More people are addicted to marijuana, but fewer of them are seeking help, experts say

By LAURA UNGAR Associated Press Science Writer Megan Feller smoked pot several times a day and couldn t eat sleep or function without it But at the time she didn t see the need to reach out for help Related Articles Calling all passengers DIA seeks to lower noise levels across airport In contemporary times in History November Elian Gonzalez rescued Lawmakers question legality of Demarcation Patrol license plate reader project Judge dismisses Comey James indictments after finding that prosecutor was illegally appointed Chauncey Billups pleads not guilty in rigged poker games scenario I didn t think cannabis was a big deal the -year-old disclosed It was really socially accepted This attitude is common As more states legalize marijuana use has become more normalized and products have become more potent But fewer of those who are addicted seek help for it Pot use among young adults reached historic levels in contemporary years according to a federally supported survey Daily use even outpaced daily drinking with nearly million Americans reporting in that they use marijuana every day or nearly every day up from less than million three decades earlier Studies show a corresponding increase in cannabis use disorder when people crave marijuana and spend lots of time using it even though it causes problems at home school work or in relationships It s a condition that researchers estimate affects about in pot users and can be mild moderate or severe And it s an addiction despite the common misconception that that s not viable with marijuana reported Dr Smita Das an addiction psychiatrist at Stanford University Meanwhile the drug s widespread acceptance has fueled a stigma about seeking remedy reported Dr Jennifer Exo of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation in Minnesota There s this pervasive belief that you can t become addicted it can t certainly be a issue she disclosed It has to do with this myth that cannabis is safe natural and benign Stronger weed bigger problems While pot isn t as harmful as harder drugs frequent or heavy use has been linked to problems with learning memory and attention as well as chronic nausea vomiting and lung problems among those who smoke it Particular evidence has also linked it to earlier onset of psychosis in people with genetic peril factors for psychotic disorders like schizophrenia And in the present day s pot is not the same as that of the past Multiple people recall older relatives who smoked a scant doobies and ate a few food and fell asleep Exo stated But it s absolutely different In the s majority of pot that people smoked contained less than THC the ingredient that causes a high In the current era the THC potency in cannabis flower and concentrates sold in dispensaries can reach or more according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse Teens are often vaping potent marijuana concentrates Exo noted rather than eating brownies made with cannabis flower or taking a hit from a bong More access to marijuana rising ER visits Pot is also increasingly available Though it s still a federal crime to possess it states allow recreational use by adults and allow curative use as of late June the National Conference of State Legislatures mentioned Dispensaries abound and more people are able to keep pot at home Research links the legalization of recreational marijuana with rising crisis room visits for acute cannabis intoxication in which patients may experience a rapid heartbeat or feel dizzy confused or paranoid A review last year focused on Michigan detected that legalization was associated with an immediate increase in the rate of ER visits for this condition among people of all ages especially middle-aged adults Das announced increased access to cannabis along with a growing number of cannabis products and with higher potency all contribute to rising ER visits Edibles such as gummies can pose a particular issue because they take a little while to kick in so people may keep taking more because they don t yet feel the drug s effects Then suddenly they re suffering from cannabis toxicity she mentioned Why medicine is often overlooked Feller first tried pot at and hastily went from smoking the plant to using vape cartridges that were easy to hide in her pocket Soon she could barely get by without it I would wake up every morning for years and until I smoked weed I would throw up she revealed Instead of trying to get high she used it to make these other clues go away Feller was also drinking a lot and her parents sent her to a medicine center when she was around It didn t help because she wasn t ready to get well After her mother died her substance use worsened At Feller entered Hazelden on her own but only to get sober from alcohol which she did She kept using pot on and off then certainly sought healing for cannabis use disorder and has been sober from marijuana for almost a year I m so much happier now she announced I don t feel like shackled to a substance Such recovery is often overlooked reported Brian Graves a researcher at Florida Atlantic University He and his colleagues published a research this year showing that the share of people who got therapy for cannabis use disorder from their nationally representative sample dropped from in to in An earlier survey also unveiled a marked decline and pointed to reasons that include expanding cannabis legalization and more tolerant attitudes Experts stated people need to be educated that pot like alcohol can be misused and can cause real harm Another key piece is helping people understand the menace before they start Exo commented and then to feel safe enough to say Hey I need help managing this Plenty of people wait until their marijuana use causes problems in multiple parts of their lives before they seek cure if they ever do If you re changing your life because of weed there might be an issue Feller added There are support to get help and you are not alone The Associated Press Physical condition and Science Department receives sponsorship from the Howard Hughes Biological Institute s Department of Science Tuition and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation The AP is solely responsible for all content