Report: Frequent marijuana smoking up 80 percent among teens

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(CBS/AP) Pot use is becoming a big problem for U.S. teens, a new survey suggests. The Partnership at Drugfree.org released a new survey Wednesday that found nearly 1 in 10 teens said they smoke marijuana at least 20 or more times a month.

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That amounts to a whopping 80 percent rise in past-month marijuana use among teens since the organization's 2008 survey. The report by The Partnership at Drugfree.org and MetLife Foundation also said abuse of prescription medicine may be easing a bit among young people in grades 9 through 12, but still remains high.

Based in New York, The Partnership at Drugfree.org is formerly The Partnership for a Drug-Free America - best known for the "this is your brain on drugs" ads of the 1980s and 1990s. The nonprofit group launched a new name in 2010 to position itself as more of a resource to parents and to avoid the misperception that the group is a government organization.

For the report, researchers gave anonymous questionnaires to 3,322 teens in grades 9-12  that they  filled out at school from March to June 2011.

Partnership President Steve Pasierb says the mindset among parents is that a little weed or a few pills is no big deal.

"Parents are talking about cocaine and heroin, things that scare them," said Pasierb. "Parents are not talking about prescription drugs and marijuana. They can't wink and nod. They need to be stressing the message that this behavior is unhealthy."

Use of harder drugs - cocaine and methamphetamine - has stabilized in recent years, the group's survey showed. But past-month usage of marijuana grew from 19 percent in 2008 to 27 percent last year. Also alarming, says Pasierb, is the percentage of teens smoking pot 20 or more times a month. That rate went from 5 percent in 2008 to 9 percent last year, or about 1.5 million teens toking up that frequently.

Alex, 17, in Houston, says he started smoking pot at age 13, mostly on the weekends with friends.

"I just liked being high," said Alex, who is in a recovery program and asked that his last name not be used. "I always felt happier. Everything was funnier and my life was just brighter."

Alex then started abusing prescription drugs at 14. He blacked out one day at school, got arrested and ended up in rehab. After being sober for two years, Alex slipped and smoked pot last month. Still, he says he hopes to work toward a more sober life.

The findings on marijuana track closely with those in a recent University of Michigan study sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health. That study also found marijuana use rising among teens the past few years, reversing a long decline in the previous decade.

"These findings are deeply disturbing as the increases we're seeing in heavy, regular marijuana use among high school students can spell real trouble for these teens later on," Pasierb said in a written statement, adding kids who start in teen years are more likely to have substance abuse problems later in life.

Teens who smoked 20 times or more a month were almost twice as likely as kids who smoked pot less frequently to use ecstasy, cocaine or crack, according to the report.

Other findings from the report:

The Marijuana Policy Project, which advocates legalization, says making pot legal for adults might help cut teen usage.

"We definitely don't think that minors should be using marijuana any more than they should be drinking or using tobacco, but arresting people for doing that never stops minors," said Morgan Fox, a spokesman for the group. "If we remove marijuana from the criminal market and have the market run by responsible business people that have an incentive to check IDs and not sell to minors, then we might see those rates drop again."

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17 stoner states: Where's marijuana use highest?

[clocksthegenius]

well.. use of cocaine and heroin remains stable... i guess everyone claiming that its a gateway drug can f*** off

[fortuenti]

BETTER THAN SMOKING CIGARETTES!! Of course, if they use vaporizers or eat it, it is all the better.

Prohibition is a MASSIVE jobs program for government parasites... these people could care less about keeping your kids sober!

How to edit this message down to one minute or less and get the average citizen to grasp, appreciate, and take action is our challenge. Just about everybody I know who consumes Cannabis doesn't seem to have the time to watch this type of presentation and at least send an e-mail when prompted by MPP, etc. let alone ante up. They don't understand that their silence is APPROVAL OF PROHIBITION

http://youtu.be/iEipEPru8dk

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
copssaylegalizedrugs.org

"Criminal justice professionals speaking out against the War on Drugs"

Invite one to speak in your town.
http://www.leap.cc/watch-a-video/

[magnumdr]

Not only are more teens smoking pot, more teens are using cocaine in our High Schools also. Don't be fooled because coke and crack are just as prevalent in our Schools as pot is. Wake up America!

[OldGreengo]

Maybe in your school, but not in most. FBI statistics show 80 percent of all "illegal" drug sales is of marijuana.

America IS waking up. Polls show public support for ending the fraudulent, counter-productive marijuana prohibition has now passed 50 percent, nationwide, with around 60 percent in the Western states.

Colorado, Washington and Oregon will likely re-legalize marijuana at the polls in November. Most of the other states, and the feds, will follow soon after.

This justice, and wise economic move is WAY past due!

[OldGreengo]

Yes, everyone knows teens shouldn't consume ANY recreational drugs - especially addictive, very harmful alcohol. But, realisticly, we know some teens will always experiment with adult behaviors.

So, what's happening here is teens, like the rest of America, are just getting smarter. That segment of youth who will ALWAYS experiment with adult behaviors is just shifting from very harmful alcohol to near harmless marijuana. That's a good thing.

[MagnaCartaUK]

Doesn't surprise me in the least. I know two people that smoked this stuff as teenagers in the 1990s, and developed depression in later years. It could be said, of course, that they may have developed it anyway, but both feel it was this that did the damage. I don't know the legal age for consumimg alcohol in the States - here it's 18 - but we have an absolutely diabolical rate of teenage drink related deaths, injuries, assaults, and most shockingly, liver disease of ex teenage drinkers who are now in their late 20s/early 30s - some awaiting transplants on our N.H.S. I think the main point is why they feel a need to smoke this stuff, or drink to excess, etc. I suppose many teenagers face pressures of many kinds - perhaps more so these days. I can't comment on smoking the weed as I have no direct experience, but if they do it to 'escape', and I suspect many do - then why not talk with them at home and in school first, rather than dictate? They may not fully understand that the law's there to protect them - but it's surprising just how many kids bottle things up, and feel they can't talk about problems to adults. They're wrong of course, but why not tell them? They're young, inexperienced, infuriating know-alls at times, but they're certainly not the alcohol-fueled spawn of the Devil. Believe me, THAT you'll see in any British city and town on Friday and Saturday nights - and God forbid you ever see that day, but drink AND drugs are often seen by teens as a 'friend', without knowing that 'friend' is slowly pushing a knife into their back whilst smiling at them. Good article, tricky subject.

[superguy9331]

better cannabis than alcohol and anti-depressants. hopefully the new generation keeps it natural. with your parents and doctors permission of course! healthier food, less war, more marijuana, the world is not such a bad place.

[JoseofTexas]

How do you expect teens to react after they find out they've been lied to all their life? You lied about marijuana, it would stand to reason that you lied about other things as well.

The idiot politicians have already lost most of your credibility.

[fortuenti]

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
copssaylegalizedrugs.org

"Criminal justice professionals speaking out against the War on Drugs"

Invite one to speak in your town.
http://www.leap.cc/watch-a-video/

[GallTravois]

Earlier during class I excused myself to go use the restroom. When I got there it was the usual cigarette butts in the toilets and ashes on the floor. This time though a couple students where cutting class and smoking marijuana in the bathroom.

At first they tried to hide it but then realizing it was too late they asked me if I wanted to smoke. Obviously a joke since I don't associate myself with the scumbag stoner group in school. I replied with a witty remark I once heard on a anti-drug program we watched in health class. "I can't get high I don't have a pilot's license," I said.

I then stormed out of the bathroom and straight to the principals office to inform him that people are smoking marijuana in the bathroom.

You marijuana smokers disgust me. You all listen to sh*tty classic rock and smell like garbage. I never see any of you with any nice looking girls. They are just a bunch of dirty junkies like you guys.

[micmac666]

You're funny.

[albertscott171]

you're a stupid ****......I hope you got your ass kicked,get informed the government is brainwashing society.By the way the smell like garbage and listen to classic rock part is a load of ****....not every stoner is a scumbag......go die you stupid rat

[GallTravois]

arlier during class I excused myself to go use the restroom. When I got there it was the usual cigarette butts in the toilets and ashes on the floor. This time though a couple students where cutting class and smoking marijuana in the bathroom.

At first they tried to hide it but then realizing it was too late they asked me if I wanted to smoke. Obviously a joke since I don't associate myself with the scumbag stoner group in school. I replied with a witty remark I once heard on a anti-drug program we watched in health class. "I can't get high I don't have a pilot's license," I said.

I then stormed out of the bathroom and straight to the principals office to inform him that people are smoking marijuana in the bathroom.

You marijuana smokers disgust me. You all listen to sh*tty classic rock and smell like garbage. I never see any of you with any nice looking girls. They are just a bunch of dirty junkies like you guys.

[Ashbaughco]

That's very shallow and honestly a little rude. Just because you don't prefer marijuana doesn't mean you need to make someone else's life harder. Maybe ask them to stop or just simply say no. People who aren't doing you any harm and actually are doing what makes them HAPPY do NOT deserved to be called "a bunch of dirty junkies". Also no offense good sir but I think your a real ass hole for even implying the notion that because you smoke weed you are with junkie girls. I have very attractive friends that smoke weed that would scoff at your immaturity and closed minded self. Thank you for your time

[claygooding]

I am confused,,,our drug czar reports that the war on drugs is over,,drug use is down to a new low and that the trillion dollars spent fighting drugs was not wasted....but now the statistics are saying he lied,,again.

How can the war on drugs be over when police are still arresting over 800,000 people a year for marijuana and the drug czar's budget is increasing from 16 billion too 25 billion next year.

Wake up America,,you are being played.

[fortuenti]

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
copssaylegalizedrugs.org

"Criminal justice professionals speaking out against the War on Drugs"

Invite one to speak in your town.
http://www.leap.cc/watch-a-video/