Marijuana use
affects public health of communities
By Michelle Plourde Chasse
With policy discussions regarding marijuana in the headlines it is an important time to review the known impacts of marijuana use on the public health of communities. Marijuana is often portrayed in popular culture as a benign, harmless substance. However, there is clear information and evidence that this is not the case, and that marijuana has some very significant impacts, particularly for youth.
Marijuana is an addictive substance. About 9 percent of people who use marijuana will become addicted and this increases to 17 percent for those who start in their teens and up to 25 to 50 percent for those who become daily users. In 2011, marijuana was the illicit drug with the highest rate of past year dependence or abuse in the United States followed by pain relievers and cocaine.
Not only is marijuana addictive, but it has become more potent over the years. The average level of THC, the chemical that produces the high and leads to addiction, has more than doubled since 1998. Marijuana was involved in over 450,000 emergency department visits for misuse or abuse of drugs in 2011 in the United States.
Greater access to marijuana leads to concerns for greater impacts on youth. Already, one third of high school students in Aroostook County report having used marijuana. One out of three who currently use started before the age of 13.
Also concerning is that over one third of area youth believe there is no harm associated with regular marijuana use. But there is harm, and Maine youth are often admitted to treatment programs for their marijuana dependence issues. In Maine in 2012, out of the 537 substance abuse treatment admissions for youth under the age of 18, over 67 percent listed marijuana as their primary drug of abuse.
The healthy and successful development of youth can be jeopardized by marijuana. Marijuana use can cause issues that impact learning such as difficulty in thinking and problem solving and problems with memory. Compared to peers who don’t use marijuana, teens who use tend to get lower grades and are twice as likely to drop out of school. In terms of future success, a U.S. study has shown that chronic users of marijuana experience poorer outcomes in education attained, household income, and overall life satisfaction.
Marijuana impacts the safety of Maine roads. Marijuana use, and its impairment of motor coordination and reaction time, doubles the risk of car crashes. Cannabinoids, the class of drugs which includes marijuana, ranked as the number-one drug found in Maine impaired driving cases from January 2009 through August 2011.
Marijuana use and dependence poses many risks and consequences to public health. Many youth already are subjected to these risks with the current prevalence of use. It impacts their health, their safety, and their futures. It increases dangers to our youth on the road and to everyone else who drives. For more information on the impacts of marijuana on public health, visit www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/marijuana.
Michelle Plourde Chasse, MPH, is project manager for Community Voices in Fort Kent. She can be reached at 834-5021 or by e-mail at michelleplourdechasse@sad27.org.
