The Marijuana Problem in Nevada

Even as Nevada's first medical marijuana school opened in April 2013, marijuana continues to remain the most widely used and abused drug throughout the United States and Nevada. The past few decades has seen a rise in marijuana consumption, underage use, addiction and related crimes in the state. Mexican-grown and domestically cultivated marijuana is widely trafficked throughout Nevada. Use is particularly high among individuals in the age group of 15 to 25.

While the new Nevada laws regarding decriminalization of personal marijuana use allows possession of the drug in quantities less than an ounce, possession of a higher quantity of the drug continues to be seen as illicit. First time possession of an ounce of the drug can lead to high fines. Possession of two ounces can lead to a 4-year jail term.

The Dangers of Marijuana Addiction

Medical marijuana use is gaining support in several states in current tolerant times. It is smoked usually in hand rolled joints or water pipes. It can also be brewed in teas or mixed with food. Reported benefits include improvement in the quality of sleep and relief of anxiety-related issues.

However long-term abuse of the drug can lead to adverse effects in everyday life. These include impaired coordination, distorted perception, difficulties in learning, problem solving and memory failures. Research suggests that the disruptive effects of the drug on memory and learning persist even after the other effects of the drug wear off. When marijuana abuse begins in adolescence, these effects can persist for years and affect the quality of life.

Abusers also see an increased vulnerability to heart attacks within the first hour of drug use, because of the tendency of marijuana to increase heart rate by as much as 20 to 100 percent. Most people are also not aware that marijuana is addictive. National Institute on Drug Abuse studies suggest that 9 percent of abusers get addicted to the drug. Those who start at adolescence and daily users are more vulnerable to addiction.

History of the Marijuana Problem in Nevada

A 2008 study by the University of Nevada Las Vegas reveal that drug abuse among Nevada youth (between the ages of 12 and 17) are significantly higher than that in the rest of the country. Past-year use of marijuana use among the state youth between 2008 and 2009 stood at 16.4%, while the figures for past-month use were 8.97%. Both statistics are higher than the corresponding national figures of 13.28% and 6.98% respectively. First-time-use rates among Nevada youth were also higher than the national average, at 17.16%.

Marijuana abuse among teens in Nevada has seen an increase only since 1999, surpassing national average use in the same age group. According to the NSDUH drug abuse reports of 2003-2006, about 17,000 of Nevada's 199,000 adolescents (8.3%) used marijuana in the surveyed period.

Another N-SSATS survey in 2006 regarding admissions for drug addiction showed that of the total adolescent admissions, 84.1 percent of males (or 2,881) and 68% of females (1,235) reported having used marijuana.

The staggering figures for marijuana addiction in the state suggest that this is a problem which needs to be addressed. Many people don't consider marijuana a core drug, which is a mindset that needs to be changed. Marijuana can act as a gateway to other more potent drugs, and lead to more severe problems and addictions.