There is a startling study out that shows that teenagers who smoke marijuana daily are over 60 percent less likely to complete high school and 60 percent less likely to graduate college. Even more startling is that these students are seven times more likely to attempt suicide. The study is published in the respected medical journal, The Lancet Psychiatry.
The study looked at 3,725 students from Australian and New Zealand until they reached the age of 30. They found “clear and consistent associations between frequency of cannabis use during adolescence and most young adult outcomes investigated, even after controlling for 53 potential confounding factors including age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, use of other drugs, and mental illness.”
While I expect this study will be cited in the ongoing debate over legalization, it is worth noting that this involves student who use marijuana daily, which is an extremely high rate of use for most students. That level of drug use seems to me to reflect other problems that likely preexisted in the lives of the students or an environment that is not optimal. The data suggests that if a student uses cannabis less than monthly, he or she would have slightly lower odds of graduating high school or getting a college degree, compared to a person who doesn’t use at all. Other aspects are entirely unsurprising like the fact that even a monthly user has a four time greater likelihood of developing addiction to cannabis than someone who does not use it at all.
Then there is the interesting aspect of the drug being illegal. Since it is illegal, the authors of the study suggest that kids who use the drug are cross critical lines in violating the law — and associating with others who do so.
Source: Washington Post
Squeeky, Being a patient I would say a solid 80% are using cannabis for recreation, even though they have a medical card. But, I’m talking to a Texan. They execute cannabis users don’t they??
The article is not open access, but for once the Post does include raw findings. Note that the odds rations have huge ranges for some outcomes, which means that very few cases (people) were involved and the findings are not stable. The abstract indicates that up to 1/3 of the participants were missing from some analyses–a big problem. Another problem is the representativeness of the samples, which is not discussed. This is one study, it’s generalizability is unclear–it’s base don 3 different samples and some parts of the study have a lot of missing data. It’s not surprising that early , daily marijuana use has negative effects but the take home form this isn’t as dramatic as JT or the Post present it.
NickS
My GUESS is, half or more of the people on medical MJ are scamming the system. Just like people on pain medications, who sell the stuff. Doctors are even prescribing Xanax for young men with “anxiety disorders.” Whatta crock of poop. The Xanax is what’s causing the anxiety.
I am all for dropping all the stupid rationalizations for making MJ legal, and cut to the chase. Which is, a whole lot of people use the crap, and don’t want to get a ticket or be arrested for using or possessing it. And they don’t give a crap what it does to the country, or to kids, or to anybody else. Which is typical junkie behavior when you come to think of it.
Rather than just come out and say that, they beat around the bush with a bunch of hooey. The real reason??? Dope smokers don’t like rules which make dope smoking illegal. Hmmm. I smell an Irish Poem there. . .
The Treasure of Muerte Madre???
An Irish Poem by Squeeky Fromm
Oh spare me the dribbles and drools,
And self justifications of fools.
The reason we’re needin’???
See: Garden of Eden.
Cause we don’t need no stinkin’ rules!!!
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Annie and Nick, thank you
Squeeky the US estimate is that there are 116 million Americans who live in chronic pain. You don’t know what you are talking about when you say at least half who get legal mm are scamming.
Maybe you need to talk to some people who live in constant chronic intractable pain before making assinine comments like this. You are very lucky not to be one of those people.
Squeeky, Booze is legal and regulated. Kids still get. Cannabis is legal in 2 states and illegal in 48. Kids still get it. Uniform legality w/ education on the dangers of use prior to 16 and legal for 18. That’s what’s gonna happen. It’s just such an arduous process. And, are you saying there are not people who use cannabis for medical reasons? I don’t think you are but want to make sure. Actually, heroin is a great painkiller and should be legal for docs to use on terminal patients. But, it’s not legal.
Nick – morphine on demand seems to work well for terminal patients.
@Liz W
The study was not here. The article above says it was in Australia and New Zealand. Hmmm. A little short term memory problem???
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
@Jude
You’ve got the right idea. This study reeks of post hoc ergo proctor hoc (also something vaguely skunky…)
I also wonder if the study controls for academic underachievement caused by suspensions, expulsions, and arrests caused by our draconian drug laws (probably not)
http://youtu.be/kGvUNQkKhpg
The unpleasant reality behind the curtain, folks, is that America has a huge population of unemployed and under-employed. If somebody self-selects his or herself out of the gene pool by stoning all day every day, that’s one less person competing with you and your progeny for a good job or career.
“Killer weed!”
@NickS
Medical use of MJ, and the overall legalization movement have zero relationship to each other. There are medical uses for heroin, but that ain’t why your street junkie wants it.
Plus, I am really trying to not be a buzzkill here. It is sooo much easier to be for legalization if we just ignore those pesky kids. Sooo, f*ck them and their suicides and their dropping out of school. Who gives a crap about that when you want a good buzz???
Party on, Dude!
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Squeeky, you may be right about some of those people who use medicinal marijuana, but it would NOT be Leej.
Oxa, I cannot believe your generalized stereotype. You assume that youth who live in impoverished areas are not emotionally invested in life-affirming activities?!? You lose any credibility points with me with that mindset. It seems to me that youth with the means are the ones who can afford to buy MJ. And they do partake too. Unbelievable.
Of course, correlation does not equal causation. A likely cause>effect scenario is that youth who are not emotionally invested in life-affirming activities, who live in socially and culturally impoverished areas or families, or who are involved in other anti-social behavior are more likely to use marijuana.
Squeeky, leej does not “just want to get high.” She and I have had numerous discussions on the medicinal use of cannabis. Being a chronic pain sufferer that has been her interest on the subject. She’s a Commie, but a good Commie.
@leej
Oh quit all the sugar coating and rationalizing. You just want to get high and don ‘t give a crap how if affects the country or a bunch of kids. There is no law against being a selfish prick or prickette so just light up and have some fun!
Wheeee!
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Squeeky wrote:@leej
Oh quit all the sugar coating and rationalizing. You just want to get high and don ‘t give a crap how if affects the country or a bunch of kids. There is no law against being a selfish prick or prickette so just light up and have some fun!
Wheeee!
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
I have never tried any drug recreationally. I have however been on most narcotics, prescribed, from morphine to methadone, to tincture of opium etc. because of chronic intractable pain. None have helped and all made me feel awful, as is the case for many of those who live with chronic pain. They are not fun, Even for those it helps they will still tell you how awful it makes them feel, groggy, cloudy of mind, dry mouth etc. For many there is nothing else to be offered but these medications.
Unfortunately I am in a state where medical marijuana is illegal despite studies showing it could definitely help with my specific form of pain. Nevertheless I have been able to try it. Unfortunately it did not help and it made me feel awful.
Your writing is something one writes when they don’t think about what they are putting down but instead just painting everyone with the same brush.
Lee,
You were given inaccurate information:
http://reason.com/archives/2014/09/08/prisoners-of-pot-prohibition
ay if you mean me, haven’t looked at all comments so wasn’t sure if there was another just Lee your article said what I wrote:
“If Lavoro does end up serving time, he will join tens of thousands of other marijuana offenders. In 2004, according to a 2007 report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, marijuana convictions accounted for 12.7 percent of drug offenders in state prisons and 12.4 percent of drug offenders in federal prisons. Applying those percentages to thedrug offender numbers for 2011 (225,200 state, 94,600 federal) suggests that roughly 40,000 people are serving time in state and federal prisons for marijuana offenses. That number does not include people serving shorter sentences in local jails, where a total of about 182,000 drug offenders were confined in 2011. Nor does it include the vast majority of the 758,000 people arrested for marijuana offenses that year. Nearly nine out of 10 marijuana arrests are for simple possession, a charge that typically does not result in a jail or prison sentence.
The fact that most people arrested on marijuana charges do not spend much time behind bars does not mean they are not punished. In addition to the humiliation, inconvenience, and expense directly related to their arrest and prosecution, they can suffer lasting ancillary penalties, including disruption of their educations, loss of their professional licenses, and impairment of their employment prospects.”
leejcaroll – to restate the saying “If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.” I have no sympathy for illegal drug users regardless of the amount in possession at the time of arrest. Each of those people is supporting the smugglers coming into Arizona and causing crime problems for us. The are supporting the drug violence in Arizona and other states as well as in Mexico. I have NO sympathy for them.
Squeeky your argument is the same for alcohol so should we go back to prohibition?. If it is legal there will be more prohibitions legally on it so more protections fro those who choose to try/use it.
As it stands, we force people to commit a crime to use it (even for those who have legitimate medical reasons – in many states). Our prisons are overflowing with folks who are there under draconian sentencing laws, costing you, the taxpayer, a lot of money, ruining lives in the bargain so that for a number when they come out because of a record for marijuana they cannot get a job and have to resort to crime or assistance. You need to consider all the ramifications not just your perception that it is merely a matter of folks getting a ‘buzz’
leejcaroll – using your logic we should abolish prisons since it is going to hurt the employment opportunities of everyone who was ever sent there. BTW, most people in prison for marijuana had large quantities, we are talking really large, bales large.
Nick, I do ((*_*))
I wonder if liquor results would be worse using MRI etc given the damage we know alcohol does to brain and liver
Why don ‘t everybody just be honest? Who really gives a hoot if it hurts a bunch of kids as long as we can get our jollies??? After all, us getting a good buzz is a lot more important than anything else.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
“Other aspects are entirely unsurprising like the fact that even a monthly user has a four time greater likelihood of developing addiction to cannabis than someone who does not use it at all.”
I think the correct increased likelihood is infinite. How do you become addicted to a substance you do not use? So if one user in a thousand becomes addicted then the the increased likelihood is infinite.
Stop the nonsense, heavy users are self medicating. Stop destroying lives and make the substance legal.