2020 Feb- Marijuana Update Florida 02/24/2020 |
The real cost in legalizing marijuana can be counted by the lives impacted- addiction, vaping, dispensing, traffic deaths, suicides, overdoses, …
Colorado, suicide, addiction, Florida, Brain |
What to know about marijuana withdrawal 01/28/2019 |
Experts define addiction as continued marijuana use despite negative consequences in a person's life, such as issues relating to their family, job, or relationships.
People who use marijuana regularly and then stop abruptly can experience some withdrawal symptoms. withdrawal, addiction, medicine news today |
Pathway to Heroin 03/03/2018 |

heroin, addiction, study |
Marijuana and Public Health CDC 01/15/2017 |
Some people think that marijuana is not truly “addictive” or that people can’t become “hooked” on the drug, but research shows that about 1 in 10 marijuana users will become addicted. For people who begin using before the age of 18, that number rises to 1 in 6.
Marijuana use directly affects the brain — specifically the parts of the brain responsible for memory, learning, attention, decision making, coordination, emotions, and reaction time.
CDC, 2017 Legislation, addiction |
Facing Addiction in America 12/15/2016 |
addiction, epidemic, surgeon General |
Marijuana use rising across all age groups, survey finds 12/07/2016 |
In Ontario, for instance, a survey released Wednesday by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) found that past-year cannabis use virtually doubled between 1996 and 2015, rising from about eight per cent to almost 15 per cent of respondents.
Significant increases were found among all age groups, but especially among 18- to 29-year-olds, with the proportion of pot smokers jumping from about 18 per cent in 1996 to 38 per cent in 2015 Canada, usage, addiction |
78 People Die a Day From Opioid Overdose, Surgeon General Says in Landmark Report 11/17/2016 |
n 2015, the report notes, substance-abuse disorders affected 20.8 million people in the United States — as many as those with diabetes and 1.5 times as many as those with cancer. Yet, Murthy said, only one in 10 people receives treatment.
“We would never tolerate a situation where only one in 10 people with cancer or diabetes gets treatment, and yet we do that with substance-abuse disorders,” he said. surgeon General, addiction, epidemic |
Marijuana Legalization Has Led To More Use And Addiction While Illegal Market Continues To Thrive 07/15/2016 |
The illegal marijuana market thrives in competition with the legal market by offering products at considerably lower prices because it neither complies with regulations on growth and sale, nor pays taxes on sales or their profits. It is particularly disturbing that the public is unaware of the fact that of all Americans with substance use disorders due to drugs other than alcohol, nearly 60 percent are due to marijuana. That means that more Americans are addicted to marijuana than any other drug, including heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and the nonmedical use of prescription drugs. legalization, addiction, illegal |
Addiction- Infographics 05/10/2016 |
addiction, Infographics |
Study Links Marijuana Use to Greater Risk for Developing Addiction to Other Drugs 02/20/2016 |
A new study suggests marijuana smokers may be significantly more likely to develop an addiction to other drugs and alcohol than people who don’t use marijuana.
The study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, included almost 35,000 adults who were interviewed three years apart. At the time of the first interview, almost 1,300 used marijuana. After three years, two-thirds of people who used marijuana had some form of substance use disorder, compared with less than 20 percent of people who did not use marijuana in the previous year. addiction, youth, Studies |
Persistent Cannabis Dependence and Alcohol Dependence Represent Risks for Midlife Economic and Social Problems: A Longitudinal Cohort Study 01/09/2016 |
Our data indicate that persistent cannabis users constitute a burden on families, communities, and national social-welfare systems. Moreover, heavy cannabis use and dependence was not associated with fewer harmful economic and social problems than was alcohol dependence. Our study underscores the need for prevention and early treatment of individuals dependent on cannabis. alcohol, addiction, Studies |
Report: Arizona families abuse marijuana more than any other substance 11/28/2015 |
Arizona Families F.I.R.S.T., a statewide recovery program, found that 84 percent of program participants in 2014 struggled with substance abuse, 54 percent of which said they used marijuana Arizona, abuse, addiction |
ASAM Public Policy Statement on Marijuana, Cannabinoids and Legalization 09/21/2015 |
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Prenatal exposure to marijuana has been shown to be predictive of psychotic symptoms in young adulthood.
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Monitoring the Future survey reported a five-year decline in the perceived harm of regularly smoking marijuana, from 52.4% of high school seniors to 36.1%
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Marijuana is the most widely used illegal drug in the United States and it is estimated that it is used by 61% of all persons suffering from a substance use disorder related to drugs other than alcohol.
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The risk of developing addiction associated with cannabis use has been reported to increase to about 17% among those who start using marijuana in adolescence, and to 25-50% among those who smoke marijuana daily.
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Smoke from marijuana combustion has been shown to contain a number of carcinogens and cocarcinogens, as well as many of the toxins, irritants, and carcinogens as tobacco smoke.
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Marijuana-infused edibles account for 45% of the legal marijuana marketplace.
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AMA Marijuana has a high potential for abuse. It has no scientifically proven, currently accepted medical use for preventing or treating any disease process in the United States.
Number Using Opioids and Marijuana on the Rise
Chart: Colorado among states with growing heroin, prescription drug abuse problem
Consistent with the past, in 2014 still only 47 percent of operators involved in traffic deaths were tested for drug impairment.
Pregnancy, addiction, cigarettes, edibles, Research, Studies |
Medicinal and Recreational Marijuana: What are the Risks? 07/31/2015 |
Brain abnormalities and memory problems were observed in these individuals in their early twenties, two years after they had stopped using marijuana. The cannabis users were noted to have striatal, globus pallidus, and thalamus changes showing these brain regions appearing to shrink and collapse inward. These individuals also had poorer working memory. The earlier the age of cannabis use, the more dramatic the brain changes and memory deficits were noted to be.
Not only does it appear that cannabis use itself is a potential precursor to future drug use, but the age of first use of cannabis and the frequency of cannabis use seem to also be predictors of future substance abuse issues. Studies have shown that over two-thirds of those under the age of 18 who have been admitted to a drug treatment program identify cannabis as their substance of choice.
” One important characteristic that defines a substance use disorder is “an underlying change in brain circuits that may persist beyond detoxification, particularly in individuals with severe disorder" Teens, Research, Studies, Brain, addiction, anxiety, depression, Resource Paper |
Six Ways Science Says Marijuana May Hurt Your Health 06/27/2015 |
Danger, science, car crashes 2, Brain, addiction, heart, car crashes |
Clearing the Haze 06/05/2015 |
The Gazette kicks off a four-day perspective series, "Clearing the Haze," that examines health, social, regulatory and financial issues associated with the world's boldest experiment with legal marijuana.
The ugly truth is that Colorado was suckered. It was promised regulation and has been met by an industry that fights tooth and nail any restrictions that limit its profitability. Research, regulation, crime, addiction, Colorado |
“Pot used to be pretty harmless, but it’s plenty dangerous today” 05/24/2015 |
Increased availability and decreased perception of harm drive youth use and lowers the age of initiation to drug use — the goal of an industry working to capture lifetime customers, despite known consequences for physical and mental health. Youth exposures double the risk of addiction. blog, Doctors, mental health, addiction |
Fox News doctor: ‘Crack babies’ come from women ‘smoking this whole marijuana business’ 03/01/2015 |
Pregnancy, baby, youth, addiction, news video clip, news article |
Commentary from Florida’s Representative to the National D.A.R.E. Youth Advisory Board 10/11/2014 |
youth, addiction |
Dr. Drew on marijuana: “It acts like an opiate and causes severe addiction” 09/19/2014 |
addiction, youth, Dr. Drew |
Study: Teens who smoke weed daily are 60% less likely to complete high school than those who never use 09/12/2014 |
Teenagers who smoke marijuana daily are over 60 percent less likely to complete high school than those who never use. They're also 60 percent less likely to graduate college and seven times more likely to attempt suicide. youth, dropout, high school, addiction, suicide |
MGH findings on pot addiction complicate legalization debate 09/03/2014 |
Studies, addiction, legalization |
Legal pot blamed for some of influx of homeless in Denver this summer 07/30/2014 |
addiction, Colorado-0 |
New York Times Calls for Legalization of Marijuana, ASAM Strongly Objects 07/28/2014 |
Stuart Gitlow, MD, president of ASAM and a board-certified addiction medicine specialist, called the paper’s stance “irresponsible” and “ignorant of the facts” that clearly place marijuana on the continuum of psychoactive drugs that trigger addiction and lifelong chronic brain disease. Doctors, Medical, vote no, addiction |
Voters in two states to consider legalizing recreational pot in 2014 07/16/2014 |
youth, addiction |
NIDA review summarizes research on marijuana’s negative health effects 07/07/2014 |
addiction, youth, Effects |
Clearing the air around marijuana use 07/02/2014 |
addiction, faith-based, Side-Effects |
This July 4th party has “lots of free bud” and a marijuana-filled piñata 06/29/2014 |
“I can share my personal weed with somebody, no problem,” said Taijeron. “But we can’t sell it or exchange money for marijuana.” Business, addiction |
Six Ways Science Says Marijuana May Hurt Your Health 06/29/2014 |
addiction, heart, car crashes 2, Impairment, Death, Brain |
NIDA review summarizes research on marijuana’s negative health effects 06/19/2014 |
The reviewers consider areas in which little research has been conducted. This includes possible health consequences of secondhand marijuana smoke; the long-term impact of prenatal marijuana exposure; the therapeutic potential of the individual chemicals found in the marijuana plant; and effects of marijuana legalization policies on public health. Research, Studies, addiction, second hand smoke, chemicals |
Mike Milburn: Be wary of marijuana legalization 06/03/2014 |
In spite of the widespread effort to normalize marijuana, Montana knows firsthand the societal problems it can cause.
By 2011, Montana had the sixth-highest rate of youth marijuana use in the country and the fourth-highest rate of youth addiction.
I heard of growers destroying neighborhoods, reducing the values of homes through the foul language, harassment and stench of crowds at the dispensaries. Parents complained that kids could not play in their own yards. Multiple dispensaries set up near schools, targeting our youth. legalization, Montana, addiction |
Base Amendment 2 vote on fact, not emotion 05/18/2014 |
addiction, Doctors, amendment |
5 Ways to Accurately Cover Marijuana Policy Issues in the Media 05/15/2014 |
At least two deaths have already been attributed to legal marijuana cookies in Colorado, and poison control centers continue to report increasing calls related to the drug. Media, legalization, addiction |
Heavy, Frequent Cannabis Use Linked to Mental Illness 04/03/2014 |
A new study suggests people with mental illness are more than seven times as likely to use marijuana weekly than people without a mental illness.
In total, 4.4 percent of individuals with a mental illness in the past 12 months reported using cannabis weekly, compared to 0.6 percent among individuals without any mental illness.
Cannabis use disorders occurred among 4 percent of those with mental illness versus 0.4 per cent among those without.
Researchers also noted that, although cannabis use is generally higher among younger people, the association between mental illness and cannabis use was pervasive across most age groups. Research, addiction, mental health, usage |
Smoke and Mirrors Cloud Medical Marijuana Debate 04/01/2014 |
It's time now to change the flawed medical marijuana system by insisting that standard medical procedures be followed in the dispensing of the drug. Let's save our children from the dangers of "marijuana doctors" before all concerns for safety go up in smoke. addiction, debate, Teens, abnormal, Medical |
Marijuana Is Less Addictive Than Chocolate????? 03/19/2014 |
Kevin A. Sabet, the director of the Drug Policy Institute at the University of Florida and a former senior advisor for President Barack Obama's Office of National Drug Control Policy, also takes issue with this sweeping claim. "Show me that data," Sabet said in reaction to hearing this. "Also, chocolate doesn't cause car crashes or IQ loss or mental illness."
Calvina Fay, executive director of Drug Free America, a nonprofit that educates the public about the dangers of drug abuse, responded, "Unlike marijuana, I am not aware of anyone in treatment for chocolate addiction and it certainly is not a substance that sends people to the hospital or impairs one's ability to work or operate a vehicle or machinery." addiction, chocolate |
Marijuana Is Less Addictive Than Chocolate????? 03/19/2014 |
Kevin A. Sabet, the director of the Drug Policy Institute at the University of Florida and a former senior advisor for President Barack Obama's Office of National Drug Control Policy, also takes issue with this sweeping claim. "Show me that data," Sabet said in reaction to hearing this. "Also, chocolate doesn't cause car crashes or IQ loss or mental illness."
Calvina Fay, executive director of Drug Free America, a nonprofit that educates the public about the dangers of drug abuse, responded, "Unlike marijuana, I am not aware of anyone in treatment for chocolate addiction and it certainly is not a substance that sends people to the hospital or impairs one's ability to work or operate a vehicle or machinery." addiction, chocolate |
Use of Alcohol, Cigarettes, and Marijuana Before Age 16 Associated with Higher Rates of Substance Use Dependence 02/24/2014 |
Furthermore, early users of all three substances were more than twice as likely to meet the criteria for marijuana dependence (21% vs. 8%). alcohol, addiction |
Vermont faces opiate drug abuse crisis 01/28/2014 |
addiction, Rx Drugs |
The Converstaion We aren't Having 01/21/2014 |
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Florida should not legalize marijuana because it is a gateway drug that is addictive and damaging to the teenage brain. Moreover, without FDA regulation there is no way to monitor the drug’s potency.
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He then fell into the habit of taking pills in order to maintain the buzz he got from pot.
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It is out of love for our children, for those like my son, that we must say no (to legalizing marijuana).
Death, addiction, legalization |
Cannabis Use during Adolescent Development: Susceptibility to Psychiatric Illness 10/13/2013 |
adolescent, Psychiatric, addiction, Schizophrenia, opioid, Studies |
Marijuana: Current Concepts 10/10/2013 |
abuse, addiction |
PolitiFact- John Morgan says 'nobody's addicted' to marijuana 09/22/2013 |

Orlando attorney John Morgan said that "nobody’s addicted to" marijuana. Morgan quickly admitted that he was wrong, and experts agreed. addiction, Morgan |
If You Thought Marijuana was Harmless, Medical Researchers Have News for You 04/01/2012 |
As expected, prescription cannabinoids are effective antiemetics and appetite stimulants, and some studies report their effectiveness as adjunct therapy in chronic pain syndromes, spasticity, and glaucoma. Similar results are reported by the few studies of smoked cannabis plant for these same indications. As noted earlier, safe and effective alternative treatments for all these syndromes are available. Studies assessing psychological aspects of smoked cannabis and prescription cannabinoids uniformly report undesired effects: acute psychosis, poorer prognosis of chronic psychosis, or cognitive dulling in medical patients. health, addiction, pills, youth, Research, social costs |