Marijuana use among youth has risen nationally for the fourth straight year, according to the "Monitoring the Future" survey, conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the University of Michigan. The report, which was released last month in Washington, D.C., is considered one of the leading indicators of trends in substance use among the nation's teens. Specifically, the survey found that daily marijuana use is at a 30-year high among high school seniors, with 6.6 percent using pot daily. The report, which surveyed 47,000 teens in grades eight, 10 and 12, also found that as usage rates increase, perceived risk is in decline. [continues 636 words]
When Motown stars the Temptations recorded "Cloud Nine" back in the 1960s, chilled out users had no idea how powerful the drug would become for future generations. Marijuana potency has increased to its highest level in more than 30 years, according to an analysis conducted by the University of Mississippi's Potency Monitoring Project, and released by the White House in 2008. The study tracked the average amount of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, via samples seized by law enforcement agencies between 1975 and 2007. It found that the average amount of THC reached 9.6 percent in 2007, compared to 8.75 percent the previous year. [continues 295 words]
