Pubdate: Thu, 22 Oct 2015
Source: San Diego Union Tribune (CA)
Copyright: 2015 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.utsandiego.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/386
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MARIJUANA USE IN U.S. ADULTS DOUBLES IN DECADE

About 22 Million Americans Are Recreational Users

As attitudes and laws in the U.S. have become more tolerant of 
marijuana, the proportion of adults using and abusing the substance 
at least doubled between 2001 and 2013, according to a new study.

Although marijuana dependence and abuse was found to be on the rise, 
that is largely due to the overall increase in new users, researchers 
note, while existing marijuana users experienced a 15 percent decline 
in pot-related disorders.

About 4 percent of adults between 2001 and 2002 reported having used 
marijuana in the past year, compared to about 10 percent between 2012 
and 2013. Similarly, 1.5 percent had abuse or dependence problems - 
so-called marijuana use disorder - at the start of the 21st Century, 
compared to about 3 percent from 2012 to 2013.

The new study estimated that there were about 22 million mostly 
recreational users.

"What was quite clear is the prevalence of use among adults had more 
than doubled," said Deborah Hasin, the study's lead author from 
Columbia University in New York.

Twenty-three states, including California, allow for medical 
marijuana use, and four also allow recreational use, the researchers 
write in JAMA Psychiatry. More Americans also favor marijuana 
legalization than before, and fewer see the substance as risky.

Yet, the researchers write, little was known about how the prevalence 
of marijuana use and disorders changed during the first decade of the century.

For the new study, they compared data from face-to-face interviews 
with more than 43,000 U.S. adults between 2001 and 2002 to data from 
over 36,000 people collected between 2012 and 2013.

They found that reports of having used marijuana in the past year 
more than doubled between the two time periods, with especially large 
increases among women, blacks, Hispanics, southerners and middle-aged 
and older people.

The data also included information on whether participants were 
experiencing abuse or dependence.

Between the two time periods, the researchers found that such 
disorders were about twice as common during the 2012 and 2013 
interviews. About three of every 10 marijuana users - about 7 million 
Americans - were diagnosed with a marijuana use disorder in the 
latter survey, they write.

Past studies have tied marijuana use to mental health issues, poor 
quality of life, use of other drugs and withdrawal after heavy use, they add.

Earlier this year, the American Academy of Pediatrics restated their 
opposition to marijuana legalization based on its well-documented 
negative effects on the developing brains of children and 
adolescents, such as impaired memory and problem solving.

"Counteracting the perceptions that (marijuana) is harmless with a 
balanced message about the potential harms is important," Hasin said. 
"For researchers, I think it's important to find what characteristics 
put people at risk."

The researchers write that if the amount of U.S. adults using 
marijuana increases, so will the number of those with marijuana use disorders.

"People should consider this information when they're making choices 
about using marijuana, and the public should consider the information 
as they consider legalization," Hasin said.

Use increased among all ages but was most common in adults aged 18-29.

Teen marijuana use was also higher. About 23 percent of high school 
students had used the drug in the past month in 2013 - but it has 
been somewhat stable during the past decade, other research shows.

u-t news services
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom