Marijuana is becoming a growing problem for teens in the state, according to the Wisconsin Youth Risk Behavior Study.

The study took the percentage of Wisconsin teens, ages 18 and under, who admit to smoking marijuana, and compared those numbers to the percentage of teens who smoke marijuana nationally.

This is discouraging news, according to Scott Caldwell, a counselor who works with a group that assesses teens to determine if they have a problem with marijuana use.

Caldwell said most teens often have no idea they have a marijuana dependency, or what he called "cannabis dependence."

"Teens often don't recognize that (marijuana) can be a problem because it lacks the reputation of other drugs; this does not allow the teen to clearly weigh the pros and cons, because they see marijuana as a non-issue," Caldwell said.

Counselors such as Caldwell who try to help teenagers, whom they deem at risk, realize marijuana use can have harmful consequences.

Marijuana's effects include increased appetite, increased risk of anxiety attacks, paranoia, short-term memory loss and auditory and visual hallucinations (when used in high doses), according to the study.

Marijuana was a problem in high school, according to Steve Mathie, a junior in the College of Communication who attended both the University of Wisconsin—Oshkosh and Marquette.

"A lot of people smoked pot in my high school," Mathie said. "It was pretty prevalent."

But Mathie also said as he got older, marijuana use declined.

"Marijuana is still around, but I do not see it at the levels I saw it in high school," he said.

Caldwell said the first step to getting a teen off marijuana is determining if they have a dependency.

"There are 500 to 600 teens a year who get assessed, most of whom don't show any signs of abuse, but those who we feel are at risk are recommended to various outpatient programs," Caldwell said.

When it is determined that a teen has a problem, confronting them with the question "are you addicted" is a bad tactic and can seem intimidating, because most teens will never admit they have a marijuana problem, according to Caldwell.

Rather than forcing a teen to quit marijuana immediately, suggesting they reduce their daily usage is a better way to approach the problem. This strategy is more effective than completely quitting because it will help trigger the withdrawal symptoms that are associated with marijuana abuse.

"If you smoke four times a day, try cutting it down to two or three. By doing this, it allows withdrawal symptoms to occur. These symptoms shake the teens confidence and make them think, 'Maybe I do need help,' " Caldwell said.

Caldwell said this approach gives the teen concrete evidence that marijuana can be an addictive substance.

Marijuana withdrawal symptoms include irritability, depression, trouble sleeping and loss of appetite, according to the study.

This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on Feb. 24 2005.