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New Warning About Marijuana Use

Question:

bad parenting,, causes all these MORE than marijuana does,, drunken parents cause their kids to become depressed and have suicidal thoughts more often than them smokin a joint could ever do,,  how about popularity???  it causes all these as well,, with kids being alienated at school and not belonging to the ”popular group” causes them to become suicidal and depressed as well. Zits cause this problem in teens too,,, i can make a truley excellent research paper prove that kids kill themselves due to having BAd ACNE,,!!!!!! it causes alineation, it causes depression, suicidal thoughts too,, i could make anything look like a causal factor if i used stats in the same manner,,, maybe these4 idiots should ask ”Why do kids seek out a way to escape from the reality of their home life???”  whether it be pot coke booze pills crystal meth heroin etc etc,,, that is what is the CAUSE of teens mental probs and thoughts of suicide and depression. that is the causal factor,, not the drug they seek out to escape from their torment,,, the torment cuased the death. if i hold somones head under water,, the cause of death is drowning,, do they blame the water ??? or do they blame whoever held the head under water??? kids dont just go nuts,, all of a sudden,, they do it because of how others make them feel,,, its all related to how they are made to feel , by school chums ,parents , society,,,, to many people regurgitate the same buyllcrap over the years,, this same stuff was said last time and attributed to soldiers in the UK who had ccome home from battle in war,, they went psycho cause they smoked pot as teenagers that dumbass study claimed!!!!  notjhing to do with killing other humans in war, makin them go nuts,, but it was all attributed to them trying pot when they were teens!!! caused them to be phychos after they gopt back from a tour of duty???? PLEASE please enough of the crap studies eh!!!! was this study they did published in the British medical journals>>> ?? bobbyD "Michael" <muirh…@haidagwaii.net> wrote in message

news:0dydnfgjAbcDq-XfRVn-jw@qcislands.net… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->> Feds Sound New Warning About Marijuana Use >> By PAULINE JELINEK >> Associated Press Writer > Oh… and it’s obvious that Jelinek’s sole source for her entire AP story > was the self-serving and carefully orchestrated press release that the > ONDCP put out today.   She made absolutely no effort to corroborate or > debunk a single word of it.   That’s not journalism, it’s propaganda > dissemination. > http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050503/cgtu032.html?.v=7 >      Press Release Source: Office of National Drug Control Policy > White House Drug Czar, Research and Mental Health Communities Warn Parents > That Marijuana Use Can Lead to Depression, Suicidal Thoughts and > Schizophrenia > Tuesday May 3, 10:00 am ET > Serious Psychiatric Impact of Marijuana Use Evident in Growing Body of > Research > WASHINGTON, May 3 /PRNewswire/ — The Nation’s Drug Czar, John P. Walters, > and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) > Administrator, Charles G. Curie, joined with scientists and experts from > the leading mental health organizations today to alert parents about the > danger marijuana poses to their teens’ mental health. > "A growing body of evidence now demonstrates that smoking marijuana can > increase the risk of serious mental health problems," said Walters, > Director of National Drug Control Policy. "New research being conducted > here and abroad illustrates that marijuana use, particularly during the > teen years, can lead to depression, thoughts of suicide, and > schizophrenia. This is yet another reason that parents must stay closely > involved with their teens and ensure that they are not smoking marijuana." > A number of prominent studies have recently identified a direct link > between marijuana use and increased risk of mental health problems. Recent > research makes a stronger case that cannabis smoking itself is a causal > agent in psychiatric symptoms, particularly schizophrenia. During the past > three years, these studies have strengthened that association and further > found that the age when marijuana is first smoked is a crucial risk factor > in later development of mental health problems. > A report released today from SAMSHA found that adults who first used > marijuana before age 12 were twice as likely as adults who first used > marijuana at age 18 or older to be classified as having serious mental > illness in the past year than were adults who first used marijuana at age > 18 or older. > "Kids today are using marijuana at younger ages, putting them at greater > risk," said Charles G. Curie, SAMHSA Administrator. "We have found that > the younger a person starts smoking marijuana, the greater the likelihood > they have of developing an addiction and serious mental illness later in > life." > "Mental health disorders such as depression and schizophrenia contribute > to the mortality of our citizens, and suicide is one of the leading > preventable causes of death," said U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. > Carmona, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.S. "As a society we must do everything we can > to promote mental health and prevent mental illness – and that includes > keeping our kids drug-free. Parents and teens alike must realize the > long-term effects marijuana can have on the brain." > Several recent studies have linked youth marijuana use with depression, > suicidal thoughts and schizophrenia: >    –  Young people who use marijuana weekly have double the risk of >        developing depression. >    –  Teens aged 12 to 17 who smoke marijuana weekly are three times more >        likely than non-users to have suicidal thoughts. >    –  Marijuana use in some teens has been linked to increased risk for >        schizophrenia in later years. >    –  A British study found that as many as one in four people may have a >        genetic profile that makes marijuana five times more likely to > trigger >        psychotic disorders. > Evidence has recently emerged that some people’s genetic make-up may > predispose them to be particularly vulnerable to the effects of marijuana > on mental health. For instance, a major study out of the Netherlands > concluded that use of the drug "moderately increases" the risk of > psychotic symptoms in young people but has "a much stronger effect" in > those with evidence of predisposition. > "The nonchalance about marijuana in Europe and the U.S. is worrisome," > said Neil McKeganey, Ph.D., Professor of Drug Misuse Research and > Director, Centre for Drug Misuse Research, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, > Scotland. "Marijuana is the first illegal drug that many young people use > and teens don’t view it as a serious drug, and when children are exposed > only to advice from kids like themselves, the risks seem meaningless. > We’re starting to see marijuana in a new light given recent research into > the connection between marijuana and mental illness." > This new evidence comes with a warning to parents, as they are the most > important influence in their teens’ lives when it comes to drugs. "Tell > your teens the facts and tell them not to use marijuana," said Robert L. > DuPont, M.D., President of the Institute for Behavior and Health, Inc., > and a leading advocate for the power of parents in preventing drug use. > "Take meaningful actions to see that they do not. A vital part of your job > as a parent is helping your teen grow up drug-free." > As part of the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s (ONDCP) National > Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, this outreach effort features a compendium > of recent research linking marijuana and mental illness and an Open Letter > to parents on "Marijuana and Your Teen’s Mental Health." The letter > highlights some of the new research about the serious consequences of teen > marijuana use on mental health and is signed by ONDCP and 12 of the > Nation’s leading mental health, behavioral health and addiction treatment > organizations: American Psychiatric Association; American Academy of Child > and Adolescent Psychiatry; American Society of Addiction Medicine; Asian > Community Mental Health Services; Association for Medical Education and > Research in Substance Abuse; Institute for Behavior and Health, Inc.; > National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association; > National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers; National Council > for Community Behavioral Healthcare; National Latino Behavioral Health > Association; National Medical Association; and the Partnership for a > Drug-Free America. The letter begins appearing next week in USA Today and > newspapers in the 25 largest cities nationwide, including The New York > Times and The Washington Post, and will also run in The Nation, The > National Journal, The National Review, The New Republic, Newsweek, Time > and The Weekly Standard. > On the Media Campaign’s Web site for parents, http://TheAntiDrug.com , > adults can learn more about how marijuana affects the developing teen > brain, including the links between marijuana and depression, suicidal > thoughts and schizophrenia. Visitors can take a virtual tour of a human > brain to learn how marijuana impairs, and even changes, the functionality > of the centers responsible for maintaining overall mental health. Parents > can also view responses from a qualified psychiatrist on the most common > questions regarding marijuana and mental health. > For more information on the ONDCP National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, > visit http://www.MediaCampaign.org . > ————————————————————————— —– > Source: Office of National Drug Control Policy

Response:

I think the fact that children aren’t getting treated for mental health issues and their own families are seriously causing them mental damage is more alarming. Case in point… One of the schools I teach in is in a very affluent area (white rock for those BCers) I teach elementary school, learning resource so I see students from K-7. In the 2 grade 7 classes (about 50 kids altogether) I know of at least 10 sure cases of kids using pot. There are also another 5 or six of them we suspect are using on a regular basis. It’s heartbreaking because these students are choosing an outlet that isn’t helpful for them. Their family lives suck, their parents could care less, they have serious emotional issues. But no one is helping these kids. And with kids left with little supervision what else are they going to do? Out of the bunch of students I see, we already have 4 pegged to drop out of highschool next year. Obviously something is going wrong somewhere when children 11, 12 and 13 are smoking pot and drinking. One kid told me he doesn’t care about anything and since he feels worthless why not  do what he’s doing. If the gov’t would invest money in mental health and support for families, I think we would see less drug and alcohol abuse around the board. Jen "GT Tick" <OLT…@webtv.net> wrote in message

news:21910-42782CD5-625@storefull-3238.bay.webtv.net… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> This should set off a firestorm from the depressed and schizophrenic. > — > — > Feds Sound New Warning About Marijuana Use > By PAULINE JELINEK > Associated Press Writer > WASHINGTON (AP) — Youngsters who use marijuana are more likely to > develop serious mental health problems, the government said Tuesday. A > private group said law enforcement increasingly is targeting people who > smoke and deal the drug. > Past medical studies have linked marijuana with a greater incidence of > mental disorders such as depression or schizophrenia. But questions > remain about whether people who smoke marijuana at a young age are > already predisposed to mental disorders, or whether the drug caused > those disorders. > Government officials say recent research makes a stronger case that > smoking marijuana is itself a causal agent in psychiatric symptoms, > particularly schizophrenia. > "A growing body of evidence now demonstrates that smoking marijuana can > increase the risk of serious mental health problems," said John P. > Walters, director of the White House Office of Drug Control Policy. > Administration officials pointed to a handful of studies to make their > case. One, from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services > Administration, found adult marijuana smokers who first began using the > drug before age 12 were twice as likely to have suffered a serious > mental illness in the past year as those who began smoking after 18. > The ratio was 21 percent to 10.5 percent. Those who first started as > teens also were at significantly higher risk. > Also Tuesday, The Sentencing Project released a report that found the > government’s "war on drugs" has become the "war on drug" as police > agencies increasingly target marijuana. > Begun in the 1980s, the war on drugs was aimed at stopping large-scale > narcotics traffickers, particularly those selling cocaine. But since > 1990 more of the focus has been on catching users and low-level dealers. > And more often than ever, the drug targeted is marijuana, according to > the group, a national nonprofit organization that works on judicial > reform and favors alternatives to jail. > Of some 700,000 marijuana arrests in 2002, 88 percent were for > possession, it said. And only one of every 18 of those arrests ended in > a felony conviction. > "Arresting record numbers of low-level marijuana offenders represents a > poor investment in public safety" and diverts resources from "more > serious crime problems," said Ryan King, co-author of the report. > King found that in 1992 arrests for heroin and cocaine comprised 55 > percent of all drug arrests and marijuana 28 percent. A decade later > heroin and cocaine arrests accounted for less than 30 percent of all > arrests, while marijuana’s share had risen to 45 percent. > Jennifer deVallance, spokeswoman for the White House drug office, said > there are many reasons for the greater focus on marijuana. Among them: > Marijuana is the single largest drug of abuse in the nation, the strains > are more potent than ever and more is known about health dangers. > "For the first time, more kids are seeking treatment for marijuana use > than alcohol," she said. > The Sentencing Project called for renewed national discussion of the war > on drugs, an idea echoed by the conservative American Enterprise > Institute. The group reported last month that despite spending at about > $40 billion a year now and toughening drug sentencing laws, "America > continues to experience the Western world’s worst drug problems." > An epidemic of heroin use more than three decades ago, followed by a > 1980s epidemic of cocaine and crack, prompted a massive intensification > in drug enforcement while giving short shrift to prevention and > treatment, the institute reported. It decried budgeting that spends > two-thirds of drug control funds on enforcement, 25 percent on treatment > and just 12 percent on prevention. > — > Associated Press reporter Kevin Freking contributed to this story. > — > On the Net: > The Sentencing Project: http://www.sentencingproject.org > Office of National Drug Control Policy: > http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov > *****Don’t Cry Because It’s Over…Smile Because It Happened.***** > Visit Me At Tick’s Place… > http://community-2.webtv.net/OLTICK/TICKSPLACE/

Response:

"Jennifer" <Jnos…@shaw.ca> wrote in message

news:p%Wde.1213145$8l.414796@pd7tw1no… >I think the fact that children aren’t getting treated for mental health > issues and their own families are seriously causing them mental damage is > more alarming. > Case in point… One of the schools I teach in is in a very affluent area > (white rock for those BCers) I teach elementary school, learning resource > so > I see students from K-7. In the 2 grade 7 classes (about 50 kids > altogether) > I know of at least 10 sure cases of kids using pot. There are also another > 5 > or six of them we suspect are using on a regular basis. It’s heartbreaking > because these students are choosing an outlet that isn’t helpful for them.

that makes me very sad,, doesnt matter the drug,, i dont let my kids toke,, i dont let them smoke cigs or drink booze,,  ever,,, untill they are grown adults and living in their own home  paying theor own way., > Their family lives suck, their parents could care less, they have serious > emotional issues. But no one is helping these kids. And with kids left > with > little supervision what else are they going to do? Out of the bunch of > students I see, we already have 4 pegged to drop out of highschool next > year.

i cant believe the school cant get  social services involved,,, with their parents,,, what really kills me is that i cant believe any parent could do this to their kids,, i love mine so much i would never let them be so alone that they would look elsewhere for support,, parents must be inviolved with their kids all the time,,, > Obviously something is going wrong somewhere when children 11, 12 and 13 > are > smoking pot and drinking. One kid told me he doesn’t care about anything > and > since he feels worthless why not  do what he’s doing.

there is the problem,, not the booze,, not the pot,, not the Vandalism,, gang crap,, the problem is the PARENT ,, and that parents lack of parenting skills or caring,, or loving their child ,, giving everything you have for your kids,,,  If the gov’t would > invest money in mental health and support for families, I think we would > see > less drug and alcohol abuse around the board. > Jen

the word is abuse,, and when someone abuses something it is bad,, abusing drugs, or even food or sex,, for that matter,, but the problem with these kids is the lack of participation in their lives by their parents,, it always has been the reason!!!!! bobbyD – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> "GT Tick" <OLT…@webtv.net> wrote in message > news:21910-42782CD5-625@storefull-3238.bay.webtv.net… >> This should set off a firestorm from the depressed and schizophrenic. >> — >> — >> Feds Sound New Warning About Marijuana Use >> By PAULINE JELINEK >> Associated Press Writer >> WASHINGTON (AP) — Youngsters who use marijuana are more likely to >> develop serious mental health problems, the government said Tuesday. A >> private group said law enforcement increasingly is targeting people who >> smoke and deal the drug. >> Past medical studies have linked marijuana with a greater incidence of >> mental disorders such as depression or schizophrenia. But questions >> remain about whether people who smoke marijuana at a young age are >> already predisposed to mental disorders, or whether the drug caused >> those disorders. >> Government officials say recent research makes a stronger case that >> smoking marijuana is itself a causal agent in psychiatric symptoms, >> particularly schizophrenia. >> "A growing body of evidence now demonstrates that smoking marijuana can >> increase the risk of serious mental health problems," said John P. >> Walters, director of the White House Office of Drug Control Policy. >> Administration officials pointed to a handful of studies to make their >> case. One, from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services >> Administration, found adult marijuana smokers who first began using the >> drug before age 12 were twice as likely to have suffered a serious >> mental illness in the past year as those who began smoking after 18. >> The ratio was 21 percent to 10.5 percent. Those who first started as >> teens also were at significantly higher risk. >> Also Tuesday, The Sentencing Project released a report that found the >> government’s "war on drugs" has become the "war on drug" as police >> agencies increasingly target marijuana. >> Begun in the 1980s, the war on drugs was aimed at stopping large-scale >> narcotics traffickers, particularly those selling cocaine. But since >> 1990 more of the focus has been on catching users and low-level dealers. >> And more often than ever, the drug targeted is marijuana, according to >> the group, a national nonprofit organization that works on judicial >> reform and favors alternatives to jail. >> Of some 700,000 marijuana arrests in 2002, 88 percent were for >> possession, it said. And only one of every 18 of those arrests ended in >> a felony conviction. >> "Arresting record numbers of low-level marijuana offenders represents a >> poor investment in public safety" and diverts resources from "more >> serious crime problems," said Ryan King, co-author of the report. >> King found that in 1992 arrests for heroin and cocaine comprised 55 >> percent of all drug arrests and marijuana 28 percent. A decade later >> heroin and cocaine arrests accounted for less than 30 percent of all >> arrests, while marijuana’s share had risen to 45 percent. >> Jennifer deVallance, spokeswoman for the White House drug office, said >> there are many reasons for the greater focus on marijuana. Among them: >> Marijuana is the single largest drug of abuse in the nation, the strains >> are more potent than ever and more is known about health dangers. >> "For the first time, more kids are seeking treatment for marijuana use >> than alcohol," she said. >> The Sentencing Project called for renewed national discussion of the war >> on drugs, an idea echoed by the conservative American Enterprise >> Institute. The group reported last month that despite spending at about >> $40 billion a year now and toughening drug sentencing laws, "America >> continues to experience the Western world’s worst drug problems." >> An epidemic of heroin use more than three decades ago, followed by a >> 1980s epidemic of cocaine and crack, prompted a massive intensification >> in drug enforcement while giving short shrift to prevention and >> treatment, the institute reported. It decried budgeting that spends >> two-thirds of drug control funds on enforcement, 25 percent on treatment >> and just 12 percent on prevention. >> — >> Associated Press reporter Kevin Freking contributed to this story. >> — >> On the Net: >> The Sentencing Project: http://www.sentencingproject.org >> Office of National Drug Control Policy: >> http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov >> *****Don’t Cry Because It’s Over…Smile Because It Happened.***** >> Visit Me At Tick’s Place… >> http://community-2.webtv.net/OLTICK/TICKSPLACE/

Response:

Michael wrote: > 1) Perhaps they’d like to ‘fess up about the fact that the rise in > youngsters "seeking" treatment for marijuana use is almost entirely the > product of judges offering them the choice of treatment or incarceration as > sentencing options.

michael, i actually think there’s a different reason for the increase. minors do not — they CANNOT — check themselves into rehab without parental permission. they can attend 12-step groups or other self-help programs, but not inpatient treatment. i think much of the rise has to do with the new emphasis on anti-MARIJUANA hysteria and the impact it has on parents. 10 years ago, at least in southern cali, many if not most parents tended to view their kids’ pot-smoking as normal adolescent behavior, basically on a par with underage drinking. sure, some teen drinkers and teen pot smokers will go on to become alcoholics or burnt-out stoners, but the majority will grow up just fine. i think more parents realized that — not to say they approved, or didn’t have talks with their kids about both drinking and smoking pot, but i don’t think there was the same level of parental fear that there is now that the anti-marijuana blitz is underway. rather than viewing their kids as ‘experimenting,’ many parents are so freaked out by the anti-pot hysteria being propogated, that they seem to fear that if they don’t check the kid into rehab the first time they catch him/her with a jont, their kid is doomed to become a thieving, needle-using high-school dropout headed for the penitentiary. i think parents who would previously maybe have talked to their kids about pot if they caught them with it are checking them into treatment centers more often, and i think that’s a direct result of the modern ‘war on drug.’ living in tweakerville, methtown, U.S.A., it makes me sick to see so much focus on the dangers of pot, while there are teenage meth heads who got their first hit off the tweak pipe from their own MOMS in plain view of social services, law enforcement, the foster care system, the whole damned neighborhood. ok,  /mom soap-box! rose

Response:

> Feds Sound New Warning About Marijuana Use > By PAULINE JELINEK > Associated Press Writer

Oh… and it’s obvious that Jelinek’s sole source for her entire AP story was the self-serving and carefully orchestrated press release that the ONDCP put out today.   She made absolutely no effort to corroborate or debunk a single word of it.   That’s not journalism, it’s propaganda dissemination. http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050503/cgtu032.html?.v=7       Press Release Source: Office of National Drug Control Policy White House Drug Czar, Research and Mental Health Communities Warn Parents That Marijuana Use Can Lead to Depression, Suicidal Thoughts and Schizophrenia Tuesday May 3, 10:00 am ET Serious Psychiatric Impact of Marijuana Use Evident in Growing Body of Research WASHINGTON, May 3 /PRNewswire/ — The Nation’s Drug Czar, John P. Walters, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Administrator, Charles G. Curie, joined with scientists and experts from the leading mental health organizations today to alert parents about the danger marijuana poses to their teens’ mental health. "A growing body of evidence now demonstrates that smoking marijuana can increase the risk of serious mental health problems," said Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy. "New research being conducted here and abroad illustrates that marijuana use, particularly during the teen years, can lead to depression, thoughts of suicide, and schizophrenia. This is yet another reason that parents must stay closely involved with their teens and ensure that they are not smoking marijuana." A number of prominent studies have recently identified a direct link between marijuana use and increased risk of mental health problems. Recent research makes a stronger case that cannabis smoking itself is a causal agent in psychiatric symptoms, particularly schizophrenia. During the past three years, these studies have strengthened that association and further found that the age when marijuana is first smoked is a crucial risk factor in later development of mental health problems. A report released today from SAMSHA found that adults who first used marijuana before age 12 were twice as likely as adults who first used marijuana at age 18 or older to be classified as having serious mental illness in the past year than were adults who first used marijuana at age 18 or older. "Kids today are using marijuana at younger ages, putting them at greater risk," said Charles G. Curie, SAMHSA Administrator. "We have found that the younger a person starts smoking marijuana, the greater the likelihood they have of developing an addiction and serious mental illness later in life." "Mental health disorders such as depression and schizophrenia contribute to the mortality of our citizens, and suicide is one of the leading preventable causes of death," said U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.S. "As a society we must do everything we can to promote mental health and prevent mental illness – and that includes keeping our kids drug-free. Parents and teens alike must realize the long-term effects marijuana can have on the brain." Several recent studies have linked youth marijuana use with depression, suicidal thoughts and schizophrenia:     —  Young people who use marijuana weekly have double the risk of         developing depression.     —  Teens aged 12 to 17 who smoke marijuana weekly are three times more         likely than non-users to have suicidal thoughts.     —  Marijuana use in some teens has been linked to increased risk for         schizophrenia in later years.     —  A British study found that as many as one in four people may have a         genetic profile that makes marijuana five times more likely to trigger         psychotic disorders. Evidence has recently emerged that some people’s genetic make-up may predispose them to be particularly vulnerable to the effects of marijuana on mental health. For instance, a major study out of the Netherlands concluded that use of the drug "moderately increases" the risk of psychotic symptoms in young people but has "a much stronger effect" in those with evidence of predisposition. "The nonchalance about marijuana in Europe and the U.S. is worrisome," said Neil McKeganey, Ph.D., Professor of Drug Misuse Research and Director, Centre for Drug Misuse Research, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland. "Marijuana is the first illegal drug that many young people use and teens don’t view it as a serious drug, and when children are exposed only to advice from kids like themselves, the risks seem meaningless. We’re starting to see marijuana in a new light given recent research into the connection between marijuana and mental illness." This new evidence comes with a warning to parents, as they are the most important influence in their teens’ lives when it comes to drugs. "Tell your teens the facts and tell them not to use marijuana," said Robert L. DuPont, M.D., President of the Institute for Behavior and Health, Inc., and a leading advocate for the power of parents in preventing drug use. "Take meaningful actions to see that they do not. A vital part of your job as a parent is helping your teen grow up drug-free." As part of the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s (ONDCP) National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, this outreach effort features a compendium of recent research linking marijuana and mental illness and an Open Letter to parents on "Marijuana and Your Teen’s Mental Health." The letter highlights some of the new research about the serious consequences of teen marijuana use on mental health and is signed by ONDCP and 12 of the Nation’s leading mental health, behavioral health and addiction treatment organizations: American Psychiatric Association; American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; American Society of Addiction Medicine; Asian Community Mental Health Services; Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse; Institute for Behavior and Health, Inc.; National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association; National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers; National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare; National Latino Behavioral Health Association; National Medical Association; and the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. The letter begins appearing next week in USA Today and newspapers in the 25 largest cities nationwide, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, and will also run in The Nation, The National Journal, The National Review, The New Republic, Newsweek, Time and The Weekly Standard. On the Media Campaign’s Web site for parents, http://TheAntiDrug.com , adults can learn more about how marijuana affects the developing teen brain, including the links between marijuana and depression, suicidal thoughts and schizophrenia. Visitors can take a virtual tour of a human brain to learn how marijuana impairs, and even changes, the functionality of the centers responsible for maintaining overall mental health. Parents can also view responses from a qualified psychiatrist on the most common questions regarding marijuana and mental health. For more information on the ONDCP National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, visit http://www.MediaCampaign.org . ————————————————————————— —– Source: Office of National Drug Control Policy

Response:

This should set off a firestorm from the depressed and schizophrenic. — — Feds Sound New Warning About Marijuana Use By PAULINE JELINEK Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Youngsters who use marijuana are more likely to develop serious mental health problems, the government said Tuesday. A private group said law enforcement increasingly is targeting people who smoke and deal the drug. Past medical studies have linked marijuana with a greater incidence of mental disorders such as depression or schizophrenia. But questions remain about whether people who smoke marijuana at a young age are already predisposed to mental disorders, or whether the drug caused those disorders. Government officials say recent research makes a stronger case that smoking marijuana is itself a causal agent in psychiatric symptoms, particularly schizophrenia. "A growing body of evidence now demonstrates that smoking marijuana can increase the risk of serious mental health problems," said John P. Walters, director of the White House Office of Drug Control Policy. Administration officials pointed to a handful of studies to make their case. One, from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, found adult marijuana smokers who first began using the drug before age 12 were twice as likely to have suffered a serious mental illness in the past year as those who began smoking after 18. The ratio was 21 percent to 10.5 percent. Those who first started as teens also were at significantly higher risk. Also Tuesday, The Sentencing Project released a report that found the government’s "war on drugs" has become the "war on drug" as police agencies increasingly target marijuana. Begun in the 1980s, the war on drugs was aimed at stopping large-scale narcotics traffickers, particularly those selling cocaine. But since 1990 more of the focus has been on catching users and low-level dealers. And more often than ever, the drug targeted is marijuana, according to the group, a national nonprofit organization that works on judicial reform and favors alternatives to jail. Of some 700,000 marijuana arrests in 2002, 88 percent were for possession, it said. And only one of every 18 of those arrests ended in a felony conviction. "Arresting record numbers of low-level marijuana offenders represents a poor investment in public safety" and diverts resources from "more serious crime problems," said Ryan King, co-author of the report. King found that in 1992 arrests for heroin and cocaine comprised 55 percent of all drug arrests and marijuana 28 percent. A decade later heroin and cocaine arrests accounted for less than 30 percent of all arrests, while marijuana’s share had risen to 45 percent. Jennifer deVallance, spokeswoman for the White House drug office, said there are many reasons for the greater focus on marijuana. Among them: Marijuana is the single largest drug of abuse in the nation, the strains are more potent than ever and more is known about health dangers. "For the first time, more kids are seeking treatment for marijuana use than alcohol," she said. The Sentencing Project called for renewed national discussion of the war on drugs, an idea echoed by the conservative American Enterprise Institute. The group reported last month that despite spending at about $40 billion a year now and toughening drug sentencing laws, "America continues to experience the Western world’s worst drug problems." An epidemic of heroin use more than three decades ago, followed by a 1980s epidemic of cocaine and crack, prompted a massive intensification in drug enforcement while giving short shrift to prevention and treatment, the institute reported. It decried budgeting that spends two-thirds of drug control funds on enforcement, 25 percent on treatment and just 12 percent on prevention. — Associated Press reporter Kevin Freking contributed to this story. — On the Net: The Sentencing Project: http://www.sentencingproject.org Office of National Drug Control Policy: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov *****Don’t Cry Because It’s Over…Smile Because It Happened.***** Visit Me At Tick’s Place… http://community-2.webtv.net/OLTICK/TICKSPLACE/

Response:

1) Perhaps they’d like to ‘fess up about the fact that the rise in youngsters "seeking" treatment for marijuana use is almost entirely the product of judges offering them the choice of treatment or incarceration as sentencing options. 2) Perhaps also, they can explain that with over 70 million pot smokers in America now – as contrasted with only a few tens of thousands in 1937 – there hasn’t been and astronomical rise in either the incidence or the prevalence of schizophrenia. They’re lying.   They haven’t *stopped* lying for nearly 70 years. Oh, and… 3) Perhaps these same feds would like to explain why John P. Walters’ former deputy Drug Czar at ONDCP is now working as an FDA and Congressional lobbyist for a foreign manufacturer and distributor of hash-oil. ((U))   M GT Tick wrote: > This should set off a firestorm from the depressed and schizophrenic.

Feds Sound New Warning About Marijuana Use By PAULINE JELINEK Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Youngsters who use marijuana are more likely to develop serious mental health problems, the government said Tuesday. A private group said law enforcement increasingly is targeting people who smoke and deal the drug. Past medical studies have linked marijuana with a greater incidence of mental disorders such as depression or schizophrenia. But questions remain about whether people who smoke marijuana at a young age are already predisposed to mental disorders, or whether the drug caused those disorders. Government officials say recent research makes a stronger case that smoking marijuana is itself a causal agent in psychiatric symptoms, particularly schizophrenia. "A growing body of evidence now demonstrates that smoking marijuana can increase the risk of serious mental health problems," said John P. Walters, director of the White House Office of Drug Control Policy. Administration officials pointed to a handful of studies to make their case. One, from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, found adult marijuana smokers who first began using the drug before age 12 were twice as likely to have suffered a serious mental illness in the past year as those who began smoking after 18. The ratio was 21 percent to 10.5 percent. Those who first started as teens also were at significantly higher risk. Also Tuesday, The Sentencing Project released a report that found the government’s "war on drugs" has become the "war on drug" as police agencies increasingly target marijuana. Begun in the 1980s, the war on drugs was aimed at stopping large-scale narcotics traffickers, particularly those selling cocaine. But since 1990 more of the focus has been on catching users and low-level dealers. And more often than ever, the drug targeted is marijuana, according to the group, a national nonprofit organization that works on judicial reform and favors alternatives to jail. Of some 700,000 marijuana arrests in 2002, 88 percent were for possession, it said. And only one of every 18 of those arrests ended in a felony conviction. "Arresting record numbers of low-level marijuana offenders represents a poor investment in public safety" and diverts resources from "more serious crime problems," said Ryan King, co-author of the report. King found that in 1992 arrests for heroin and cocaine comprised 55 percent of all drug arrests and marijuana 28 percent. A decade later heroin and cocaine arrests accounted for less than 30 percent of all arrests, while marijuana’s share had risen to 45 percent. Jennifer deVallance, spokeswoman for the White House drug office, said there are many reasons for the greater focus on marijuana. Among them: Marijuana is the single largest drug of abuse in the nation, the strains are more potent than ever and more is known about health dangers. "For the first time, more kids are seeking treatment for marijuana use than alcohol," she said. The Sentencing Project called for renewed national discussion of the war on drugs, an idea echoed by the conservative American Enterprise Institute. The group reported last month that despite spending at about $40 billion a year now and toughening drug sentencing laws, "America continues to experience the Western world’s worst drug problems." An epidemic of heroin use more than three decades ago, followed by a 1980s epidemic of cocaine and crack, prompted a massive intensification in drug enforcement while giving short shrift to prevention and treatment, the institute reported. It decried budgeting that spends two-thirds of drug control funds on enforcement, 25 percent on treatment and just 12 percent on prevention.

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