Children and teens are three times likelier to be in treatment for marijuana than for alcohol, and six times likelier to be in treatment for marijuana than for all other illegal drugs combined.
The CASA report also found that emergency department mentions of the drug among 12- to 17-year olds jumped 48 percent since 1999. Especially troubling is the possibility that this rise in teen emergency department mentions is related to the increased potency of the drug.
John P. Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) said, "The CASA white paper reinforces the fact that today's marijuana is very different from what was available in the 1970's and 1980's, in terms of its potency and addictive potential. Thanks to research such as this, we know more than we ever have about the adverse health impacts of using the drug, particularly for our youth. Marijuana poses a significant danger to young bodies and minds, and should be a matter of serious concern for American parents."
"The evidence is overwhelming that marijuana is a dangerous drug," said Joseph A. Califano, Jr., CASA's chairman and president and former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare. "Parents should recognize--and help their children understand--that playing with marijuana is like playing with fire. More kids are in treatment for marijuana dependence and abuse than ever before, and marijuana is a culprit in an increasing proportion of emergency room visits. Moreover, CASA's latest analysis provides increasing evidence that marijuana is a gateway to other drug use. The more researchers study the drug and the consequences of its use, the clearer it becomes that teens who smoke pot are playing a dangerous game of Russian roulette, not engaging in a harmless rite of passage."
For this study, CASA conducted a special analysis of data from the 2001 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Youth Risk Behavior Survey of 11,000 ninth through twelfth graders, and found that among teens with no other problem behaviors, those who used marijuana at least once in the past 30 days are 13 times likelier than those who have not to use another drug like cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, LSD or Ecstasy, and almost 26 times likelier than those teens who have never used marijuana to use another drug like cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, LSD or Ecstasy.
Other notable findings include:
- Next to alcohol and tobacco, marijuana is the drug of choice for American teens, and it is by far the most widely used illicit drug.
- About six times as many teens have tried marijuana as have tried Ecstasy or cocaine.
- Among youths aged 12 to 17 who have ever tried marijuana, the mean age of initiation is 13 and a half. The mean age of initiation among adults aged 18 to 25 who have ever tried marijuana is 16.
Read the full report (PDF File).
