Young Adults Using Cannabis On The Rise

Most Americans are in favor of either medical cannabis programs, recreational use laws, or both. There may be a day that comes in the not too distant future when we see cannabis downgraded to a status similar to alcohol, decriminalized on the Federal level. Naturally, there exists two pretty good arguments for supporting or criticizing legislation that will bring about more relaxed marijuana laws. Each case should, and likely will be considered carefully before any national decisions are made in the future.

Maintaining the status quo of marijuana legality is harmful and has disrupted the lives of millions of Americans. The fact that people are serving lengthy sentences in prison for cannabis is almost hard to believe, and yet that is the reality of many Americans. Even though the drug is habit forming for some people and can lead to a cannabis use disorder, doesn’t mean that locking people up for using the substance is the right course.

However, it is vital that legislation in this country, and the rolling out of laws that allow for adult use, be guided by public health and addiction science experts. Americans need to be able to access the facts about the drug so that they can make informed decisions at an age when the brain is still not fully developed. Simply put, there are inherent risks to using cannabis; many Americans, especially young Americans, are unaware of such hazards.

 

Young Adult Cannabis Use

The majority of people who use cannabis recreationally do so in moderation. Your average smoker is lighting up first thing in the morning, maintaining a high throughout the day, and then using the drug just before bed. Just like with alcohol, most Americans exercise caution when it comes to using the drug. However, research shows that young people who use the drug are at a heightened risk of experiencing cognitive deficiencies, social problems, and developing a cannabis use disorder.

Teenagers and young adults, in states permitting medical use or people over the age of 21 years, need to understand better what is at stake before they begin using the drug regularly, or at all for that matter. Millions of people in this country currently meet the criteria for a cannabis use disorder; such people seek the assistance of addiction treatment centers regularly. With that in mind, it is clear that cannabis – as some purport – isn't benign; those who attempt to quit on their own will often experience withdrawal symptoms that can precipitate relapse before recovery takes root.

The addictive nature of cannabis use is incontrovertible, and young people are vulnerable; which is why it is concerning to learn that the Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey found that more non-college young adults are using the drug than ever. The MTF shows that daily, or near daily, marijuana use among non-college young adults is climbing. Last year, use reached its highest level (13.2 percent) among the mentioned demographic. Non-college attending young adults use marijuana at nearly three times the rate of college students.

Please take a moment to watch Dr. Nora Volkow discuss some of the findings of the survey:

If you are having trouble watching, please click here.

 

Cannabis Use Disorder

At Celebrate Hope, we can help men and women struggling with cannabis use disorder break the cycle of addiction. Please contact our skilled team of professionals to learn about our recovery programs and discuss treatment options.

Marijuana Use Disorders Affect Many Americans

Thirty-two percent of people who try tobacco, 23 percent of those who try heroin, 17 percent who try cocaine, 15 percent who try alcohol, and 9 percent who try marijuana become dependent, The New York Times reports. There is a prevailing misconception that cannabis use is safe and nonaddictive. While it is true that smoking pot isn’t associated with serious life problems or mal-health, the same way that other substances typically are, the reality is that marijuana is not benign. Those who use the drug frequently and in substantial amounts do experience consequences, are at risk of use disorders, and often require treatment to find recovery.

The truth is that despite America's new-found relationship with weed, there are risks tied to using cannabis. Legal is does not imply safe; alcohol has had a legal status since time immemorial (excluding the brief prohibition), and yet it is one of the leading causes of poor health and premature death. And marijuana, like alcohol, certainly carries the risk of addiction; the fact that the general public should be made aware of as more states consider legalization.

It is worth noting that just because a substance carries the potential for addiction, shouldn’t mean that it is worthy of prohibition. Most adults are aware of the severe damage that the “war on drugs” has wrought on the fabric of society, mainly affecting minorities and the impoverished. Since California legalized recreational marijuana use, efforts are underway to reverse some of the damage caused by prohibition. Still, moving forward people must have the facts so they can make informed decisions regarding their relationship with marijuana.

 

Marijuana Addiction

It seems like every time Americans go to the polls these days, one or more state lightens their stance of cannabis regulation. The trend we are witnessing is not inherently bad for America, but it is critical that individuals understand the potential effects habitual marijuana use can have on their life—especially young people for that matter. Legalization in California took effect this January; since that time some addiction medicine clinicians in Northern California began seeing a rise in the number of people seeking assistance, The Denver Post reports. Heavy and long-term users can develop physical dependence; and when such people attempt to abstain on their own, withdrawal symptoms can include:

• Chills
• Sweats
• Cravings
• Insomnia
• Loss of Appetite
• Nausea
• Anxiety
• Irritability

“There should be no controversy about the existence of marijuana addiction,” avid Smith tells the Denver Post, he is a physician who has been treating addiction since the 1960s. “We see it every day. The controversy should be why it appears to be affecting more people.”

Smith’s theorizes that the marijuana users today are treated to a far more potent substance than in decades past, according to the article. Stronger marijuana, grown with nutrients that bolster the drugs strength and overall quality could explain increasing cannabis use disorder rates.

An estimated 2.7 million Americans are meeting the diagnostic criteria for marijuana dependence, according to the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Nora Volkow.

 

Marijuana Use Disorder Treatment

If you are struggling with marijuana use disorder, please contact Celebrate Hope at Hope by the Sea. We can show you what is needed for achieving lasting recovery and give you the tools for everlasting progress.

The Pain of Opioid Withdrawal

It is easy to blame the American opioid epidemic on doctors, pharmaceutical companies and our over reliance on prescription drugs. While all of those played a huge role in the issue becoming a full blown national crisis, the fact remains that opioid narcotics are extremely difficult to stop using for many people—especially those who experience legitimate chronic pain. Those of you in recovery for an opioid use disorder, whether prescription painkillers or heroin, know all too well just how difficult it was to break the cycle of opioid addiction.

It often takes people suffering from opioid addiction a number of attempts at abstinence to finally succeed. And those who do manage to find recovery from such drugs typically need assistance via medical detox, inpatient treatment and regular attendance at 12-Step recovery meetings.

Those who have known alcoholics who managed to sober up using Alcoholics Anonymous, may find themselves asking why opioid addicts are unable to do the same? The answer to that question usually lies in the nature of opioid withdrawal. The early days of abstinence from opioids is by all accounts an extremely painful, uncomfortable experience. Typically characterized by:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Diarrhea
• Cramping
• Insomnia
• Irritability
• Nausea
• Pain
• Restlessness

While it is true that opioid withdrawal is painful, those who actually have a chronic pain condition which led to the use of opioids in the first place, are met with even more pain as the drugs leave their system. What’s more, it can take some time for the brain to start producing painkilling endorphins after being idle for extended periods of time. Those who cannot tolerate the pain experienced during that interim period are at great risk of relapse, HealthDay reports. Kelly Dunn, an addiction specialist who researches opioids at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in Baltimore, points out that:

"When you stop taking opioids it takes time for your body to regenerate its own 'painkiller' system," she explained. "Generally, four to five days. The severity varies per patient, and it's not predictable who will react how -- but withdrawal is real." 

It for the reasons mentioned above that many prescription opioid addicts require inpatient treatment. Being in a monitored environment, closed off from the medicine cabinet at home and aided by addiction withdrawal medicines are vital to the success of recovery.