The American Academy of Pediatrics agrees with me on the harmful attitude of our culture towards marijuana use. “Amid increasingly lax laws and attitudes on pot use,” NBC News says, “the American Academy of Pediatrics published a report last year” that opposes even medical marijuana use for kids, as well as recreational use.
Teens who use marijuana are also more likely to attempt suicide
Another concerning study about teen marijuana use is the 2014 Lancet Psychiatry study, which found that teens who smoke marijuana daily are 60 percent less likely to graduate from high school or college than teens who never use it, and what’s worse, they are also seven times more likely to attempt suicide.
Moms and dads, if that doesn’t frighten you, then I don’t know what will.
As I’ve previously written, electronic cigarettes have even further popularized teen marijuana use. It’s more important now than ever for you to talk to your kids about the harmful effects of marijuana, and to make sure that they know what is in that e-cigarette pod before they take a hit. Of course, it would be more preferable if you can convince them not to take a hit in the first place, but please do make this talk you have with them fully inclusive, and don’t assume that they’re never going to take a hit from an e-cigarette.
Bottom line, parents: don’t ignore this one. Teen marijuana use can alter the course of your child’s life negatively and permanently. Time to set those kids down for another awkward talk that hopefully, they’ll never forget.
