A ten-year study of high school students found that teens who use marijuana on a regular basis are more likely to use drugs and to have psychosocial problems as young adults.

• Researchers in Victoria, Australia, followed 1,943 high school students from age 15 to 24 years old.
  
• The teens who used marijuana occasionally had higher risks for alcohol and tobacco dependence, as well for using illegal drugs as young adults.
  
• These teens were also less likely to go on to college.
  
• The ones who used marijuana at least once a week were at the highest risk for later drug use as young adults.
  
• The researchers concluded that marijuana use in adolescence is a predictor of later drug use and educational problems.

The study appeared in the Journal of Psychiatry.

Labels: teen_drug_use, marijuana, pot

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Use of alcohol, marijuana, and Ecstasy is increasing among teenagers, according to a study by MetLife Foundation and the Partnership for a Drug Free America. However, the good news was there was no significant increase in teen abuse of over-the-counter cough medicines and prescription drugs.

• Researchers interviewed 32 to hundred teenagers in grades nine through 12, and 800 parents in 2009.
  
• 39 percent of the students reported drinking in the past month, an increase of 11 percent the year before.
  
• There was a 67 percent increase in teens using Ecstasy, and a 19 percent increase in teens using marijuana.
  

The results were disappointing, because teen drug and alcohol use had been dropping off consistently in the past 10 years.

Labels: drug use, alcohol, marijuana, ecstasy

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Teenagers in Missouri who wish to experiment with substance abuse believe theyve found a safe, and legal, alternative to marijuana: incense. Many have resorted to smoking a specific brand and fragrance of incense, claiming it produces the same effect as marijuana.

But, as KY3-News reported, at least one Missouri teen got more than he bargained for.

[It's] something 14-year-old Tyler Hartman heard about from his friends. "They'd all tried it; it didnt kill them, so I just decided to try it," Tyler said. "I sat there, and the room spun a little, and thats really all that I remember,' said Tyler."

Hartman passed out at his friends house, suffered seizures, and quit breathing. Paramedics were called, and rush him to the hospital where he remained unconscious for five hours. Tyler warns other kids not to make the same mistake he did, telling KY3-News that "it's not really a very intelligent choice."

Labels: marijuana, incense, dangers-of-drug-use

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A new study has revealed that teenagers who sleep less than seven hours a night are more likely to abuse marijuana.

• Researchers from Harvard University and University of California in San Diego studied the sleep patterns and drug use of 8,000 teenagers.
  
• Teens who have friends who sleep less than seven hours a night are also more likely to sleep fewer than seven hours.
  
• Teens with friends who use marijuana were more than twice as likely to use it themselves.
  
• Teens with friends who both sleep less than seven hours and use marijuana are 20 times more likely to use marijuana themselves.

The researchers believe that increasing the number of hours teens sleep each night might help reduce the prevalence of teen abuse of alcohol and other drugs.

This study was presented at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Labels: marijuana, sleep

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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

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Most parents know that marijuana is the most commonly abused illegal drug among teenagers, But these same parents may be unaware that the second most popular category of abused drugs -- inhalants -- contains substances that are commonly found in many households:

• Common inhalants are rubber cement, paint thinner, nail polish remover, gasoline, correction fluid, and bleach.
• Teenagers use these substances to get a quick high by sniffing them from open containers or "huffing" from a rag held to the face after soaking it in the substance.
• Many people believe that inhalants are not harmful, but the truth is they can cause health problems and even death.
• Long-term health problems are damage to the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and brain.

Signs of inhalant abuse are a chemical smell on clothing, mouth sores, runny eyes and nose, and appearing drunk or dazed.

Labels: marijuana, inhalants

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Teens who get drunk often or who use marijuana on a regular basis are more likely to be sexually active, according to a new study from Canada. The same study also found that sexually active girls are at higher risk for attempted suicide.

• Researchers used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Children and Youth.
• They found that teens who use pot are 60 percent more likely to be sexually active.
• Teen who are regular drinkers are 50 percent more likely to be sexually active.

"Teens who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior," said Peter John Mitchell, a member of the research team. "This study reveals a risk profile that may help parents as they nurture their teens to adulthood."

Labels: teenage_drinking, teen_drug_use, marijuana, sex, teens

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Do your teenagers listen to artists who sing about marijuana? If so, they may be also be using the drug, according to new research from the University of Pittsburgh.

• Dr. Brian Primack and his colleagues surveyed 1,000 ninth graders in Pittsburgh and found that they listen to music an average of more than three hours a day.
• The average teen hears 40 references to marijuana daily.
  
• However, some teens listen to music without any such references, and others listen to music that refers to marijuana twice as often as average.
  
• Those who listened to the music with more references to marijuana were more than twice as likely to use that drug as those who listened to music without any such references.

Other indicators that your child may be using drugs are secretiveness, moodiness , stealing money, changing friends, having lower grades, and paying less attention to grooming.

The study appears in the journal Addiction.

Labels: teen_drug_use, drug use, marijuana, music

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A study of "teenaged" laboratory animals found that daily use of marijuana affected brain chemicals that regulate mood and anxiety. This may partly explain why daily marijuana consumption during adolescence can produce symptoms of depression and anxiety, and may even cause permanent brain damage.

• Dr. Gabriella Gobbi of McGill University in Canada says that marijuana alters the levels of serotonin and norepinephrine, which in turn affects mood and makes people more susceptible to stress.
  
• Even if the laboratory animals in her study stopped marijuana use by the end of the adolescence, the changes in the levels of the two brain chemicals were still detectable in adulthood.
• "Our study is one of the first to focus on the role of biological mechanisms at the root of this influence of cannabis on depression in adolescents," Dr. Gobbi said.
  

This study appeared in the journal Neurobiology of Disease.

Labels: teen_drug_use, marijuana, brain_damage

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Local and national debates over the medical use of marijuana may be having an unintentional side effect: increased recreational pot use among teenagers. The 35th annual Monitoring the Future has revealed a slight uptick in the number of teens who admitted to trying marijuana.

A Dec. 14 Associated Press article provided the following details about the study's marijuana-related findings:

Marijuana use, while well off peak levels of the late 1990s, has edged up. According to the study of 47,097 students, among 12th-graders, 20.6 percent said they used it within the past month, compared with 19.4 percent in 2008 and 18.3 percent in 2006. Among 10th-graders, pot use in the past month rose to 15.9 percent this year from 13.8 percent in 2008.

In the past year, the share of eighth-graders who smoked pot was 11.8 percent, compared with 10.9 percent in 2008. Tenth-graders' use was 26.7 percent this year and 23.9 percent in 2008. The percentage of 12th-graders was 32.8 percent compared with 32.4 percent in 2008.

"The upward trending of the past two or three years stands in stark contrast to the steady decline that preceded it for nearly a decade," said Lloyd Johnston, who has directed the annual survey since it started in 1975.

Labels: teen_drug_use, marijuana

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Teens who think their parents are watching over their behaviors are less likely to use marijuana, according to new research from the Claremont Graduate University.

Dr. William Crano and his colleagues reviewed 17 previous studies of more than 35,000 people.

"It was clear that kids who thought their parents were monitoring them used much less marijuana than kids who did not.,"Dr. Crano said. "The interesting thing is that this has to do with the kids' perception of parents monitoring and not necessarily what their parents are actually doing."

"If your kids think that you know what they are doing and where they are at, who they are with and what they are doing when they are not within your sight -- that has a big impact on the kind of trouble they are going to get into," Dr. Crano said.

Labels: teen_drug_use, marijuana, parental_involvement

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Children and teenagers who have experienced post-traumatic stress disorder are at a higher risk for abusing marijuana, according to a new study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

• Researchers followed 693 people over a decade.
• Thirty-one were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorders as teenagers, and they were more likely to be among the 161 in the study who abused marijuana.
• Other research has shown that adults with post-traumatic stress disorders were three times more likely to become dependent on marijuana.
  

This study appeared in the journal Addictive Behaviors.

Labels: teen_drug_use, marijuana, ptsd, trauma

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The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has issued a 304-page report on drug and alcohol use in 2008. There were few surprises or changes in the rates of use from other years.

• The use of illegal drugs among teenagers has remained about the same since 2005.
  
• Among children ages 12 to 17 years old, 11.6 percent used such drugs in 2002, compared to 9.3 percent in 2008.
  
• Use of prescription drugs for non-medical reasons dropped from 4 percent in 2002 to 2.9 percent in 2008.

However, among people above the age of 12 years, the non-medical use of painkillers is an area of concern, according to the report. About 2.18 million people tried these substances for the first time in 2008.

When it comes to other forms of illicit drug use, marijuana and inhalants remain the most popular choices, SAMHSA reports:

• People under 18 years old tend to use marijuana and inhalants more than other illegal drugs.
  
• The average age of trying these two drugs is about sixteen years old.
  
• The average ages for trying heroin and tranquilizers are 23 and 24 years old, respectively.
  
• People start experimenting with Ecstasy, stimulants, cocaine, and LSD around ages 19 to 20.

Problem drinking among college students remains a concern:

• Among full-time students ages 18 to 22 years old, 61 percent were drinkers, 41 percent were binge drinkers, and 16 percent were heavy drinkers.
  
• The rates for those in that age group not enrolled in school were 54 percent drinkers, 38 percent binge drinkers, and 13 percent heavy drinkers.
  
• Sixty-eight percent of college graduates drink compared to 37 percent of non-graduates. However, non-graduates had higher rates of binge and heavy drinking.

Labels: drug use, marijuana, inhalants, prescription drugs, underage drinking, binge drinking, research

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The United States government is now focusing on getting teenagers to stop abusing prescription and over-the-counter drugs. It is no longer emphasizing marijuana abuse, and some people are criticizing that decision.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy has directed that its entire annual budget of some $14 million be used to combat prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse. The Partnership for a Drug-Free America has not produced a single anti-marijuana ad in the last four years.

Prescription drug abuse accounts for more than 10,000 accidental deaths a year and is a secondary cause of another 1680. Marijuana use, on the other hand, does not cause any deaths.

"The bottom line is that opiates and stimulants are much more addictive than marijuana," said Professor Mitch Earleywine of the State University of New York. "Maybe nine percent of marijuana users develop problems, compared to 14 to 20 percent of prescription drug abusers, who end up saying they cannot quit or report withdrawal symptoms when they want to stop."

However, the numbers of people who try either marijuana or over-the-counter prescription drugs is about the same -- around two million per year.

• One of the problems cited by anti-marijuana advocates is that the marijuana in use today is a much stronger variety than what was used in the past.
• Teen marijuana use is considered especially dangerous because the brains of people under the age of 25 are still developing, and marijuana is linked to brain damage.
• According to a 2004 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, todays marijuana is so strong that it is causing more people to get addicted.
• Now that people have access to very high potency marijuana, the game is different," warned Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Dr. Richard Rosenthal, chair of the psychiatry department at St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital and a professor at Columbia University, said that people are underplaying the dangers of marijuana, especially those who want to legalize it.

"We need to be very mindful of what we are unleashing out of a Pandora's Box," he said. "The people who become chronic users do not have the same lives and the same achievements as people who do not use chronically."

People seeking treatment for marijuana abuse increased from 12 percent of all those in treatment in 1997 to 16 percent in 2007.

Some psychiatrists and psychologists want "Cannabis Withdrawal Syndrome" to be included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Labels: health_problems, marijuana, dangers-of-drug-use

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A German child guidance specialist is advising parents to remain calm if they discover that their child has experimented with marijuana.

Andreas Engel from Germany's Bundeskonferenz fuer Erziehungsberatung ... says parents should inform themselves about marijuanas main active ingredient, THC.

Only then is it a good idea to raise the matter with your child and talk about the effects of smoking the substance. If you are strictly against smoking cannabis, you should make that perfectly clear and ban its use. ...

Cannabis-smoking teenagers are demonstrating to themselves and their peers that they can break conventions. They're also testing the limits of their independence from the norms of the adult world and showing their affiliation to a youth sub-culture, says Engel. (Source: Earth Times)

Parents should be consistent in educating their children about the health issues, legal consequences, and other negative aspects of illegal drug use among young people.

Labels: teen_drug_use, marijuana, parents

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Teens who smoke marijuana may be self-medicating for legitimate medical conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, insomnia, and anxiety, according to a new study from the University of British Columbia.

• Dr. Joan Bortoff and her colleagues surveyed 63 adolescents who reported having smoked marijuana on a daily basis.
• About a third of the adolescents who were surveyed said they had stopped taking prescription drugs such as Ritalin and Prozac for various conditions and substituted marijuana instead.
• Marijuana was immediately effective in relieving anxiety and other conditions, and did not cause as many side effects as their prescription drugs.

"They did not like how these drugs made them feel or found them ineffective," Dr. Bortoff said. "For these kids, the purpose of smoking marijuana was not specifically about getting high or stoned."

This study appeared in the journal Substance Abuse, Treatment, Prevention & Policy.

Labels: teen_drug_use, marijuana, adhd, anxiety, medications

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According to an Australian study published in July 2008, the United States has the highest levels of illegal use of cocaine and marijuana out of the 17 countries surveyed. This result is surprising to researchers because, of the 17 countries, the U.S. also has some of the harshest legal penalties for illegal use of these drugs.

The study found that approximately 16 percent of people in the U.S. have used cocaine in their lifetime; the next highest rate, in New Zealand, was 4 percent. In addition, approximately 42 percent of Americans have used marijuana in their lifetime, with the next highest rate being 41 percent in New Zealand.

According to the study, drug use "does not appear to be simply related to drug policy," said the authors, "since countries with more stringent policies towards illegal drug use did not have lower levels of such drug use than countries with more liberal policies."(Sources: sciencedaily.com)

Labels: marijuana, cocaine, illegal-drug-use

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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: marijuana, addiction, THC

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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: prevention, marijuana, pressure

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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

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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, research, mental_health

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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: marijuana, summer, first-time_users

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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: marijuana, long_term_drug_use, effects

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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

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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: prevention, marijuana, meth

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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: marijuana, brain_damage, memory

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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: marijuana, long_term_drug_use, psychosis

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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: marijuana, addiction, treatment

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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, marijuana, education

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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: marijuana, pot, addiction, gateway drugs

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Marijuana will be legal for medical reasons in Washington state in late 2010, making it the 14th state, along with the District of Columbia, to legalize the drug in certain circumstances. More than a dozen other states, including Arizona and South Dakota, will consider similar measures this year. California could become the first state to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes in November 2010.

California was the first state to approve the medical use of marijuana in 1996, but since then, a number of issues have arisen about who is qualified to access "medical marijuana" and how the drug is distributed. Hundreds of medical marijuana clinics in Los Angeles have been told to shut down unless they meet stricter guidelines for dispensing the drug.

Since these new laws have been passed, recreational marijuana use among teens has increased for the first time after decades of declining drug use. According to government studies, teenagers believe that since marijuana is a safe medical drug, it is also safe to use recreationally. However, some studies indicate marijuana can affect young people more adversely because the human brain is still developing until age 25 years old.
 

Labels: marijuana, medical marijuana

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 0 Comments

Recent surveys have found that the majority of Canadians believe that marijuana should be decriminalized. Most believe mild marijuana use is harmless, which worries Amy Porath-Waller, senior research and policy analyst for the Canadian Center on Substance Abuse.

“Porath-Waller said chronic marijuana use can cause neuro-cognitive impairment such as memory and retention loss as well as mental health problems like psychosis, depression and anxiety. And because cannabis is often smoked unfiltered in larger puffs with longer breath-holding, it can also lead to respiratory problems and possibly lung cancer, she said.” [Source: Toronto Sun]

Because chronic marijuana use can affect cognitive development, it can also indirectly affect academic and vocational achievement.

Labels: health_problems, marijuana, brain_chemistry

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 0 Comments

Teenagers who use marijuana do not necessarily go on to use harder drugs as young adults, according to a new study from the University of New Hampshire. Better predictors of illicit drug use in young adulthood were not having a job and not having a high school diploma.

• Professors Karen Van Gundy and Cesar Rebellon kept track of 1300 teenagers starting in sixth and seventh grades until they reach their early 20s.
• Using drugs such as cocaine, heroin, sedatives, stimulants, tranquilizers, analgesics, and hallucinogens in the late teens and early 20s was closely related to their stress levels during their teenage years -- and to whether they were employed, but not to whether they experimented with marijuana at younger ages.

"We were somewhat surprised to find the gateway effect was not that strong during the transition to adulthood," said Dr. Van Gundy. "Most of the previous research has examined the early drug use among people with serious drug problems. These people tend to progress from alcohol and marijuana use to other drugs."

Some were quick to criticize the Van Gundy study.

Dr. Denise Kandel of Columbia University has done research that indicates marijuana is indeed a gateway drug. She said that the flaw in the latest study was Drs. Van Gundy and Rebellon failed to consider the negative impact of using marijuana on social status and educational achievement.

"Using marijuana as a teenager can certainly have an impact on whether or not someone fails to graduate from high school or get a job," she said. "This increases the risk of persistent illicit drug use."

The Van Gundy study appears in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.

Labels: marijuana

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 0 Comments

The number of Americans using illegal drugs increased by 9% between 2008 and 2009, according to a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

• The number of those using methamphetamines increased by 60%.
• The number of people over 12 years old using prescription drugs for nonmedical uses increased by 20%.
• Among teenagers, prescription painkiller abuse among teenagers rose by 17%.

SAMHSA officials said the main reason for increases in drug use was a spike in the number of teen marijuana users.

"Discussions of legalization and so-called medical marijuana and a proliferation of pro-drug messages have left America's youth misinformed about the drug's potency and have tripled in the past 20 years," according to the report.

“Today’s findings are disappointing, but not surprising, because eroding attitudes and perceptions of harm about drug use over the past two years have served as warning signs for exactly what we see today.” said Gil Kerlikowske, director of National Drug Control Policy.

 

Labels: drug use, marijuana

Posted By: Adolescent Substance Abuse 0 Comments

According to a Jan. 3 article in the Reno Gazette-Journal, a mother was taken into custody for allowing teenagers to drink and use drugs under her supervision:

Washoe County Sheriff’s deputies were alerted to the party at Romick’s home in the 12500 block of Thomas Creek Road after a teen boy who had previously run away returned home under the influence of alcohol. Deputy Armando Avina said the boy told his mother he had been at Romick’s home with some other boys.

When deputies went to investigate around 4:15 a.m. Saturday, they said they saw teen boys through the front window who were running to the back of the home, Avina said. In plain view, deputies saw a bag of suspected marijuana and drug pipes.

Though allowing teens to use drugs is clearly a parental "no-no," many parents may not be aware that allowing underage individuals to drink alcohol is also illegal. Many states and communities are taking a harder line regarding the prosecution of adults who factilitate or allow teen alcohol abuse.

Labels: alcohol, marijuana, parental_involvement

Posted By: Adolescent Substance Abuse 1 Comment