it was the 1990s and doctors were seeing a lot of commercials like this one. these drugs, our best, stropgest pain medications, should be used much more for patients in pain. problem is, they were never intended to be used long-term. we went along with some of the advertisement coming around that we were getting in medical schools. the director of the national institute on drug abuse believes that have the beginning of our opioid crisis. we started to see patients who were prescribe ed opioids f their pain addiction who had never been addicteded to anything. we knew there was a danger and it still happened any way. marketing. we started questioning whether we should be using ownership o opioids, but didn t have a lot
even a tiny dose of it can be lethal. craig uses fen tannal. like everyone, he wants to stop but says he can t. i m addicteded to opoids. what do you do here in the street, what kind of opiates? all the opiates right now is fentanyl. so everybody s dying. reporter: it s about to start pouring in boston. these people who can t live without their pills and their needles will be sleeping in dirt that will turn into mud. are you afraid you re going to die from this? i know i m going to die from this. reporter: are you afraid you re going to die from this. not really afraid. honestly, sometimes, it just seems easier. reporter: gary tuchman, cnn, boston. much more straight ahead in the newsroom. first, meet this week s cnn hero, max levet. a lot of kids learn the importance of work ethic on the sports field.
the concentration of thc in marijuana today is 30,40% in a typical smoke marijuana versus 3 or 4% thc concentration of 60s and 70s. reporter: other drugs including alcohol and nicotine have higher addiction rates. but there is serious concern among those in the substance abuse field that colorado s new marijuana law will substantially increase the number of marijuana addicts. i think we ll see more people using it on a consistent basis. reporter: but addiction isn t the only concern. 22-year-old stella blessing is also a successful graduate. she was addicteded to crack, meth and heroin. but she preceded that with what the therapists here say are the typical gateway drugs of alcohol and marijuana. how often did you use marijuana? the first time i smoked marijuana i was 14. and i used it constantly throughout my other addictions. reporter: stella, brian and
marijuana? yes. reporter: the national institute on drug abuse says about 1 out of 11 pot users become addicted. brian doyle decided he needed help and got clean after treatment at the cedar center at the university of colorado hospital. the executive director of this rehabilitation facility says the potentsy of today s position makes the problem worse. the concentration of thc in marijuana today is 30,40% in a typical smoke marijuana versus 3 or 4% thc concentration of 60s and 70s. reporter: other drugs including alcohol and nicotine have higher addiction rates. but there is serious concern among those in the substance abuse field that colorado s new marijuana law will substantially increase the number of marijuana addicts. i think we ll see more people using it on a consistent basis. reporter: but addiction isn t the only concern. 22-year-old stella blessing is also a successful graduate. she was addicteded to crack,
tonight dr. sanjay gupta, michael s lifelong friend kathy hilton. the trial of conrad murray. this is piers morgan tonight. good evening. an extraordinary first day in the trial of dr. conrad murray today. michael jackson s parents, his brothers tito, jer maine and randy joined janet and la toya and rooeby there. it wasn t because it was right but because he was making $150,000 a month off the singer. he charged the doctor with gross negligence towards his patient. mr. chernoff called it a perfect storm that killed him instantly. murray wiped away tears during his lawyer s statement. but the most extraordinary statement of all came from michael jackson himself in a rambling recording played in court today. ted rowlands has that and more. a dramatic day in many ways, finally laying bare, really, all the rumors and whispers that we ve been hearing about this trial. i suppose one of the most dramatic moments of all came right at the top when the jury were shown a photo, whic