Is Marijuana Addictive For Teenagers

Is marijuana addictive? This question comes to the mind of many parents when they are sending their teenager out to middle or high school, knowing they will be exposed to things like that. The answer to this question is often met with several reactions. Some feel that all drugs are addicting, while others believe that this particular one is not. It is true, however, that anything can be addicting, from food to drugs to alcohol. The mind is in control when someone is addicted to something, not the body.

This is not to say that drugs do not make the body have physical reactions, it just means that with the right therapeutic training, anyone can break an addiction if they put their mind to it. Any physical side effects from quitting a drug that was not supposed to be in the body in the first place will be temporary. The problem is that the person going through it is suffering, in pain and will do anything to make it stop. They know that the drug they crave will make it stop. That is why many drug addicts relapse. They do not realize that it is not something they need to continue living, their brain is merely telling them they want it to stop the withdrawal symptoms.

The debate about marijuana centers on the fact that it is not a man-made drug but a plant that is grown from regular potting soil that happens to have an effect on the mind. The politics surrounding its legalities have long been debated and will continue to be debated in the public and private arena.

Whether or not it is addicting should not be the only question for young people. They should be concentrating on the fact that they are still growing, that their brain is still forming new thoughts and ideas and that their brain will never spark again at that rapid rate, because we slow down as we age. They should be asking questions about how to avoid becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol and should be guided by mature adults, given solid role models to follow.

The effect that marijuana has on the brain does not kill brain cells, as many people have claimed. The receptors in the brain react to the natural chemical THC that is found in the cannibas plant. The effect is temporary and there is little life-time effects. The true killers of brain cells are alcohol and the harsh man-made drugs, like heroin and cocaine.

While it is true that man-made drugs like cocaine, have a negative effect on the brain and body, marijuana has medicinal value. Man-made drugs continue to damage the body as the years go by, even after the addiction has been broken and the drug is no longer being introduced to the body.

Young adults do not need the added stress and pain of suffering addictions to alcohol or drugs. Parents should warn their young people about the dangers they face if they drink or do drugs. They should not be allowed to proceed without being informed.

Asking is marijuana addictive is not enough. Parents must do research into not only this but alcohol and drugs that children are exposed to regularly in their schools. Parents can and should take a stand against teenage drinking and drug use.