Category: Marijuana

  • Teens and drugs: Drug use statistics and treatment that works

    Here are some drug use statistics: Over 80% of teens engage in some form of deviant behavior (1). Over 50% of high-school seniors admit to having used drugs (2). Only 10%-15% of the population develop drug addiction problems related to their drug use (1). The question is: If the majority of teens experiment with drug…

  • Forgetting astrocytes – marijuana, memory, and the brain

    My favorite thing about science are those discoveries that remind us we simply don’t know everything. A recent article by a group of researchers from Canada, China, and France (see original research article in the journal Cell here and a nice summary here) summarizes findings that reveal some surprises about the ways marijuana use affects…

  • Addiction stories: How I recovered from my addiction to crystal meth

    By the time I was done with my addiction to crystal meth, I had racked up 4 arrests, 9 felonies, a $750,000 bail, a year in jail, and an eight year suspended sentence to go along with my 5 year probation period. Though I think education is important to keep getting the message out about…

  • More money more problems? Rich teens and drugs

    Teens raised in affluent homes display the highest rates of depression, anxiety, and drug abuse according to a recent article in Monitor on Psychology, the APA‘s monthly magazine. One of our recent posts dealt with some of the issues unique to teens and drugs. In addition to the issues we’d already mentioned, the article named…

  • Higher drug abuse among gay youth likely tied to rejection

    For a lesbian, gay, or bisexual youth, “coming out” is an extremely stressful, though important event that can result in improved self-esteem, social-support, and psychological adjustment. However, a recent study found that the reactions to such a disclosure have a lot to do with the risk of those youths abusing alcohol and drugs. Social rejection…

  • 420, smoking weed, and drug problems : Marijuana facts

    Co-authored by: Jamie Felzer It’s April 20th, or 4-20, and anyone who smokes marijuana knows what that means – It’s time to smoke weed- a lot of weed! In honor of this “stoner” holiday, or perhaps in reverence of its implications, I wanted to put together a post that explored some recent findings having to…

  • Is marijuana addictive? You can bet your heroin on that!

    “Is marijuana addictive?” seems to be the ultimate question for many people. In fact, when discussing addiction, it is rare that the addiction potential for marijuana doesn’t come up. Some basic points about marijuana: The active ingredient in marijuana, THC, binds to cannabinoid receptors in the brain (CB1 and CB2). Since it is a partial…

  • Gambling on marijuana use makes for bad decisions

    I just can’t seem to stay away from the marijuana debate, even given the recent defeat of Proposition 19 that aimed to legalize marijuana in California. This article is a short one, but speaks to some of the cognitive issues associated with marijuana use. A study (see here) conducted by a Wake Forest University team…

  • About Addiction: Prescription Medication, Anti Smoking, Alcohol, Ecstasy, and Marijuana

    We have the newest links about addiction. This week we feature info on cough medicine, prescription medication, smoking, alcohol, ecstasy, and marijuana. Let us know what you think and leave us your feedback. Cough and Prescription Medication CNN Health: The trend for kids to abuse cough medicine is either back, or never left since my…

  • About Addiction: Kombucha, Alcoholism, Drug Crime, mental health, and the Law

    These are the newest links about alcohol, drug crime and mental health. Let us know what you think and leave us your feedback! Kombucha, Alcohol content, and teens The New York Times: Some Kombucha drinks may have elevated alcohol content, with specific varieties reaching as high as 3% alcohol by volume, as high as some…