Pot • Grass • Weed • Reefer • Dope • THC • Mary Jane
Sinsemilla • Acapulco Gold • Thai Sticks • Hash or Hash Oil

What Parents Need to Know

Research has shown that many parents today are ambivalent about marijuana. Some consider it to be relatively risk-free and are more concerned about other drugs such as Meth or Ecstasy. The wake up call for parents, however, is that marijuana is not a harmless drug. It is actually the most widely used illicit drug in the United States, second only to alcohol.

Today’s young people live in a world vastly different from that of their parents or grandparents. Kids are constantly bombarded with pro-drug messages on print, screen, CD’s and radio. Children also have easy access to the Internet, which is full of sites promoting the thrill of marijuana, offering kits for beating drug tests and advertising drug paraphernalia for sale. And at the same time, special-interest groups proclaim that smoked marijuana is not only harmless, it’s actually used as a medicine.

Such information has escalated the number of myths in our society and that is why it is important for parents to stay informed. We need to send clear, consistent, and credible messages to our children about the seriousness of the threat.

It’s hard to imagine your child using marijuana but the message needs to start with you, the parent. Help keep your child away from marijuana by letting them know the dangers, and by monitoring their activities and staying involved in their lives.

Marijuana Facts

• 50% of teenagers try marijuana before they graduate from high school
• Active ingredient is tetrahydrocannabinol or THC
• Marijuana is addictive
• Potency in 1995 was 100-200% greater than 20 years ago