Revealed: Why marijuana's called "dope"
Marijuana is the most widely used illegal drug in the world-including by adolescents. New research findings indicate that teens who become daily marijuana users may be losing IQ points.
Revealed: Why marijuana’s called “dope”
Rima Himelstein, M.D.
by Rima Himelstein, M.D.
Marijuana is the most widely used illegal drug in the world — including by adolescents. New research findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) indicate that teens who become daily marijuana users may be losing IQ points.
Marijuana 101 for Parents
Most parents know the basics about marijuana: it is a mixture of dried and shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the cannabis sativa plant. Street names include “pot,” “grass” and “weed.” Most commonly it is smoked in a cigarette-like “joint,” but it is also smoked through a water pipe or “bong”, packed and smoked in a hollowed out cigar (“blunt”), or mixed into baked items. Learn more here. But you may not know that:
The marijuana used today is more potent than it was 30 years ago. Marijuana has about 400 chemicals in it, including the mind-altering ingredient, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Marijuana’s potency depends on the amount of THC it contains. Since 1983, its potency has more than doubled from about 4 percent to 9 percent.
Marijuana use is increasing among teens, and recently, even on school property, according to the CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Almost 40 percent of 8th graders, the youngest teenagers surveyed, reported that marijuana is “easy to get.”
Teens think marijuana is safer than other drugs. Teens are under the misperception that using marijuana is safer than using other drugs and smoking cigarettes. Sometimes when I ask my patients, “Do you use marijuana?” they respond, “Yes,” but when I ask them if they smoke cigarettes they counter, “No, that’s bad for you!” This disconnect is reflected in a national survey, which found that 69 percent of teens think that it’s risky to smoke cigarettes, but only 34 percent think that it’s risky to smoke marijuana.
Are teens correct that marijuana is safe to use? In a word, no:
- Short-term serious effects include impaired coordination, delayed reaction time, and diminished short-term memory.
- Long-term effects include cognitive and memory deficits, personality changes (such as amotivational syndrome), anxiety, panic attacks and paranoia; damage to respiratory, reproductive, and immune systems; as well as cancer.
What does the new PNAS study add to what we know? When marijuana use starts in the teenage years, becomes a daily habit, and persists for years, users’ IQ points may be permanently lost. In this study, 1,037 persons were followed from birth to age 38. Marijuana use was assessed in interviews at ages 18, 21, 26, 32, and 38. Neuropsychological testing was done at age 13 (before marijuana use was started) and again at age 38 years.
Here’s the bottom line:
- People who began using marijuana during adolescence and were persistent users had a drop in IQ of around 6 points (from 99.68 to 93.93).
- People who began using marijuana during adolescence and were persistent users but stopped using marijuana still had a drop in IQ.
- People who began using marijuana during adulthood did not have a drop in IQ.
- These findings suggest that marijuana may have a lasting neuro-toxic effect on the adolescent’s developing brain.
What can concerned parents do?
- Build protective factors: Although risk-taking such as experimenting with drugs may be considered a normal part of adolescence, the consequences may be unacceptable: Addiction, teen pregnancy, and motor vehicle accidents, to name just a few. By building protective factors into a child’s life—such as the consistent presence of a parent during at least one part of the day, commitment to school, religiosity, and involvement in social activities—parents and guardians may be able to reduce the potential for serious risk-taking.
- Start talking: Parents and guardians need to bring up the topic and talk with their children about drugs and their risks. If their teen is already using marijuana, pointing out some of the short-term and long-term side-effects of marijuana that they may already be experiencing may help.
- Conquer the fable: As part of their development, teens may feel omnipotent and invulnerable to harm—the “personal fable.” This makes it especially important to tell them about the PNAS study and its findings that IQ points may be permanently lost. They may start to realize that the fable is just that and that there’s a reason that marijuana is called “dope.”
Rima Himelstein, M.D., is a Crozer-Keystone Health System pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist.
Are you concerned about marijuana use by your teen?
HAHA, this would be nice if you could cite a single reference that scientifically proves that cannabis causes cancer. But you can't. And you won't. Because EACH government study has shown that there is ZERO statistical risk of cannabis causing cancer. Since you can't get the fundamentals of your story right, I simply don't trust anything else in this article.
OR: You can prove me wrong, and simply cite your sources.— Mike Now- Yea, Mike. This reads like a freshman book report from the 80's. E-gads, I think that the movie Reefer Madness would be the perfect accompanying piece to this brainwashing. I'm scared. LOL
- There's lots of lies burried in there along with a little truth.
Is Regular use of pot bad for teens? Sure it is, teenage years are important for psychological development and if you're high all the time you will miss out on that.
So can you tell us what drug is less dangerous than marijuana? There really isn't any. Not alcohol, coffee, not even tylenol.
There has also never been a correlation found between pot and cancer. Actually, many studies have concluded that Cannabinoids actually fights cancer. And I will give a source for that:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/09/06/marijuana-fights-cancer-and-helps-manage-side-effects-researchers-find.html— kdeff - This is just crazy. Nobody can understand that ANY of the .gov sites can NOT be trusted. The Office of the National Drug Control Policy, has the authority to say whatever is needed to oppose any legalization effort of substances in schedule 1 on the Controlled Substance Act. It's pretty messed up, its blocking any kind of research for this plant to get FDA approval. They get this authority from The ONDCP reauthorization act of 1998 Sec. 704 line 12.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/reauthorization-act
This needs to be changed so that everyone can make there decision on supporting or opposing these drug policies accurately. With ALL scientifically based published peer reviewed journals. Tons of publications can be found on scholar.google.com.
I created a petition to open a debate with the obama administration regarding this deceptive tactic being used to discredit Medical Cannabis.
Please click here-> http://wh.gov/Dd1q to sign the petition and allow our Director of ONDCP to become liable for what he is presenting to the public.— equesnel - Seriously @Mike Now. Please stop using government sources presenting them as if they are absolute truth. You can't trust any of the sites that have a .gov, or are funded by our government. The ONDCP is MANDATED to appose any legalization efforts (in any form). Check out http://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/reauthorization-act
SEC. 407 Line 12. All the data you obtain from these sites affiliated with the federal government, is misrepresented, deceptive, misleading, and some just cold lies. Best place to do your research is using scholar.google.com and look for recently published non biased journals.
We can make the "Drug Czar" liable for whatever is presented to the public. I created a petition to amend that line preventing the director from speaking truths, and facts. Please sign it here
http://wh.gov/Dd1q
We need to have this line 12 in Sec. 704 from the ONDCP authorization act of 1998 removed. This way those gov sites will have the ability to accurately report data. We also would be able to hold the Director of ONDCP liable for whatever is presented to the public. The more they keep up with the lies, the more credibility is lost towards our governments drug policies. Please sign, and get as many people as you can to help out with this. I want true facts to come out of the ONDCP, this way those other drug .gov sites will not be mandated to withhold, mislead, lie, and exaggerate.
http://wh.gov/Dd1q Amend SEC. 704 Line 12 of the ONDCP Reauthorization Act of 1998. Allowing truth, and science to dictate drug policy.— equesnel - whoops, sorry mike. My computer has been acting a little sluggish.
That response was supposed to go to another mike on another thread..— equesnel - THANK YOU ! I am for legalization of marijuana for responsible ADULT usage and this article just confirms what we already know. The evidence is showing that marijuana is potentially dangerous for teens and children and I am not foolish to ignore impartial evidence, SO - in order for this to work, we as a people must have a collective responsibility to make sure our children understand the dangers of using this or any other potential drug WHILE they are at a young age. I'm fine with an age limit of maybe 18 or possibly 21 but we all know that makiing anything illegal for 18 years olds will be hard to enforce and there are issues there about why an 18 years old can fight and die for out country yet cannot use certain drugs - but that is something we as a people need to address.— Freetheinternet
- Actually I am with you all the way, except I need to set you straight on one thing. We already fought the fight about 18 v 21 because if you can die for country at 18 you should be treated like an adult. 18 year olds are treated as adults in court and 18 year olds have the right to vote. I couldnt vote until I was 21 and am one who was on the front lines of fighting for the 18 year old vote.(having entered the Navy at age 18 back in 1968 it was my fight too) In this instance, however, I think we should let the medicine lead the way. You still can't drink legally in Pa. until the age of 21. If we give parents the tools to help their children to forego drug use or at least delay it until they reach legal age then maybe we can make some progress with pot and other drug issues. Right now it is pretty tough for a parent who smokes pot to punish a child for doing it. But not so for alcohol. We have a rule about that, a good rule, that the parent can use to give himself some credibility, even if he drinks on occassion or even drinks to excess. Legalize and control or the kids will control it for us. The evidence is right in front of our faces. — OldSouthPhilly
- I'm a doctor and I agree with this article. Specifically the part where the author says kids think "marijuana is safer than other drugs", then goes on to explain that "marijuana is not safe". Which is exactly the same question as "is marijuana safer than other drugs" right? What you need to do, is put your children, especially the four year olds the FDA has just approved, is get your kids on amphetamines like Adderall so they don't end up taking dangerous drugs like marijuana. Do you know how many people die every year from that evil noxious weed compared with deaths from a wholesome nutritional supplement like amphetamines/Adderall? You'd be surprised.— DoctorKevorkian
- Hey, Doc, be direct. Finding nothing on pot deaths but it looks like a lot of law firms are making a living suing the manufacturer of Adderall. — OldSouthPhilly
- Then where are all the zombie morons teen kids from the 60's and 70's? We should have an army of Forrest Gumps running around by this point!— Vinny2501
- I think this is a well written and finely presented article. I agree with everything said, even though I support legalization of marijuana. I would like this study done using alcohol instead of pot and I would like to see the two arguments side by side. I still say the gateway drug is sugar. But people dont get that. I am sure DrK get's it, like I get what he is saying. [a piece of advice, doc, it's hard to play sarcasm in these posts. Ya just have to flat out say what you mean. I get it, but the concensus? I am not so sure] It's just another alternative to the many other legal alternatives available to adults but should not be consumed by children.
To young people nothing beats a clear head. If we legalize pot, control it like we control alcohol, and focus our enforcement efforts on keeping the stuff away from kids that just might work. What we have been doing certainly is not working. It's called dope because it makes you dopey. We should be calling alcohol "stupid" because that is what it makes you. Stupid is okay but dopey is just all wrong?— OldSouthPhilly -
- Its not just teens, society in general is getting dumber. I think we need a better control for this "scientific study".... Isn't it probably that teens who started using pot during adolescence, are also more likely to be participating in other risky activities (drinking ALCOHOL or also using other drugs) as well, as opposed to their sober control group????— KingOfPhilly
- WONT SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN??!!??
reads as if it was copied directly from the NDCP's propaganda materials— box297
