The paper will review the article: “Age at first use of marijuana and past-year serious mental illness”. The article was published in May 2005 by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Association (SAMHSA) under its National Survey on Drug Use and Health Report. The researchers interviewed respondents who were 12 years of age and above. Respondents were asked questions on their use of marijuana. One of the survey questions required them to state the age at which they first used marijuana. Respondents aged 18 years and above were also required to answer certain questions that would help the researchers to assess whether they had suffered from SMI (serious mental illness) in the 12 months before the survey was conducted.
I chose this article because it addresses the use of marijuana among teenagers which is widespread globally. In the past, researchers have acknowledged the association between smoking marijuana and the risk of developing mental health. In addition, the age when one first cloud of smoke marijuana is important as it has a huge effect on the development of mental illnesses. The implications for mental health development are greatest for people who start using marijuana at an early age. The fact that this article addresses these two issues at length makes it a good read.
The article has highlighted the widespread use of marijuana among teenagers. According to the article, marijuana is the most common illicit drug that a first-time drug user is likely to try. In addition, the article addresses the link between increased risk of developing mental illnesses and the use of illicit drugs like marijuana, especially among people who start abusing the drug at an early age.
For respondents who were 18 years and above, the researchers assessed the likelihood that they could suffer from SMI (serious mental illness) in the 12 months that preceded the survey (National Survey on drug Use and Health 1). This classification was based on diagnosable, behavioral, emotional, or mental disorders that fulfill the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) criteria.
The research findings revealed that 21% of the respondents had used marijuana for the first time before their 12th birthday. On the other hand, 45.2% of the respondents stated that they had smoked marijuana for the first time at 18 years or later. The research findings further revealed that the number of females at or above the age of 18 who reported having used marijuana for the first time before the age of 12 was half that of their male counterparts. 21% of the respondents of 18 years and above claimed to have used marijuana for the first time prior to their 12th birthday (National Survey on drug Use and Health 2). On the other hand, 10.5% of adults claimed to have used marijuana for the first time at 18 years or older.
The researchers also revealed that respondents who smoked marijuana for the first time before the age of 12 years had a two-fold likelihood of developing serious mental illness in the past 12 months before the commencement of the study, compared with respondents who first smoked marijuana for the first time at 18 years or later.
This article is important because it sheds more light on the relation between the use of Marijuana and cases of developing schizophrenia and other mental diseases. It also provides more in-depth research on the correlation between the age and sex of marijuana users.
Works Cited
National Survey on Drug Use and Health. 2005. “Age at First Use of Marijuana and Past Year Serious Mental Illness”. SAMHSA 2005. Web.