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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nA majority of kids think that marijuana is safe or, at least, not dangerous.\u00a0A study from NIDA<\/a>\u00a0conducted back in 2013 found that 60 percent of high school seniors did not view regular marijuana use as harmful, and many parents feel the same way. With the increasing legalization, it’s likely that percentage has grown. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the idea that smoking pot as a teen is completely harmless is a\u00a0big misconception<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Colorado, Michigan and Illinois, the legal age to use pot is 21 years old. Make sure your kids know that and that the understand the reason behind that age. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, make sure kids know that there can still be criminal consequences for possession and use for underage users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Marijuana impacts kids in a very different way than it does adults. The adolescent brain is not fully formed. In fact, it’s going through a time of significant development, and that does not end until individuals reach their mid 20s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Adolescent marijuana usage can have a detrimental effect on the brains, according to a\u00a0paper published in Frontiers in Psychiatry<\/em><\/a>. It can alter the structure of the teenage brain, which can have a lifelong impact. A report by the American Academy of Pediatrics<\/a>\u00a0(AAP) warns that some of the changes may be permanent. That\u2019s one of the reasons the AAP opposes marijuana use by anyone under age 21.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIntroducing drugs during the period of brain development may cause changes that have profound and lasting consequences. It\u2019s not \u2018stop using and it goes away,\u2019\u201d says Dr.Laura Parise, a psychiatrist specializing in the treatment of substance abuse at\u00a0NorthShore University HealthSystem<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The studies show that regular use specifically impacts the areas of the brain responsible for memory, concentration, decision making, and problem solving. Use of pot earlier in adolescence is associated with more severe cognitive consequences.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use of marijuana can also increase the risk of psychotic disorders, according to\u00a0a paper published earlier this April in the journal\u00a0Biological Psychiatry<\/a>. The authors note that while researchers continue to explore the connection, \u201cevidence from epidemiologic studies provides strong enough evidence to warrant a public health message\u201d about that possible impact upon mental health. Specifically, in adolescents, marijuana use has been linked with depression and anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kids and parents need to know that marijuana impairs short-term memory, learning, [and] ability to focus. Who would want to rob themselves of any potential in terms of brain development?\u201d Parise asks.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n NIDA notes other physical effects such as increased heart rate and respiratory changes, and while those \u201cmay seem harmless, they can take a toll on the body.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In teens, marijuana has also been linked to poor academic performance, including lower grades and lower odds of completing high school or obtaining a college degree, according to the AAP<\/a>. They also note a link to a higher likelihood of drug dependence in adulthood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Parise notes that the perception of risk surrounding marijuana use has declined and that parents have a responsibility to minimize confusion about acceptability of use for their kids, which they can do by talking with kids starting at an early age. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMake it part of your family fabric to talk about this,\u201d urges\u00a0Karen Jarczyk, prevention director at\u00a0360 Youth Services<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere is a difference between something being legal and being healthy,\u201d Jarczyk says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Parents also need to know that marijuana has gotten stronger<\/a>. The percentage of THC in cannabis tested by the DEA in 1980 was 1.2 percent. It was 9.4 percent in 2017. With market demand, growers are focusing on plants with higher THC levels. That potency can have a particularly dramatic impact on the teen brain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Teens are likely familiar with the message that drinking and driving don\u2019t mix, but they also need to know that driving while high is very dangerous, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n High school seniors who smoke marijuana are two times more likely to receive a traffic ticket and 65 percent more likely to get into an accident than those who don\u2019t smoke,\u00a0says NIDA<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Colorado, 21 percent of high school students said they were marijuana users and 45 percent of them reported driving after using marijuana, according to the 2015 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey<\/a>. In contrast, around 13 percent of adults identified as marijuana users and 17 percent said they drove after use, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Colorado launched the Drive High, Get a DUI campaign to lower those numbers. It targets teens with billboards that have phrases such as \u201cHits lead to hits.\u201d Most states, however, don\u2019t have such a campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSignificant progress has been made in reducing alcohol-impaired driving among youth. Since 1982, the number of alcohol-related fatalities for those under the age of 21 has\u00a0decreased by 80 percent<\/a>, but drug-impaired driving is another story,\u201d says\u00a0Erin Holmes, director of traffic safety at\u00a0Responsibility.org<\/a>. \u201cTo date, there have been very few drug-impaired driving prevention campaigns that are tailored to a youth audience,\u201d she explains, noting that some kids are unaware of the risks of driving while high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Parents need to make sure their children understand the dangers of doing drugs, including marijuana, and driving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prior Post:<\/strong> <\/a>Top gift ideas for teens & tweens<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t miss a post! Please subscribe to Between Us Parents\u2019 completely safe, spam-free email list in the box in the top right corner of the page!<\/p>\n\n\n\nAge of Legality<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Pot and the adolescent brain and body<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Pot has gotten more potent<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nMarijuana and motor vehicles don’t mix<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
What can parents do?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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