Mixed Messages About Marijuana Addiction
Mixed Messages
Is it any wonder that pot smoking is again on the increase with our youth? With the recent push to legalize marijuana in many states, the message that marijuana is OK is filtering back to our youth with a resultant increase in use.
Anyone who works in addiction treatment knows that marijuana is the gateway drug. As we monitor the future, as indicated in this article, we need to look for an increase in cocaine, heroin, Oxycontin and other drugs that follow the path of the gateway drug.
And in that future we need to ensure there is plenty of drug treatment programs available – they are going to be needed as never before.
Proponents of a new approach to drug policy need look no further than the results of the annual Monitoring the Future (MTF) study, which reports increased youth use of marijuana and a flattening out of many other types of illicit drug use after a prolonged decline.
Smoking rates among teens also have fallen to the lowest levels in history, although tobacco-control experts worry that use of smokeless-tobacco products could be rising, according to the study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
2 Comments
The only reason marijuana is a ‘gateway’ drug is because of its labelization as a ‘drug’! Marijuana has FAR fewer negative side effects and even far fewer immediate mental effects than a whole whored of FDA approved medications, not to mention alcohol. If marijuana were legalized and accepted as something like ALCOHOL (age limits required, purchase with ID at special locations), its (fully justified) use would be seen as a non-issue. Since marijuana is so common and unharmful, it would be in everyone’s best interest if it were legalized, de-stigmatized, and lost its correlations to all other drugs which are FAR more addictive and FAR more harmful, not to mention put you into another world
Far fewer effects does not mean no effects. I don’t think many people who have smoked marijuana in th past would say it has not harmful effects. I personally believe that marijuana has been demonized and is not as harmful as other drugs which are perfectly legal. This does NOT mean that no one ever needs help getting off of marijuana or that there are no risks to its use. Without demonizing the drug or blowing the risk out of proportion there is a danger to marijuana use and we can help someone handle that danger!