Pubdate: Thu, 22 Oct 2015
Source: Boston Globe (MA)
Copyright: 2015 Associated Press
Contact: http://services.bostonglobe.com/news/opeds/letter.aspx?id=6340
Website: http://bostonglobe.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/52
Author: Lindsey Tanner, Associated Press

MARIJUANA USE IN US ADULTS DOUBLES IN DECADE, SURVEYS SHOW

CHICAGO (AP) - Marijuana use among US adults doubled over a decade, 
rising to almost 10 percent or more than 22 million mostly 
recreational users, government surveys show.

The trend reflects a cultural shift and increasingly permissive views 
about the drug, the researchers say, noting that other studies have 
shown increasing numbers of adults think marijuana should be 
legalized. Recreational use is now permitted in four states.

Almost 1 in 3 users had signs of marijuana dependence or abuse, a 
slight decline from a decade ago.

The results come from a comparison of health surveys from 2001-02 and 
2012-13 sponsored by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and 
Alcoholism. Almost 80,000 adults aged 18 and older participated in 
face-to-face interviews about various health-related behaviors. 
Results were published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.

POT PARTAKERS

Participants were asked if they had used marijuana in the past year, 
and about signs of problematic use. Those include trying but unable 
to reduce heavy use, and continued use despite knowing it may be 
damaging health or causing depression or anxiety - problems affecting 
about 6.8 million adults, the latest survey suggests.

Use increased among all ages but was most common in adults aged 18-29.

Teen marijuana use is higher. About 23 percent of high school 
students had used the drug in the past month in 2013 - but it has 
been somewhat stable during the past decade, other research shows.

EXPERTS' TAKE

Because most states didn't have medical marijuana laws during the 
survey years, the results likely reflect mostly recreational use, 
said Deborah Hasin, a Columbia University professor, substance abuse 
researcher and the study's lead author.

The results "show people can use marijuana without harms, but there 
are risks," she said, adding that more research on causes of 
problematic use is needed.

Dr. Wilson Compton, deputy director of the National Institute on Drug 
Abuse, said other research has shown similar trends but that the 
sharp increase found in the surveys is striking. Prevalence of 
dependence "is of great concern" to public health officials, he said.

MARIJUANA LANDSCAPE

Recreational use is legal in four states - Alaska, Colorado, Oregon 
and Washington - and many more have moved to reduce penalties for 
marijuana possession. Proposed laws supporting recreational use have 
been introduced in at least 21 states this year, according to the 
National Conference of State Legislatures.

Medical marijuana programs have been approved in 23 states.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom