Marijuana: Risks of Experimentation
What’s the Big Deal About Marijuana?
“But it’s only marijuana” or “it’s only
alcohol,” you
say. “It’s a rite of passage.” “Teens are expected
to experiment.” Not any more. The world has changed, and so have
the drugs. In fact, the marijuana of today is
stronger than ever before. Drug and alcohol use can lead to many negative
consequences, including bad grades, broken friendships,
family problems, trouble with the law, etc.
  Most
important, teens’ brains and bodies are still developing,
and substance use can interfere with their emerging independence and
efforts to establish their own identity. Drug and alcohol use can change
the direction of a young person’s life – physically, emotionally,
and behaviorally. It can weaken the ability to concentrate and retain
information during a teen’s peak learning years, and impair judgment
leading to risky decision making that could involve sex or getting into
a car with someone under the influence of drugs.
“Experimentation,” even with marijuana, can also lead to
addiction. Not everyone progresses from use to abuse to addiction,
but it is a dangerous road and there is no way to know who will become
addicted and who won’t.
Scientific
Research About Risks of "Experimentation"
Drug and alcohol abuse by teens is not something to be taken lightly.
-
More teens are in treatment with a primary diagnosis of marijuana dependence
than for all other illegal drugs combined.1
- Research also shows that many adolescents start to drink at very young ages. In 2003, the average age of first use of alcohol was about 14, compared to about 17 1/2 in 1965.2
- A 1998 study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
says if a 15-year-old starts to drink, he or she has a 40% chance of
alcoholism or dependence as an adult.3
- Kids are using marijuana at an earlier age. In the late 1960s fewer
than half of those using marijuana for the first time were under 18.
In 2006, about 64 percent of marijuana users were younger than 18.4
- Marijuana affects alertness, concentration, perception, coordination
and reaction time, many of the skills required for safe driving and
other tasks. These effects can last up to 24 hours after smoking marijuana.
Marijuana use can also make it difficult to judge distances and react
to signals and sounds on the road.5
- Smoking marijuana leads to changes
in the brain that are similar to those caused by cocaine, heroin,
or alcohol.6
 Parents
Are the Most Important Influence
in a Child's Life
There is a growing body of research that shows that parents are central
to preventing adolescent substance abuse. In fact, kids themselves
say that losing their parents’ trust and respect are the most
important reasons not to use drugs.
As a parent, your actions do matter.
When you suspect, or know, that your child has used drugs, take action
to stop it as soon as you can. It may be the most important step you
ever take. 
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