Daily marijuana use

Experts are divided on whether or not heavy, longterm marijuana use causes the same kind of addiction that opium or crack does. Evidence shows that daily marijuana use over time can lead to withdrawal symptoms such as aggression, irritability, and stomach pains these are hallmarks of addiction. Also, long-term use can cause some of the same destructive brain changes as those found in other types of drug addictions. Studies in... 

Recently, two studies have examined the residual effects of long-term marijuana use.224,225 In both studies, marijuana smokers were abstinent for 28 days during which time a battery of neuropsychological tests was repeatedly administered. Daily, chronic smokers were compared to less frequent smokers. Bolla et al.224 reported that daily smokers were impaired on tests of memory, executive functioning, and psychomotor skills after 28 days of marijuana abstinence. In contrast,... 

After a period of significant increase in annual, monthly, and daily use of marijuana in the early 1990s, marijuana use peaked in 1997. Since 1997, its use among adolescents has held steady, with very few increases or declines from those peak rates. (Note These figures... 

Achieving pleasant or euphoric moods is clearly a perceived benefit of marijuana use. But it is equally important to recognize that avoiding unpleasant moods or situations can be another important motivator and therefore provides another dimension of reinforcement. Both experiences—pleasure or avoidance of pain or sadness—can lead the teen marijuana user to become psychologically dependent on marijuana. In fact, researchers believe that teens who use marijuana to seek relief from emotional pains such as anger, depression, and family/school problems experience even stronger reinforcement for repeated marijuana use than those motivated by a desire for euphoria. Since daily users often seem to use... 

Certainly, there are smokers who begin in the morning and continue all day. For them, marijuana use is compulsive and uncontrolled, a major feature of their daily life. Unfortunately, many teenage marijuana smokers do not recognize that their use of this drug is changing their behavior. 

In our 1987 review, we summarized the research and clinical experience in this area [1], Surprisingly, in spite of the enormous public interest in medical marijuana and countless articles in the daily press and magazines focused predominantly on this aspect of marijuana use, little progress has been reported on the antiemetic activity of cannabinoids in the last decade. Plasse et al. have reviewed the clinical experience gained over 7 years with dronabinol (d9-THC) in antiemetic treatment [117]. With doses of 7 mg/m2 or below, complete response was noted in 36% of the patients, 32% showed partial response and 32% showed no response. However, 65% displayed drowsiness and dizziness and 12% had dysphoric effects. Combination treatment of dronabinol with prochlorperazine (a dopamine receptor blocker widely used as an antipsychotic drug with antiemetic effects) was more effective than each drug alone [118]. 

Other studies conducted by government and other research facilities contend that the only proven long-term effects of marijuana use are all related to risks posed by smoking. Users usually inhale marijuana smoke deeply and hold the smoke in their lungs for at least several seconds. Marijuana smoke contains tar, carbon monoxide, and many complex chemicals, almost all of which are respiratory irritants and potential cancer-causing agents. In fact, according to the lOM report, each inhalation of marijuana smoke contains three to five times more tar and carbon monoxide than an equal amount of tobacco smoke. Therefore, a person who smokes marijuana daily for... 

A high proportion of both groups reported abuse of other drugs, including alcohol (51 percent), opiates (38 percent), and marijuana (29 percent). All the PCP abusers in the sample had used PCP for at least 2 years (55 percent more than 5 years) 35 percent used it at least daily. All but one abuser smoked his PCP the exception used it by insufflation. 

Outpatient group members were very similar to the inpatient PCP abusers in most sociodemographic and drug-use characteristics. Their mean age was 29 years, educational level 12.6 years, and number of prior arrests 1.5. The majority of outpatients were black (83 percent), unmarried (67 percent), and unemployed (67 percent). Their mean duration of PCP use was almost 8 years, with, usually, no prior or recent substance abuse treatment. Thirty-seven percent used PCP at least daily, always by smoking. Like the inpatient PCP abusers, outpatients frequently (87 percent) reported abuse of other drugs alcohol (46 percent), marijuana (46 percent), and cocaine (37 percent). Several outpatients for whom cocaine was the preferred drug of abuse used PCP as a "cheaper high" when cocaine was not affordable. 

Kandel DB Davies M (1992). Progression to regular marijuana involvement phenomenology and risk factors for near daily use. In Glanz M Pickens R (eds.) Vulnerability to Drug Abuse. Washington American Psychological Association, pp. 211-53... 

The MTF survey is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Since 1975, it has tracked illicit drug use trends and attitudes of 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students. These surveys ask students about lifetime use, past year use, past month use, and daily use of drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco. Marijuana-specific data are broken out in the survey. 

Daily use of marijuana increased from 2 to 6 percent among 12th graders and from 1 to 4.5 percent among 10th graders. 

Daily users often seem to use marijuana to deal with depression, anger, anxiety, and family/school problems and to get away from problems. These negative reasons for getting... 

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