USA Today Article Explores Parents’ Attitudes on Teen Marijuana Use

An article that appeared this week in USA Today explores the escalating rate of youth marijuana use and whether parents are too soft on their kids using marijuana.

Featured is the story of Colorado teen Justin Luke Riley, who began smoking marijuana at age 15 and became hooked. Eventually, he turned to other drugs and ended up penniless and homeless until entering rehab at 19.

Daily marijuana use among young adults is at its highest levels since 1991. A national survey released last month shows that 17 million Americans — mostly teens or young adults — used pot in 2010. About 40% of those used it on 20 or more days in the past month, up from 36.7% in 2009.

"It's the biggest drug problem in the United States," says Peter Delany of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Some parents are uncomfortable telling kids not to smoke pot, he says, because they've used it themselves. Delany, who has a 15-year-old son, says parents need to get over this ambivalence and make it clear to kids that marijuana use is risky.

Continue reading the full story by visiting CADCA's Website.