Marijuana Legalized in More States, Denied in Arizona

Posted by azdrugrehabctr on November 11, 2016 under Addiction Trends, AZ Drug Rehab News | Comments are off for this article

The election has come and gone. Some people are overjoyed with the results and some people are devastated. It is safe to say that this has been one of the most divisive elections in history. However, the presidential election is not the only thing that has polarized people. In 2012 citizens in Colorado voted to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes. This was a first for the country, but since then more states have decided to bring the issue of legalized pot to voters. So, while the country was struggling with determining who would be our next commander in chief, marijuana legalization was placed on ballots in California, Massachusetts, Nevada, Maine, Arizona, Florida, North Dakota, Arkansas and Montana. Some of these measures were for medicinal use and some were for recreational use.

And, just like the presidential election, the results of these measures are just as polarized. Not all states gathered the required number of votes to legalize the drug. Residents of Arizona did not approve the ballot measure in the state, but voters in California, Massachusetts, Nevada and Maine all chose to legalize the drug for adults aged 21 and older. This continued shift in the public opinion of marijuana actually highlights the fact that there is still a great divide between those that want marijuana to be legal, and those that do not want to legalize the drug.

For those that have advocated marijuana legalization, the passing of recreational marijuana in some states was a celebrated event. However, many actively fought against the passing of these bills, and were disappointed with the results. “We were outspent greatly in both California and Massachusetts, so this loss is disappointing, but not wholly unexpected. Despite having gained considerable ground in the last few weeks, the out-of-state interests determined to make money off of legalization put in too much money to overcome,” explained Kevin Sabet from Smart Approaches to Marijuana.

Despite the profit-driven push to make weed more legally prevalent, there are millions of Americans who still see past the rhetoric because they know how destructive the drug can be to individuals and communities in multiple ways. For example, researchers have confirmed that marijuana use by teens can damage their developing brains.

We are happy that Arizona citizens stood up to the pressure to legalize pot and hope that more states are able to remain as resilient in the future.

Odds Against Teens Who Abuse Marijuana

Posted by azdrugrehabctr on October 28, 2014 under Addiction Trends | Comments are off for this article

Despite the belief of some people that marijuana is harmless and that more states should legalize the drug, studies are showing that marijuana really does have many negative effects. One major discovery of marijuana abuse among teenagers is the large number of teens who drop out of high school.

A recent study shows that teenagers who smoke marijuana on regular basis are 60% less likely to finish high school. Additionally, young people who abuse marijuana regularly are 60% less likely to finish college. The suicide rate for youths who abuse marijuana is higher as well, as teens who smoke weed are reportedly seven times more likely to attempt suicide than those who do not abuse marijuana. Also, despite some assertion that marijuana is not a gateway drug, this study shows that regular users of marijuana are eight times more likely to use other, harder drugs.

The research looks into three multi-year studies that were conducted on teenagers in New Zealand and Australia. Researchers used the data because it provided them a large pool of people and therefore made the results more accurate. They were confident with stating the negative correlation between marijuana use and all negative outcomes of a teenager’s life because of the overwhelming information gathered from the studies.

These studies, among others that have been conducted, are proving to many people in government that protecting children from marijuana is vital, especially now that many states are entertaining the legalization of the drug. Studies like this show that although some people may think that marijuana is safe, no one really knows how it affects growing, developing brains and the decisions that children make. Currently there are several studies in the works to investigate teen marijuana abuse, addiction and the effects of marijuana on teen’s bodies and lives.