Users and nonusers within a high risk milieu of cannabis use. A general population study.

A postal survey was carried out among a representative sample of nearly 2,000 young people in Norway (17-20 years old) in 1985, and followed up once again 2 years later. The sample was divided, according to the degree of exposure to cannabis in the peer milieu, into three groups: low, moderate, and high risk milieu. The differences between noncannabis users in high and in low risk milieux were the same as had been found in previous studies comparing users and nonusers of cannabis. The main differences between users and nonusers with a high risk milieu were that the users more often came from incomplete families and were men. All the differences between users and nonusers in the high risk milieu were small. This indicates that subsequent research should concentrate on the personality factors and social processes which encourage young people in the high risk milieu to resist the use of substances.