According to SAMHSA, "approximately 1 in 10 people who use marijuana will become addicted. When they start before age 18, the rate of addiction rises to 1 in 6."

Marijuana refers to the dried leaves, flowers, stems and seeds from the Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica plant. The plant contains the mind-altering chemical THC and other similar compounds. Extracts can also be made from the cannabis plant (NIDA).

Marijuana is the most commonly used psychotropic drug in the United States after alcohol. Its use is widespread among young people. In 2018, more than 11.8 million young adults used marijuana in the past year. According to the Monitoring the Future survey, rates of past-year marijuana use among middle and high school students have remained steady, but the number of teens in 8th and 10th grades who say they use it daily has increased. With the growing popularity of vaping devices, teens have started vaping THC - the ingredient in marijuana that produces the high - with nearly 4% of 12th graders saying they vape THC daily. In addition, the number of young people who believe regular marijuana use is risky is decreasing (NIDA).

Click the links to view sources for more information:

• Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)
• National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
• Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM)
  • Smart Approaches to Marijuana Parent Action Network (PAN)
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
• The National Marijuana Initiative (NMI)
  
  

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On Tuesday, February 23, 2021, BCDAC, Inc. held a community information session with guest speaker Dr. Aaron Weiner, PhD. Participants were briefed on all factors related to medical and recreational marijuana, including the impact of marijuana use on health, politics, driving safety, social trends and marketing practices. Click below to view the presentation.

<a href="http://www.bcdac.org/prevention/current_trends/marijuana/index.php">Your Link Name</a>