Heavy pot use linked to social, economic problems

A study that followed children from birth up to age 38 has found that people who smoked cannabis four or more days of the week over many years ended up in a lower social class than their parents, with lower-paying, less skilled and less prestigious jobs than those who were not regular cannabis smokers.

These regular and persistent users also experienced more financial, work-related and relationship difficulties, which worsened as the number of years of regular cannabis use progressed, the findings showed.

"Our research does not support arguments for or against cannabis legalisation," said first author of the study Magdalena Cerda from University of California, Davis, US.

"But it does show that cannabis was not safe for the long-term users tracked in our study," Cerda noted.

The findings appeared online in the journal Clinical Psychological Science.

"Our study found that regular cannabis users experienced downward social mobility and more financial problems such as troubles with debt and cash flow than those who did not report such persistent use," she said.