Long-term marijuana use can lead to addiction for some people; that is, they use the drug compulsively even though it often interferes with family, school, work, and recreational activities. According to the 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, an estimated 5.6 million Americans age 12 or older reported problems with illicit drug use in the past year. Of these, 3.6 million met diagnostic criteria for dependence on an illicit drug. More than 2 million met diagnostic criteria for dependence on marijuana/hashish. In 1999, more than 220,000 people entering drug abuse treatment programs reported that marijuana was their primary drug of abuse.
Along with craving, withdrawal symptoms can make it hard for long-term marijuana smokers to stop using the drug. People trying to quit report irritability, difficulty sleeping, and anxiety.59,60 They also display increased aggression on psychological tests, peaking approximately 1 week after they last used the drug.
Q: How many people smoke marijuana? At what age do children generally start?
A: A recent government survey tells us:
The Monitoring the Future Survey, which is conducted yearly, includes students from 8th, 10th, and 12th grades. In 2001, the survey showed that 20 percent of 8th-graders have tried marijuana at least once, and by 10th grade, 20 percent are “current” users (that is, used within the past month). Among 12th-graders, nearly 50 percent have tried marijuana/hash at least once, and about 22 percent were current users.
Other researchers have found that use of marijuana and other drugs usually peaks in the late teens and early twenties, then declines in later years
