Marijuana
Marijuana is still the most popular illegal drug in the United States. Marijauna is derived from the marijuana plant and is either smoked or cooked into foods and eaten. Marijuana is traditionally thought of as not addictive; however, long-term abuse of marijuana can result in a lack of motivation that can undermine academic and career success. Marijuana is thought by experts to be psychologically addictive in that users feel uncomfortable when they cannot use the drug.
Posted under Young Adults
University Students Using Cannabis also Self-Medicate
When older teens leave for college, they are confronted with a new level of freedom that allows them to make decisions not only about studying and social life, but also drugs and alcohol. Continue Reading
Posted under Teens
Teens’ Attitudes Dangerously Shifting Toward Ecstasy, Marijuana and Alcohol
Ecstasy and marijuana are higher on U.S. teens’ radar than they’ve been in recent years, says a study. Even more troublesome are the study findings that teens are also more accepting toward alcohol consumption.
Posted under Marijuana
DEA Announces Ban on Fake Marijuana
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has issued its emergency scheduling authority to control the five chemicals used to make “fake pot” products (JWH-018, JWH-073, JWH-200, CP-47,497, and cannabicyclohexanol) in an effort to prevent what it describes as an “imminent threat to public health and safety.” Because these chemicals—used in such brand name products as “K2,” “Spice,” “Red X Dawn,” and “Blaze”—have not been approved by the FDA for human consumption and no oversight of their manufacturing process is currently in place, the DEA has placed a 12-month ban on the chemicals so it and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) can investigate whether the synthetic chemicals should be permanently controlled.
Posted under Addiction Treatment
Substance Abuse Treatment Admission Rates Increase Across U.S.
According to a new report by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), admissions for alcohol abuse treatment have remained the same in parts of the South and the Midwest, whereas they have dropped elsewhere in the United States. However, admission rates for illegal drugs are increasing across the United States, especially for marijuana abuse.
Posted under Teens
Teens Experience Longer-Lasting Repercussions from Drug Use
Alcohol and drug use by teens is sometimes treated as a rite of passage, and is perhaps thought to be less serious than adult drug use. Although teen drug use may worry parents about their children’s physical health, social relations, academic performance, or immediate danger, the threat to teen’s future mental health can sometimes be overlooked. Yet researchers are saying that teenagers respond dramatically different to drug exposure compared to adults, spurring long-term damages to brain development and cognition.
Posted under Public Policy
Legalized Marijuana Causing Growing Drug Problem in the Netherlands
With Prop 19 in California coming up for a vote this Fall, many might be wondering what the impact of legalizing marijuana might have on the state. The Netherlands may be a good model to look at to see what that impact might be.
Posted under Addiction News
Tanning College Students More Likely to Drink and Smoke Marijuana
About one-third of college students who tried indoor tanning facilities were addicted to the artificial rays, and they drank more alcohol and smoked more marijuana than other students, researchers found.
Posted under Marijuana
Long-Term Marijuana Use Raises Risk of Psychotic Episodes
Young people who smoke marijuana for six years or more are twice as likely to have psychotic episodes, hallucinations, or delusions than people who have never used the drug, scientists said on Monday.
Posted under Teens
US Teen Drug Use Survey Released
The federal government’s annual report of kids’ alcohol and drug abuse found that among 46,000 American eighth, 10th, and 12th graders, use of hallucinogens, marijuana, methamphetamines decreased in 2008. But although drug and alcohol use seems to be declining or holding steady, there has been slippage in teen disapproval of such practices and perception of risks, officials warned.
Posted under Marijuana
Marijuana as a Gateway Drug
Marijuana is commonly referred to as a gateway drug. Some research has been used to support marijuana as a type of stepping stone to more dangerous drug choices (Morral, McCaffrey & Paddock, 2002). This information supports the “gateway hypothesis,” which argues that substance abuse is triggered by a progression of events that begins with use of an illegal substance such as alcohol or tobacco and then moves on to marijuana and then cocaine or another illicit drug.
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The Addiction Primer
Everything you need to know to help a loved one struggling with addiction, from the writers and editors of Everything Addiction.
