Marijuana

Marijuana Use Among LGBT: media type="youtube" key="r2Okh1ow9B4" width="425" height="350" align="right"

LGBT people struggle with addressing his/her own acceptance of self, which than result’s in abusing said drugs. Diplacido (1998) said that LGBT people experience physical and emotional stress as a result from the discrimination and anti-gay violence.

//Drugs serve as a relief from the stress, depression, and other negative feelings about the acceptance of the LGBT aspect.//  Gay men according to health publications are more likely to have used marijuana, stimulants, and party drugs more than men in the general population. Over 3,000 gay men living in urban areas in the US participated in a telephone based survey. 50% revealed that they have smoked marijuana before. Drug’s favored differed from the East + West Coasts while gay men on the West preferred crystal meth and those on the East were more likely to smoke marijuana. Bisexual women and lesbians also used marijuana at a higher rate than heterosexual women.

A study done by Dr. Marshal of the University of Pittsburgh Medical center in 2008 said that those who identified bisexual teens were 340% more likely to use drugs. In addition those who identified as lesbian youth were 400% more likely. Another fact revealed by the study said that those who identified themselves as lesbian, gay, or bisexual youth had a higher lifetime rate of marijuana use at 70% compared to other youth at 49% .

In 2005 AQHC conducted an online survey focusing on the LGTB community with the results including 21.2% of respondents smoked Marijuana more than once per week, 7.8% smoked it daily, and 18% smoked every couple of months.

//The top recreational drug found of those who had ever used it was Marijuana with 63.6%. //

- Up to 36 % for Lesbians - Up to 37 % for Gay men
 * Stats for Lifetime Use of Marijuana **

**Use of Marijuana done by the AQHC in 2005** **(on more than five occasions in previous month)** - 14.7% Trans Males - 10.8% Trans Females - 9.1% Intersex Males - 14.3% Intersex Females