Marijuana Often Overlooked As Problem Drug

The 2008 Marijuana Sourcebook contains important data on marijuana in the United States including the latest use patterns and trends, health effects, criminal justice aspects, supply sources, and information regarding so-called “medical marijuana.” The publication draws from a wide variety of national scientific and research-based data sources.

Recent marijuana data reveals the following:

The great majority of males arrested for any violation in America have drugs in their system at the time of arrest, with marijuana being the most often detected. The rate testing positive for marijuana ranged from a third to more than a half of all male arrestees at the time of arrest. Further, marijuana is the drug most likely to be reported by arrestees when asked about lifetime, prior year, and recent (prior 30 days) drug use. (Source: An analysis of 10 major U.S. cities, Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring System (ADAM), 2003).

High potency of marijuana may be contributing to a substantial increase in the number of American teenagers in treatment for marijuana dependence.  According to the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), one in four 12-17-year-olds who report using marijuana in the past year display the characteristics of abuse or dependency. For younger users, the risk of marijuana abuse or dependency exceeds that for alcohol or tobacco.

Emergency department episodes involving marijuana almost tripled from 1994 to 2002. Marijuana steadily increased over that decade, surpassing heroin – which remained relatively flat – in 1998. (SAMHSA Drug Abuse Warning Network)

"Though overall use may be down, marijuana addiction is on the rise," comments Mary Rieser, Executive Director for The Atlanta Recovery Center, Narconon Drug Rehab GA. "More and more people are getting help for marijuana addiction because the concentrations of THC in marijuana samples are at an all-time high.

"The Atlanta Recovery Center is concerned that without proper education, people are becoming marijuana addicts, and this needs to be prevented.

"Marijuana came to represent love and peace in the 60s and has never quite lost that image but this is far from the truth. Anyone who uses marijuana regularly is more likely to engage in aggressive and violent behavior, cause trouble at school and destroy property."

For more information on marijuana addiction rehabilitation or drug education, call The Atlanta Recovery Center, Narconon of Georgia Drug Rehab at 1-877-413-3073.