Marijuana Abuse Is Up Among U.S. Adults

[PfcHammer]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040505/ap_on_he_me/marijuana_adults_4

Marijuana Abuse Is Up Among U.S. Adults

Wed May 5,10:41 AM ET Add Health - AP to My Yahoo!

By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer

CHICAGO - Habitual marijuana use increased among U.S. adults over the past decade, particularly among young minorities and baby boomers, government figures show.

The prevalence of marijuana abuse or dependence climbed from 1.2 percent of adults in 1991-92 to 1.5 percent in 2001-02, or an estimated 3 million adults 18 and over.

That represents an increase of 800,000 people, according to data from two nationally representative surveys that each queried more than 40,000 adults.

<chop>

[el_gato]

1. Abuse? loaded language

[tandot]

6. I agree, el_gato. Why not call it "use" instead of "abuse"

n/t

[Blasphemer]

16. Indeed....

Who defines "abuse"? Ridiculous. Of course marijuana use is up - how else can anyone survive the * admin?

[daleo]

48. I am surprised that they don't call it marijuana torture

Since they call torture "abuse", shouldn't abuse be "torture"?

[truthisfreedom]

51. no, it's marijuana terror.

[daleo]

56. Of course, must brush up on my NewSpeak

Gotta run, meeting Julia for lunch.;)

[keithyboy]

50. Only 3 million? I doubt these figures. I bet more like 15 million.

the dealers couldn't make a profit with only 3 million users.

[mark414]

2. guilty as charged

what is everyone else's opinion of this?

[tom_paine]

49. The sower soweth the word, mark?

What is it exacty that you're sowing today?

[Shakespeare]

3. Marijuana dependence?

Please show me peer-reviewed studies that indicate marijuana is in any way addictive. This story is loaded with bullshit rhetoric.

[Ediacara]

9. Don't hold your breath :-)

[Drifter]

26. Whether it is a physical or phsycological

addiction does not matter.

If the person has a hard time stopping, it is still an addiction.

Cheers
Drifter

[htuttle]

30. I have that problem with potato chips sometimes....

Am I addicted to them?

:shrug:

[Shakespeare]

31. Yes, it does matter.

Certain substances are known to be physically addictive--alcohol, caffeine, nicotine--and others are not. If one argues that any substance can be psychologically addictive, then you begin the headlong rush down the slippery slope; we can regulate Hershey bars, because they're addictive...or french fries or apples or oatmeal? No. Physical and psychological addiction are not the same thing.

[reprobate]

35. There's no such thing as a psychological addiction

Addiction is, by definition, a chemically induced change in the function of an organ or system of the body such that normal function of the system cannot be had without the chemical. Pot will not cause this.

What you refer to as 'psychological addiction' is called habituation. In other words, it's no more than a habit that can be broken thru intentional actions.

Or, in terms we can all understand, marijuanna addiction is a lie.

Hey, it's just a weed. You might note, also, that in the entire history of the human race, no one has ever died from an overdose of this weed. Caught up on a lot of sleep tho.

[tridim]

4. Good!

Abuse is a subjective word, considering most responsible adult MJ users don't even consider it a drug.

I'm very happy to hear the news that more adults are using marijuana.

[SheepyMcSheepster]

5. indeed, i try to abuse it daily.

so i guess this means the war on drugs is working out well. i bet the whole nation would be "abusing" pot if it were not for the drug war. good job guys!

[funkybutt]

54. the only "abuse"

would be throwing it away or...
not inhaling

[Ediacara]

7. Aparently use and abuse mean the same thing

LOL, I am actually not sure how one could really abuse a non-adictive drug that makes you hospitable, hungry, and philosophical....

[leftchick]

17. indeed!

well said DinoBoy!

[sniffa]

8. doing my part

to heLp in this endeavor. :D

[LadeJarl]

12. Amen..

Me too.
I find that I drink alcohol less and less and rather light up. It's much better, no after effects and none of the side-effects of alchol.

[sniffa]

23. too expensive though

soon it may be more expensive than cigarettes.

[SheepyMcSheepster]

34. i never ever drink.

i find pot to be a way more constructive drug. and hangovers suck.

[reprobate]

38. And we don't look near as stupid as we do with booze.

[Name removed]

39. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[htuttle]

10. Not surprised -- I bet we're drinking more under Bush, too

Same as in the old Soviet Union.

Pick me up another pack of Victory Joints, would ya?

[devilgrrl]

11. Abuse????

Oh gawd no!!! Not marijuana!!!!

[uncle ray]

13. i'm abusing some right now

i smashed it between my fingers until it submitted to my demands, then i humiliated it by piling it up with other pot, and pointed and laughed at it. then, then the real fun part of the abuse, i smashed it into a tiny holding chamber where i subjected it to an open flame! that pot didn't know what hit it! i felt so POWERFUL! bwahahahah!

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

41. There you go man. Show it who's in charge........... n/t

[denverbill]

14. Good. The war on drugs worked. Now for the war on terror.

Here's what we do. We invade a country that has no known link to terrorism, kill thousands of innocent civilians, jail and humiliate thousands of soldiers or other 'suspects', insult them by invading their homes and manhandling their women and children, accidently keep killing police we hired and journalists, and in the meantime, stop looking for Osama.

Sound like a plan?

[Carni]

15. Yet another side effect of bush and company

Hell, I haven't smoked since the bush 1 admin but in light of how LOUSY everything has been for three years I have thought maybe I should revive the practice numerous times!

[Webster Green]

18. That is great news.....

Maybe there is hope after all.

What a lame fucking article. Keeps the 70 year old reefer madness bullshit on the front page.

Roll another one......just like the other one......

[Serial Mom]

19. and so ...

what's their point?

I recently watched a show regarding the weed where a prominent professor at Harvard is/was and will be in favor of decriminalizing it. I guess about 15-20 years ago his only son about 10 or 12 years old was dying of cancer and was going thru chemo.

He said not until the last few months of his son's life when he smoked the weed before his chemo was he able to tolerate it without vomiting, nausea, loss of appetite, loss of weight, etc.

Sadly, the young man didn't make it but a few more months, but the professor said it was easier to deal with their son's illness when he smoked because he suffered less.

The TV show also studied the weed and gave stats on deaths from drinking, narcotics, and other drugs and not one death in the US was reported from use or overdose.

I'm all for it!

[ixion]

20. this is why marijuana should be decriminalized...

And I, too, object to the loaded language. When there are this many of us pot smokers out there, they really out to stop calling it a crime and adapt to the society, rather than trying to make society adapt to their puritanical beliefs.

[Carni]

27. I agree totally

Personally? I would weigh 900 pounds if I were to engage in the practice (lol) so I don't, but as a recreational thing (like drinking)I see no problem with it--it should indeed IMO be decriminalized.

[loftycity]

21. Abuse--is the spin word of the week- IMO

:shrug:

[not systems]

22. I'm real worried about Baby Boomers smoking too much pot. NOT!

This whole issue is just a cultural club for the right
to beat minorities and the left with.

Legalize it.

[methinks2]

24. whom did they poll for this info?

All this poll means is that the doctors are more aware of the pot use than they were in the past. Probably because the baby boomers are at the doc's office more now, than when they were younger.

So, are there any real physical signs of pot abuse. Does it make the palms hairy? Maybe an increase in visine useage is a clue? SHould we turn in all visine users just to be sure. If they aren't guilty they won't have anything to hide. How about soda drinkers. Maybe soda drinkers are really pot abusers. I'm concerned, in fact I'm paranoid. Maybe it's people eating chips who are pot abusers? Maybe all the overweight people are overweight because they had the munchies. Maybe we should turn in all overweight people, for their own good of course. . . . In fact everyone looks rather suspicious to me now. Maybe the abusers are the ones laughing too loud in the theaters. Maybe there's an abuse conspiracy. They could be anywhere. People everywhere are abusing pot. Some are abusing as we sit here reading this post.
OH NO MR BILL!!! AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAHHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :argh:

[hatrack]

25. Those who smoke HATE FREEDOM!!!

They're funding terror and terrorists who HATE FREEDOM.

Therefore, they HATE FREEDOM whenever they light up a joint or fire up the beer bong.

[74dodgedart]

28. Obviously Clinton's Fault....(nt)

[el_gato]

29. I tried to find an email address for the writer

coming up empty so far

[0rganism]

32. Not surprising, it's not like we have jobs to suck up our precious time

"Pot will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no pot."

[PfcHammer]

42. Deep. very deep.

[blindpig]

55. who said that?

I think it was FreeWheelin' Frank of the Fabulous Furry Freak Bros.
Long-term memory still works.............I think..

[malachi]

33. And all this time I thought the country was headed in the wrong direction.

[callous taoboy]

44. good one, malachi

[Mr.Green93]

36. Dude

[drfemoe]

37. It's a FRAT PRANK

and I guess that's why my friend's friend can't ever find it any more -
800,000 more users!!

[snooper2]

40. 3 million!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That number is so low it is ridiculous. I've been at the same job for 5 years and just figured out that 21.3% of the people in my department from the director-down, smoke on a regular basis. (47 people total in the department) These are people making between 50-80 thousand a year. Not to mention all the people outside of work that I know of.

That stat may be just for the State of Texas.... :)

[snooper2]

45. Oh, just read this little part...

"The researchers said adults were considered marijuana abusers if repeated use of the drug hurt their ability to function at work, in school or in social situations, or created drug-related legal problems."


I guess we have pretty good numbers then..as far as problem people... :) :smoke:

[BiggJawn]

66. I do NOT smoke and I have trouble in "social situations"...

So what's their excuse for THAT?

Shit, they'd probably say "ok, geek-boy, why don't light up and maybe lighten-up?"

[Chicago Democrat]

59. Habitual Use vs Use

21% might be correct for occassional use.

much higher number for lifetime use.

Habitual use, does that mean everyday, allthe time? then it may be accurate.

[callous taoboy]

43. Sure-

and my guess is that those who are "abusing" pot aren't abusing the much more addictive, debilitating and legal drug, alcohol.

[Yavin4]

46. To Quote Afroman

I was going to respond to this post, but then I got high.

I was going to write something smart, but then I got high.

Because I got high
Because I got high
Because I got hiiiiigh

[methinks2]

47. hiiiiighggghhhh

:smoke:

[AndyTiedye]

61. Asscroft Took Fighter Planes from Anti-Terrorism To Go After Pot Smugglers

Those planes had been assigned to protect against hijacked aircraft crashing into buildings.
Asscroft reassigned most of them to look for pot smugglers in mid-2001, (around the same time he stopped flying on commercial aircraft).

[Paranoid_Portlander]

52. Where did KleverKittie go?

He or she started started this thread, but I don't see any subsequent participation.

[Bridget Burke]

58. Maybe she's out abusing catnip.....

(Slightly more) seriously--just review the topics in LBN. They're enough to drive anybody to "abuse" marijuana.

"Looks like I picked the wrong day to stop sniffing glue."

[Paranoid_Portlander]

62. Oops. My mistake.

KleverKittie did reply, #42.

[indigobusiness]

53. Marijuana laws

are a form of abuse.

Will this country ever grow up?

[sofa king]

57. Marijuana probably saved my life.

I had a testicular torsion, which resulted in a double orchiopexy and later flare-ups of epididymitis. Don't click on those links if you're squeamish.

Some guys fare this procedure fairly well and don't suffer undue discomfort. Others endure the tortures of the damned. I was one of the latter, to the point of being suicidal. The pain was so intense and persistent that I really only had one semi-legal option: synthetic opiates by prescription.

However, I quickly discovered that marijuana worked better, had fewer side-effects, and relieved my concerns about opiate addiction.

This was a valid choice, because unlike Rush Limbaugh, I didn't have the benefit of celebrity status, millions of dollars and the support of a corrupt state and federal government. I could take hillbilly heroin until the doc stopped giving it to me, then go doctor shopping, which is illegal. Or, I could smoke pot, which is also illegal. Unless you're Rush, the penalties for small amounts of marijuana possession are actually less in some states than doctor-shopping and illegal possession of prescription narcotics. You'd call the play like I did, if you don't get hooked early.

The pain lasted for years, and still hasn't gone away entirely. At some point I would have faced the choice of enduring debilitating pain or breaking the law and becoming opiate-dependent. I don't think I would have survived either choice.

I used to laugh at those medical marijuana trumpeters, thinking they just wanted to get high. Well, now that I've personally experienced the medical benefits of marijuana, I can't imagine going any other way. Get your balls in a twist and I guarantee you that you'll understand exactly what I'm saying. Those who don't understand are welcome to drop by and let me show you what I mean.

[jus_the_facts]

60. "partake of every herb bearing seed" Genesis scripture....

......s'what I like to tell fundies...IT'S IN THE BIBLE!! :eyes: :smoke:

[BadGimp]

63. CAN YOU BLAME FOLKS FOR TOKIN UP??

I mean seriously..

With all the horrors and BS this misadministration and their minions are heaving on us a fella needs some relief now and then. The fact that it comes in the form of a smoked leaf :smoke: only serves to prove my point. :evilgrin::evilgrin::evilgrin:

[Failure]

64. I can't believe this is in the news, and Rush Limbaugh's

drug thing isn't. nt

[Failure]

65. At least they're targeting this DANGEROUS, addictive, destructive

drug, and not something harmless, like OxyContin...