07:41 AM ET 04/16/98

Dutch marijuana use lower than U.S. - study
	 
	    AMSTERDAM, April 16 (Reuters) - The Dutch are less inclined
to smoke marijuana than U.S. citizens, although the drug is
widely available in Dutch coffee shops, according to a study.
	    The survey by the Centre for Drug Research at the University
of Amsterdam found only two to three percent of Dutch over the
age of 12 had used marijuana over a one-month period.
	    In the United States, where it is illegal to grow, purchase
or use marijuana, a 1996 government study concluded around five
percent of the population used the drug at least once a month,
the Dutch researchers said.
	    For the past 20 years, Dutch over 18 have been able to buy
and use small quantities of marijuana in so-called coffee shops.
There are around 300 of these in Amsterdam alone.
	    The Centre for Drug Research conducted its study in three
cities -- Amsterdam, Tilburg and Utrecht. Previous surveys,
which concentrated solely on Amsterdam, had suggested up to 6.5
percent of the Dutch population regularly used marijuana.