Are you struggling with your teenager smoking marijuana, regularly or even recreationally? Do they believe since it’s legal in many states that it’s not harmful? Parents across the country are at their wit’s end with this battle and continue to try to find help for their teen.
Marijuana is one of the most widely used substances amongst teens and the concern for teen marijuana use is real. The use of marijuana threatens teen’s ability to develop, create and maintain healthy boundaries and communication skills in relationships with peers and adults.
Signs your teen could be using marijuana:
Typical teens are what many parents will hear when they complain about their child sleeping late, skipping classes, being moody or even start getting in trouble in school — so how will you know when it’s related to substance use? Here are some common signs of marijuana use:
- Abrupt changes in friends
- Decline in grades/school work (underachieving)
- Abnormal health issues or sleep issues
- Deteriorating relationships with family
- Less openness and honesty
The marijuana your teen is using is not the same as it used to be. Generations earlier, in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, marijuana had levels of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) – the primary psychoactive agent in marijuana that creates the high – of about 5%.
Today, levels range from 10% – 30% and higher. On top of that, marijuana is also being offered in a concentrated form, such as wax. These forms can have a potency level of 40% – 80%.
Most concerning today is marijuana being laced with fentanyl — which could be potentially deadly for anyone. Teenagers usually don’t have prescription cards to purchase legal marijuana, the risks could be life threatening.
How to help my teen stop smoking marijuana
Communication is key, but not always easy since we know most teenagers have made their mind up that marijuana is legal and good for them.
1. Ask questions. Try to understand why your teenager is using marijuana.
Why do you like using marijuana?
What does it give you?
How does it support you?
What do you feel are the positive experiences of using?
The answers they give you can help you better support them with their struggles they are having. You will have more insights on what is troubling them or maybe they are leaning on marijuana for a stress reliever or for anxiety relief.
Speak to them without judgment and you will learn more. If your teen knows you are willing to listen and are genuinely curious, they will be much more open to talk openly and honestly rather than responding defensively.
With this knowledge, you can suggest alternatives such as yoga, different exercises or self-regulating coping mechanisms to help them. If it has escalated to daily use, or a place that your teen feels they are unable to stop on their own, you may want to seek outside help.
2. Set clear rules and expectation about drug use (specifically marijuana).
When talking about your teen‘s marijuana use, it’s important that you understand what your message is. When teens get different messages, it can be confusing and hard to meet your expectations.
Do you accept their marijuana use, but want them to only use it in recreational settings?
Be clear (resist the urge to lecture): “We cannot tolerate marijuana use because we about you and your future. In our home our expectation is that you don’t use substance, so if we catch you using (or suspect you are using), we have the right to drug test you and the consequences will be _____”
Parents, do you use marijuana? Do you believe your teen is not aware of it? Think again. It’s important to address this.
“Parents’ message on marijuana to their kids should essentially be the same regardless of legal status,” says Sean Clarkin of Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. “Marijuana is more dangerous for teens than for adults, not for legalistic reasons, but for science-based neurochemical reasons.”
3. Patience and consistency. Younger tweens and teens are starting to use marijuana. This is concerning since the younger a person is when they start using a substance, the higher risk they are of developing problematic substance use as an older adolescent or adult.
As a parent, the discussion of how to help your teen understand the risks of smoking marijuana must be consistent as well as parents must be patience with their child — as they are going through adolescence figuring it out, and need us to guide them.
Many teens believe, “It’s just pot,” yet don’t realize that impact it has on the brain of young people.
“Marijuana use affects the healthy formation of the prefrontal cortex and can interfere with the brain’s ability to transfer information from short term to long term memory.” – Dr. Ellen Rome, head of the Center for Adolescent Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital
Supporting your teen with substance use issues can be difficult and draining, however necessary.
Patience is key.
Learn more: Marijuana Talk Kit, Partnership to End Addiction
Also read:
Where can I send my troubled teenager?
5 Benefits of Therapeutic Boarding Schools
Image attribution: Freepik prostooleh
