23. Parents - Why we should say no to Cannabis

Why you shouldn't allow your children to smoke cannabis. Parents should state clearly to their pre-teens and teens that they would be very disappointed if they started using cannabis. Parents may also want to explain that cannabis use interferes with young people's concentration, memory, and motor skills, and that it interferes with motivation, leads to poorer school performance, and can cause users to disappoint the people most important to them. All of this can be communicated in a loving way, "I love you and I want the best for you so I hope you won't try cannabis".

Some parent who saw cannabis being widely used in their youth still wonder, "is cannabis really so bad for my child?" The answer is an emphatic "yes!" Not convinced? Need more reasons? Read these:

1. Cannabis is illegal.
2. Cannabis now exists in forms that are stronger with higher levels of THC the psychoactive ingredient than in the 1960s.
3. Studies show that someone who smokes five joints a week may be taking in as many cancer-causing chemicals as someone who smokes a full pack of cigarettes every day.
4. Hanging around users of cannabis often means being exposed not only to other illegal drugs, but also to a lifestyle that can include trouble in school, engaging in sexual activity while young, unintended pregnancy, difficulties with the law, and other problems.
5. Cannabis use can slow down reaction time and distort perceptions. This can interfere with athletic performance, decrease a sense of danger and increase risk of injury.
6. Regular cannabis users can lose the ability to concentrate that is needed to master important academic skills, and they can experience short-term memory loss. Habitual cannabis users tend to do worse in school and are more likely to drop out altogether.
7. Teens who rely on cannabis chemical crutch and refuse to face the challenges of growing up never learn the emotional, psychological, and social lessons of adolescence.
8. The research is not complete on the effects of marijuana on the developing brain and body. But so far none of the research gives cannabis a clean bill of health.

Drugs are illiegal because they are dangerous - They are not dangerous because they are illegal.