MARIJUANA

   MARIJUANA
                          aunt mary           boom          tea
           chronic                      dope            ganja
   gangster          grass       joint    cannabis
                                     hash    herb    kif
                   mary jane                     pot
        reefer    sinsemilla    skunk
                             blunt
                                       weed                                smoke

Marijuana is the most widely used illegal drug among today’s young people, and over the past three years, there has been a significant increase in marijuana use among 12-17 year olds. This is especially troubling because this upswing is fueled, in part, by an increasing teen misperception that marijuana is harmless, despite numerous studies showing that today’s marijuana, which is twice as potent as it was decades ago, can negatively impact the developing teen brain at a crucial time in its development, leading to a range of social, learning and behavorial issues as well as impairing judgment, which can lead to risky behavior. What do parents need to know?

Check out B-PEN's Tip Sheet for talking to your adolescent about marijuana, WHY NOT POT?

Did you know…?

In Brookline, heavy marijuana use over the past three years has increased by 25%, according to the latest Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
1 in 10 BHS students reports using marijuana over 100 times.
1 in 12 BHS students reports using marijuana during the course of the school day.
1 in 6 teens who try marijuana become chronic users.

B-PEN's special issue on marijuana, “WHY NOT POT? MARIJUANA AND THE TEEN BRAIN,” reports on the highly informative and compelling Community Forum on the topic recently hosted by B-CASA (Brookline Coalition Against Substance Abuse). Learn what Harvard/McLean Hospital neuroscientist Dr. Yasmin Mashhoon has to say about how marijuana impacts the developing teen brain, what Peer Leaders say about marijuana use at BHS, and what experts say parents can do to best influence their teens’ smart decision-making. (For the special Middle School edition, click here.)

One Impact of Legalizing Marijuana as Medicine

December 16, 2010–In 1992, after a steady, 13-year decline, marijuana use among high school students reached the lowest levels since the Monitoring the Future Survey first began tracking drug use among 12th grade students in 1975. The survey is conducted annually by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research and is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The 2010 survey results, announced December 14, show how children are influenced by the normalization of marijuana: annual use has nearly doubled, monthly use has more than doubled among younger students, and daily use has tripled among older students since 1992. Read more at www.butwhataboutthechildren.org.

Associated Press recently ran an article about the potential for medical marijuana to increase incidents of driving impaired, but there are no reliable and consistent methods for determining if someone is "too stoned to drive."
http://news.yahoo.com/wrinkle-pot-debate-stoned-driving-183641529.html

The Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics also presents a very compelling article detailing "Legalization of Marijuana: Potential Impact on Youth."

New Slidecast Demystifies Synthetic Drugs

(from The Partnership at Drugfree,org)
You may have heard of teens using synthetic drugs like "Spice,""K2" and "bath salts," but do you know how these drugs are made or just how dangerous they are to those who use them?

We recently created an informative slidecast - already viewed more than 3,000 times within its first two weeks of release - with all the information you need to know about "K2," "bath salts," "Spice" and synthetic marijuana.

It explains everything from how these drugs are made, to what they look like and where teens are getting them, to what to look for if you think your teen is using them. You'll also find details about how these drugs affect the mind and body of their users. Just as with other drugs and harmful substances, it's crucial to stay educated about synthetics and the dangers they pose.

Watch and share the slidecast with others to help demystify - and curb the use of - these dangerous drugs.

Massachusetts Prevention Alliance (MAPA)

The Massachusetts Prevention Alliance (MAPA) is a statewide organization that provides educational resources and advocates for sound public health and safety policies to protect and promote the health and well-being of all Massachusetts youth. Visit http://www.mapreventionalliance.org/ to learn more about MAPA's Marijuana Initiative.

MARIJUANA INTERNET RESOURCES

Massachusetts Substance Abuse Information & Education Helpline: 1-800-327-5050
http://www.helpline-online.com
Marijuana Anonymous Meeting directory "On Land and Online" meetings
http://www.marijuana-anonymous.org/meetings.shtml
Marijuana's Effects on the brain http://www.nida.nih.gov/researchreports/marijuana/Marijuana3.htmlwww.theantidrug.com
Above the Influence www.abovetheinfluence.com
NIDA (National Institue on Drug Abuse) for Teens www.teens.drugabuse.gov
the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/marijuanainfo
NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) http://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/marijuana
Keep Mass Off Grass www.keepmassoffgrass.org/Facts.html
Talk about Addiction http://www.talkaboutaddiction.org
SAMHSA (Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration) http://www.samhsa.gov
Parents. The Anti-Drug http://www.theantidrug.com/