Zurich, Switzerland: People who consume cannabis are more likely to be knowledgeable about the substance’s health effects than are those who abstain from it, according to survey data reported online in the International Journal of Public Health Policy.

Researchers at the University of Zurich in Switzerland assessed the health literacy of some 12,000 male subjects. Investigators reported that those subjects who consumed cannabis, alcohol, and tobacco "searched for information about substances significantly more often via the Internet than abstainers." These subjects also "reported better knowledge of risks associated with substance use and a marginally better ability to understand health information than abstainers," the authors found.

In particular, subjects who reported consuming cannabis at least once per week were four times more likely to search for health-related information as compared those who abstained, the study found.

Researchers concluded, "Substance users appear to be more informed and knowledgeable about the risks of substance use than non-users."

For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org. Full text of the study, "Health literacy and substance use in young Swiss men," appears in the International Journal of Public Health Policy.

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