cannabisnews.com: Early Marijuana Use Linked to Adult Dependence 










  Early Marijuana Use Linked to Adult Dependence 

Posted by CN Staff on August 28, 2002 at 14:08:17 PT
Press Release 
Source: PRNewswire  

A new federal report released today concludes the younger children are when they first use marijuana, the more likely they are to use cocaine and heroin and become dependent on drugs as adults. The report, "Initiation of Marijuana Use: Trends, Patterns and Implications," found that 62 percent of adults age 26 or older who initiated marijuana before they were 15 years old reported that they had used cocaine in their lifetime. More than 9 percent reported they had used heroin and 53.9 percent reported non-medical use of psychotherapeutics.
This compares to a 0.6 percent rate of lifetime use of cocaine, a 0.1 percent rate of lifetime use of heroin and a 5.1 percent rate of lifetime non medical use of psychotherapeutics for those who never used marijuana. Increases in the likelihood of cocaine and heroin use and drug dependence are also apparent for those who initiate use of marijuana at any later age. The report is based on the 1999 and 2000 National Household Surveys on Drug Abuse and was released today in Miami by Drug Czar John Walters and Charles G. Curie, Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). SAMHSA is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The report found that 18 percent of people age 26 and older who began using marijuana before age 15, met the criteria for either dependence or abuse of alcohol or illicit drugs, compared to 2.1 percent of adults who never used marijuana. Among past year users of marijuana who had first used marijuana before age 15, 40 percent met the criteria for either dependence or abuse of alcohol or illicit drugs. White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director John Walters stated, "every day in this country, more than 3,000 people -- most of them under the age of 18 -- use marijuana for the first time. Their early marijuana use exposes them to risks of drug dependencies, long-term physical and cognitive consequences, and social problems. We must keep our young people out of harm's way by educating them on the dangers of marijuana use, preventing initiation of the drug, and getting them help if they have already started using it." Overall, the report found an estimated 2.0 million Americans aged 12 or older indicated they used marijuana for the first time in 1999. This was fewer than the 2.5 million new users in 1998, but still above the number, 1.4 million new users, found in 1989 and 1990. SAMHSA Administrator Curie said, "among recent initiates of marijuana nearly three quarters had first used between the ages of 13 and 18. More than a quarter initiated before age 15. These findings are of grave concern because studies show smoking marijuana leads to changes in the brain similar to those caused by cocaine, heroin and alcohol. Heavy marijuana abuse impairs the ability of young people to retain information during their peak learning years when their brains are still developing." Prior use of alcohol or cigarettes was highly correlated with becoming a new marijuana user. Among persons aged 12 to 25 who had never used marijuana, those who had smoked cigarettes were an estimated 6 times more likely than nonsmokers to initiate marijuana use within 1 year. Alcohol users were an estimated 7 to 9 times more likely than nonusers to start using marijuana within a year. Daily cigarette smoking was associated with a twofold increase in risk for marijuana initiation. On average during 1998 and 1999 there were 3,197 male marijuana initiates and 2,989 female initiates per day. The average number of marijuana initiates per day during 1998 and 1999 was highest in June and July. For females, the months with the highest rates of initiation were January and July. Among males, the number of daily initiates increased to approximately 4,300 in June and July. Among females, the estimated initiates per day rose to 3,625 in July and 3,519 in January. The average annual incidence rates varied across different States and age groups. Colorado, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont were ranked in the top 10 for the overall age group (ages 12 or older), the youth age group (ages 12 to 17), and the young adult age group (ages 18 to 25). The 10 states with the highest overall rates of recent new marijuana users were Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Vermont and Wisconsin. The nine states with the highest rates of recent new marijuana users aged 12-17 were Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Vermont. Several states were high in more than one age category. Colorado, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont ranked in the top 10 in three age categories, the overall age group (ages 12 or older), the youth age group (ages 12-17), and the young adult age group (ages 18-25). New Mexico ranked high for both the overall and youth age groups. Minnesota had a high rate for both the overall and young adult age groups. States with the lowest overall rates of recent new marijuana users include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. The lowest rates of recent marijuana initiates aged 12 to 17 were in Alabama, the District of Columbia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Virginia. Louisiana had a low rate in three categories, recent new users for the overall rate of new marijuana users, youth and young adult age groups. Texas and Utah had a low rate in two categories, recent initiation among youth, and young adults. SAMHSA, a public health agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the lead federal agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment and mental health services in the United States. Information on SAMHSA's programs is available on the Internet at: http://www.samhsa.govSource: PRNewswire (NY)Published: August 28, 2002Copyright 2002, PRNewswire Website: http://www.prnewswire.com Contact: http://www.prnewswire.com/contact_us/contact.shtmlRelated Articles:Teens Say Buying Marijuana Is Easy http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13818.shtmlSurvey: Teens Say Marijuana Easy To Gethttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13814.shtmlMajority of Teens Say Their School is Drug-Free http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13813.shtml 

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Comment #20 posted by boballen13 on August 29, 2002 at 13:15:36 PT:
IT ALL STARTED WITH KETCHUP
I confess, growing up it all started with ketchup. Yeah, its sweet tart goodness drawing me in til i was experimenting with yellow mustard. I graduated to the "hard stuff" as i got older and my tastes became more curious, i found i enjoyed hot sauce and finally i fell so far as to actually enjoy a whole pickled pepper. Now, i am a helpless soul fully "addicted" to spicy food and good garlic... God, where was John Walters when i needed him?
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Comment #19 posted by krutch on August 29, 2002 at 07:08:24 PT:
They are Like a Broken Record
More fallacious arguments by the liars. Just because we find that those who user hard drugs have used MJ in the past does not mean that the MJ caused the hard drug use. No actual clinical data supports the theory that MJ leads to harder drugs.If a person is willing to push a spike into their arm or smoke crack, they would almost certainly be willing to smoke some Pot. This is seems obivious. But correlation does not imply causation. To turn this fact into the idea that those who are willing to smoke pot are also willing to try harder drugs is horrendous.
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Comment #18 posted by FoM on August 28, 2002 at 22:34:23 PT
firedog 
That was very good and I like the Jason comparison!
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Comment #17 posted by firedog on August 28, 2002 at 22:15:44 PT
Another one-time cocaine user here
What was my reason? Curiosity. I won't try it again, because I liked the experience (a little too much) and I would not want to get addicted.But speaking of the gateway theory...Certain personality types are just more likely to try drugs, and it doesn't matter whether the drug is alcohol, tobacco, speed, cocaine, or marijuana. People with insatiable curiosity, sensation-seeking tendencies, and a certain independence of action are probably going to try these substances, even if it's only once. People who are risk-averse, who aren't curious about the world, and who are strongly bound by social conventions are not going to try them, and if they do (due to peer pressure, perhaps?), they won't like them, because it's a new, unfamiliar experience.I'm amazed that these "gateway" articles never look at possible underlying causes. All they do is tie one "symptom" to another and say that one causes the other.Did I try marijuana before I tried cocaine? Yes. Did I try cocaine as a direct result of trying marijuana? No. I can tell you exactly why - I was curious. I wanted to know what it was like. It's the exact same reason that I love to travel to new cities and countries, to explore the inviting trail that beckons from around the next corner, and to check out this interesting looking link on that website. But the US government would have you think it's because I smoked a bowl in my youth.I'm rambling too, but there's nothing that makes me more frustrated than this gateway theory. It's a pet peeve of mine. Anyone with half a brain should see through it immediately, I can't believe it keeps coming back like Jason in Friday the 13th MCMLXVIII or whatever.
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Comment #16 posted by FoM on August 28, 2002 at 21:24:28 PT
Addiction
Dan, I tried Cocaine one time and didn't like it. I was very disappointed and never tried it again. If I remember it was expensive too. I never smoked any Cannabis until I was 26 years old but before that I sure liked my legal prescription diet pills. They were good back then. I started drinking coffee when I was around 10 but not very strong and smoked cigarettes at 12. ( I know shame, shame, shame on me ) What caused what I wonder?Why do people do drugs they ask. For many reasons. Some because reality is too hard to deal with. Another is like you said rebellion. Some people jump off cliffs or bungy jump for a rush and that's what it is a rush. When I was a child we would spin around in circles to see what it was like to get dizzy! That's a form of seeing if there is another way to perceive how we live. Mind expansion is also a reason. What is addiction? A need? I don't know and now I'm rambling. Just my 2 cents.
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Comment #15 posted by Dan B on August 28, 2002 at 21:09:35 PT:
Clarification
"I later learned that the guy I got it from was a coke dealer"Many of you might have said, "Duh!" at this point. In fact, I got it at a party, and I had no idea that the guy whose house I was staying at was the guy who supplied the coke until after I left. Just thought I'd clarify that.Dan B
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Comment #14 posted by Dan B on August 28, 2002 at 21:07:33 PT:
Lifetime Use
The report, "Initiation of Marijuana Use: Trends, Patterns and Implications," found that 62 percent of adults age 26 or older who initiated marijuana before they were 15 years old reported that they had used cocaine in their lifetime. More than 9 percent reported they had used heroin and 53.9 percent reported non-medical use of psychotherapeutics. This compares to a 0.6 percent rate of lifetime use of cocaine, a 0.1 percent rate of lifetime use of heroin and a 5.1 percent rate of lifetime non medical use of psychotherapeutics for those who never used marijuana. Increases in the likelihood of cocaine and heroin use and drug dependence are also apparent for those who initiate use of marijuana at any later age. First of all, they are talking about "lifetime use" here. That means that if you tried cocaine one time, you are counted in their statistics. Does anyone here know someone who tried cocaine once and never tried it again? Yes. Everyone who is reading this knows such a person, because I am such a person. Why did I try cocaine? Well, I was in the Army at the time (on leave), and I knew it would get out of my system far quicker than cannabis. Also, there was no pot, and I thought the experience might be comparable, so I took what was available. I later learned that the guy I got it from was a coke dealer--no surprise that he had some available, and I'm sure he got a lot of his customers by telling cannabis smokers that he was out of weed, but he had some coke if they'd like to try some.At any rate, that was sixteen years ago, and since that time I have had exactly zero experiences with cocaine. And, I'd turn it down if it were offered to me. Why? Because it was a complete waste of my time. Cannabis made me feel good, cocaine just made me hyper for a long stretch of time. But what was my underlying reason for using any substances in the first place? Part of it was rebellion, I'll admit. There was something exciting about doing something that was forbidden. But I was also quite depressed (I drank my share of alcohol and smoked my share of cigarettes at the time, too). I was angry and resentful, and I wanted to escape from my miserable Army life, where I hated every day and couldn't wait to get out (I was in for four years). In short, the reason why I tried cocaine had little to do with having first tried cannabis and everything to do with the fact that I was miserable. Using "lifetine use" to make statements about addiction is unscientific because lifetime use and addiction are qualitatively different.Instead of asking "what chemicals preceded the use of hard drugs," we should be asking "what variables are common to those who feel at age fifteen that they need to use chemical substances, illegal or not, to cope with their lives?" The other day, I read that the United States has 6.6 million people in prison, on parole, or on probation. I wonder how many of those people feel miserable. I wonder how being incarcerated helps anyone to improve his or her outlook on life. I wonder how being monitored daily affects those who are on probation. Are they better off for it? Because if they are not better off, what activities might they indulge in to try to feel better about their lives? Will they stop at nonviolent activities the next time they feel a need to ease their pain? The bottom line is that if they are worse off, the rest of us are likely going to be worse off, too. Dan B
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Comment #12 posted by Sam Adams on August 28, 2002 at 20:18:22 PT

This just in......
young children who leave the toilet seats up are more likely to become crackheads!  And with this kind of "fuzzy math" they could probably prove that, too.
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Comment #11 posted by Nasarius on August 28, 2002 at 18:15:41 PT

It's very simple...
Correlation is not causation. An excerpt from a Carl Sagan book, one of the logical fallacies that he lists:"* confusion of correlation and causation (e.g., A survey shows that more college graduates are homosexual than those with lesser education; therefore education makes people gay. Or: Andean earthquakes are correlated with closest approaches of the planet Uranus; therefore -- despite the absence of any such correlation for the nearer, more massive planet Jupiter -- the latter causes the former)"
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Comment #10 posted by Hopeful Freeman on August 28, 2002 at 17:54:41 PT

How they get away with this crap....
The answer is the golden rule, and that states that Those with the Gold make the Rules. The "gold" creates the campains, the lies, the propaganda, and mindsets. The sad part is that we give them our money to do such things or else we're sh;t out of luck and go to Camp Fed. Once their we don't count in a democracy because we can't vote, we lose our voice. It really doesn't matter how we get locked up as long as the masses of those caught lose there rights to count in this Free Country. Sadly Free countries can't exist because freedom comes at a price. Once rights became free we became to love what we have and eventually take it for granted, and then it started it dwindle a little at a time.   After years of Persecution, we are finally being seen again and with our technology the truth is speading like wildfire. But like I said, freedom isn't free forever, not even our freedom of speech. As long as we want to live in a free society we have to be active within' it. The internet has been an extremely usefull source of information for me and anyone else who has looked, but it too has been regulated, at least there trying. Lets just try to not make them have to look too hard to see the truth. Be smart in what and where you preach, tell what you know and what you beleive most importantly BACK IT UP WITH FACTS such as a private reaserch companies(1999 National Institute of Medicine) opposed to OUR Governments views(The report is based on the 1999 and 2000 National Household Surveys on Drug Abuse and was released today in Miami by Drug Czar John Walters and Charles G. Curie, Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). SAMHSA is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS))   These days we have a big brother looking for us. A Tyrant that Jefferson wouldn't stand for, and a leader that Washington would charge against, and a very unrespected police force enforcing rules that the people don't beleive in. We have a county filled with riches, but not everyone has them.     Indeed one of the things that make this county strong is our capitalistic nature, sadly it is also the reason we don't see much change due to it. Lobbists make the rules. The try to outbid others to convince a congressman of the right thing to due. Eventually NOTHING GETS DONE. This is why this damn drug was has been around longer than I have been alive. It is a war that can only be one by truth. Who knew it could be so hard to show such a thing. We can't let our so called leaders to take care of us. We all must speak up. We all must vote to make a difference... If nothing we must vote for all the people that lost there voice due to this Drug War, and avenge there injustice. 
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Comment #9 posted by idbsne1 on August 28, 2002 at 16:12:53 PT

I still wanna know....
how they get away with this crap....Look at the title. Pretty damning....and they have such confidence in their statement.. as if it is true.Then notice how their data on alcohol and tobacco are JUST "highly correlated"....and "estimated"....MORE LIKE MADE UP.They try to state TRUTH with BULLSH*T.Hey FoM, let me rewrite this article, and I'll have it say that John Walters is a moron and that the US Government is a Fascist government...all with the same "data" they have....it's just my article would be truthful.....:)idbsne1
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on August 28, 2002 at 15:55:25 PT

JR Very Interesting
That is unbelievable about treatment even if a person isn't in prison for a drug offense. I don't know what to say. I never heard of it being referred to as rehab racketeers but there must be some money in rehab but I never thought about it that way before you mentioned it.
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Comment #7 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on August 28, 2002 at 15:46:01 PT

Rehabilitate the feds, not us!!
Someone I know was recently released from a minimum security federal incarceration facility, where he served time for a non-drug-related offense. One of the conditions for parole was that he complete an eight-hour drug rehab course. I asked him why, and he said that they believe that someone in the federal prison system will be exposed to drugs enough during their stay at Camp Fed that they believe that a little rehab is a good idea. Sickening, isn't it? I wonder if they really believe this, or if they're getting some $$$ from the rehab racketeers. Using this logic, why not send kids to rehab after graduating High School? Or after they're discharged from the armed services?
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on August 28, 2002 at 15:33:16 PT

How Do They Expect To Keep Teens Off Drugs?
They throw around stats but is locking kids up the way to keep them off drugs? They don't give any solutions just figures. How can people be active in any organization without having to answer the most important questions? What about the children that will have criminal records if they get caught smoking a little pot?

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Comment #5 posted by Naaps on August 28, 2002 at 15:24:35 PT

This means more work!
Out comes the voluminous report, statistically illustrating the use of marijuana and other drugs by American youth. For all the money spent on DARE programs, urine testing, propaganda such as the superbowl ads, arresting and incarcerating dealers, the entire gauntlet of the prohibitionist tactics, literally thousands of young people are cannabis initiates everyday. So, while this report can be viewed as a disturbing trend (The horror, The horror), it is a call to the prohibitionists that they need further controls of people to achieve their sublime goal. Hence, rather than interpreting the stats as failure to achieve their end, they probably see it as a call for more work and consequent money making opportunities.    
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Comment #4 posted by VitaminT on August 28, 2002 at 15:09:38 PT

Prohibition is
THE Gateway!
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Comment #3 posted by VitaminT on August 28, 2002 at 15:07:49 PT

Gateway theory
back from the dead?anything to prop up the system of feeding pot smokers to the Prison Industrial Complex. BUUUUUUUUURP!
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Comment #2 posted by Prop203 on August 28, 2002 at 15:04:59 PT

comments
On question I have... Do kids start using hard drugs because they MUST buy pot on the BLACK MARKET? During this buying prosess the dealer has the opertunity to push the harder drugs on them. By leagalizing pot you take away the opertunity for dealer to push the hard drugs. It seems that marijuana is not the gateway to harder drugs and points more to the dealer being the gateway to hard drugs. The only reason the dealer exsits is beacuse of prohabition.So ultimately its the laws that pave the path.Think About itPeaceProp203
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Comment #1 posted by Dankhank on August 28, 2002 at 14:53:48 PT:

Are they crazy?
---------------
Prior use of alcohol or cigarettes was highly correlated with becoming a new marijuana user. Among persons aged 12 to 25 who had never used marijuana, those who had smoked cigarettes were an estimated 6 times more likely than nonsmokers to initiate marijuana use within 1 year. Alcohol users were an estimated 7 to 9 times more likely than nonusers to start using marijuana within a year. Daily cigarette smoking was associated with a twofold increase in risk for marijuana initiation. 
--------------------------------------------When they give us all the info we see the lies they tell ..This article says that nicotine and alcohol are the gateway drugs, some who use those move to marijuana, and some who smoke marijuana move on to "harder" drugs.Look at the title of the story. How disingenuous of the author to ignore what I have known and said for years.To a minor child ALL drugs are illegal. They merely move from one to the next, never getting the truth about any of them. The prohibitionists will have to answer one day to their perfidy.
Hemp N Stuff
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