Marijuana is not Harmless
There is a myth that marijuana is harmless. The truth is that marijuana can cause school failures as it influences the ability to learn and affects short-term memory. It impairs driving as judgment is affected, reaction time slows down, and motor coordination is reduced. It is also addictive.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there are other effects when one engages in long-term marijuana abuse, in addition to addiction, which include:
- Poorer educational outcomes and job performance
- Diminished satisfaction with life
- Cognitive impairment that lasts longer than just the time of intoxication
- Chronic coughs, bronchitis and other respiratory problems
- A risk of psychosis in individuals who may be vulnerable
In light of seventeen states having made medical marijuana legal, the risks of using it may appear lowered, particularly to teenagers. The increase in use of marijuana accompanies a decrease in the perceived risk of its dangers among high-school students surveyed as part of the Monitoring the Future Study. Of more than 47,000 students surveyed in 2011, the study found 22.6% of high school seniors had used marijuana in the past 30 days. Five-year trends show significant increases in marijuana use among 10th and 12th graders in particular.
Overall, more than 29 million Americans (or 11.5%) aged 12 and older have reported abusing marijuana in the past year. This is a significant increase over the rates of reported marijuana abuse from 2002-2008.
Drug Abuse Doesn’t Usually Stop with Marijuana
With marijuana use on the rise, it is also apparent that for many people drug abuse doesn’t stop there. Teenagers will often experiment with other drugs, not stopping with marijuana. In fact, it is more typical to find people who have used many drugs when they eventually come to treatment programs for addiction. Many of them say they started with marijuana.
Get Help When You Need It at Narconon
Luckily for tens of thousands of people, they are able to find help for drug addiction when they need it. For those who have found the Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation program, it was most likely the last drug rehab program they ever needed. Narconon centers are available on six continents in more than fifty locations.
Narconon offers a highly effective, eight-phase program including the unique Narconon New Life Detoxification. On this part of the Narconon program, one spends a portion of each day doing moderate exercise, taking vitamin supplements, and sitting in a dry-heat sauna. This combination has been shown to help to rid the body of drug residues left behind in the body’s fatty tissues. These residues are capable of triggering cravings for more drugs long after drug taking has stopped, so ridding the body of them also helps to curb cravings. Most people who finish this step of the Narconon program also report that they feel fresher and cleaner with a new, more optimistic outlook on life.
Let this be the happy conclusion for your child or loved one who has gone too far down the road of using or abusing drugs. Find out more about the full Narconon program by calling a rehab specialist.
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