Monterey Park Addiction Treatment Centers

Although recreational marijuana is officially legal in California, Proposition 64 allows individual cities throughout the state to decide how they will handle the substance.¹ Both medical and recreational marijuana are legal to use in Monterey Park, although many other cities throughout Los Angeles County have not legalized the drug. Still, it is important to know that marijuana is an addictive substance, like alcohol and nicotine, which are also legal substances to consume.

Marijuana accounted for 14.9% of all county admissions for drug treatment in 2016, which is a decline from 16.1% the previous year. Although marijuana was not legal at the state level in 2016, the popular movement toward legalization may have made use and abuse of this substance more socially acceptable, so fewer people recognize that they have a problem. The largest percentage of treatment admissions were people younger than 18 years old at 42.8%. Even in places where recreational marijuana is legal, it is only legal for people 21 years old or older; however, many high school students in Los Angeles County abuse marijuana, which puts them at risk for substance abuse later in life.²

While marijuana is not known to be associated with lethal overdoses, there is some overlap between abuse of marijuana and abuse of other drugs, and marijuana has shown up in 20.4% of LA County Medical Examiner toxicology reports.² If marijuana use has become compulsive—if it causes you any distress throughout your day to day, substance abuse recovery programs may be able to help. Furthermore, professional rehabilitation can treat several varieties of drug and alcohol addiction. Call our helpline to learn about how to find the best treatment option for any situation.

1. Ballotpedia. California Proposition 64, Marijuana Legalization (2016).
2. National Drug Early Warning System (NDEWS). Los Angeles County Sentinel Community Site (SCS) Drug Use Patterns and Trends, 2017.