Pubdate: Fri, 04 Mar 2005
Source: Macon Telegraph (GA)
Copyright: 2005 The Macon Telegraph Publishing Company
Contact:  http://www.macontelegraph.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/667
Author: Kevin Freking, Associated Press
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

MORE SEEK HELP FOR MARIJUANA ADDICTION

WASHINGTON - Treatment rates for marijuana nearly tripled between 1992
and 2002, the government says, attributing the increase to greater use
and potency.

"This report is a wake-up call for parents that marijuana is not a
soft drug," said Tom Riley, a spokesman for the White House Office of
National Drug Control Policy. "It's a much bigger part of the
addiction problem than is generally understood."

Advocates of legalizing marijuana disagreed, saying the trend was
largely due to an increase in marijuana arrests and had almost nothing
to do with more people seeking treatment because they thought their
own health was at risk.

"They have the option of going into treatment for marijuana or going
to jail," said Paul Armentano, senior policy analyst for the National
Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

FBI records show a substantial increase in marijuana-related arrests
during the decade studied, from about 340,000 in 1992 to about 700,000
in 2002.

The study on treatment rates was conducted by the Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration, which estimated that 41 states
had an increase in the number of people who sought treatment for
marijuana use during the decade studied. The estimates reflect the
number of people who get help at a drug or alcohol treatment center,
which can include clinics, hospitals or private doctor's offices,
administration officials said.

Admissions declined in three states: Alaska, New Mexico and
Massachusetts. Three others, Arizona, Mississippi and Kentucky, had
incomplete data from which to draw a conclusion.

The report said comparisons were difficult in four states - Ohio,
Texas, West Virginia and Virginia - because of changes in the
facilities that reported. However, a map in the report showed Virginia
as one of the states that had experienced an increase. SAMHSA official
Deborah Trunzo could not explain the discrepancy.

Overall, the admission rates for marijuana treatment rose from 45 per
100,000 people in 1992 to 118 per 100,000 people in 2002, the latest
year such numbers are available.

"Marijuana is not a harmless substance, and these treatment trends
emphasize that point," said SAMHSA Administrator Charles Curie.

A spokeswoman for the agency said the study did not determine whether
people sought treatment on their own or were ordered to do so by a
court.

"We have no way of knowing why there are so many more going for
treatment. The data just tells us that there are," said spokeswoman
Leah Young.

She added, "Being forced into treatment does not indicate you don't
need it."

Dr. Terry Horton, who treats people for drug addiction at the Phoenix
House in New York, said he's not surprised by the federal government's
numbers.

"We provide long-term residential treatment, and when they need that
level of care, it's a severe problem we're dealing with, and it almost
always involves marijuana and alcohol," Horton said.

Treatment can take up to two years and involves working with
individuals on their attitudes and behaviors. Horton said he was
skeptical of assertions that the treatment trends were simply the
result of stiffer law enforcement.

"That's just a fallacy," Horton said. "We're in the trenches, and we
take care of individuals whose lives are very much disrupted by any
number of substances, including marijuana."

The Drug Policy Alliance, which seeks to legalize marijuana and
regulate it along the lines of alcohol, said an increase in the number
of people forced into treatment for marijuana takes up bed space for
those addicted to more harmful drugs.

ON THE NET

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration:
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin