The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) recently released a report that revealed the levels of THC - the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana - has reached the highest-ever amounts since scientific analysis of the drug began in the late 1970s.

According to the latest data on marijuana samples analyzed to date, the average amount of THC in seized samples has reached a new high of 9.6 percent. This compares to an average of just under 4 percent reported in 1983 and represents more than a doubling in the potency of the drug since that time.

The image shown is referred to as a "steam roller" (peace pipe). The pipe is used by marijuana smokers. The smokers fill the bowl with cannabis, then put the hand over the end of the pipe nearest the bowl and the other end in the mouth. After lighting and inhaling until the chamber is filled with smoke, you then remove the hand and quickly inhale the collected smoke to have a stronger high.

"The increases in marijuana potency are of concern since they increase the likelihood of acute toxicity, including mental impairment," said Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. "Particularly worrisome is the possibility that the more potent THC might be more effective at triggering the changes in the brain that can lead to addiction.

The increased potency of marijuana available in the United States also corresponds with other troubling research showing links between marijuana use and depression. See this article on marijuana and depression.

"Pot" smokers are self medicating to feel better but it is a false feeling as long term brain damage is being done, especially with heavy users.

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Research shows that some teens are "self medicating" by using street drugs like marijuana to try and overcome feelings of depression. What they do not realize is that marijuana can actually compound the problem.

A recent report from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, shows a staggering two million teens felt depressed at some point during the past year, and depressed teens are more than twice as likely as non-depressed teens to have used marijuana during that same period.

Depressed teens are also almost twice as likely to have used illicit drugs as non-depressed teens. They are also more than twice as likely as their peers to abuse or become dependent on marijuana. Marijuana use is associated with depression, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts.

"Marijuana is not the answer. Too many young people are making a bad situation worse by using marijuana in a misguided effort to relieve their symptoms of depression," said John P. Walters, Director, National Drug Control Policy. "Parents must not dismiss teen moodiness as a passing phase. Look closely at your teen's behavior because it could be a sign of something more serious."

More teens use marijuana than all other illicit drugs combined. The new report shows the following:

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Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in the USA. Admissions in drug abuse treatment facilities in which marijuana was the primary problem substance have more than doubled since the early 1990s and now rank similar to cocaine and heroin with respect to total number of yearly treatment episodes in the United States.

Research by a group of scientists studying the effects of heavy marijuana use shows that withdrawal from the use of marijuana is similar to what is experienced by people when they quit smoking cigarettes. Abstinence from each of these drugs appears to cause several common symptoms, such as irritability, anger and trouble sleeping - based on a recent study of heavy users of both marijuana and cigarettes.

The lead investigator in the study was Ryan Vandrey, PhD, of the Department of Psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The study appears in the January issue of the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

More information:
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080124145015.htm

Learn how you can overcome your addictions including marijuana: Overcoming Drug Addictions
 

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Smoking a joint is equivalent to 20 cigarettes in terms of lung cancer risk, and scientists have warned of an "epidemic" of lung cancers linked to cannabis (marijuana).

In an article published in the European Respiratory Journal, the scientists said cannabis could be expected to harm the airways more than tobacco as its smoke contained twice the level of carcinogens, such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons, compared with tobacco cigarettes .

The method of smoking also increases the risk, since joints are typically smoked without a proper filter and almost to the very tip, which increases the amount of smoke inhaled. The cannabis smoker inhales more deeply and for longer, facilitating the deposition of carcinogens in the airways.

Marijuana Addictionis becoming a real problem.

More information on this research:

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Prenatal marijuana exposure had significant effects on the developing central nervous system (CNS) in children and adolescents according to recent research. These findings were presented in a symposium about in utero substance exposure at the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 54th Annual Meeting .

Weed Woes

"For people who grew up in the 1960s, this was a big disappointment," said Nancy L. Day, PhD, from the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, referring to the marijuana study findings. "We all thought marijuana was a good drug, but it's not," she added.

The study looked at effects of prenatal marijuana use on cognitive and behavioral development at 10, 14, and 16 years.

The researchers found significant, relatively consistent effects from maternal marijuana exposure on the Central Nervous System (CNS) function in the offspring.

Prenatal exposure predicted higher rates of attention deficits and impulsivity at age 3, 6, and 14 years. It also was linked with poorer academic performance and higher rates of delinquency at ages 6,10, 14, and 16 years.

In 10-year-olds, prenatal exposure was linked with marginally more depressive symptoms and poor performance on memory and visual planning tests.

At age 14 years, exposure to marijuana in the womb predicted problems with sustained attention, cognitive flexibility, and response suppression. The drugs use by their mothers was a significant predictor of age of onset of marijuana use and of frequency of its use in the 14-year-olds, after researchers controlled for other variables, including the teen's current alcohol and tobacco use and parental drug use.

Kids "Spiraling Down"

This study showed that prenatal exposure has significant and long-term effects on the developing CNS, said Dr. Day. "We know that prenatal exposure to marijuana leads to deficits in mood, aggression, cognitive development, working memory, and, as secondary results, higher rates of substance use, sexual behavior, and academic problems," she summarized.

"I see these kids spiraling down," she said.

This is another reason not to use Street drugs such as marijuana.

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The immediate effects of smoking marijuana are mild euphoria and, often, drowsiness. Research shows that brain receptors respond to cannabis by releasing the feel-good neurotransmitter, dopamine. Cannabis's effects on judgment, coordination, and short-term memory make it inadvisable to drive, to operate heavy machinery, or to try to learn anything new while under its influence. This is due to the high concentration of cannabis receptors in both the hippocampus, the part of the brain that controls memory, and the cerebellum, the part of the brain that governs motor coordination. Moreover, these effects may actually last longer than those of alcohol.

Research on the effects of driving under the influence of cannabis concludes that cannabis-induced impairment persists from four to eight hours - long after the subjective effects have worn off. Ninety-four percent of subjects fail roadside sobriety tests 90 minutes after smoking, while 60 percent fail after 150 minutes. The effects from marijuana use last longer than is easily recognized, resulting in needless accidents.

Coping Without Marijuana

According to her book, Natural Highs, Dr. Hyla Cass states that young people who smoke their way through high school and continue through young adulthood are more likely to have emotional problems. They seem less able to cope with the stress and challenges of everyday life or to be able to plan appropriately for their futures. Their emotional development seems blunted: the marijuana fog may have prevented them from fully experiencing a complete range of emotions and relationships. Stoned, they miss the passages necessary for growing up and accepting their place in the adult world.

If you or a loved one are experiencing this, learn to cope naturally without "pot" or other street drugs. It is essential to your overall life.

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