Demographic and health characteristics of heavy marijuana smokers in Los Angeles County.

The demographic, life-style, and self-reported health characteristics of a convenience sample of 207 male and 70 female, non-Hispanic White, heavy marijuana users in Los Angeles County were compared with those of more representative county and national samples. Consistent with other researchers' findings, heavy marijuana users were found to differ significantly in living arrangements, job stability, and income. Heavy marijuana users did not differ in completed education, self-reported physical health, or use of alcohol and cigarettes. Heavy marijuana users were less likely to be married than nonusers, but reported the same number of close friends with whom they interacted more frequently than same-aged comparison groups. Our findings suggest that heavy marijuana users are not homogeneous, and that female users differ significantly from male users.