Marijuana – A Real Danger to Young Lives

Today’s marijuana is far more potent than in decades past. In the 1960s and 70s, THC (the active compound that generates the so-called “high”) levels of marijuana smoked by baby boomers averaged around 1%, increasing to just under 4% in 1983, and almost tripling in the subsequent 30 years to around 11% in 2011.

 

The mental effects of marijuana use carry significant negative consequences. Studies in Australia in 2008 linked years of heavy marijuana use to brain abnormalities. This is backed up by earlier research on the long-term effects of marijuana, which indicate changes in the brain similar to those caused by long-term abuse of other major drugs. Marijuana smokers have poorer memories and mental aptitude than do non-users. Regular marijuana use, started in adolescence and continued into adulthood, can result in loss of IQ (1). And a number of studies have shown a connection between continued marijuana use and psychosis.

Note these important statistics:

CRIME - According to the US Drug Enforcement Administration, a large percentage of those arrested for crimes test positive for marijuana. Nationwide, 40% of adult males tested positive at the time of their arrest.

MORE DRUG USE - Of adults 26 or older who used marijuana before age 15, 62% went on to use cocaine at some point in their lives; 9% went on to use heroin at least once; and 54% made some non-medical use of mind-altering prescription drugs.

TRAFFIC FATALITIES - Next to alcohol, marijuana is the second most frequently found substance in the bodies of drivers involved in fatal automobile accidents.

To find out more about the dangerous effects of marijuana you can get the free booklet “Truth About Marijuana” from the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, which is a nonprofit public benefit corporation that empowers youth and adults with factual information about drugs so they can make informed decisions and live drug-free. For a copy of the booklet or for more information go to: www.drugfreeworld.org

And for the person with a drug problem, there are real solutions to addiction.  Narconon, a drug rehabilitation program that utilizes the methods of L. Ron Hubbard, has a success rate of more than 75% (www.narconon.org).