Dirk Mauser's Medical Cannabis News & Trivia: Studying while high ???

Dirk Mauser's Medical Cannabis News & Trivia: Studying while high ???: "We all know that cannabis can expand your mind but can it also act as a study aid? Your parents, straight-head co-workers or doctor would pr..."

Studying while high ???

We all know that cannabis can expand your mind but can it also act as a study aid? Your parents, straight-head co-workers or doctor would probably advise you not to attempt this as it can affect your memory and/or motivation but I for one was helped by the Green Man when studying for my exams.

I was recently speaking to a group of A-Level students regarding this and surprisingly discovered that more than half of them would recommend it as it actually INCREASED their concentration levels. Several of them confessed to smoking a few joints by themselves most nights whilst trying to finish of their coursework.

So much for the stereotypical 'piss head' student. These people seemed to be focused and had a sensible approach towards study. They did not drink excessively. But they swore by the help that cannabis gave them.

This raises the question to our government and leaders..... Why is cannabis a controlled substance that one can be sent to jail with murderers and rapists simply for possession, whilst alcohol remains a nice legal, taxable asset to the nation. Don't get me wrong, I like the odd drink and if that was made illegal too then I would be at the front line of any revolt but I would happily trade legal alcohol for legal cannabis if the offer was made.

Ho-hum Attitude Toward Pot Has More Teens Lighting Up

Given all the talk and push regarding the legalization of cannabis, it may come as little surprise to many of us that a recent study shows marijuana use has spiked among teenagers.  But it is interesting to hear the perspective from an expert in drug addiction as to why more and more teens are lighting up a joint, and why this may be a trend that continues to climb.

Increased marijuana use among teenagers across the country, as reported recently by the National Institute on Drug Abuse “Monitoring the Future” survey, is no surprise to those of us who deal with teen drug abuse and addiction on a daily basis.

As CEO of The Starting Place, a nonprofit that helps addicted teens, we see that marijuana far outranks other substances as the drug of choice among Broward County teenagers.  This is backed by facts reported by many treatment facilities statewide.  Stats point out that marijuana remains the primary drug of admission at publicly funded treatment centers, and that young men report marijuana as their preferred substance of abuse while young women report marijuana among their top three drugs of choice.  Plus, the primary substance of abuse among all young adults under 25 admitted to treatment centers in South Florida is marijuana.

The larger question is why marijuana use has increased among our teenagers.  First, I believe the social norm is changing nationwide as attitudes and behaviors concerning marijuana become less hard line and more tolerant and accepting.  Marijuana as well as other drugs are becoming more and more accessible in schools and in the community for youth.  Also, parents of teens who grew up in a different generation with a “different marijuana,” one that was considerably less potent with much lower THC levels, do not see the danger and addictive nature of the current marijuana.  Both parents and teens do not understand the impact that marijuana use can have on the developing young brain.

Plus, the movement toward the passage of medical marijuana laws nationwide has had an impact on teenage use and teenage perceptions of marijuana.  In fact, data shows that in almost every state that has passed a medical marijuana law, youth have increased the frequency of marijuana use in the past 30 days while their perceptions of the harmfulness of marijuana have decreased.

What makes this even more alarming is that research shows the earlier a person starts to use drugs, the greater likelihood he or she will have a substance abuse problem in adulthood, does not bode well for the coming generation of adults.  At present, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse study, one third of seniors and one fourth of sophomores reported smoking marijuana in the last year.  That’s a huge percentage of our future leaders who potentially could have adult substance abuse issues.

In my mind, this is unacceptable.  We need to address the issue now by education, prevention strategies, treatment and more support in our community for youth who do not want to use as well as those recovering from use and turn back the tide of rising marijuana use.  Our future, and the futures of our kids, depend on it.

Dr.  Joel Kaufman is the CEO of The Starting Place, which offers education, treatment and support services related to substance abuse, mental health and co-occurring disorders to teenagers and their families.  Kaufman is an experienced psychologist and administrator with more than 30 years of experience in the mental health and substance use/abuse fields.