Maine in top six for marijuana use

OXFORD HILLS - A recent study from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) indicates Maine is ranked in the top six states for past month marijuana use among all age groups.

Guy Cousins, Director of the Maine Office of Substance Abuse is concerned about this study. "Education about the affects of marijuana is critical. Marijuana affects alertness, concentration and reaction time, many of the skills required for learning, safe driving and other life tasks."

What is the big deal? Researchers have established that marijuana is addictive and that it is three times more likely to lead to dependence among adolescents than adults.

Locally, concern over the use of marijuana is increasing. Chief Jon Tibbets from the Oxford Police Department stated, “The opinion of many of the citizens of this state is that Law Enforcement should put marijuana at the lowest category of enforcement. Many citizens even feel that Law Enforcement should not be spending any time in enforcing the laws concerning marijuana. I think that the latest state wide referendums which make marijuana for medicinal purposes legal are sending the wrong message. Though marijuana may have some healing attributes it is commonly pointed out to us in Law Enforcement that marijuana is medicine and not a serious threat to our younger population. We all know that is not true and the studies will back us up on the harmful effects of marijuana especially in our younger population.”

Rob Federico, Chief of Police in Norway, is concerned with teens’ ability to learn. “I want parents to be aware of the facts on marijuana use and the effect it has on our children. The fact that marijuana use affects alertness and concentration, two critical parts to educating our children, concerns me and should parents as well. We work hard to educate them so they can be successful, but are we doing enough to eliminate the things that will hinder their ability to learn?”

In fact, according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), each year more youth enter treatment with a primary diagnosis of marijuana dependence than for all other illicit drugs combined.

Ruth Blauer, Executive Director of the Maine Association of Substance Abuse Programs, referred to the "2009 Maine Community Epidemiology Surveillance Network Substance Abuse Trends" report. "This data demonstrates that marijuana use in Maine continues to be a significant issue, for youth in particular, but also for the general population as well. Marijuana is the second drug of choice for youth after alcohol, is the primary drug for youth substance abuse treatment admissions and is identified as the second leading cause for all treatment admissions.”

Chief David Verrier from the Paris Police Department identified the threat of violence as a primary concern in regards to youth and marijuana, "Some of the main concerns we have identified are the trafficking of marijuana by high school and middle school aged students. Over the last couple of years juvenile traffickers have figured out there is a substantial amount of money to be made. Our investigations have uncovered that juvenile traffickers have made profits of $400 to $600 or more a week. Some of these[...]also steal marijuana plants from adult cultivators. Violence can take place because of the thefts and monies that may be owed."

"We know that youth who use marijuana are more likely to engage in risky behaviors such as unsafe sex, getting in trouble with the law and other dangerous behaviors which can be change their lives forever," remarked Melissa Boyd, Coordinator of the Maine Alliance to Prevent Substance Abuse.

To learn more about how to get help and education on marijuana and other drugs visit The Maine Office of Substance Abuse at www.maine.gov/dhhs/osa/ or contact Heather at Healthy Oxford Hills at 739-6222 or heather@healthyoxfordhills.org.

Healthy Oxford Hills (HOH) was started in 2000, and they are in their seventh year of working on community health issues. HOH does this work by building partnerships with organizations and businesses in the community. The Substance Abuse Prevention program aims to raise awareness of the dangers of substance abuse and provide resources and education to the community. The program facilitates the Oxford County Substance Abuse Task Force, which meets monthly.