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Pot Addiction Treatment Triples

  a.. 41 States See Increase In Treatment Rates

Mar 4, 2005 2:34 pm US/Eastern

The admission rate for those who seek treatment for marijuana use nearly
tripled between 1992 and 2002, according to the latest data compiled by the
federal government.

The numbers released Friday reflect a growing use of marijuana in the 1990s
and an increase in the potency of marijuana, said Tom Riley, a spokesman for
the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy.

"This report makes clear what people in the public health community have
known for years, which is marijuana is a much more dangerous drug than many
Americans realize," Riley said. "This report is a wake-up call for parents
that marijuana is not a soft drug. It's a much bigger part of the addiction
problem than is generally understood."

The study on treatment rates was conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration, which estimated that 41 states experienced
an increase in the number of people who sought treatment for marijuana use
during the decade studied.

Overall, the admission rates rose from 45 per 100,000 people in 1992 to 118
per 100,000 people in 2002, which is the latest year such numbers are
available.

"Marijuana is not a harmless substance, and these treatment trends emphasize
that point," said Charlie Cook, the administrator for the Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration.

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