBSC) study: international report from the 2009/2010 survey. Copenhagen, WHO Regional
Office for Europe, 2012 (Health Policy for Children and Adolescents, No. 6).

3. What previous research
suggested...
• A number of studies have shown that early
cannabis use is correlated with poor
educational performance, including:
– higher rates of absenteeism,
– worse school performance,
– higher drop-out rates, and
– failure to attend tertiary education

4. • But are these poor educational
outcomes caused by early use of
cannabis?

5. This study...
• Examined a sample
of 3,337 male and
female twins from
Australia to examine
the relationship
between cannabis
use (before the age
of 18) and
educational
attainment.
Photo by Flickr user bambibabe48

6. ...and they found...
• there is a relationship between early cannabis use
and educational outcomes, but this
“is most likely due to shared environmental
factors influencing both vulnerability to early
cannabis use and early school leaving”
• And that our previous understanding – that
adolescent cannabis use causes low educational
attainment – is incorrect.

7. Implications for practice...
• Early identification of at-risk adolescents
could reduce both school drop-out and
cannabis use
• So it is important to identify the specific
risk factors.

8. Possible risk factors
• Family
Photo by Flickr user Shaun Wong
– parenting style
(parental
monitoring, support, co
mmunication),
– parental knowledge,
– family dysfunction, and
– parental substance
use and deviant
behaviour.
Other potential risk factors may relate to neighbourhood, school
characteristics or peer influences

9. Conclusion
• Despite some limitations...
• The findings suggest that cannabis use
does not directly cause early school
leaving, but rather that both traits are
influenced by the same family
environmental factors.

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Disclaimer:
whilst we have confidence that
this presentation is an accurate
description of the research any
misunderstandings of the
original material are down to
us and not the authors of the
paper.