We are smack-dab in the middle of National Marijuana Facts Week, and to recognize it, we would like to share with you some stuff that everyone who cares about their own health or that of their friends and family should know.
Cannabis use disorder (CUD) went up by 13.89% between 2021 – 2022. “I can smoke without getting addicted!” Not so fast. Approximately 30% of those who reported using marijuana in 2023 met the criteria for CUD, with the highest rate among young adults. So marijuana use is increasing as the drug becomes more addictive. Read more here.
A significant rise in youth marijuana vaping prevalence occurred over the years 2017 to 2023. For 8th graders, an increase of 3.5%. 10th graders saw an increase of 5%. And 12th graders saw an increase of 10.1%. This data shows an alarming trend among youth that does not even spare children as young as 14. Read more here.
The Healthy Kids Colorado Survey found that a significant amount of youth are vaping marijuana. Some 30.2% of 9th graders who used marijuana vaped it, as did 43.3% of 10th graders, 38.6% of 11th graders, and 41.2% of 12th graders. Worse, the THC potency in marijuana vapes is often much higher than the potency in marijuana flower. Read more here.
The rate of violent behavior in daily marijuana users aged 18-34 was nearly twice the violent behavior rate of non-users, for both men and women. This clearly rebuts the notion that marijuana users are mellow. The research begs to differ. Read more here.
Quest Diagnostics released a Drug Testing Index Analysis that shows that marijuana workforce drug test positivity has increased by 60.7% between 2018 and 2023. This is not surprising, as the normalization of marijuana has marched on thanks to our relentless addiction industry. Bad news for employees and employers! Read more here.
Daily or near-daily marijuana use has surpassed daily/near-daily alcohol use in the United States. Both drugs have seen sharp use increases. This alarming trend reiterates that users do not use marijuana instead of alcohol; they end up using the two substances together. Read more here.
Following legalization, the number of marijuana edible exposures among young children in Illinois increased. After legalization, <1-year-olds had an increase of 20%, 1-year-olds had an increase of 83.3%, 2-year-olds had an increase of 87.8%, 3-year-olds had an increase of 103.7%, 4-years-olds had an increase of 13.2%, and 5-year-olds had an increase of 66.7%. Is this drug really something you should be able to buy retail? Read more here.
Marijuana use has risen as tobacco use has declined, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Over the past 20 years, the number of past-month users of marijuana increased by 198.18%, from approximately 14.7 million in 2003 to 43.6 million in 2023, as the number of monthly tobacco users decreased by 29.49%, from 70.8 million in 2003 to 49.9 million in 2023. This is Big Tobacco 2.0, in other words. Read more here.
And last but not least, per the Journal of the American Medical Association, “Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome” (CHS) is estimated to affect about 2.75 million people in the US yearly. CHS is characterized by repeated nausea, vomiting, and severe stomach pain after using high doses of THC. That’s a lot of people violently throwing up to stay high. Read more here.
The great thing about facts is that they stay true even after this crucial week ends. So get the word out now, or whenever you can.