by
Chris Houck
“It’s a whole new ballgame.” The conversation — “When I was a kid…” can be a good way to start
talking about marijuana showing we were kids once, too. But it can be
tricky. The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids wants parents to know that
marijuana is more potent by far today than in the past. The THC
concentration (psychoactive ingredient) in marijuana was about 4 percent
in the 1980s; it now averages 14.5 percent and some strains contain as much as 30 percent.
Knowing that marijuana (pot, weed, joint) can be more dangerous than when you were a kid makes it all the more important to have a conversation. Imagine your teen asking, “Did you smoke weed when you were young?” If you didn’t, make sure your teen knows that and the reasons why you chose not to use. If you did smoke pot, acknowledge that; talk about your experience and what you did to overcome an unhealthy choice. Explain why you are concerned about what could happen to your teen if they use marijuana.
And if you find it hard to have that conversation, find a trusted adult who can. Research shows that parents and other adults have a big influence on teens even when it doesn’t seem that way. If you have the conversation, here are questions a teen may raise and ways you can respond:
1. It’s legal in some states. Why would they make something legal that could hurt me? This is a reasonable question and is confusing.
Ask your teen to think about other things that are legal but can be dangerous and unhealthy like smoking tobacco (legal at age 18, but not healthy). Keeping the dialogue open is really important.
2. Weed is safer than alcohol. Encourage your teen to think about any drug and the potential for harm. Point out the harmful effects of marijuana that may not be thought about but can be life changing:
• Interferes with judgment, potentially leading to risky behaviors and making it unsafe to drive.
• Causes changes in the brain and impairs memory; associated with school failures and over time, reduced intellectual level.
• Can be addictive (marijuana is estimated to produce addiction in about 1 in 6, or 17 percent, for users who start in their teens).
• Connected with leading to other drug use later such as heroin.
Having the conversation is the most important thing. Your teen will benefit from your honesty, knowing you are willing to listen, that you care about their safety and future and that you want the best for them. This is true not only for marijuana but for alcohol and other drugs. Resources are available for you on the Rice County Chemical Health Coalition website (www.ricecountychc.com), and the Marijuana Talk Kit from the Partnership for Drug Free Kids. Medical marijuana will be legal in Minnesota this summer making the issue even more complex. Don’t wait. Have the conversation. Talk and listen, soon and often.
Knowing that marijuana (pot, weed, joint) can be more dangerous than when you were a kid makes it all the more important to have a conversation. Imagine your teen asking, “Did you smoke weed when you were young?” If you didn’t, make sure your teen knows that and the reasons why you chose not to use. If you did smoke pot, acknowledge that; talk about your experience and what you did to overcome an unhealthy choice. Explain why you are concerned about what could happen to your teen if they use marijuana.
And if you find it hard to have that conversation, find a trusted adult who can. Research shows that parents and other adults have a big influence on teens even when it doesn’t seem that way. If you have the conversation, here are questions a teen may raise and ways you can respond:
1. It’s legal in some states. Why would they make something legal that could hurt me? This is a reasonable question and is confusing.
Ask your teen to think about other things that are legal but can be dangerous and unhealthy like smoking tobacco (legal at age 18, but not healthy). Keeping the dialogue open is really important.
2. Weed is safer than alcohol. Encourage your teen to think about any drug and the potential for harm. Point out the harmful effects of marijuana that may not be thought about but can be life changing:
• Interferes with judgment, potentially leading to risky behaviors and making it unsafe to drive.
• Causes changes in the brain and impairs memory; associated with school failures and over time, reduced intellectual level.
• Can be addictive (marijuana is estimated to produce addiction in about 1 in 6, or 17 percent, for users who start in their teens).
• Connected with leading to other drug use later such as heroin.
Having the conversation is the most important thing. Your teen will benefit from your honesty, knowing you are willing to listen, that you care about their safety and future and that you want the best for them. This is true not only for marijuana but for alcohol and other drugs. Resources are available for you on the Rice County Chemical Health Coalition website (www.ricecountychc.com), and the Marijuana Talk Kit from the Partnership for Drug Free Kids. Medical marijuana will be legal in Minnesota this summer making the issue even more complex. Don’t wait. Have the conversation. Talk and listen, soon and often.
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