Marijuana is the most highly used illicit drug in the United States. The young adults and teens are even more enticed by marijuana. They use marijuana for its hallucinogenic effects. According to a recent study, the number of first-time marijuana users in colleges at present has peaked in the last three years.
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan and funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), said that marijuana use among college students has reached an all-time high in 30 years, with a sharp rise in the past three years. The respondents belonged to the age group 19-22 years.
About 20 percent college students used marijuana for the first time in 2015. The results stemmed from the annual Monitoring the Future (MTF) study, which has been tracking substance use among young adults for the past 36 years.
College students drawn more towards marijuana
“There has been a sea change in attitudes toward marijuana use,” said the lead author of the study Richard Miech. The researchers found that marijuana was more popular among college going youngsters compared to those who did not attend college. College students recorded a high degree of first-time users of marijuana than non-college going individuals. That is why the rate of first-time users has skyrocketed among college students. It was higher by 51 percent in 2015, compared to 41 percent in 2014, 31 percent in 2013 and 20 percent from 1977 to 2012.
One of the reasons for this trend is the changing attitude of the adult population toward marijuana. A majority of them are in favor of legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes, which has greatly influenced the college-going youngsters. According to Miech, college students are in a position to translate marijuana attitudes into actual use for a variety of reasons.
College students not within the purview of family and societal norms
One major contributing factor behind college students’ increasing interest in marijuana use is that they are less likely to enter social roles like a spouse, parent or employee, which all deter marijuana use, Miech said.
Other factors like absence of parental supervision, an abundance of free time and party cultures, among others, push college students to experiment with marijuana or other illicit drugs. The carefree attitude of college students is responsible for this uptick in marijuana use, giving rise to more first-time users of the drug.
“College students were at the vanguard of marijuana use in the 1960s and it seems they are in a position to usher in new increases in population marijuana use today,” said Miech. However, marijuana is a deadly drug and highly addictive, capable enough to induce mind-altering hallucinating effects and overdoses. Hence, this trend of rising first-time users of marijuana in colleges is a matter of great concern.
Dealing with marijuana addiction
Since marijuana addiction can be dangerous, it is better to address the addiction at the earliest. It is important to recognize the symptoms in a loved one so that he or she can come out of the trap of addiction.
Sovereign Health is a premier substance abuse and mental health treatment organization in the U.S. that provides comprehensive treatment for all substance abuse disorders, including marijuana addiction. Thus, if you or a loved one is grappling with marijuana addiction, call our 24/7 helpline number or chat online for information on marijuana addiction rehabs. We have the best marijuana addiction treatment in the country and our marijuana rehab centers are among the top of the line.
credit:sovhealth.com