In light of the new law that decriminalizes the possession of small amounts of marijuana in Maryland that took effect Wednesday October 1, 2014 teens maybe more at risk for marijuana abuse.
Senate Bill 364, will replace the penalty for possession of up to 10 grams of marijuana with a civil fine instead of a criminal offense.
Instead of arrest and a potential 90 day jail sentence under the current law, starting on October 1, 2014, offenders will be issued a fine, the amount of which varies from $100 for a first offense to $250 for a second and $500 for any subsequent offense.
The new law, however, does not decriminalize the possession of paraphernalia, including pipes, papers, vaporizers or bongs, meaning that a person caught smoking a joint technically could be arrested for the rolling paper but not the marijuana inside.
However a new study of teens treated at an outpatient substance abuse clinic found many showed symptoms of marijuana withdrawal. Marijuana was the substance used most often by 90 of the 127 teens in the study, HealthDay reports. Of those teens, 84 percent were considered to be dependent on marijuana, and about 40 percent experienced symptoms of withdrawal when they stopped using marijuana—a sign of drug dependence, the authors said.
“As more people are able to obtain and consume cannabis legally for medical and, in some states, recreational use, people are less likely to perceive it as addictive or harmful,” study co-author John Kelly of Massachusetts General Hospital’s Center for Addiction Medicine, said in a hospital news release.”But research shows that cannabis use can have significant consequences, and we know that among adolescents it is second only to alcohol in rates of misuse.”
Teens that had marijuana withdrawal symptoms were more likely to experience negative consequences, such as problems with school, work, relationships or finances. They were also more likely to meet criteria for marijuana dependence and mood disorders, the researchers wrote in the Journal of Addiction Medicine.
Teens that recognized and accepted that they had a substance abuse problem related to their marijuana use were more likely to make progress toward becoming abstinent, compared to those who did not think they had a problem.
“The importance of understanding the addictiveness, risks and harms associated with cannabis use is a major theme of this study’s findings,” said Kelly. “Recognizing those risks is known to reduce the likelihood that someone will start to use drugs, and better understanding of the role of substances in the problems experienced by patients may help them cut down on future use. Unfortunately, the general trend in attitudes in the U.S. is to minimize the risks and not recognize the addictiveness of cannabis which this new law may lead teens to think marijuana is not harmful or addictive.
TJ Baker with the Daily Chronic and JOIN TOGETHER STAFF with Partnership for Drug Free Kids contributed to this article.
For further information on the dangers of alcohol and other drugs, contact Talbot Partnership at 410-819-8067. Please also visit our website at www.talbotpartnership.org or find us on Facebook.
Kathi Donegan says
The decriminalization of marijuana is for the benefit of adults and our prison/leagal system, in my opinion. Children should not be using either drugs or alcohol. However, the authors of this study make too tidy of a package between kids who don’t think they have a problem and those that do. Children and adults alike, who feel the need to self-medicate, are not exactly the Poster Child for anything. Better to go and find the source of their discomfort and angst early than to let it fester and breed more bad habits. But when was the last time we had enough school counselors to go around? Gym? Art? Music? People of all ages need to try new experiences and learn from them. We are not headed in the right direction when we take these learning experiences away from kids for what will they be able to be passionate about.
joseph diamond says
Let us note two different things regarding marijuana laws,
This article cites sources within established addiction medicine and give a summary of recent work on marijuana dependence, especially with children and young adults. This is an important area of study along with continuing research into alcohol and tobacco use. Clearly an informed student will have a better chance of avoiding peer pressure and postponing the urge to experiment with all mood altering substances. So the article is a contribution to general knowledge of an important topic.
The equally important aspect of the decriminalization of pot is not addressed in some significant ways. The most serious side effect of pot use, in my opinion, are the legal consequences and these have not been adequately abated by the recent laws. If you accept that the origin of the pot laws was control and subjugation of a several minority groups for political reasons you can see why recent law changes have not gone far enough. Police can still make pot arrests….for the paraphernalia………which can be used for legal tobacco or still banned opiates. The criminal record, exclusion from employment and property confiscation are still with us. Children will still join others in prisons. Police organizations will still be free to confiscate property without due process.
All this while the federal government still lists pot as being equivalent to the truly addictive and dangerous drugs. The feds fire government scientists who will not march in the War on Drugs even though the scientific reasons presented are known to be silly.
Nice article , as far as it goes.
Joe