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 behaviorial issues as well as impairing judgment, which can foster risky behavior. What do parents need to know? Check out B-PEN's Parent Update on Teens & Marijuana, the Tip Sheet for talking to your adolescent about marijuana, WHY NOT POT?, as well as one insightful Colorado blogger's "How to Talk to Your Tweens & Teens About Marijuana."
And check out the National Institutes of Health's new brochure, "Marijuana Facts for Teens."

If you know or suspect your child is using marijuana, alcohol, or prescription drugs, The Partnership for a Drug Free America offers parents an online e intervention book What to do if your child is drinking or using drugs.

THERE'S A WHOLE LOTTA VAPING GOING ON
In the olden days (not that long ago!), parents could smell the traces of tobacco and marijuana in a teen’s room or on their clothing. But these days, vaping and e-cigarettes are providing an accessible and sneaky way for kids to smoke – without fumes or visible vapors to give them away. And at BHS, there’s a whole lot of vaping going on. B-PEN recommends this excellent new newsletter from Wachusett Regional High School's Head of Guidance, Jon Krol, that offers a lot of basic info parents need to know -- https://www.smore.com/td0s1

THE CHANGING FACE OF MARIJUANA -- Revisiting the Conversation with Adolescents
With the legalization of marijuana in other states and the legalization of medical marijuana here in Massachusetts, cannabis is very much a part of our culture, and there is a shifting spectrum of attitudes. How does this impact the conversations we are having with teens? How do we clear up misinformation and misperceptions and prevent the development of marijuana abuse disorders among our youth? This was the focus of a recent forum bringing together Brookline students, parents, and school/health administrators and staff. Read the complete Parent Update to learn:

What is Happening in Brookline Now?
What Do Students Think?
Clarifying Medical Marijuana
The Scientific Perspective
Warning Signs of Marijuana Abuse
How to Help a Teen Recognize a Problem
Treatment Options
How to Get Help

UNDERSTANDING MEDICAL MARIJUANA
Massachusetts Department of Public Health has issued medical marijuana regulations. As medical marijuana becomes accepted, parents must continue to talk to their teens about the dangers of misuse. For a column on the issue, CLICK HERE.

CLICK HERE for a well-balanced article that illuminates some of the pros and cons of how medical marijuana works in Maine. with implications for how this might work in Massachusetts.

Click here to read the B-CASA forum report on "Understanding Proposed Marijuana Laws ".

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

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.)

TEENS WHO SMOKE MJ ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO USE OTHER DRUGS

Did you know that in a recent report from Center for Substance Abuse Research (CESAR), nearly one in ten high school students (9%) reported heavy marijuana use (more than 20 times in the past month)? And according to the 2011 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study, heavy marijuana users were 30 times more likely to cocaine and crack, as well as misuse other drugs asked about in the survey, including alcohol, cigarettes, pain relievers, ecstasy, OTC cough medicine, substances that are huffed or sniffed, and methamphetamines. These findings suggest that parents, health practitioners and prevention professionals should be aware that teens who frequently use marijuana may be likely to be using other drugs as well.

Check out Steps to Recovery's PROTECTING KIDS FROM DRUG ABUSE

CHECK OUT TEEN SAFE
The website Teen Safe is designed to foster better family communication, promote resilience and healthy activities, and reduce risky teen behaviors via true-life stories, scientific evidence, and helpful educational materials for parents and teens/pre-teens. The site offers a free 15-minute video course for parents that is quite informative about the effects of substance use on teen brain development. The section detailing the impact of early marijuana use of mental health is especially worth noting as medical marijuana is beginning to be a part of our culture and teens continue to think weed is safer than alcohol. It’s only 15 minutes long, and at least one local pediatrician is asking all his patients’ parents to check it out!

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.

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.html www.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
SAMHSA (Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration) http://www.samhsa.gov
The Partnership at DrugFree.org www.drugfree.org
But What About the Children www.butwhataboutthechildren.org.
Marijuana Addiction and Abuse, https://www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/marijuana/
DEA's "Get Smart About Drugs" www.getsmartaboutdrugs.com
Teen Safe, http://teen-safe.org/
Drug Rehab Connections https://www.drugrehabconnections.com/