marijuana is the drug that all the drop kicks at school did.... and they still live in the small town you grew up in working at the local abatoir. ecstacy is the let your hair down, good fun - let me be who I want to be drug that makes you feel great. regardless of what it does to your brain - or the long or short term consequences dropping an e makes you socially OK. If you're shy and you smoke dope you become even more of a mute... if your shy and you drop an e you suddenly develop a personality, are the life of the party and feel as though you are the most popular person in the world. the choice seems pretty easy. do i approve of either - no - both have long and short term health and mental health effects but when it comes to partys and drugs e is the drug of choice for the upwardly mobile.

I guess I've learnt through seeing some pretty heartbreaking situations that whatever the overall general reported or perceived risk, everyone's risk profile is different, and you usually won't know what yours is until it might be too late.

I guess that's a risk most people are willing to take - but having seen the distress and pain I've seen close up, I certainly never could - it's been like a vaccination for me.

Great article Karina. I've often wondered this myself as I've watched the trends in survey data over the years, with ecstasy rising steadily while cannabis tapers down. I think all of the potential reasons you state have validity.

I agree with footprints, to a degree - that heavy use of cannabis isn't social and doesn't fit the social scene we want to be accepted in (generally that is!). Ecstasy use is more acceptable. However, I've also noticed that being too trashy on pills is not acceptable in many scenes either - and this is where methamphetamines/cocaine can come into their own - you can avoid being 'messy', something that's not as acceptable as it once was.

Yet, the surveys say ecstasy is on the rise while cannabis (and methamphetamine) are on the decline. Perhaps methamphetamine has just become more stigmatised (eg. the 'ice' campaigns) so people are less likely to report their use.

PS. that 'My Future Self and Me' episode of South Park was a classic, and a prime example of how lying to your children is a bad idea!

I agree with Anni's comment that everyone has a different risk profile.  I have a 'rather precarious' relationship with my own mental health and a family history of mental illness, so I've always avoided taking drugs, cannabis in particular - having had it drummed into me since I was younger that I was at greater risk.

But how do you know your risk profile?  Many of us might not be aware that an older family member has experienced a psychosis. Yet another reason why we need to decrease the stigma surrounding mental illness, so people know their histories and can make informed choices.

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i do agree that the links between Cannabis and mental heatlh issues has received a higher profile in recent years, but it's hard to say if this has led to a decline in use. Perhaps it's because a wider range of drugs are  available - and  the police are targeting ecstacy use more frequently.

Having seen some of my best friends descend into paranoia, depression and schizophrenia as a result of excessive cannabis use, it's heartening to see that finally the myth of it being a harmless drug is being busted.

i have a feeling that marijuana use is a coping mechanism more to avoid thinking about what we're struggling with.

and i can see why people are addicted to it. my friends turn to marijuana when he's happy and sad and pretty much in whatever he does. its quite difficult to have a proper conversation with him, because if he's not stoned, he's not up to talk about it.