"Because [synthetic marijuana] is a relatively new drug, the surveys that measure and monitor drug use in children over time haven't had a chance to look at this yet, so we don't know how big a problem this is across the country," he said.
"But what we do know is that the prevalence of marijuana use among eighth, ninth and tenth graders is very, very high," Shoptaw said. "And I would say that that's a much greater problem than 'Spice' use. Marijuana is actually way more available to teens, and it is very rich in potent THC. And that, as the authors point out, can pose a lot of problems for developing brains."
More information
For more on marijuana, synthetic and "natural," visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
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