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Anthony Scalzo, M.D., a toxicologist from Saint Louis University, is warning parents about the dangers of K2, an unregulated (and therefore legal) mixture of dried herbs that is circulating among teenagers. The mixture is often referred to as "fake weed."

Dr. Scalzo's warnings were featured in a March 3 ScienceDaily article:

"K2 may be a mixture of herbal and spice plant products, but it is sprayed with a potent psychotropic drug and likely contaminated with an unknown toxic substance that is causing many adverse effects. These toxic chemicals are neither natural nor safe," said Scalzo, who also directs the Missouri Regional Poison Control Center at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center.

What makes K2 so dangerous? Further testing is needed, but Scalzo says the symptoms, such as fast heart beat, dangerously elevated blood pressure, pale skin and vomiting suggest that K2 is affecting the cardiovascular system of users.

It also is believed to affect the central nervous system, causing severe, potentially life-threatening hallucinations and, in some cases, seizures.

Labels: marijuana

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Teenagers who use marijuana are twice as likely to develop a psychosis such as schizophrenia, according to a new study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

• Dr. John McGrath , and his colleagues at the Queensland Brain Institute in Australia studied 3,800 young adults born between 1981 and 1984 .
  
• Among the 1,272 young people in this study who never used marijuana, only 2 percent were diagnosed with psychosis.
  
• Among those who used marijuana for six or more years, 3.7 percent were diagnosed with this illness.
  
• Even those who used marijuana for fewer than three years were at an increased risk for mental problems.

"The nature of the relationship between psychosis and marijuana use is by no means simple and more research is needed to examine the mechanisms at work," Dr. McGrath wrote in his report.

The study comes at a time when many state legislatures are considering legalizing marijuana. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported an increase in marijuana use among young people, many of who believe the drug is harmless.

Labels: marijuana, health problems

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According to the results of the Pride Survey on Student Behavior and Perception, teens believe that the risks associated with drug use are low.

Virginia Guy of the Drug Education Council in Mobile, Ala., says this trend has been developing over the past couple of years: "The last two or three years we've noticed that there has been an increased low perception of risk -- in other words kids aren't perceiving drugs as being very harmful or risky -- and we have some major concerns."

Guy attributes the trend to reduced funding for drug and alcohol education in public schools.

According to the Pride Survey, alcohol and tobacco use by Alabama teens decreased slightly this year over last year. However, use of alcohol and tobacco remains higher among Alabama teens than teens in other states. In addition, marijuana use by Alabama teens is on the rise. The study included survey responses from 280,000 students in grades six through 12 throughout Alabama.

(Source: www.wkrg.com)

Labels: teen drinking, marijuana, teen drug use

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According to a new study, listening to music that mentions marijuana may make teens significantly more likely to use the drug. The study included survey data collected from 959 9th graders.

Among respondents, 12 percent identified themselves as current marijuana users, and 32 percent reported having tried marijuana. Respondents were also asked to list songs that they listened to and researchers analyzed the content of these songs. The average respondent listened to 21.8 hours of music per week and heard about 40 references to marijuana in music each day.

Dr. Brian Primack, lead author, commented on the findings: "Students who listen to music with the most references to marijuana are almost twice as likely to have used the drug as their peers whose musical tastes favor songs less focused on substance use. Interestingly, we also found that exposure to marijuana in music was not associated with other high-risk behaviors, such as excessive alcohol consumption.

"This suggests that there is a real link between the marijuana lyrics and marijuana use. Although it may be that heavy exposure to music about marijuana causes marijuana smoking, it may also be that those who smoke marijuana seek out music with lyrics related to marijuana."

(Source:www.msnbc.com )

Labels: marijuana

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Teenagers who smoke pot on a daily basis may be more susceptible to depression and anxiety in adulthood because of damage inflicted on their developing brains. This finding comes from a new study conducted by McGill University in Canada.

Scientists at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre utilized adolescent and adult lab rats to conduct the study. The researchers found that after 20 days of exposure to cannabinoids (the active ingredient in marijuana), only the adolescent rats were negatively affected.

The adolescent rats exhibited a decrease in brain serotonin levels. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is known to be involved in emotional perception and that has been linked to depression. In addition, the adolescent rats showed increased levels of norepinephrine, which plays a key role in the fight-or-flight response. Increased levels of this chemical could contribute to heightened anxiety.

Gabriella Gobbi, one of the study's co-authors, commented on the findings: "Just because marijuana is a plant doesn't mean that it is harmless. Our study demonstrated that the cannabinoid, when consumed daily, can induce a permanent change in the brain."

(Source: www.canada.com)

Labels: marijuana, depression, anxiety, pot

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Although the results of Florida's 2009 Youth Substance Abuse Survey were largely positive, binge drinking, marijuana use and prescription drug use remain areas of concern. Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp announced this week that the survey showed long-term reductions in drug use among middle and high school students and attributes the reductions to the success of prevention efforts.

Kottkamp reinforced the importance of the survey as a tool to track a serious threat: "Drug use threatens the health and safety of our children and their families. Children are Florida's most vulnerable residents and protecting them from the dangers of substance abuse remains a high priority. The survey is a critical tool in the effort to prevent drug use."

Alcohol use has declined steadily since 2000, but the rate of alcohol use among Florida's students continues to exceed national figures.

Bruce Grant, Director of the Florida Office of Drug Control, commented: "The results of the survey show the success of our prevention efforts over time. Yet, we still have our work cut out for us to reduce youth use of inhalants, marijuana and prescription drugs. Overall, underage drinking remains the most significant challenge we face."

(Source: www.thegovmonitor.com)

Labels: marijuana, prescription drugs, binge drinking, drug-use

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A review of recent studies suggests that parental monitoring may be key in reducing teen use of marijuana. Psychologists Andrew Lac and William Crano from Claremont Graduate University reviewed 17 studies containing data on over 35,000 teens to examine the connection between parental monitoring and adolescent marijuana use. In all studies, parental monitoring was evaluated according to adolescent self-reporting, not parents' reports.

Lac and Crano found that there is a strong, consistent link between parental monitoring and decreased marijuana use in adolescents. The strongest results appeared in female-only studies, suggesting that girls in particular may benefit from parental monitoring. In their report, the authors wrote: "Our review suggests that parents are far from irrelevant, even when it comes to an illegal and often secretive behavior on the part of their children."

Chronic use of marijuana is associated with a number of negative outcomes, including depression, cognitive impairment, cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer.

(Source: www.sciencedaily.com)

Labels: marijuana, teen drug use

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According to a new study by the Canadian Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), fewer Ontario teenagers are drinking alcohol than a decade ago. However, binge drinking and use of marijuana haven't declined in recent years.

In 2009, approximately 58 percent of students in grades 7 to 12 reported drinking within the last year  a decrease of 8 percent since 1999. However, levels of pot use and binge drinking have remained steady since 2007. About one-fourth of Ontario teens reported binge drinking within one month of the survey, and one-fourth reported using marijuana within the past year.

Study co-author Robert Mann, a senior researcher on substance abuse at CAMH, commented on the results: "If you look over the past decade, you see a lot of decline of things like drinking, smoking, use of the harder drugs. That seems to stop this year. We're concerned that the declines appear to have slowed down or stopped and it's unclear what's going to happen next."

(Source: www.theglobeandmail.com)

Labels: alcohol, marijuana, binge drinking

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According to the results of the 2009 annual California Healthy Kids Survey, released earlier this week, teen use of and involvement with alcohol and marijuana has been increasing among California youth.

The survey found that 27 percent of ninth graders have been driven in a car by someone who has been drinking, or driven under the influence themselves. This represents an increase of 5 percent since 2005.

The number of high school freshmen who reported being very drunk or getting sick from drinking alcohol increased by 7 percent to 36 since 2005. In addition, 16 percent of seventh graders reported binge drinking, an increase of 6 percent since 2005.

Teens also reported that marijuana use is fairly common. Approximately half of high school juniors reported using marijuana at some time in their lives.

(Source: www.santacruzsentinel.com)

Labels: teen drinking, marijuana, teen drug use

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A new study by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that a number of pre-teen children have sought treatment for substance abuse problems, including abuse of amphetamines, marijuana, alcohol and heroin.

The Institute of Health reports that the number of Australians getting help from treatment providers is on the rise. Last year, treatment sessions increased from 7,000 to 154,0000. The Institute also reports that alcohol is, by far, the most common substance abuse problem.

Amber Jefferson, from the Institute, recounted drug use data, including: "Alcohol comprising 44 per cent of episodes in 2007/08, compares to 38 per cent back in 2002/03 ... and alcohol treatment is followed by treatment for cannabis at 22 percent, amphetamines 11 percent and heroin at 11 percent."

(Source: www.abc.net.au)

Labels: alcohol, marijuana, teen substance abuse, heroin, treatment

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According to the online student newspaper for Florida A&M University, The Famuan Online, a Florida teen was recently charged with nine felony counts of poisoning food and water after he baked marijuana into brownies and fed them to two teachers and seven fellow students without their knowledge.

Every person who ate the brownies experienced adverse effects, and one student was taken to the hospital. The teen did not think that the marijuana's effects would be significant when he served the brownies.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States. The active ingredient in marijuana, THC, can cause allergic reactions, including rashes, breathing difficulty, fatigue and unusual mood swings.

According to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, short-term effects associated with marijuana use can include loss of motor coordination, increased heart rate, dry mouth, anxiety, problems with memory and learning, and trouble with thinking and problem solving.

(Source: www.thefamuanonline.com)

Labels: marijuana, pot, drug-use

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Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College recently published a study exploring the specific ways that parents and peers may influence teens to smoke, drink and use marijuana.

The results of the study indicate that teens' attitudes toward smoking influence their use of multiple drugs (smoking, drinking and marijuana), and that the influence is different between boys and girls. For girls, those with friends who were ambivalent or permissive of smoking were at greatest risk for using multiple substances. For boys, the greatest predictor of use of multiple substances was the extent to which they perceived that smoking was prevalent in their peer group.

Dr. Jennifer A. Epstein, lead author and assistant professor of public health in the Division of Prevention and Health Behavior at Weill Cornell, commented on the study's findings: "If a teenager feels smoking is socially acceptable and widely practiced, they are much more likely not only to smoke, but to also drink and possibly use marijuana ... While the differences between how boys and girls are influenced by these social factors are subtle, they could help us develop new gender-specific educational tactics for preventing these behaviors."

(Source: www.sciencedaily.com)

Labels: teen drinking, marijuana, teen smoking, teen substance abuse

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According to an annual survey released in August by the Indiana Prevention Resource Center at Indiana University, overall drug use among adolescents in Indiana has decreased, but marijuana use is on the rise.

The survey is the 19th annual "Survey of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Use by Children and Adolescents." The results show the yearly trends in drug abuse by sixth to 12th graders in 557 schools across the state. The survey collected responses from adolescents about 22 different drugs and methods of drug use, including tobacco, crack cocaine, inhalants and prescription medications.

The survey included additional questions this year on the use of drugs that are administered with syringes. Because they are placed directly into the bloodstream, drugs that are injected present a substantially higher risk of overdose than those that are ingested. In addition, syringes are vehicles for the spread of communicable diseases such as HIV and hepatitis.

Mi Kyung Jun, a research associate who worked on the survey, commented on the evolution of the survey over the years: "When we started we also surveyed fifth graders, but as time grew on their drug use fell significantly ... Also, we've had to add more drugs to the list. We are constantly changing the survey to match trends."

Jun also commented on the rise in marijuana use detected by this year's survey results: "We do not ask why ... We just monitor the use. We can say that this is very odd. They may think it is a less harmful alternative to other drugs."

(Source: www.idsnews.com)

Labels: marijuana, indiana

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The potency of marijuana has been on the rise for the past three decades and is now at an all-time high. Average potency, measured by the concentration of the psychoactive chemical THC, is currently around 10 percent. According to government data, the average THC content of marijuana has increased by more than 150 percent in the past 25 years, from less than 4 percent in 1983 to 10.1 percent in 2008.

According to Mahmoud ElSohly, director of the University of Mississippi's Potency Monitoring Project, of the thousands of marijuana samples that his labs test each year, many contain a THC content of over 30 percent. ElSohly predicts that average levels of THC concentration will continue to rise in the coming years before topping off at around 15 or 16 percent. Authorities are particularly worried about the increasing potency because high levels of THC have been shown to affect the brain much differently than lower levels. Users of higher potency marijuana are more likely to experience significant side effects such as dysphoria, paranoia, irritability, inability to concentrate, and insomnia.

(Sources: www.redorbit.com)

Labels: marijuana, pot, weed

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A new study suggests that the federal governments $1 billion anti-marijuana campaign, which is targeted at young people, may be ineffective. The study, released this month by the University of Pennsylvanias Annenberg School of Communication, found that teens who specifically said they were exposed to the ads were no less likely to use marijuana.

In fact, the study found evidence that the anti-drug campaign has had the reverse effect for some youth. Teens who recalled seeing 12 or more ads per month were more likely to start using marijuana than those who had seen fewer messages per month. Study authors think that youth who are repeatedly exposed to images of their peers using marijuana may assume that marijuana use is typical or normal.

The ad campaign was started in the late 1990s, as a project of The Partnership for a Drug-Free America, supervised by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). The campaign, which is designed to reach 12- to 18-year-olds, has been waged via television and movie theater commercials, websites, and other forums. According to the study, 94% of youth surveyed reported being exposed to these messages, at an average rate of two to three messages per week.

Tom Riley, spokesman for the ONDCP, countered the studys conclusion by saying the ads included in the study ended four years ago and the campaign has evolved significantly since then. Riley points to a steady decline in youth marijuana use in recent years as proof of the campaigns success. Study authors agree that there has been a decline in marijuana use by youth, but argue that they could not find evidence that the governments campaign contributed to it.

Although the effectiveness of the government campaign is in question, a separate annual study has recorded a steady decline in marijuana use among youth between 1997 and 2007. The national Monitoring the Future Study found that since the late 1990s, marijuana use has fallen at least 20% among 7th, 8th, and 12th graders. (Source: ABC News)

Labels: marijuana

Posted By: Vee 0 Comments

One in five high school students has abused prescription drugs, 37 percent have tried marijuana, and 75 percent have tried alcohol, according to a new report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The prescription drugs most frequently abused were OxyContin, Percocet, Xanax, and Ritalin. OxyContin is a powerful painkiller usually prescribed to cancer patients.

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control said that the teenagers' drug and alcohol use was linked to the four main causes of death among that age group, which are car accidents, unintentional injury, homicide, and suicide.

In addition, a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that on an average day, more than half a million teenagers drink alcohol, more than half a million use marijuana, more than 640,000 use illegal drugs, and more than one million smoke cigarettes.

The agency estimates that about 85,000 people under age 18 are receiving treatment for a substance abuse problem.
 

Labels: alcohol, marijuana, prescription drugs, teen drug abuse, substance use

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 0 Comments

Faulkner County, Arkansas, has passed a new ordinance making the purchase, sale and possession of K2 illegal. K2 is a synthetic version of marijuana that has become more prevalent in America in recent months.

K2, Spice and Solar Flare are name brands of the product, which is a combination of herbs and plant material covered with a synthetic substance that mimics the effects of marijuana. [Clay] Smith [from the Conway Police Department] said in the past six to eight months, the problems with K2 have "skyrocketed.."

[Smith] stated incident reports through the department include a teen running into a house during a K2-induced place out, and responses to seizures. [Source: The Cabin]

K2 is said to be ten times more powerful than marijuana and is much more dangerous. Under the new ordinance, anyone caught with K2 will be subject to up to one year of prison and up to a $1,000 fine.

 

Labels: marijuana, k2

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New research from Canada indicates that different types of drug rehab services for marijuana abuse should be used depending upon a number of factors related to the patient's drug history.

• Researchers from the University of Montréal and the Center for Addictions and Mental Health in Toronto divided 1300 marijuana users into four categories of abuse, based on frequency of use, reason for using the drug, and the age at onset of use.
• Those who began using the drug before age 16 years old, and who were using the drug daily had the highest risks to their health.
• However, the majority in the study were in frequent users of marijuana and had no major health risks.
• The researchers are "arguing for a differentiated approach that recognizes that some people have problems from cannabis use."

The study appears in the International Journal of Methods of Psychiatric Research.
 

Labels: marijuana

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 0 Comments

A small study funded by the National Institute of Health found that teenagers who stopped using marijuana will regain some cognitive deficits; however, their attention deficits will persist.

The researchers recruited 19 marijuana user and 21 teenagers in the same age group (15 to 19 years old) from similar backgrounds who did not use marijuana. Every participant completed tests three days, two weeks, and three weeks after the users stopped smoking marijuana.

Teen marijuana users had lower scores on tests of verbal learning and verbal memory, as well as attention deficits. After abstaining from marijuana for a few weeks, they improved in verbal learning and verbal memory and not in attention deficits.

The study appeared in the journal Addictive Behaviors.
 

Labels: marijuana, teen drug abuse, brain chemistry

Posted By: CRC Health Group 0 Comments

Fewer teens are smoking tobacco, but more are smoking marijuana. In the Dec. 20 edition of the LA Times, Bill Piper ( director of national affairs for the Drug Policy Alliance) addressed the question of whether this signifies a successful anti-tobacco effort or a failure to dissuade teens from smoking pot.

To Piper, the answer is clear: It's a bit of both:

For the first time since 1981, fewer high school seniors report having used cigarettes in the past month than marijuana. This is a victory for U.S. tobacco policy, which has used education, prevention and regulation to massively reduce cigarette smoking; it's also an embarrassment for marijuana prohibition, which has wasted enormous amounts of taxpayer money arresting millions of citizens with very little to show for it except construction of new prisons and shocking racial disparities.

• According to the 2010 Monitoring the Future survey, teen marijuana use has risen for all prevalence periods (lifetime, past year, past 30 days and daily in the past 30 days).
• Daily marijuana use among high school seniors is now at 6.1%, the highest rate since the early 1980s.
• Overall, 21.4% of high school seniors used marijuana at least once last month, an increase of 0.8% over the past year.

 

Labels: marijuana, tobacco

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In the Jan. 6 edition of Florida's Sun Sentinel newspaper, columnist Nicole Brochu took the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to task for failing to take action to stop what is becoming the widespread teen abuse of a synthetic drug that simulates the effect of marijuana:

It's known on the street as "legal weed" and "fake pot," considered a sort of synthetic marijuana and accessibly sold in gas stations, head shops and convenience stores as incense. Branded under names like Mr. Nice Guy, Spice, Black Mamba and K2 and sold for as little as $15.99, the "herbal smoke blend" is in many cases clearly marked "not for human consumption," but of course, that's all just a game.

Marketed as more potent than marijuana and leaving no trace in drug tests, it is quickly becoming the drug of choice among those looking for a quick, easy high. And the law enforcement community knows it. Yet, it still sits on store shelves.

In November, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency announced that in response to the alarming rise in reported abuse of the herbal blends over the past year, it would issue within a month a temporary one-year ban on sale or possession of the products and label synthetic marijuana a Schedule 1 drug along with marijuana, heroin and Ecstasy.

But that month has come and gone without action. In the intervening silence, kids like Nancy Ferreira's boys are indulging in a new high that's all too easy to find, and paying the price.
 

Labels: drug-abuse, marijuana

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