February is Marijuana Awareness Month, and it’s the perfect time to think about attitudes towards this substance. While there are some people who do use it only on a casual or recreational basis, not everyone can stop using weed even when it interferes with other aspects of their lives.
Marijuana Dependency By The Numbers
- According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, approximately nine percent of marijuana users become dependent on it.
- One in six marijuana users who started using the drug in their teens will develop a dependency.
- Between 25-50 percent of daily marijuana users have dependency issues.
- The 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that out of the 7.1 million Americans who were either dependent on or abusing illicit drugs, 4.5 million were using marijuana.
- In 2009, 18 percent of clients over the age of 12 who entered a drug abuse treatment program indicated that marijuana was their primary drug (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration).
Risks Associated With Marijuana Use
- Marijuana use and driving do not mix. Like alcohol use, this drug can slow down a driver’s response time behind the wheel. His or her alertness and concentration will be affected for between four and six hours after smoking a joint.
- Using marijuana on a weekly basis can double the risk of developing depression at a later stage in life. Female marijuana users are at an even higher risk for this type of mental illness; they are five times more likely to be depressed by the time they reach their 21st birthday as non-users.
- Teenage marijuana users between the ages of 12-17 are three times more likely to have suicidal thoughts than non-users.
- Using marijuana regularly leads to a pattern of using drugs as a coping mechanism for dealing with life’s problems as opposed to developing other means of handling stress or working through personal issues.
Find Help For Marijuana Abuse
If you or someone you love is having difficulty with marijuana addiction, help is available. Marijuana can create a psychological dependency in users that can be difficult to break, but the staff at The Dunes has the expertise to help you or your loved one break free from the bonds of addiction and move forward into a new lifestyle of sobriety.
Each client that comes through the doors of the facility is unique, and for that reason New York’s premier luxury drug and alcohol rehab center offers individualized treatment programs tailored to each person’s needs and goals. We make certain that the program is a good fit to help ensure your success in treatment and support you every step of the way on your journey. Are you ready to start today? If so give us a call now!
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