The University of Pittsburgh has too much money in their coffers, I think it is time to share the wealth. Their latest research project has proven the illusive “Does music encourage pot use?” conundrum. In a shocking revelation, it looks like it does.

So boys and girls, before listening to that snoopy dog or that ludicrous rap music, ask yourself if you want to be a pothead too.

Teens who frequently listen to music that contains references to marijuana are more likely to use the drug than their counterparts with less exposure to such lyrics, according to a University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study online now in the journal Addiction.Source: www.sciencedaily.com

Really? … REALLY???? It took how long for you to come to that conclusion?

“Based on an analysis of survey data from 959 ninth-graders, we found that students who listen to music with the most references to marijuana are almost twice as likely to have used the drug than their peers whose musical tastes favor songs less focused on substance use, even after controlling for confounding factors,” said Brian Primack, M.D.,Ed.M., M.S., lead author of the study and assistant professor of medicine and pediatrics at Pitt’s School of Medicine. “Interestingly, we also found that exposure to marijuana in music was not associated with other high-risk behaviors, such as excessive alcohol consumption. This suggests that there is a real link between the marijuana lyrics and marijuana use,” said Dr. Primack. Source: www.sciencedaily.com

I wonder why that can be? Possibly because alcohol is commonly accepted and marijuana is considered taboo. If you remove the taboo, the kids will be less likely to try it and treat it just like alcohol. I take it rocket science wasn’t your minor.

This research seems to have a flaw in it. It directly correlates music to marijuana, while ignoring the fact that those who smoke marijuana may seek out music with references to it. This is something that is very true, especially in my case. The research concentrates on Ninth Graders, but even at this age I had at least tried marijuana and would gladly smoke if I could find it. After I started smoking, personally I enjoyed Cypress Hill for their references and searched for more music in that genre.