Talk with Teens Can Reduce Use of Marijuana

by Rallie McAllister, MD, MPH

Marijuana, also known as pot, weed, grass, and Mary Jane, is the illicit drug that is most commonly used by teenagers and adults around the world. Nearly a third of high school students in the United States report smoking it, and most high schoolers say they’re able to obtain the drug without much difficulty.

While some teens and adults may feel that smoking marijuana isn’t a big deal, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that using pot carries a number of risks, ranging from addiction to criminal conviction. Compared to adults, teenagers face greater risks from using marijuana. Teens who smoke pot often experience developmental delays and reductions in school performance. They’re also more likely to engage in other risky behaviors, such as having unprotected sex or smoking cigarettes.

The results of a recent study published in the journal Psychology of Addictive Behaviors suggest that teenagers derive significant benefit from short conversations about drug use with concerned adults. For teens who frequently smoked pot, a brief, voluntary conversation with a concerned adult resulted in a reduction in use of the drug of up to 20 percent.

If you’re concerned that your teen might be smoking pot or using other drugs, speak up. You’re not just wasting your breath. Your words might not just change your child’s life—they might even save it.