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| General Cannabis News | |
Last autumn, AADAC spokeswoman Nancy Snowball said it became apparent
marijuana-abusing clients were outnumbering those seeking help from the
agency for their alcohol use.
"Pretty consistently, the biggest drug of choice has always been alcohol
due to its social acceptability and legality," said Snowball. "It appears
young people are now using marijuana more than alcohol ... marijuana has
moved to the top of the list."
AADAC's clientele could reflect the larger drug abuse situation and, in
fact, only tell part of the marijuana story, said Snowball.
"There's probably a whole bunch more people who are using but not
experiencing the consequences of it yet (and don't report to AADAC)," she said.
Some substance abuse experts say a growing social tolerance for cannabis --
partly driven by the push to legalize its medicinal use -- as well as an
abundant and high quality locally produced supply -- has bolstered the
drug's popularity.
The young age of many marijuana users -- combined with the unprecedented
potency the drug has attained -- makes the trend a significant concern,
said Snowball.
"It's not the same stuff it used to be -- it's stronger, therefore the
impact of it is much higher," she said, adding the drug can be
psychologically addictive.
"The earlier the introduction, the greater the chance it'll turn into a
problem."
AADAC is aware of youngsters 12 years of age who abuse marijuana "and there
are younger people than that being introduced to it."
The RCMP says much of the locally grown cannabis attains a THC content of
10-25% compared to about 6% two decades earlier.
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