Teenagers tend to abuse marijuana more often if they live in a state where it is legal for medical use. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), ten of the 15 states with the highest percentage of teenagers who admit to smoking marijuana within the last 30 days are states where marijuana is legal.

• Marijuana is the most widely abused illicit drug.
• A national survey by the Department of Health and Human Resources found that 60 percent of the seven million Americans who use illegal drugs abuse marijuana.
• The use of marijuana keeps increasing among teenagers, even as their cigarette use decreases, according to a 2009 NIDA study.

Many experts believe that more teenagers are abusing prescription drugs because they think these drugs are safer than street drugs. If marijuana is legalized as a prescription drug, teenagers may believe it is safe to use, too.

Some studies have shown that the human brain does not completely develop until after age 21, and that the abuse of alcohol and other drugs in adolescence may cause permanent brain damage.

Labels: marijuana, medical marijuana, legal drugs

Posted By: Aspen/CRC