Kenneth M. Sunamoto

Marijuana use leads to the use of other illicit drugs, claims Kenneth M. Sunamoto in the following viewpoint. According to Sunamoto, the use of marijuana and other illicit drugs such as heroin and cocaine are connected because they all act on brain areas that produce dopamine—a neurotransmitter that enables people to feel good. Moreover, marijuana itself has many adverse effects on users, including physical dependence and the loss of short-term memory and psychomotor control. Sunamoto is a family physician with a special interest in addiction treatment.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What did Sunamoto and his staff discover from a review of the histories of severe addicts that they were trying to help?
2. In the author’s opinion, in what ways does abstinence from marijuana resemble getting off...