Across the United States, marijuana remains the most abused illicit substance. Young people are far and away the greatest abusers; over 42% of all high school seniors have tried marijuana. It remains the first drug that the majority of people who have tried illegal drugs experiment with. Of the 2.7 million people who began using illegal drugs in the United States in 2007, 56% started with marijuana.

2007 National Study on Drug Use and Health
U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

There is a very strong perception in the United States, among adults and teens alike, that marijuana is a relatively safe drug, that using it will not lead to harm. Yet marijuana abuse and addiction fall just behind alcohol and opiates as the reason for admission to drug and alcohol treatment programs, accounting for 16% of all admissions in 2007. Over half of the 7 million people in the United States dependent upon illicit drugs are addicted to marijuana.

 

2007 National Study on Drug Use and Health
U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

There is a difference between marijuana abuse and marijuana addiction. Abuse of marijuana comes from smoking the plant fibers as a non-medically sanctioned activity. Marijuana addiction comes when the user has become dependent upon the effects of THC, the active ingredient in cannabis. He or she is driven by a need to consume more and more “pot” to achieve the “high” brought by the drug’s effect on on the brain. Smoking marijuana allows THC to travel through the bloodstream to the brain, where it connects with receptors on nerve cells in the areas of the brain that control pleasure, thought, concentration, memory, time perception, sensory awareness, and coordination. It induces a dreamy, detached state in which users seem fascinated by ordinary sights, become silly, giggly, and generally act “stoned.” The effects can last up to eight hours, during which time the user’s mental functions are impaired and he or she is not fit to operate machinery, drive, or do complex tasks.

Per the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “Long-term studies of high school students and their patterns of drug use show that very few young people use other drugs without first trying marijuana, alcohol, or tobacco.” A combination of factors may be responsible, including the possibility that marijuana abuse alters brain chemistry enough to make the person more susceptible to other addictions.

Marijuana abuse and addiction are on the rise. Studies by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration show a steady climb across the past decade, from 12.8% of all admissions for drug treatment in 1997 to 15.8% in 2007. The mean age for first use among young people was 17.6 years. This is bad news for parents of teens entering the age when the temptations of rave parties are becoming strongest. Many studies have shown that the younger a child is exposed to drugs, the greater the chances of developing a dependency. Marijuana addiction is neither a joke nor an easy problem to cure. Treatment should be sought as soon as possible.