As Cannabis Use Goes up, Addiction Rates Go Down

In the last few years, the opinions in the US about cannabis use has shifted significantly. More people are pushing for it to be legalized either for medical or recreational use. Much of this is due to the amazing reports coming out about the seemingly miraculous healing effects that the plant has had especially when it comes to cancer patients.

Extracts from cannabis have been used to help people who are sick, disabled, suffering from chronic pain, for the treatment of tumors and in curing cancer.

Right now 23 states have made medical marijuana legal and 4 states including Washington DC have legalized it for recreational use.

Is Cannabis Use on the Rise because of its new found popularity?

The increase of marijuana use makes us wonder if recent public acceptance is a factor or not. According to a new study from JAMA psychiatry not only has marijuana use doubled in the last 10 years but they found that it is because of the positive light of approval that we now have as a society for it.

From 2001 to 2002 4.1% of adults admitted to using cannabis sometime within the last year.  By the year 2012-2013 that number had grown to around 9.5%.

With almost 10% of adults in the US using cannabis, there has been some concern about abuse and addiction becoming a concern.  What is incredible about this plant, is that even though there is a growing number of users this same batch of statistics showed that dependency and abuse of cannabis has significantly decreased.

Using the AUDADIS-5 system researchers from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that cannabis dependency (addiction), and abuse had dropped from around 35.6% back in 2001-2002 to 30.6% in 2012-2013.

Stepping out of Fear and Into Awareness about this Natural Plant

If what they found is accurate then that leads us to suspect that the US has stepped outside of the drug propaganda and fear about cannabis is going away.  This long overdue move will help resolve a problem that has long since plagued this country.

Not only can we reduce the prison population but we can stop arresting the hundreds of thousands of people for possession each year saving countless taxes.

Cannabis has many different uses that would boost the economy as well since it can make many things from paper and clothing to bricks for build material. Perhaps the US is finally waking up to the benefits of this natural plant.

Do you agree that cannabis should be legalized and used to help this nation?  Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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