As the title of this article suggests, many students and adults tend to
minimize the significance of marijuana use and see it as a rite of passage; a
kids will be kids thing. But the fact remains that the use of pot, alcohol or
other substances has an impact on the social, emotional, and physiological
development of young people. It is a fact that the brains of high school kids
are not finished growing until they are about 20 years old and the use, no less
the regular use of any substance has a real impact.
Over time, the substances that are in fashion among young people ebb and
flow, but one constant is the impact on the emotional and physical well-being
of the kids who use them. For example, although alcohol use among teenagers has
dropped to historically low levels, 28% of high school seniors still reported
that they had gotten drunk within the past month. That’s a lot of kids making
poor and dangerous decisions.
While alcohol remains the perennial go-to substance for high school kids,
the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has shown a significant upswing in
marijuana use among high school students that over the past few years. In
recent survey they found that 17% of 10th graders and 23% of 12th graders
reported using marijuana in the past month. These figures represent a
significant increase since 2007 when 14% of 10 graders and 19% of 12th graders
reported use in the past month. The survey also revealed an increase among high
school seniors who use marijuana on a daily basis from 5% in 2007 to 6.5% in
2012. But as I’ve heard some high school kids say, “Don’t worry Mom, it’s only
pot”. However, I think there is plenty to be concerned about.
A unique on-going research program is being conducted at the University of
Mississippi through their Potency Monitoring Project. The study measures the
concentration of the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis (THC) in thousands of
samples of marijuana (and hashish and hash oil) seized each year since the mid
1980’s. One thing is abundantly clear; the potency of marijuana has increased
steadily over the past three decades. The average potency of marijuana has now
exceeded 10%, with some samples having THC levels as high as 37%. Average THC
potency levels are expected to rise to 15% within the next five years. As a
point of reference, the average THC potency in the early 1980’s was only about
4%.
But Mom It's Only Pot! Continued.....
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