Marijuana is Not as Safe as Some are Claiming

To date, 27 states and the District of Columbia have either legalized medical marijuana or decriminalized marijuana possession -- or both.

As we watch the rapidly shifting legal landscape for the drug, the debate continues. Is marijuana addictive? Is it a gateway for drug use? My answers to both these questions is a resounding “YES” --- and here’s why.

While marijuana use may be gaining acceptance around the country, medical research continues to raise questions about its safety. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse contends that about 9 % of all marijuana users become “addicted.” The percentage rises to about 17% in those who start using marijuana at an early age, according to the institute, and reaches up to 50% for people who use marijuana on a daily basis.

Research, conducted over 20 years by Professor Wayne Hall, an adviser to the World Health Organization, found that 1 in 6 teenagers who regularly smoke cannabis become dependent on it, as are one in ten regular adult users. In fact, The Daily Mail quoted Professor Hall as saying: “If cannabis is not addictive, then neither is heroin or alcohol.”

And, a recent piece in the Huffington Post discusses a recent study on teens that suggests marijuana dependence may be a bigger problem than many people realize. Researchers evaluated 127 teenagers being treated at an outpatient substance use disorder clinic in Boston. The study showed that of the 90 teens who cited marijuana as the substance they used most frequently, 76 met criteria for cannabis dependence--including increased tolerance of cannabis and unsuccessful efforts to cut back or stop using despite medical or psychological problems exacerbated by cannabis, according to a written statement issued by Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. And 36 of the 90 experienced anxiety, irritability, depression, or other symptoms considered hallmarks of drug dependence.

“Our results are timely given the changing attitudes and perceptions of risk related to cannabis use in the U.S.,” Dr. John Kelly, associate professor of psychiatry in addiction medicine at Harvard Medical School and the study’s senior author, said in the statement. “As more people are able to obtain and consume cannabis legally for medical and, in some states, recreational use, people are less likely to perceive it as addictive or harmful. But research shows that cannabis use can have significant consequences, and we know that among adolescents it is second only to alcohol in rates of misuse.”

Now, is marijuana a gateway to other drugs? This is no doubt, a hotly debated question. In its report, “The Dangers and Consequences of Marijuana Use,” the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) offers these findings:

· The use of illicit drug use among young adults aged 18 to 25 increased from 19.7% in 2008 to 21.3% in 2012, driven largely by an increase in marijuana use (from 16.6% in 208 to 18.7% in 2012).

· Marijuana is a frequent precursor to the use of more dangerous drugs and signals a significantly enhanced likelihood of drug problems in adult life. The Journal of the American Medical Association reported, based on a study of 300 sets of twins, “that marijuana-using twins were four times more likely than their siblings to use cocaine and crack cocaine, and five times more likely to use hallucinogens such as LSD.”

· Long-term studies on patterns of drug usage among young people show that very few of them use other drugs without first starting with marijuana. For example, one study found that among adults (age 26 and older) who had used cocaine, 62% had initiated marijuana use before age 15. By contrast, less than one percent of adults who never tried marijuana went on to use cocaine.

· Columbia University’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) reports that teens who used marijuana at least once in the last month are 13 times likelier than other teens to use another drug like cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamine and almost 26 times likelier than those teens who have never used marijuana to use another drug.

· An estimated 2.9 million persons aged 12 or older – an average of approximately 7,900 per day - used a drug other than alcohol for the first time in the past year according to the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Almost two-thirds (65.6%) of these new users reported that marijuana was the first drug they tried.

· Teens who have been heavy users of marijuana in the past month are significantly more likely than teens that have not used marijuana in the past to: use cocaine/crack (30 times more likely); use Ecstasy (20 times more likely); abuse prescription pain relievers (15 times more likely): and abuse over the counter medications (14 times more likely). This clearly denotes that teens that use marijuana regularly are using other substances at a much higher rate than teens who do not smoke marijuana, or smoke less often.

And here’s something even scarier. We’re not talking about the weed of the 1970s; today’s marijuana is far more powerful. According to the latest data, the average amount of THC in seized samples has reached 12.55%. This compares to an average of just under 4% reported in 1983 ---- representing more than a tripling of the potency of the drug since that time!

A whopping 2.7 million people over age 12 meet criteria for addiction to marijuana (2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health) -- and as views about pot appear to be becoming increasingly lax, this number is poised to skyrocket.

If you think you or someone you know may be addicted to marijuana remember ---- help from a treatment center is only a phone call away.

The trusted resource in addiction treatment, Kiva Recovery’s groundbreaking model focuses on the individual and the strengths within each of us. Kiva’s treatment approach aims to replace addiction with solution-focused, growth-oriented strategies focusing on Lifelong Recovery through Holistic Health, Positive Character Building through Continuous Character Growth, and Life Satisfaction through Contentment. The Kiva Recovery treatment center is located 35 miles from downtown Chicago in the beautiful northern suburbs of Lake County, IL. To learn more, please visit www.KivaRecovery.com.