A 20-year national research reveals a tremendous 245% spike in adolescent cannabis misuse, while alcohol addiction has progressively decreased throughout the same time period.
As per The Tribune, while rates of all marijuana usage increased, the average monthly increase for edible marijuana was the largest relative to all other forms, showing that adolescents have shifted away from smoking marijuana in favor of other consuming methods.
The majority of ingestions occurred in males (58.3%), and more than 80% of all documented exposure cases were in adolescents aged 13 to 18 years old, according to a study published in Clinical Toxicology that was peer-reviewed.
The survey discovered over 338,000 incidences of intentional abuse or maltreatment of children aged 6 to 18 in the United States. More than 32% of incidents resulted in “clinical consequences worse than mild.”
Every year from 2000 to 2013, the number of ethanol misuse patients topped the number of marijuana abuse cases, according to Adrienne Hughes, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University.
By 2014, however, this trend had reversed. “Each year since 2014, the number of marijuana exposure cases has overtaken the number of ethanol exposure cases by a larger margin,” Hughes added. Experts link the growth in marijuana consumption to the widespread availability of edible cannabis products across the nation.
While rates of all marijuana usage increased, the average monthly increase for edible marijuana was the largest relative to all other forms, showing that adolescents have shifted away from smoking marijuana in favor of other consuming methods.
Extracts of marijuana, such as those utilized in cannabis vaping products, were also gaining in popularity.
“These edible and vaping items are frequently advertised in ways that appeal to young people, and they are viewed as more discrete and handy,” Hughes explained. Despite the fact that they may be considered as less dangerous, research indicates that this is not the case.
“Compared to smoking cannabis, which normally results in a rapid high, intoxication from edible forms of marijuana typically takes many hours,” Hughes emphasized. “This may cause some individuals to consume more and experience unexpected and unpredictable highs.”
As of the year 2022, cannabis is allowed for recreational use by adults in 19 states and for medical use in 36 states. Although cannabis is only legal for adults and not minors, it has become increasingly available to children and teenagers and contributed to the notion that it is safe.
450 young people perished due to drug usage, an unusual occurrence. Deaths were more prevalent among males and adolescents aged 16 to 18 years old. They were also most prevalent among narcotic abusers.
“Even though there were 57,488 events involving children between the ages of 6 and 12, these cases rarely involved ‘conventional’ drugs, but rather vitamins, plants, melatonin, hand sanitizers, and other objects,” the authors noted.
