Perceived Risks of Marijuana and Alcohol Use: Comparisons of Non-Users and Regular Users

Abstract

Survey data on various risks attributed to drug use are analyzed through two-way comparisons of non-users and regular users of marijuana and alcohol. For both drugs, non-users perceive considerably greater risk in use than do regular users. For most kinds of drug-related risks, alcohol use is perceived as involving the same or greater degrees of risk than is marijuana use. The findings suggest that young people will not attach a great deal of credibility to propaganda emphasizing the risks of marijuana use.