Fentenyl now America’s Deadliest Drug

Fentanyl is now the deadliest drug in America, federal health officials announced Wednesday, with over 18,000 overdose deaths in 2016, the most recent year for which statistics are available. It’s the first time the synthetic opioid has been the nation’s deadliest drug. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2018/12/12/fentanyl-now-america-deadliest-drug-overtakes-heroin/2287343002/

The Evolution of Today’s Marijuana

Because marijuana impairs short-term memory and judgment and distorts perception, it can impair performance in school or at work and make it dangerous to drive. It also affects brain systems that are still maturing through young adulthood, so regular use by teens may have negative and long-lasting effects on their cognitive development, putting them at a competitive disadvantage and possibly interfering with their well-being in other ways. Also, contrary to popular belief, marijuana can be addictive, and its use during adolescence may make other forms of problem use or addiction more likely.  Click link below for full report answering such questions as:

  • What are the effects of marijuana use?
  • How does marijuana produce its effects?
  • Does marijuana affect driving?
  • Is marijuana addictive?
  • What are the long-term effects of marijuana on the brain?
  • Is marijuana a gateway drug?
  • How does marijuana use impact school, work, and social life?
  • Is there a link between marijuana use and psychiatric disorders?
  • What are marijuana’s effects on lung health?
  • Is marijuana safe and effective as a medicine?
  • Is marijuana use during pregnancy harmful to the baby?
  • What are the effects of secondhand exposure to marijuana smoke?

The Evolution of Today’s Marijuana

 

Understanding the Basics of Addiction

Addiction: The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) defines addiction as “a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking [behavior] and use, despite harmful consequences.” Addiction disrupts the normal functioning of a previously healthy brain, causing physical changes to areas of the brain that are critical to judgment, decision making, learning, memory, and behavior. Click the link below to read the article.

Understanding the Basics of Addiction