More BS about MJ addiction

[conqueror worm]

http://www.boston.com/yourlife/healt...ana_addiction/

WASHINGTON -- Treatment rates for marijuana nearly tripled between 1992 and 2002, the government says, attributing the increase to greater use and potency.


"This report is a wake-up call for parents that marijuana is not a soft drug," said Tom Riley, a spokesman for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. "It's a much bigger part of the addiction problem than is generally understood."


Advocates of legalizing marijuana disagreed, saying the trend was largely due to an increase in marijuana arrests and had almost nothing to do with more people seeking treatment because they thought their own health was at risk.


"They have the option of going into treatment for marijuana or going to jail," said Paul Armentano, senior policy analyst for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.


FBI records show a substantial increase in marijuana-related arrests during the decade studied, from about 340,000 in 1992 to about 700,000 in 2002.


The study on treatment rates was conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which estimated that 41 states had an increase in the number of people who sought treatment for marijuana use during the decade studied. The estimates reflect the number of people who get help at a drug or alcohol treatment center, which can include clinics, hospitals or private doctor's offices, administration officials said.


Admissions declined in three states: Alaska, New Mexico and Massachusetts. Three others, Arizona, Mississippi and Kentucky, had incomplete data from which to draw a conclusion.


The report said comparisons were difficult in four states -- Ohio, Texas, West Virginia and Virginia -- because of changes in the facilities that reported. However, a map in the report showed Virginia as one of the states that had experienced an increase. SAMHSA official Deborah Trunzo could not explain the discrepancy.


Overall, the admission rates for marijuana treatment rose from 45 per 100,000 people in 1992 to 118 per 100,000 people in 2002, the latest year such numbers are available.


"Marijuana is not a harmless substance, and these treatment trends emphasize that point," said SAMHSA Administrator Charles Curie.


A spokeswoman for the agency said the study did not determine whether people sought treatment on their own or were ordered to do so by a court.


"We have no way of knowing why there are so many more going for treatment. The data just tells us that there are," said spokeswoman Leah Young.


She added, "Being forced into treatment does not indicate you don't need it."


Dr. Terry Horton, who treats people for drug addiction at the Phoenix House in New York, said he's not surprised by the federal government's numbers.


"We provide long-term residential treatment, and when they need that level of care, it's a severe problem we're dealing with, and it almost always involves marijuana and alcohol," Horton said.


Treatment can take up to two years and involves working with individuals on their attitudes and behaviors. Horton said he was skeptical of assertions that the treatment trends were simply the result of stiffer law enforcement.


"That's just a fallacy," Horton said. "We're in the trenches, and we take care of individuals whose lives are very much disrupted by any number of substances, including marijuana."


The Drug Policy Alliance, which seeks to legalize marijuana and regulate it along the lines of alcohol, said an increase in the number of people forced into treatment for marijuana takes up bed space for those addicted to more harmful drugs.

conqueror worm Reviewed by conqueror worm on 03-04-2005. More BS about MJ addiction http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/other/articles/2005/03/04/more_seek_help_for_marijuana_addiction/ WASHINGTON -- Treatment rates for marijuana nearly tripled between 1992 and 2002, the government says, attributing the increase to greater use and potency. "This report is a wake-up call for parents that marijuana is not a soft drug," said Tom Riley, a spokesman for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. "It's a much bigger part of the addiction problem than is Rating: 5

[ermitonto]

FBI records show a substantial increase in marijuana-related arrests during the decade studied, from about 340,000 in 1992 to about 700,000 in 2002.

"Marijuana is not a harmless substance, and these treatment trends emphasize that point," said SAMHSA Administrator Charles Curie.

Wait, what? The government starts cracking down on the substance a lot more, therefore it's harmful? I don't follow.

Nobody goes through "marijuana treatment" because the addiction has been hard on them. They do it because the government is being hard on them, or government propaganda has convinced them it's evil because it's illegal (and of course it's illegal because it's evil).

[Epic]

Thats their logic. Go Go US.

Just because people that are using coke and meth and other shit will almost definately also use marijuana does not mean that marijuana is harmful, as they say.

[Kramerica]

There was a song in the 80's called "America is the home of the Hypocrite"
Yes, I live in the US, but our government has an insane policy involving marijuana.
I guess weed doesnt have as many lobbyists and special interest money as alcohol and tobacco.

[Nullific]

They force otherwise law abiding, harmless criminals into rehabs so they can use it as a statistic that "treatment rates for marijuana use have triple" and say "see, people are addicted to marijuana look at everyone who went to rehab for it".

A friend of mine fell victim to this, he was a fucking idiot and screwed himself, they sent him to a rehab where they brainwashed him basically encouraging him to smoke cigarettes but no drugs of course. (Despite nicotine being a drug more addictive than heroin)

[thcbongman]

It is quite deceptive.

Considering a huge majority of those seeking treatment is based on a court-order.

Statistical bullshit.

[SmoKa]

Yeppers another BS .... bastards

[Omun]

I have had no trouble giving up smoking when i had too this year (no money, no job, going to school) So I believe that it truly is not addictive, or at least it was this way for me.

[chris420]

Marijuana is not addictive!! damn i love the us but fuck the government

[4252]

I had a guy working for me once who was convinced he was "addicted" to marijuana, and wanted to see if there was any rehab I could recomend. I remember saying "Oh, bullshit! Stop you're whining." He pursued the matter, and some substance abuse clinic told him "Oh, bullshit. Quit you're whining" That was back in the late '80s.

Really, it's time for people to stop looking for excuses for their lives being fucked up, and admit that they did the fucking up. No external reasons need to be looked for; a screw-up is a screw-up. I heard that even Freud once said that sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Whatever happened to accountability? Is it just out of style, or what?

Give the opposition a club to beat you with, and they'll use it without hesitation.

End of rant.

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