Pot Decriminalization and New Study Conflicting

In light of the new law that decriminalizes the possession of small amounts of marijuana in Maryland that took effect Wednesday October 1, 2014 teens maybe more at risk for marijuana abuse.

Senate Bill 364, will replace the penalty for possession of up to 10 grams of marijuana with a civil fine instead of a criminal offense.

Instead of arrest and a potential 90 day jail sentence under the current law, starting on October 1, 2014, offenders will be issued a fine, the amount of which varies from $100 for a first offense to $250 for a second and $500 for any subsequent offense.

The new law, however, does not decriminalize the possession of paraphernalia, including pipes, papers, vaporizers or bongs, meaning that a person caught smoking a joint technically could be arrested for the rolling paper but not the marijuana inside.

However a new study of teens treated at an outpatient substance abuse clinic found many showed symptoms of marijuana withdrawal. Marijuana was the substance used most often by 90 of the 127 teens in the study, HealthDay reports. Of those teens, 84 percent were considered to be dependent on marijuana, and about 40 percent experienced symptoms of withdrawal when they stopped using marijuana—a sign of drug dependence, the authors said.

“As more people are able to obtain and consume cannabis legally for medical and, in some states, recreational use, people are less likely to perceive it as addictive or harmful,” study co-author John Kelly of Massachusetts General Hospital’s Center for Addiction Medicine, said in a hospital news release.”But research shows that cannabis use can have significant consequences, and we know that among adolescents it is second only to alcohol in rates of misuse.”

Teens that had marijuana withdrawal symptoms were more likely to experience negative consequences, such as problems with school, work, relationships or finances. They were also more likely to meet criteria for marijuana dependence and mood disorders, the researchers wrote in the Journal of Addiction Medicine.

Teens that recognized and accepted that they had a substance abuse problem related to their marijuana use were more likely to make progress toward becoming abstinent, compared to those who did not think they had a problem.

“The importance of understanding the addictiveness, risks and harms associated with cannabis use is a major theme of this study’s findings,” said Kelly. “Recognizing those risks is known to reduce the likelihood that someone will start to use drugs, and better understanding of the role of substances in the problems experienced by patients may help them cut down on future use. Unfortunately, the general trend in attitudes in the U.S. is to minimize the risks and not recognize the addictiveness of cannabis which this new law may lead teens to think marijuana is not harmful or addictive.

TJ Baker with the Daily Chronic and JOIN TOGETHER STAFF with Partnership for Drug Free Kids contributed to this article.

For further information on the dangers of alcohol and other drugs, contact Talbot Partnership at 410-819-8067. Please also visit our website at www.talbotpartnership.org or find us on Facebook.

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