Recently in Marijuana Category

Surfed across this today, and thought I would pass it along. It is a list ranking the addictive properties of various drugs. Drugs are ranked based on "how easy is it to get addicted?" and on "how tough is it to quit?"

These two questions were given to a community of addiction experts, who ranked each drug on a variety of measures. The scores below reflect the ranking scores offered by these addiction experts. The numbers are only relative opinions, and are based only on the experience and expertise of experts in the field. In other words - these are just opinion scores, but interesting none the less.

The Addiction Scores of Illicit or Abused Drugs

• 100 - Nicotine
• 99 - Ice, Glass (Methamphetamine smoked)
• 98 - Crack
• 93 - Crystal Meth (Methamphetamine injected)
• 85 - Valium (Diazepam)
• 83 - Quaalude (Methaqualone)
• 82 - Seconal (Secobarbital)
• 81 - Alcohol
• 80 - Heroin
• 78 - Crank (Amphetamine taken nasally)
• 72 - Cocaine
• 68 - Caffeine
• 57 - PCP (Phencyclidine)
• 21 - Marijuana
• 20 - Ecstasy (MDMA)
• 18 - Psilocybin Mushrooms
• 18 - LSD
• 18 - Mescaline

Research was conducted by John Hastings, and the full text article can be found at "In Health" journal.

Barack Obama has used drugs - he has broken the law. He admits to experimenting with cocaine and marijuana while a young men, and although his candor is refreshing, his drug use has complicated his political aspirations, and political opponents from within his own party have been casting subtle digs about his past. We expect leadership and moral correctness from our elected officials, and when yet another politician falls from grace, caught in lies about past or present acts, we bemoan the low ethical standards seemingly so prevalent among the Washington elite. Yet why, when we ask the impossible - perfection – are we surprised when imperfect humans (as we all are) prove themselves so? Looking at the 2007 NIDA released statistics on drug use amongst high school seniors; we can see that although drugs may be illegal, more people than not in our society will try them, at least once. About half of all high school seniors will have used illegal drugs by graduation, and three out of four will have drunk alcohol, under age. The democratic foundations of this country call for a person of the people, representative of the people, to serve in the best interests of all the people. In reality, we ask for a person who exhibits an impossible perfection of character and even of youthful judgment – a person very unlike most of us! Some may argue that Obama's youthful indiscretion is not an issue of drugs, but rather of lawfulness; and that whether you can forgive him for his drug use, he did knowingly and willfully break the law. But once again, we all break the law! We are all essentially guided by two often complimentary laws of action – our moral compass and the statutes of law. We do (mostly) what we perceive to be ethically right based on what we believe, and we follow laws of the state out of a fear of legal repercussions. And as such, when we do not perceive an act to be morally wrong, and when we feel that we are unlikely to face legal sanctions for engaging in it (getting caught) we are somewhat likely to break a law of the state barring this action. Running a red light on a deserted country road at 3am is against the law, but as we perceive no moral need to stop, and feel we are unlikely to get caught, most of us will at some point creep through an intersection, without waiting for a green. Taking drugs, as an individual act, is illegal, but it is not immoral - the act of using alone harms no one but the user. It may show poor judgment, but as teens, who amongst us can boast of uniformly good judgment? Obama took drugs, like well more than half of us have. He does not take drugs now, and he has not for decades. Obama broke the law, like all of us have; he did not break any moral laws. What about all the politicians who claim never to have used drugs? Seems unlikely, based on the statistics. Obama has told the truth. He is human. We should laud him for his courage. He may or may not be the right choice for president, but his past use of drugs should have no bearing on his legitimacy as a candidate today.

Recent research from the University of McMaster in Ontario Canada adds to the body of data indicating that the age of first use of illicit drugs, tobacco and alcohol is strongly correlated with later in life problems with drug addiction and alcoholism.

The study authors completed a long term data analysis of almost 5000 youths starting from the early 1990's, and have examined specifically the age of first experimentation with different substances, and the prevalence of continuing substance use later in life.

The results are unsurprising, and confirm other research done on adolescent drug abuse.

Some of the findings include:

Sixty percent of teens who start using marijuana before the age of 15 will still be using the drug 8 years later. Only 20% of teens who start after the age of 19 will continue to use 8 years later.

Boys start using drugs earlier, and with more frequency, and are less likely to stop.

The study authors conclude that early in life prevention programs are of paramount importance, and that waiting until kids are in junior high may well be waiting too late. They note that a significant number of kids are trying alcohol at ages of 10 and 11 and that these kids may never, at this age, have been exposed to any drug or alcohol information. They suggest late elementary school grades as a better time to start drug and alcohol educational programming.

The study results also underscore the importance of drug and alcohol education in the family, and starting from a young age. Our kids are starting to experiment earlier than we realize, yet if we can keep them from this early experimentation, they stand a much better chance to avoid the pains of later in life addiction or alcoholism.

Don’t want your teen to drink, smoke or do drugs? Well, there's no easy one answer, but one easy step in the right direction is as simple as sitting down at the dinner table together, as a family, 5 or more times a week. Research by the National Center on Addiction and Substance abuse compared the drug and alcohol consumption patterns of teens that ate family dinners 5 or more times per week, with those that ate them 2 or less times per week, and the difference revealed is dramatic. Families that don’t often eat together have teen children that are: 300% more likely to smoke marijuana 250% more likely to smoke cigarettes 150% more likely to drink alcohol Wow! What an easy way to make a real difference, in your teen's life, and for the family as a whole. The study authors state that although the simple act of eating together as a family seems most important, the experience can be enhanced with conversation and by ensuring the TV is turned off throughout the meal. Research continually demonstrates the influence of family and parental involvement on the likelihood of teens avoiding the troubles of drugs and alcohol. And this recent study shows just how easily parents can ensure they exert that influence. Make it fun for all, order a pizza if that’s what it takes, and sit down as a family, at the table. It's worth it.

Marijuana is no big deal…if you only smoke it in real moderation and if you wait until you are 21 to do so.

Unfortunately, a lot of teens are smoking it in great quantities…a lot of teens are addicted to the drug. Also, since by definition teens are not 21 years of age, they are doing great harms to their still developing minds.

If parents can keep kids from using the drug until after the age of 18 the risks that they will ever have a real problem with it decline dramatically. Additionally, since the risks of mental illness related to marijuana usage rise greatly with earlier ages of experimentation, the younger teens start smoking, the greater the damage done.

Prevention is the key, and preempting a problem before it emerges is always the best course of action, but even after experimentation ensues, the earlier you intervene and you earlier you stop that drug use, the better the eventual outcome, and if needed, the easier the treatment.

What are the Teen Specific Risks of Marijuana Usage?

Addiction

Teens seem especially vulnerable to the addictive properties of marijuana, and with the strength of today's marijuana, too many teens get caught up in what begins as casual experimentation and ends us in dependency and pain.

Academic Performance

Teens who smoke marijuana don’t do as well in school. Marijuana smoking teens are less likely to finish high school, less likely to get good grades and less likely to go to college. Smoking marijuana can seriously derail academic performance, and during a time in life when school success has such a great influence on later life success.

The teen years are a time of exploration, a time to have a lot of fun, but also a time when your job is to go to school, get good grades and move on into successful adulthood. Marijuana lowers the chances.

Marijuana decreases cognitive performance for about 24 hours after it is smoked; decreases the ability to consolidate memories and concentrate, and on tests of mathematical and verbal reasoning, marijuana smokers perform significantly worse. If you smoke daily, you are never as smart as you would otherwise be and even if you are still a motivated student (something that seems less likely with greater marijuana usage) you are not as able to perform well, not as able to learn what you need to know.

The damage done is not permanent and your mind can recover, but at the same time you can't get those years back, and if you do poorly in high school there can be long lasting and serious life consequences.

The Risks of Mental Illness

The earlier you start using marijuana, the greater your risks of suffering from psychosis later in life. Teens who smoke before the age of 18 have 2-3 times the chances of experiencing a schizophrenic like condition in their 20's. Marijuana use also seems linked with later in life depression and anxiety disorders, although the link has been less casually proven.

Marijuana usage is also linked with increased rates of teen depression, especially depression in teen girls. Teen girls who do develop marijuana prompted depression are very likely to self medicate their condition with ever more drug and alcohol abuse, further compounding the problem.

Psychosocial Development

Marijuana decreases your ability to learn, and what you do learn tends to be state dependant learning. Essentially, you can learn while high on marijuana, but you need to be high once again to retrieve that information and to make full use of stored marijuana consolidated memory.

Marijuana also blunts emotional experiences. While high on marijuana you do not accurately experience social and emotional challenges that are essential for full emotional and social development. If you are high on marijuana enough of the time, you never learn how to deal with the challenges and social situations of life, and you never mature into a real developmentally appropriate adult. The earlier you start smoking the greater the delay, and the more you smoke the less social learning that is accomplished. If a teen starts smoking at 13 and becomes a daily user throughout their teens, even where they to ultimately stop in their 20's, they would present in many ways with the emotional and psychosocial maturity of a 13 year old.

Many tens of thousands seek professional treatment help for their marijuana addictions each year in America. There is no shame in getting help when you can’t do it on your own, and it’s a far more courageous and sensible thing to do than ignoring the reality of your addiction, and continuing to lower your quality of life and health through ever more heavy marijuana usage.

But when you do make the decision to get help…where do you go, and what do you need?

Here is a basic overview of some of the available treatment options.

12 Steps Group Meetings, Such as NA or MA (Marijuana Anonymous)

These free peer support meetings can be a great venue to explore your compulsion to use and to gain insight and strength towards recovery. Learning what you need to know from other people also dealing with an addiction to marijuana or other drugs of abuse.

Like AA, marijuana and narcotics anonymous use the 12 steps to sobriety as a philosophical framework to recovery, and as with AA, you must subscribe to certain core beliefs for the steps to work. You can’t fake it, and you either believe in and the process and approach it with commitment or dedication, or you don’t, and if you don’t it's not likely going to work for you.

Individual Therapy

One on one sessions with an experienced addictions therapist or psychologist can also help a lot as you grapple with getting and staying off marijuana. These can be expensive, but getting some individual attention and help with your particular issues does have real value, and the insights gained from a few sessions can offer you a very solid foundation for your attempt at getting clean.

Working with a therapist you should expect to explore any personal issues that lead you to seek such intoxication, and also explore why it is that you turn to marijuana as a coping mechanism. You may also want to explore any unresolved personal issues that linger and contribute to your drug seeking behaviors.

A trained therapist can also help you to devise a tailored relapse prevention plan, help you to identify those things in your life that led you to crave marijuana and help you to understand just what you can do to beat these temptations.

Group Support Therapy

A generally more affordable alternative to individual therapy is the participation in a peer support group. Ideally, you will join a group of people with similar world views and facing similar life challenges, and explore together what works and what doesn’t on the road to long term recovery and sobriety.

Group therapy generally occurs with 6-10 others, and there is most commonly a trained group leader who guides the sessions and offers insights where appropriate. Group sessions offer a number of benefits to addicts in recovery. Firstly, no one in this world is quicker to spot dishonesty or denial faster than another addict in recovery. You may get away with a lot of your manipulations (even the one's you're not aware of) in a lot of places, but in group they're going to call you on it, and you can’t deny their expertise either!

You can also learn effective and concrete strategies for staying clean. Exploring together what seems to help gives you some real world workable options to try when you feel you can’t go on anymore. Additionally, recovering together with a group of people you can get to know pretty intimately can offer a lot of encouragement and inspiration. Nothing keeps you going more than watching someone that you know struggles as you do, break free from addiction and really reap the benefits of sobriety.

Drug Rehab

A lot of people just can’t do it on their own, and either can't do it on an outpatient basis, or are just so tired of their problem that they want to start with the most intensive and effective therapeutic option to recovery.

Getting into a drug rehab program offers a lot, and although it is disruptive and it is expensive, sometimes you just need to get out of the environment of abuse, get into a safe and sober environment and start to learn what you'll need to know to stay sober over the long term.

In drug rehab you will get a comprehensive blend of individual and group therapy, MA style 12 steps meetings and drug and relapse prevention education. You also get the time away from abuse to gain self awareness over those things in your life that lead you to need to use. Without outside distractions you have the opportunity to focus all of your attentions on getting better, without all of the everyday concerns that normally distract your attention.

Drug rehab is a big commitment, but it also offers the best chance at recovery and a long future without marijuana.

Get Some Help

There is no shame whatsoever in getting help when you can’t do it on your own. Marijuana is a very addictive drug, and the cravings and temptations to use can overwhelm even the best of intentions. Through therapies and support, you can learn what you need to know to get off and stay off marijuana for good.

About 10% of people who experiment with marijuana will develop a problem with dependence, which when you consider how many millions of people smoke marijuana in America alone becomes a very large number of people.

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a pill at somehow just stopped your cravings for marijuana…

Well, that would be great, but that one doesn’t yet seem in the works, but as a next best thing scientists are chasing down some promising leads on a new drug that may at least eliminate the high from marijuana, leaving addicts little reason to smoke the drug, and helping them in theory get past their addiction.

Scientists have been looking at a substance in a plant from the buttercup family as a possible active ingredient in a new medication for the treatment of marijuana addiction.

To test the substance, researchers gave rats an unlimited supply of synthetic THC through a feed tube. Over time, the rats came to very much appreciate the drug, and would self medicate frequently with the THC over the course of each day. After the rats were given the methyllycaconitine, which is the active ingredient from the plant, the rats immediately cut down on their self administration for the THC, by as much as 70% on the first day. Importantly, researchers note that the drug didn’t seem to have any adverse effects on the rates other than to dampen their enthusiasm to get high.

When the researchers looked at what was happening in the brains of the rats given the medication, they found that the methyllycaconitine seemed to reduce the dopaminergic reaction normally associated with the use of THC down to essentially zero. It took all of the pleasure out of the THC high, and the rats had far less inclination to use the THC after the dopaminergic response was eliminated.

Importantly, the levels of dopamine functioning for other activities did not seem affected, which is very important if it's to be considered as a possible medication for human subjects. A reduction in dopamine from baseline levels is associated with depression.

A very controversial and contention issue to be sure; if America were to decriminalize marijuana usage, would people smoke more, would we see greater rates of addiction, and other harms, or would we just benefit from a great reduction in law enforcement costs, criminal profiteering and other punitive sanctions? These were the questions that researchers from the RAND Drug Policy Research Center wanted to answer, and to do so they looked primarily at the Dutch experiment with the decriminalization and the defacto legalization of marijuana, and have extrapolated these effects to speculate on the American situation. The study authors have characterized the Amsterdam marijuana policy experiment into primarily two phases. The first phase was simply a decriminalization of the sale and possessions of marijuana, and the second phase essentially legalized the sale, and allowed for coffee shops to sell the drug openly and without sanction within the city of Amsterdam. Looking at marijuana usage rates, they state that a decriminalization of the plant, and allowing people to grow their own and smoke as they wish without providing legal venues for the sale of marijuana seems to have no effect whatsoever on increasing the rates of drug use. Legalization and sale in coffee shops has resulted in a dramatic increase in marijuana usage, and the study authors speculate that if such a policy were adopted in America, with its history of commercialization, promotion and free speech, this increasant effect could well be amplified. But what about the gateway theory? One of the real obstacles to marijuana decriminalization is the fear that marijuana tends to increase the chances of experimentation with other harder drugs, and thus if we increases the rates of marijuana use, we may increase our societal problems with harder and more destructive drugs. Again, looking at the Dutch model of decriminalization and even legalization, it doesn’t appear that this is so, and in fact, although legalization has increased the rates of marijuana use, it seems to have dampened somewhat the association between marijuana use and use of harder drugs. Virtually all users of harder drugs have smoked marijuana, but most marijuana users do not go on to use harder drugs, so is there a gateway risk? Well in the Dutch experiment, what seems to have happened is that by legalizing the sale of marijuana, officials have greatly reduced the impact of the street level dealers. The overwhelming majority of Amsterdam marijuana users buy their drug from coffee shops in a legal manner, and these coffee shops almost universally do not sell harder drugs. The average marijuana smoker just doesn’t seem to have the same access to different and harder drugs. American marijuana smokers in contrast do buy their drugs from street dealers, and these dealers are in many cases also offering harder drugs of abuse. So legalization of sale, although it has increased marijuana usage, seems to have decreased problematic usage of harder drugs. So what should America do? It seems pretty clear that decriminalization offers almost all benefits with essentially only very minimal risks. And when these minimal risks are compared in severity to the harms enacted through the punitive enforcement of marijuana drug laws, the benefits of decriminalization become more persuasive. So, let's decriminalize it. The Dutch experiment shows that making it completely legal does cause some problematic increases in usage, and America may not want to follow down this policy road; but allowing people to grow a small amount for personal consumption seems to offer the best overall solution to everyone involved. So, researchers seem to back decriminalization, public option concurs…government, what's the hold up? Marijuana is not good for you. It does cause addiction, it does lessen cognitive abilities, and it would be great if people would just stop using it and all other drugs of abuse; but since that's not likely to happen, and we obviously have no real control over its illegal distribution and sale, we should take steps to reduce the harms of a punitive anti marijuana policy.

OK, I know that as soon as I start to talk about marijuana I begin to come across as some kind of governmental propaganda "reefer madness" anti pot fascist, but there are some things that need saying. Medical marijuana First of all, the whole medical marijuana thing drives me crazy. Fine, give marijuana to people with glaucoma if it helps them, cancer patients need a little pot, by all means they should have it; but there is a substantial difference between something being beneficial to certain people who are suffering from disease and good for one and all and their brother. There's this sort of smugness that I get a lot from marijuana proponents fighting for medical legalization, as if they were fighting some sort of battle for the greater good. I don’t believe it anyways, I just think they want to get stoned on legal weed…which is fine, but let's drop this whole doing it for the AIDS patient's thing. It's natural OK what's next, oh yeah, the whole it's from the earth it's natural it's good for you line of reasoning. What's up with that? Sure, smoking a natural herb may not be quite as harmful as sniffing gasoline, but just because things come from the earth doesn’t mean we should put them in our bodies. Opium is from a plant, but smoking a lot of opium never did anyone much good. Cyanide, that's another one of natures goodies that never seems to make it into the whole, from the earth let's smoke it line of reasoning. How about cobra venom…can’t get more natural than that. Alcohol is worse OK, number three on my list of grievances regards the whole comparison thing with alcohol. Yes, I get it, alcohol is worse, and it's legal too; the horror. Get over it already, alcohol isn't good for you, it surely causes far more pain that marijuana ever will, and it's far harder on the body as well; but once again, simply because alcohol is worse, doesn’t make marijuana good. There is no law saying that you need to put any form of intoxicating substance in your body, it's not as if we are dealing a necessary decision between two evils here. And about the whole alcohol being legal thing; governments would stop it if they could, but they can’t so they don't. End of story. Hemp Yes yes, hemp is a wonderful thing, and I can’t wait until all of my shirts look as scratchy as yours. What's the deal with marijuana smokers and hemp? They're so infatuated with that weed they're even going to wear it on their backs? OK I know hemp has a lot of promise for a great many things and I agree that it is pretty silly to restrict the growth of industrial hemp fibers, without any THC at all in them; but those clothes you're wearing…I just can’t take you seriously in them The legalization issue So now you know where I stand on marijuana legalization…well you’re wrong; I think the money spent on enforcement of marijuana is absurd. I used to smoke marijuana, have since given it up, have friends that use heavily…whatever. It should be a personal decision, based on an awareness of the facts and issues surrounding the use of the drug, and wasting dollars far better destined to health care or education on rooting out plants and busting weed dealers makes no sense at all. I don’t care as much about the issue since I no longer smoke and have nothing to fear from John Q Law, but even still, I’d like to see a legalization if only to prove that govt. policy makers have enough courage to do what most educated people believe needs doing, but remains such a political minefield. And it may not help their case much, but I for one would respect the pot heads of the world far more if they'd just come out from behind their smokescreen (pun intended) of medical marijuana and scratchy shirts and all that, and just said "I like to get high, I'm not hurting anyone, get out of my darned business"

There's a reason for a portrayal in movies of "stoners" as slow on the uptake half wits, and that's because the reality of frequent and heavy marijuana usage is a significant cognitive impairment, and greatly decreased mental performance.

Kids like to be cool, but not too many like to be dumb; but that's just what kids who are smoking marijuana are doing to themselves. I unfortunately speak from the voice of experience here, and I can remember (foggily) a couple of years in high school during which time I smoked marijuana almost daily, and also during which time I lost almost complete interest in participating in school. But not only did I lose all interest in school…I seemed to lose all interest in thinking as well! That was a great many years ago, and since estimates have today's pot as 300%-600% stronger than the pot I grew up on…I can only guess how today's stoners even manage to tie their shoelaces!

Some quick facts on marijuana and thinking ability

*Kids with a D average are 400% more likely to light up than kids with an A average.

*Smoking marijuana causes impaired concentration and memory performance for 24 hours after lighting up…you can see how a daily joint could have a serious impact!

*A recent study showed that people who used marijuana 7 times per week or more had significant deficits in verbal and mathematical abilities, and in memory retention.

*The effects of marijuana on the brain are exaggerated when marijuana is used by teens, with still developing brains.

Also

Marijuana is addictive

Early marijuana use is a significant predictor of later drug problems

Marijuana use is associated with increased risks for schizophrenia and depression

We as a society have a problem. We are too often spreading the message that marijuana use is relatively harmless, that it's a natural weed and even a beneficial medicine; and that the long term risks of marijuana use are negligible…and part of the problem is that many of today's parents grew up in a cultural period very tolerant to marijuana use.

The difference today is that marijuana users don’t start in college…they start in high school or junior high (49% of high school seniors have tried marijuana!) and that marijuana today is estimated as 600% stronger than the marijuana of a few decades ago. With increasing potency comes increasing problems, including the very real possibility of developing a marijuana addiction.

Marijuana's usefulness as a medicine remains controversial and even disputed, and it remains an illicit substance in most of the country. Pro marijuana groups seem especially concerned with spreading the propaganda of marijuana as medicine, whereas doctor's groups have been far more cautious, and most groups suggest that the risks and harms outweigh any benefits.

Marijuana is dangerous, it does have consequences…it does make you dumb!

Teens need to be made aware of the true risks of marijuana usage, and parents also need to get educated as to the risks of today's marijuana. Whether through decreased school performance, an increased risk for psychiatric conditions, criminal justice system involvement, increased aggression or intoxicated driving, and ultimately a serious risk for addiction, the dangers of heavy marijuana smoking a real, are many and are significant.

There is a lingering perception that government is somehow misleading us as to the dangers of marijuana, and in the past this likely was so (see the movie "reefer madness") and unfortunately this has greatly reduced their credibility on marijuana issues. The reality is that today's marijuana is dangerous, the information presented by health and governmental groups accurate, and the risks of heavy smoking high.

Teens (or anyone) unable to stop smoking marijuana may need professional intervention and treatment.