California Medical Marijuana Is Doping Our Youth

Marijuana is being used to help treat Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with children in California, has medical marijuana gone too far? This is one of those things that is a question of ethics and certainly needs to be addressed before there is a catastrophe. In 1999 California voters passed a law which allowed doctors to recommend cannabis for medical use, including minors. A seventeen year old with leukemia is a far cry from a twelve year old with ADHD. In California Marijuana can be recommended "for any ... illness for which marijuana provides relief". It has been known for a long time that marijuana inhibits focusing and motivation, how marijuana could be considered useful for ADHD is beyond me; the Washington Times reports, "ADHD is described as a neurological disorder that prevents children from focusing on a specific task. In essence, people with ADHD have difficulty with self-regulation and self-motivation, owing to problems with distractibility, organization and prioritization".

In the United States we are guilty of over-medicating our children and as a result our children suffer. With 14 million Adderall prescriptions last year it is obvious that we are too quick to medicate. Now we are drifting into the world of alternative medications like marijuana to fix our problems with out doing all the research. There needs to be a certain level of digression by doctors when recommending marijuana, otherwise we will be fueling addiction throughout our youth. "What they don't realize is that marijuana use during childhood and the early-teen years produces significantly different effects than marijuana use later in life. The behaviors exhibited by introducing tetrahydrocannabinol -- the active ingredient in marijuana -- to the brain are similar to those demonstrated by alcohol consumption", reports the Washington Times.

We need to start getting real with ourselves regarding the benefits of medical marijuana. Its uses are limited and do not apply to everyone, it has side-effects that have no place in a child's life. If marijuana is going to be legal it needs to be treated like every other prescription drug and be held up to the same scrutiny. We wouldn't give Oxycontin to a child for a hang nail!

Adderall Abuse Epidemic In America

The academic world is facing an enemy far greater then anyone could of thought. The abuse of prescription medicine to deal wilth the stresses of life has become a rampant problem with no real solution in sight. Drugs like Adderall, Ritilan, and Dexedrine have become coping mechanisms for a number of reasons throughout the collegial atmosphere and in many cases have become not only socially acceptable, it's almost expected. It is almost hard to believe that 14 million prescriptions of Adderall were filled last year; it is no wonder the drug can be found on every college campus. Adderall abuse went relatively undetected for a long time because it is a prescribed medicine. However, like any prescription medication it can be sold or traded amongst peers and it is on a regular basis. There is no question that there is an Adderall abuse epidemic in America.

"At Cornell, a 2006 Gannett study found that at least six percent of the student body had used the drugs in the past year - though the impression of many students is that the actual percentage is much higher", according to the Cornell Sun. Many people do not talk about taking the drug because of the legal ramifications; many people also view amphetamine use as a way of cheating. Amphetamines give people a heightened sensitivity and greater concentration. Adderall is an amphetamine that increases the amount of dopamine released in the brain increasing the number of neurotransmitters available which increases concentration and alertness. When people take more than the prescribed amount the drug becomes tantamount to Crystal Methamphetamine; abuse can have a damaging effect on the brain resulting in permanent damage.

Sadly, Adderall abuse continues after college as people find that they have become dependent upon it to get their work done. Over time, one has to take more of the drug to get the desired effect because of higher tolerance levels. Amphetamine addiction is a real problem among young adults and many times treatment is the only solution. The vast majority of people who use prescription psychostimulants have very little idea about the serious side effects that can accompany the drug; prescription drugs have become such commonplace and are inside just about every medicine cabinet, this has given many students the idea that there is nothing wrong with their use.

I encourage you to watch this video of a CNN Interview with Dr. Drew Pinsky about this problem.