Marijuana continues to be the most used illegal drug in the United States today, as well as the most popular for drug users between the ages of 18 and 25. A recent survey confirms that teen pot use is on the rise. What are the common misconceptions that drive marijuana use amongst youth?

Marijuana Facts And Myths

Pot is largely thought to be a harmless and natural substance. This is due, in part, to the fact that the green plant appears less daunting than a bag of crack cocaine or heroin needles. True, the paraphernalia lends a hand to this impression of naturalism, but the truth about marijuana might shock you.

Marijuana is composed of 400 toxic chemicals, including the psychoactive ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol. This is the ingredient that makes users feel high, and is scientifically proven to be habit-forming.

Youth and adults tend to perceive pot as safer than other street drugs like heroin and cocaine. While it is true that smoking marijuana probably won’t kill you (unless combined with other chemical substances), the fact of its growth in nature is a poor measure of its safety. (If you remember, derivatives of cocaine and heroin are also found in nature.)

Pot Used Widely Amongst Youth

If you walk into any American high school, public or private, and look around a little bit, you will immediately see signs of drug use. Statistical evidence exists to support this suspicion—a recent survey points out teen pot use on the rise on a continual basis over the past several years.

This year’s Monitoring the Future survey took place amongst some 46,000 youth participants. University of Michigan researchers found that pot consumption amongst US 8th, 10th and 12th grade students is up and climbing for 2012.  Other startling findings include some of the following facts:

6.5% of high school seniors smoke pot on a daily basis.

Over 36% of participants admitted they had smoked up within the past year.

Marijuana Potency Is A Factor

One of the largest myths surrounding marijuana is the idea that it “isn’t addictive.”

As with many substances, the body develops a tolerance for marijuana (in the same way it does for coffee.) Suddenly an individual who used to smoke up every once in a while is smoking pot almost every day. This is why marijuana is referred to as a gateway drug, because continued use leads to a physical need for a different, harder drug. Marijuana today is known to be several times more potent than the same drug in previous decades. Because of this, the body becomes addicted more rapidly to an already powerful substance which is yet thought to be “safe” and “natural.” In other words, kids smoking up today are not consuming the same levels of tetrahydrocannabinol that they would have in the 1960s or 1970s.

If you or a loved one is struggling with marijuana abuse in your family, do not wait for a worse problem to develop. Get help right away. Narconon offers a successful solution for pot use where seven out of 10 program graduates stay completely drug free. For more information contact us today.

Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/study-teen-marijuana-use-on-the-rise/