Pubdate: Sun, 09 Dec 2012
Source: Herald, The (Everett, WA)
Copyright: 2012 The Daily Herald Co.
Contact:  http://www.heraldnet.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/190
Author: Sam Mello, Murrow News Service
Page: B1

LEGAL POT RAISES USE, ABUSE QUESTIONS

An Official at an Everett Drug Treatment Center and Former Pot User 
Believes We're Setting Ourselves Up for Big Problems.

EVERETT - When he was 15, Robert McCullough knew he was addicted to marijuana.

As a high school student in the 1970s, he skipped class to smoke, 
stole money from his parents to support his habit, and scraped his 
pipe for resin when he didn't have pot to get high.

Today, McCullough, 43, still considers himself an addict. He attends 
weekly meetings and recognizes if it weren't for treatment, he would 
have never gotten clean.

"I will always be an addict," said McCullough, now clinical manager 
at Evergreen Manor, a treatment facility in Everett. "It is something 
I will have to acknowledge my whole life."

In the aftermath of Washington's legalization of marijuana, critics 
of the law are pointing to a rarely discussed issue: addiction.

Last year, marijuana use accounted for nearly half of youth 
admissions to treatment facilities in Washington state, according to 
data released in October from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
Services Administration. More than 4,200 young people were treated in 
the state for marijuana use, more than any other drug.

"People are failing to notice that youth use rates are high, 
availability of marijuana has increased and the perception of harm 
associated with the drug has dropped," said Dr. Sharon Levy, director 
of the American Academy of Pediatrics' committee on substance abuse. 
"These factors have been shown to cause large increases in not only 
use, but daily use."

Washington's law allows adults 21 and older to possess up to an ounce 
of marijuana, but drug counselors worry that increased availability 
will also lead to more underage use. Individuals who start using 
marijuana at a young age are more likely to become dependent on the 
drug, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

"It's frightening. We're seeing that the average age of first use has 
dropped and that more and more kids are using daily," said Levy, who 
is also an assistant professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical 
School. "I think we're really setting ourselves up for some big problems."

Kevin Oliver, executive director of Washington's National 
Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), acknowledged 
that marijuana dependence can occur if the drug is abused but 
believes the substance is not addictive enough to pose a significant threat.

"I know users that have no problem consuming cannabis responsibly," 
Oliver said. "I smoke pot on a regular basis, but I don't let the 
desire to get high control my life or my actions."

In Snohomish County, more people seek treatment for marijuana 
addiction than they do for methamphetamine abuse, said Linda Grant, 
chief executive of Evergreen Manor in Everett.

"I do not think the public is aware of the extent to which marijuana 
impacts everyday activities," Grant said. "Many patients who come to 
us arrive for driving under the influence. Other patients arrive 
knowing they have a problem."

Regardless of the perception of marijuana addiction, treatment 
statistics are showing growth in marijuana-related problems. In just 
one month, outpatient admissions for marijuana treatment among 
Washington state youth increased by 23 percent, growing by 41 new 
patients from August to September, according to data taken from the 
Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse.

Deb Schnellman, spokeswoman for Washington's Division of Behavioral 
Health and Recovery, said she expects to see an increase in the use 
of marijuana after its legalization.

"Research shows that when the availability of a substance increases, 
use goes up as well," Schnellman said.

"The young, developing brain is especially vulnerable to substance 
use," Schnellman said. "This is why youth are at an increased risk 
for problems related to drug use."

Levy said tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the active ingredient in 
marijuana, can be addictive.

THC is stored in the user's fat tissue and can linger in the body, so 
withdrawal symptoms may not be immediately observable.

"Because marijuana dependence looks different than heroin dependence 
or cocaine dependence, people may be confused into thinking there is 
no such thing," Levy said.

McCullough recalls sleepless nights filled with discomfort and 
irritability when he was not able to use the drug. McCullough said he 
was in a haze while using.

"I didn't think I had a problem because of the effect of the drug," 
McCullough said. "My ability to rationalize was affected, my whole 
scope of life was different, I couldn't assess if I was out of 
control, and I was."

Oliver said he experienced some sleeplessness and irritability when 
he had to stop consuming marijuana in the past but said it was "no 
big deal" and didn't "affect his ability to function."

"There is still a social stigma attached to using marijuana that 
creates a negative view of cannabis being harmful and dangerous," 
Oliver said. "You can be addicted to anything that causes mental 
euphoria, sex, gambling, even caffeine. It just depends on the person 
involved, and if they're in-control or not."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom