The latest analysis from the University of Mississippi's Potency Monitoring Project found THC at its highest level in marijuana since testing began in the 1970s.

"Marijuana potency has grown steeply over the past decade, with serious implications in particular for young people, who may be not only at increased risk for psychological conditions, cognitive deficits, and respiratory problems, but are also at significantly higher risk for developing dependency on other drugs, such as cocaine and heroin, than are non-smokers."

The Potency Monitoring Project has been analyzing marijuana samples since 1975. In their most recent quarterly report, the researchers documented THC levels as high as 37.2 percent, with average levels at about 9.6 percent. Of special concern among substance abuse specialists is the fact that increased THC levels increase the probability that users will become addicted. Source: U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy

Read for more information.http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

Labels: addiction, marijuana, THC

Most of the news coming from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse indicates that marijuana use is down among teenagers. But one startling figure shows that use among eighth graders has increased by 27 percent between 1992 and 2007.

"There's also a 188 percent increase in the number of teens admitted into treatment programs with marijuana as the primary addiction .... and there's no easy answer to the problem."

One preventative measure is to ensure that children have more to do than go to school and come home. Extracurricular activities give them constructive and enjoyable things to do with their time, thus decreasing the chances that they'll turn to drugs or alcohol out of boredom. Source: Fox28 News

Labels: marijuana, pressure, prevention

A study by the University of Mississippi has discovered that today's marijuana is almost twice as strong as it was 25 years ago.

Over the past 33 years, researchers at UM have studied more than 65,000 samples of marijuana seized by law enforcement personnel in all 50 U.S. states. Since 1975, the amount of Tetrahydracannibinol (THC) in the studied marijuana consistently increased, reaching a 30-year high between 2007 and 2008.

Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said the findings are worrisome because high levels of THC increase the risk of mental impairment and addiction, especially among young people.

Read more http://www.adolescent-substance-abuse.com/marijuana-potency.html.

Labels: marijuana, pot, potency

A study that appeared in the British Journal of Psychiatry found that teenagers who use marijuana are at an increased risk for full-blown mental illnesses later in life. This study, the largest of its kind to date, included information gathered from more than 6,000 teenagers.

"Dr. Juoko Miettunen, who led the research at the University of Oulu in Finland, said the findings were significant because they demonstrated a link with psychosis at a very early stage of cannabis use."

Some of the symptoms that indicated of risk of psychosis included feeling like something strange was happening, feelings of paranoia, and difficulty controlling speed of thought. Source: Medical News Today

Labels: marijuana, mental_health, research

Summer vacation often means little or no structure for teenagers, which is one of the reasons they love summer. But the lack of structure can lend itself to unhealthy experiments.

"...there is a 40 percent increase in first-time youth marijuana use during June and July compared to the rest of the year. 'When there is more freedom, this is also more temptation,' Pathway Family Center said in a statement released on Tuesday. 'Statistics show that youthful experimentation with drugs, tobacco, and alcohol is more likely to occur during an unsupervised time when teens are alone or with their peers.'"

Parents can take proactive and preventative steps by planning summer activities for the entire family, encouraging their kids to continue afterschool activities into the summer, enrolling in summer camp or a wilderness program, and getting know their kids' friends and families.Source: Chesterton Tribune

Not sure what your teen will be doing this summer? Visit SummerCampsInfo.com for a list of teen summer camps or AlternativeSummerCamps.com for alternative summer camp programs.

Labels: first-time_users, marijuana, summer

The National Institute of Health is funding a $4 million, four-year study of the long-term effects of marijuana. Dr. Barbara Mason, director of Scripp's Laboratory of Clinical Psychopharmacology, will lead the study which involves three other labs.

About one in nine people who try marijuana become dependent, according to research form the University of Michigan. While alcohol clears the human body within hours, marijuana lingers and can be detected up to 30 days after use. Some symptoms of marijuana withdrawal are sleep disturbances, anxiety, and irritability.

The new research will investigate whether marijuana use affects learning, judgment, and self-control. Dr. Mason and others will also study whether marijuana affects young people differently than adults.

"The thing that troubles a lot of us is that marijuana has an appeal to younger people," said Dr. Reese Jones, a professor of psychiatry at the University of San Francisco. "In recent time we have learned that the adolescent brain is so different in many ways than the final adult version. There is a lot of reason to think that all these issues may be a bigger deal for young people."

NorthStar Center is a residential treatment center for young adults in recovery from substance abuse. Learn more about their program that combines therapy with academics at NorthStarCenter.com.

Labels: effects, long_term_drug_use, marijuana

A team of researchers out of Johns Hopkins University have found that withdrawal symptoms from marijuana are similar to symptoms experienced from nicotine withdrawal. The findings are based on a self-reporting study of 12 heavy users of both marijuana and cigarettes.

"Since the drafting of the SDM-IV in 1994, an increasing number of studies have surfaced suggesting that cannabis has significant withdrawal symptoms. What makes Vandrey's recent study unique is that it is the first study that compares marijuana withdrawal symptoms to withdrawal symptoms that are clinically recognized by the medical community..."

Results of the study also indicate that withdrawal effects need to be considered when clinicians treat heavy marijuana users. Read more at ScienceDaily.com.

Worried that your child is experimenting with drugs and alcohol? Visit our page on the Signs of Teen Alcohol or Drug Use to learn more.

Labels: marijuana, pot, withdrawal

Researchers at the University of Sydney in Australia found that the chemical in marijuana affects adult and adolescent rats differently. In particular, adolescent rats lost more long and short-term memory.

Dr. Ian McGregor and his colleagues tested the rats' memories right after they ingested the drug, and again after all traces of it had left their bodies. The adolescent rats had deeper memory impairment. In addition, the adult rats avoided the "room" where the marijuana had been "served," but the teen rats did not.

"Cannabis produces much greater long-term changes in adolescent than adult rat brains," Dr. McGregor said.

This study appears in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.

Labels: brain_damage, marijuana, memory

A study of 2000 Australian 24-year-olds found that those who had used marijuana as teenagers were more likely to use amphetamines as young adults.

The authors found that such early drug use was a more accurate predictor of using more dangerous substances later than other factors such as socio-economic background or mental depression.

This article appears in the journal Addiction.

Teenage drug addiction is often a symptom rather than the problem with troubled teens. Visit 4TroubledTeens.com to learn more.

Labels: marijuana, meth, prevention

A team of analysts from the U.K. has determined that years of study on marijuana have proven that the drug increases the risk of psychosis. The specific factors that cause the increased risk could not be proven, but researchers say the connection between marijuana and psychosis is undeniable.

"Doctors have long suspected a connection and say the latest findings underline the need to highlight marijuana's long-term risks. The research, paid for by the British Health Department, is being published Friday in medical journal The Lancet."

The team analyzed 35 studies that tracked tens of thousands of people for anywhere from one to 27 years. They looked for connections to both psychotic illnesses and cognitive disorders. Interestingly, no connection to cognitive disorders could be found. Read more at ABCLocal.go.com.

Adolescent substance abuse can have lasting implications that affect teens in may ways. Learn about ways to help teenagers at DrugRehabTreatment.com.

Labels: long_term_drug_use, marijuana, psychosis

Experts and substance abuse counselors say that people who grow and sell marijuana have begun making the drug stronger; thereby increasing the chance that users will become addicted.

"Pam Morrison sees firsthand what the increase in THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, does to users. Morrison, the Coastal Horizons program director said, ‘We have youth as well as adults that are seeking substance abuse treatment because their lives are completely unmanageable as a result of an addiction to marijuana alone."

Many people who find themselves addicted to marijuana believed that only "hard" drugs like heroin or cocaine could be addictive. Read more at WSOCTV.com.

Are you or your teen still in denial over their drug use or addiction? Learn the reasons behind your denial at DrugRehabTreatment.com. You'll also find other useful information about teen drug abuse while you're there.

Labels: addiction, marijuana, treatment

If you don't have teenage children, or don't spend much time with teenagers, the phrase "420" won't mean much to you. But those who are around teens often know that 420 is a common reference for smoking marijuana, and the day - 4/20 - is unofficially celebrated by high school and college students across the country.

"Rather than celebrating such a 'holiday', educators, law enforcement officers and health advocates want students to bungee and bounce their way to a sober and drug-free life choice at their annual anti-420 event."

The event is held at El Camino High School in Oceanside, California and is intended to create a carnival-like atmosphere were teens can also learn about substance abuse and addiction. Read more at NCTimes.com.

Labels: awareness, education, marijuana

USA Today recently published a report on the long term affects of marijuana use. Because of its ease to get and a general belief that it is the mildest of all drugs, many teens and adults admit to smoking pot at least once. But new data shows that smoking pot affects neuropsychological functioning, such as hand-eye coordination, reaction time and memory. Heavy marijuana users also have lower IQ scores and are typically less satisfied with their quality of life.

Then there is the ongoing debate about whether or not pot is a "gateway drug".

"...Studies have shown that when regular pot smokers quit, they do experience withdrawal symptoms, a characteristic used to predict addictiveness. Most users of more addictive drugs, such as cocaine or heroin, started with marijuana, scientists say, and the earlier they started, the greater their risk of becoming addicted. Many studies have documented a link between smoking marijuana and the later use of "harder" drugs such as heroin and cocaine, but that doesn't necessarily mean marijuana causes addiction to harder drugs."

Read more from USA Today.

Labels: addiction, gateway drugs, marijuana, pot