Finally came Dr Craig Reinarman, Professor of Sociology and Legal Studies at UCLA. Dr Reinarman is co-author of a report comparing the levels and patterns of drug use in San Francisco and Amsterdam.
The report found that, despite the open availability of cannabis of Holland and the often severe punishment of users in the US, people start using drugs earlier in America, more Americans use ecstasy, cannabis and cocaine and they have a far higher lifetime use of heroin.
Most cannabis users were pretty good at regulating their use; they had clear notions of where and when it was appropriate to use and had firm rules about who they would encourage to use.
In conclusion Dr Reinarman found that the cannabis culture has a strong protective element and users make sure cannabis fits into their life. Extreme use is the exception, not the rule
