Working Together
Making the
Greater Five Towns
A Drug-Free Community
The Marion & Aaron Gural JCC
207 Grove Avenue
Cedarhurst, NY 11516
(516) 569-6733
PARENT
ACADEMY

Teens and Marijuana Use:

What Parents Need
to Know:
Part 1
Pot smoking isn’t what
it used to be.


Marijuana itself has changed over the years, and today’s cannabis is a lot more potent than what the Woodstock generation smoked.

Add in the availability of pot-based gummy bears and other edibles, and the marijuana scene can be a confusing one for today’s parents.

How do parents handle this tricky landscape?


LEARN THE FACTS:
  • Many teenagers try marijuana and some use it regularly.

  • Teenage marijuana use is at its highest level in 30 years, and today's teens are more likely to use marijuana than tobacco.

  • Many states allow recreational use of marijuana in adults ages 21 and over. It is illegal in NY State to partake in any non-medical marijuana use.

  • Recreational marijuana use by children and teenagers is not legal anywhere in the United States.

  • Today's marijuana plants are grown differently than in the past and can contain two to three times more (THC) tetrahydrocannabinol, the ingredient that makes people high.
UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES

VIDEO:
National Institute on Drug Abuse
(NIDA) Director, Dr. Nora Volkow
highlights the development of the adolescent brain and encourages parents to have the conversation with their teens about substance use and its effects on health

The 2018 Monitoring the Future Survey (MTF) results show a dramatic spike in teen use of vaping - both nicotine and other drugs. The study also casts a shadow on the changing climate in teen’s perception of drug use, specifically recreational use of marijuana. .



 THERE ARE MANY WAYS
ONE CAN USE MARIJUANA.

This can make it harder for parents to
watch for use in their child.

These include:
‌

  • Smoking the dried plant (buds and flowers) in a rolled cigarette (joint), pipe, or bong





  • Smoking liquid or wax marijuana in an electronic cigarette, also known as vaping






  • Eating "edibles" which are baked goods and candies containing marijuana products







  • Drinking beverages containing marijuana products













  • Using oils and tinctures that can be applied to the skin





K2 and Spice - Synthetic Marijuana
There are also synthetic (man-made) marijuana-like drugs such as "K2" and "Spice."

These drugs are different from marijuana and are more dangerous.

Additionally, the products being sold in dispensaries currently not subject to Food and Drug Administration standards and are not purely isolated cannabinoids; they are therefore not reliable in their potency/concentration of CBD or THC, or the inclusion of other ingredients.

NEXT WEEK - PART 2

Teens and Marijuana Use

If you know or suspect your child or teenager may be using substances, please reach out to
Saving Lives Five Towns
Drug & Alcohol Coalition
for help.

We are here to ensure you have the information and support you need.

To join our Community Coalition to help reduce
youth drug and alcohol misuse in the Greater Five Towns,
please contact Susan Blauner, Director Substance Abuse Prevention, Awareness and Education
P: 516.569-6733
E: susan.blauner@guraljcc.org
"bringing about community awareness to address youth mental health and addiction issues and to reduce youth drug and alcohol use through education, media advocacy, increased enforcement and changes in policies."