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Danger Of Marijuana
05/11/08 MRC/AP
Depression, teens and
marijuana are a dangerous mix that can lead to dependency,
mental illness or suicidal thoughts, according to a White
House report released Friday.
A teen who has been
depressed at some point in the past year is more than
twice as likely to have used marijuana as teens who have
not reported being depressed, 25 percent compared with 12
percent, according to the report by the White House Office
of National Drug Control Policy.
For example, using
marijuana increases the risk of developing mental
disorders by 40 percent, the report said. And teens who
smoke pot at least once a month over a yearlong period are
three times more likely to have suicidal thoughts than
nonusers.
The report also cited
research that showed that teens who smoke marijuana when
feeling depressed were more than twice as likely as their
peers to abuse or become addicted to pot, 8 percent
compared with 3 percent.
Experts who have worked
with children say there's nothing harmless about
marijuana.
The drug control policy
office analyzed about a dozen studies looking at marijuana
use, including research by the federal Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention and the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration.
Overall, marijuana use
among teens has decreased 25 percent since 2001, down to
about 2.3 million kids who used pot at least once a month,
the drug control office said.
While the drop is
encouraging parents are urged to recognize signs of
possible drug use and depression.
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