Parental Monitoring Can Curb Teen Marijuana Use

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Marijuana does not lead to any kinds of other serious drugs. To tell you the truth, it makes you not want to. I smoke marijuana because i like it, i have enough with it too. The only reason why people don't smoke it or anything is because it is illegal. So people consider it to be "dangerous".

Yessi of MN 7:11PM February 10, 2010

"The argument that illegal marijuana is easier to get than legal (for over 21) alcohol doesn't add up. Kids consume more than twice as much alcohol as marijuana and they mainly get it from their parents' liquor cabinets, friends, etc"
A national survey of high school seniors reported that 87% of them found it easier to obtain marijuana than either alcohol or tobacco. As for "kids consume twice as much", that has to be something the poster pulled out of his, uh, head. I can't even figure out how you could quantify alcohol vs marijuana consumption in those terms.
By weight? By volume? Neither one would have any meaning at all.

Buzzby of OH 11:29PM November 19, 2009

Would stop young kids from smoking Marijuana I know because I did have my first couple beers till late into high school when I had a car and was smart enough to make some decisions on my own, you know why I didnt drink beer till my senior year because some one had to be 21 to get it for me. But my little brother Smoked weed for the first time in eight grade and still does today there is nothing wrong with it he has done his homework and made a responsible decision to continue smoking because he enjoys it he is not disfunction-al or always in trouble or moving on to harder drug because he knows that most will create addiction and have terrible health effect but not Marijuana. Though he was only able to try it because illegal drugs are the easiest for any kid to get there hands on unless you keep your kid on a leash like a dog all the time which I dont recommend for obvious reasons. I know even for me today I am now 19 in college and I still think Mariuana is easier for me to get a hold of than alcohol because there is no regulation.
Marijuana is SAFER : So Why are We Driving People to Drink? Its a great book I recommend every one reads especially If you disagree with legalization and Regulation of Marijuana this will get your fact straight and also help tell you tell your children the truth about drugs.

Kevin of VA 8:55PM November 19, 2009

Susan, I understand where you are coming from but the fact is it does add up. I know from personal experience that at any moment I could ask the stoner next to me in high school where to score some pot, and I'll be damned if he didn't have several hook ups.
Sure you could say the same about alcohol, but I can't tell you how many times my friends and I went "liquorless" BECAUSE we:
1.) Couldn't get an over-21 hookup.
2.) Didn't have any liquor cabinets to raid.
3.) Didn't have a fake ID.
The drug dealer NOT ONLY will not ask your child for ID, but he will most likely have other drugs available for your kid to try (A la Gateway Theory)?
If marijuana is legalized, I'm not saying kids won't still have access, but it WILL reduce the access. It will make it just as difficult to get marijuana as it is alcohol.
This would give kids NO INCENTIVE to go to a drug dealer unless they were trying harder drugs. If someone is never exposed to that environment, they will have no incentive to even delve into that, I know I wouldn't have.
But something that can produce paper, cloth, and rope, cannot physically kill you and can help the sick is illegal and something needs to be done. Educate your children. Whether marijuana is illegal or legal, it's still there in abundance.

J Harowicz of PA 7:18PM November 19, 2009

If a person is being observed, or believes he is, he is going to be less likely to do something that will get him into trouble. This required a study?
"Continued smoking of marijuana can lead to a number of serious health threats, including depression, cognitive impairment, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers, the researchers said."
When are the prohibitionists going to realize that whatever they have to say will be disbelieved when they spew the same lies about marijuana that our government has used to try to scare people for the last 40 years? Not one of the above-mentioned health threats has been substantiated by any large-scale study, or any study not funded by the federal government.
The greatest "threat" that marijuana poses is getting involved with the criminal justice system. The second would be buying it from illicit dealers who don't care who they sell to or what they sell them, like crack or heroin. Third would be a smoker's cough. The first two, of course, would be eliminated simply by legalizing and regulating the most benign recreational drug known to man.

Buzzby of OH 6:36PM November 19, 2009

The argument that illegal marijuana is easier to get than legal (for over 21) alcohol doesn't add up. Kids consume more than twice as much alcohol as marijuana and they mainly get it from their parents' liquor cabinets, friends, etc. In cA kids can get medical marijuana easily. Kids can only be minotored so much, less as they get older. Our society is sending pro-marijuana messages through music, movies, the media, and kids are buying them. The harms mentioned in the article are not mentioned in the media anymore. Parents cannot fight against all this hype--at least I couldn't. Parents need more help from the media, the schools, and public officials--don't send mixed messages. It takes a village.

susan of CA 5:39PM November 19, 2009

This is absurd for several reasons.
1. "Continued smoking of marijuana can lead to a number of serious health threats, including depression, cognitive impairment, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers, the researchers said."
Yet marijuana in a number of cases has been seen positively effecting several of those health risks listed, including aiding depression and certain cancers, not to mention glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, AIDs, schizophrenia, anxiety, and I could keep going on. These governmental agencies have to find the actual root of the problem. Kids won't tell their parents everywhere they are going, and grilling your children is just bad parenting. This is America. I agree children should be supervised and parents have a right to know what their kids are doing and when, but "watching them like a hawk" isn't the only option. Parents who educate their children about marijuana, alcohol, and other threats will see their children making more mature decisions when it comes to usage.
School & community programs are nothing more than scare tactics trying to distill fear that marijuana is a demon drug. I agree that children should not have access, but at least give them the truth. These lies will come out once they grow up and can think for themselves.

J Harowicz of PA 4:23PM November 19, 2009

"marijuana can lead to a number of serious health threats, including depression, cognitive impairment, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers, the researchers said. "
Says who??? Marijuana which accounts for roughly half of all drug arrests, never was a serious threat to society, families, or individuals and it never will be. Because of that bad law being implemented based on lies by a few people that stood to gain financially from marijuana’s prohibition and them intentionally deceiving lawmakers, literally millions of Americans that choose to use that plant for ANY purpose are criminalized needlessly. No one in the entire world of any age in all of recorded history has ever died from the ingredients in marijuana.

workingman1 of MA 1:23PM November 19, 2009

Ask any high school kid what is harder to get alcohol or cannabis and the answer is always the same...It's easier to get cannabis. That's the unintended consequence of prohibition. Prohibition also has the tendency to push kids to alcohol which is a very dangerous drug but legal.
Bottom line is that education is needed for our youth as well as the truth. Cannabis will not turn you into a heroin addict nor will it make you kill your brother. But kids do not need to be using any substance not recommended by a doctor.
Take cannabis distribution away from criminals and regulate it similar to alcohol. Prohibition makes the wrong people rich...and they are getting very rich now since cannabis is the largest cash crop in 14 states.

TYC of TX 12:53PM November 19, 2009

Parent who PAY ATTENTION to their kids, can prevent all sorts of inappropriate activities!
But it's time to recognize that the 'War on Drugs' has made it EASIER for kids to get drugs, NOT harder! The black market has never, and will never card your kid before selling them dope. After FORTY years of said 'War on Drugs,' there isn't a single state where they are not EVERYWHERE, NOT ONE STATE! Not even a city! The DEA and ONDCP CANNOT control drugs! An admirable goal, but utterly unworkable. As such, 26 MILLION Americans used it in the last year. 26 MILLION! With only 3 million (already occupied) prison beds, where are we going to put the other 23 million 'criminals?'
Legalize cannabis, regulate it, and TAX it! No getting high and driving, or going to work, nor under 18. Let the hippies pay for our healthcare, they'd be HAPPY to!

Fred Evil of VA 12:14PM November 19, 2009