I was listening to the radio recently when I heard the President express his opinion that marijuana is not that bad – “no worse than alcohol”. Add to that the fact that some States have legalized marijuana use, although to varying degrees, and we have a budding recipe for disaster.

To paraphrase my recollection of what the President said, he commented on how he had tried a little bit of marijuana when he was much younger, and he did not think it was that big a deal. I imagine that when he considers modern-day realities like a heroin epidemic, rising methamphetamine use, and crack cocaine dismantling untold lives, a little marijuana here and there probably sounds like a relief … something like, “whew, at least it’s only weed.” What, in fact, is the big deal?

According to government data collection sources that keep track of this sort of thing, alcohol is the most widely used drug in the United States. We all know people who use alcohol, and we don’t necessarily see them abusing it. In fact, most people who consume alcohol do not have an alcohol abuse problem. Some do, of course; however, they are the minority, albeit often a visible minority. So maybe the thinking is that marijuana is similar – that people can use it, not abuse it, and it falls into the “it’s not so bad” category.

Substances that get people “high”, including alcohol, are known as mood-and mind-altering. They are also addictive. Different drug classifications have differing rates of addictive potential. Heroin, methamphetamine, crack cocaine – high, very high. What this means is that these substances cannot be used without high risk of developing an addictive relationship with them. Alcohol? Much, much lower. Again, most people can use alcohol and not develop a problem. Marijuana is a bit trickier.

Proponents of smoking/legalizing/defending/promoting the use of marijuana ignore the fact that present-day marijuana is remarkably more powerful than that of a generation ago. If you smoked then, or if your parents did, or if your president did, they smoked a very different marijuana than is available today. Growers have developed ways to increase the potency to provide a more intense high. For example, in the 1970’s, the level of THC – the chemical compound that results in feeling “high” – was between 0.5% – 2%, in generally available marijuana. Today, the same grade of marijuana has THC rates over 15%. What this means is that the smoker takes in far more THC, which also increases the addictive potential.

Now, what about the people who insist that marijuana is not addictive? They’re right … sort of. There are two components to addiction, physical dependence and psychological dependence. All addictive disorders include psychological dependence – that’s why people go to treatment programs. Typically, the drug classifications that also involve physical dependence – and may include admission to a detox unit – are alcohol, heroin/narcotic pain killers/methadone, and anti-anxiety medications such as Xanax and Valium. Other drug families, including cannabis (marijuana), do not. However, people who like to downplay the detriments of marijuana use like to disregard these distinctions. The fact that you don’t need to go into the hospital to “come off” of marijuana does not mean that it is not addictive – just not physically addictive.

Another point behind the President’s reasoning might be that people commit all sorts of crimes when high on various drugs, and risk public safety and get DUI’s after drinking alcohol, but don’t typically experience these when smoking marijuana. Marijuana use, especially chronic or early onset marijuana use, causes what is known as an “amotivational syndrome,” which simply put means that it is quietly slips the smoker into neutral. Episodic use, episodic neutral. Chronic use, chronic neutral. For those who like to deny this point, ever see an overachieving “stoner”? Not too many of them around.

Another point to consider when looking at marijuana use is that it is one of the classic “gateway drugs”, those that pave the way for other substance abuse. This does not mean that anyone who smokes marijuana will go on to use other, stronger drugs. However, most people in treatment for addiction to heroin and cocaine began with using gateway drugs.

What does all of this mean to us? That we are not immune – not immune from the flu, or from heart disease, or from addiction. We’re also not immune from buying into a convenient theory. Our kids, the next generation of future Jewish leaders, are being given the message that marijuana use is harmless. They are not told this by their parents or teachers – but by the culture in which we live. They may be getting the message that smoking marijuana is no different than making a l’chaim, and that the substance is harmless. Even if that were true 30 years ago, today’s marijuana is just not the same. The marijuana is different, the effects are different, and the risks are different. Thought you should know.

Pinchas Herman, M.Ed., LPC, is a licensed therapist in Pittsburgh, PA. He is board certified in treating addictive disorders and in dual-diagnosis. He also holds certification in forensic addiction evaluation, and is recognized by the Department of Transportation as a qualified Substance Abuse Professional. He is available for questions or consultation at paulherman@mail.com.

Due to the sensitive nature of this topic, and its potential to influence young minds, the comments section will be strictly moderated. Comments that veer from the subject at hand will not be approved.