Marijuana Addiction Trends

After several periods of increasing indicators, marijuana addiction trends in 2000 are mixed or stable in most  Community Epidemiology Work Group (CEWG) sites.

Marijuana Addiction Emergency Department (ED) mentions increased significantly in three cities (Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Phoenix) and nonsignificantly in five others; they declined significantly in five cities (San Diego, San Francisco, New Orleans, Dallas, and Chicago) and declined nonsignificantly or remained level in seven cities. Marijuana addiction is the predominant drug addiction treatment problem in two areas (Colorado and Minneapolis/St. Paul), and in Seattle, heroin addiction and marijuana addiction admissions are evenly distributed. Addiction Treatment admissions-in particular, clients who use only marijuana-seem to be increasing in many CEWG areas. However, the proportion of marijuana addiction treatment admissions referred by the criminal justice system is very high in most reporting areas when compared with other drug clients.

Among adult male arrestees, marijuana addiction has now surpassed cocaine addiction as the most commonly detected drug in the majority of CEWG cities. Positive findings continue to increase-sharply in six cities (Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, and Seattle); and levels declined in three (Dallas, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC). Levels also increased or remained stable among female arrestees, except for one notable decline in Seattle. Juvenile arrestee levels exceeded adult marijuana-positive levels at all four sites where juveniles were tested. Marijuana blunts continue to be common in many CEWG areas, including Boston, Chicago (especially among African-American youth), New York City (especially among African-American youth), Washington, DC (especially among youth), and parts of Texas. Marijuana also continues as a delivery medium for other drugs: blunts are often laced with PCP ("3750s") in Chicago and with crack in Chicago, New York City, and parts of Texas. In Texas, marijuana/embalming fluid/PCP combinations are reported, and joints are sometimes dipped in codeine cough syrup. High-quality marijuana is available in most CEWG areas, and potency continues to increase in many areas as well creating much marijuana addiction.

Data released by the National Institute on Drug Abuse

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