Real difficulties can be overcome, it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable. ~Theodore N. Vail
Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States. Approximately eight to 12 percent of marijuana users are considered “dependent” and the severity of their symptoms increases with heavier use of the drug. A new study has found that use and misuse of alcohol and marijuana are influenced by a common set of genes.
“Results from a large annual survey of high school students show that in 2008, 41.8 percent of twelfth graders reported having used marijuana,” said Carolyn E. Sartor, a researcher at Washington University School of Medicine and co-author of the study.
“The active ingredient in marijuana is THC, which mimics natural cannbinoids that the brain produces,” said Christian Hopfer, associate professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “The cannabinoid system is critical for learning, memory, appetite and pain perception. Most users of marijuana will not develop an ‘addiction’ to it, but perhaps one in 12 will. What is not commonly appreciated about marijuana use is that strong evidence has emerged that it increases the risk of developing mental illness and possibly exacerbate pre-existing mental illnesses,” said Hopfer.
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