HealthDay (9/2, Preidt) reports on a new study that challenges the perception that marijuana is not addictive, highlighting that many teen marijuana users showed withdrawal symptoms when they made efforts to stop using the drug. “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, a psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Center for Addiction Medicine, said in a statement.
In the new study, researchers followed outcomes for 127 teens between the ages of 14 to 19. “Of those 90 teens, 76 (84 percent) met criteria for marijuana dependence, including increased tolerance for, and use of, marijuana, as well as unsuccessful attempts to reduce or stop using the drug,” the article notes.
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— “‘Pot Addiction’ May Be Real, Study Suggests,” Robert Preidt, HealthDay, September 2, 2014.