The Truth About Pot: Ten Recovering Marijuana Users Share Their Personal Stories

Marijuana use has increased over the past four years and now accounts for over 81 percent of this nation's illicit drug use. It is widely considered not only to be harmless to its users but also to have the power to enhance concentration and creativity, to relieve pain and suffering, and to offer a much needed respite from the hectic pace of today's world.

It's no wonder that marijuana is surrounded by confusion and myth. Used widely during the past three decades, it has been both praised and condemned. With little or no research up to now either to corroborate or dispute the myths, many people, especially teenagers, are confused.

In The Truth about Pot, Joanne Baum reveals the damage marijuana can do in people's lives. "It is certainly clear from these people's stories ranging from nine months to almost fifteen years...that pot is not a harmless drug to be used with no consequences," writes Baum in the final chapter. "Marijuana users can lose years from their lives and experience long-lasting mental and emotional pain."

Joanne Baum Ph. D. is a Board Certified Diplomat in Clinical Social Work, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and a Level Three Certified Alcoholism Counselor. She has a private practice in Evergreen, Colorado and is about to embark on a new career as a school social worker.She has worked in the field of substance abuse since 1981. Specialty areas: drug and alcohol problems, family issues, interventions, parenting, school problems, depression, life transitions, aging, and post traumatic stress disorder. Works for the courts as a Special Advocate, Parenting Coordinator, and Parenting Plan Evaluator.