The latest national Monitoring the Future Study showed that marijuana use among teens stayed level in 2012, after four years of increasing use. A leading indicator of use—the amount of risk teenagers perceived to be associated with marijuana use—continued its sharp decline. Daily use remained essentially flat from 2011 to 2012 at relatively high levels.

Parents are the primary influence on adolescent behavior, even if it may not always seem that way. Here are some resources that can help parents discuss the use of marijuana with their children.

Web Resources

What Parents Should Say to Their Children about Marijuana:

• Marijuana Legalization: What Parents Can Say to Their Children -- Leslie R. Walker, MD, Chief of Adolescent Medicine, and Inga Manskop, Prevention WINS Coordinator, both of Seattle Children's (Dec. 2012)
  
  
• What Parents Should Say to Teens about I-502 and Marijuana Legalization -- Roger Roffman, PhD, Professor Emeritus, UW School of Social Work (Seattle Times, Nov. 11, 2012)
  


• Family Checkup: Positive Parenting Prevents Drug Abuse (NIDA) -- Offers five techniques for talking to kids about drugs, including videos offering examples of positive and negative examples of each technique.

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)'s Marijuana site.

Marijuana: Facts Parents Need to Know (NIDA)

Marijuana's Lasting Effects on the Brain (NIDA)

Preventing Drug Abuse among Children & Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide for Parents, Educators, and Community Leaders (NIDA)

The Partnership at Drugfree.org
A drug abuse prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery resource, developed to help parents and caregivers effectively address alcohol and drug abuse with their teens and young adults. Includes a Parents Toll-Free Helpline: 1-855-DRUGFREE.

Facts for Families: Marijuana and Teens (American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry)
Information and links to additional resources about parents and prevention, effects of marijuana, medical marijuana for adolescents, and more.

Washington State Healthy Youth Survey: Current Marijuana Use Statistics
Just how big a problem is teen marijuana use? This report on marijuana use for grades 6-12 from the Washington State Healthy Youth Survey (2010) provides information from local teens about common attitudes regarding marijuana risk, current rates of use rates, and the relationship between lower grades in school and marijuana use.

The ADAI Clearinghouse: Free marijuana materials | Pinterest | Facebook

Are you concerned your teen is using drugs or alcohol?

• Washington Recovery Helpline: Offers 24-hour confidential referral and help for substance abuse, problem gambling, and mental health for adults and teens in Washington state. The Helpline can assist family members in finding treatment centers for adults or teens, as well as provide information on community events and lectures that may be useful to parents. 1-866-789-1511
  
  
• SAMA Foundation: Non-profit organization based in Seattle with the goal of improving the management as well as the science of substance addiction, particularly in adolescents. 206-328-1719