PLANTEAMIENTO

Everyone is talking about marijuana right now.

You see debates about legalizing it, a governor
giving a conference about whats the federal response
to marijuana initiatives on the news, front page in
the journal.
Because of that is normal that some questions arise.
According to the Office of National Drug Control
Policy of the WhiteHouse, the most frequentrly asked
questions about marijuana are the following:

Isntmarijuanagenerallyharmless?
No. Marijuana is classified as a Schedule I
drug, meaning it has a high potential for
abuse and no currently accepted medical use.
The main active chemical in marijuana is
delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, more commonly
called THC. Research tells us that chronic
marijuana use may increase the risk of
schizophrenia in vulnerable individuals, and
high doses of the drug can produce acute
psychotic reactions. Researchers have also
found that adolescents long-term use of
marijuana may be linked with lower IQ

Ismarijuanaaddictive?
Yes. We know that marijuana use, particularly
long-term, chronic use or use starting at a
young age, can lead to dependence and
addiction. Long-term marijuana use can lead
to compulsive drug seeking and abuse despite
the known harmful effects upon functioning in
the context of family, school, work, and
recreational activities.

WhatarethetrendsinmarijuanauseintheUnitedStates?
Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit
drug in the United States. In 2011,
approximately 2.6 million Americans aged 12 or
older used marijuana for the first time. The
average age of individuals between 12 and 49
who first use marijuana was 17.5 years old in
2011.
In 2011, among adults aged 18 or older, age at
first use of marijuana was associated with
illicit drug dependence or abuse.
Thats the reason why we decided that the
target population for this website will be
College Students.

IsmarijuanareallyaGatewaydrug?

Because most drug users use marijuana either

by itself or in combination with other
substances, marijuana typically drives the
trends in estimates of any illicit drug use.
This page has-been made to show the
conclusions made after analizing the
controversial Gateway Drug Theory and also to
what extent is marijuana really the first gate
for most adolecents and college students.
This web site also was made to raise awareness
of important theories and studies that will
help the understanding of how a drug addict
begins in the world of strong drugs.
The main goal is to raise social awarnes
college students. To create a strong impact on
the reader by presenting important information
about the use of drugs uncontrollably as you
can avoid reaching an irreversible point ,
especially dedicated to the young adults who
are most susceptible and easy access to drugs.
REFERENCES

Marijuana Site Reclamation and Restoration Cost Analysis.

U.S. Department of Interior, National Park Service. December
9, 2010(unpublished data).
Robert S ,Pomietto, Blakely (2002), Enciclopedia Of Public
Health. Retrieved from http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G23404000366.html
Janet E. Joy, Stanley J. Watson, Jr., and John A. Benson, Jr.
(1999) Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base.
Retrieved from: http://www.nap.edu/read/6376/chapter/1
K. Shukla (2013) Inside the Gate:Insiders Perspectives on
Marijuana as a

Gateway Drug. University of Central Oklahoma, School of

Criminal Justice. Retrieved from:
http://www2.humboldt.edu/hjsr/docs/fwhjsrparagraph/Issue
%2035%20First%20Article%20Shukla.pdf
Ralph E. Tarter, Galina P. Kirillova, et al. (2012) Common
liability to addiction and gateway hypothesis: Theoretical,
empirical and evolutionary perspective. Retreived from:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3600369/
Ralph E. Et al, (2006) Predictors of Marijuana Use in
Adolescents Before and After Licit Drug Use: Examination of
the Gateway Hypothesis. Retrieved from:
http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/ajp.2006.163
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