A young French person who smokes cannabis before the age of 16 is twice as likely to experience a period of unemployment.
This is the conclusion of an Inserm study carried out over nine years on nearly 1,500 people in France.
In 2021, nearly 40% of 17-year-olds reported having used this drug.
According to Maria Melchior, Inserm research director and one of the authors of this study, “
postponing cannabis experiments as late as possible should be an objective of public policies.
"
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The National Institute of Health and Medical Research has based itself on several observations.
Of the 17.7 million young Europeans, aged 15 to 34, who reported having smoked cannabis in the past year, 56% of them were aged 15 to 24.
Specific links have been identified: "
A direct negative effect of cannabis consumption on the concentration, motivation and, ultimately, the academic success of young people
", specifies Inserm.
Carried out between 2009 and 2018, this study was based on several criteria: the socio-economic level of the participants, the family situation, the educational difficulties encountered during childhood and adolescence as well as the psychological evaluation of participants.
The younger you consume, the higher the risk of repeated unemployment
The study shows a higher risk for people who started using cannabis at an "
early age
".
They are three times more likely to experience multiple spells of unemployment than those who said they had never tried cannabis.
"
Late experimenters
" would have a 51% more chance of experiencing a period of unemployment at least once, unlike those who have never used it.
Finally, within this same group of consumers questioned, the probability of experiencing repeated episodes of unemployment is 92% higher in the group of the youngest consumers, compared to consumers aged over 16 at the time of their initiation. to drugs.
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