Pubdate: Wed, 10 Jun 2015
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 2015 The Washington Post Company
Contact:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/491
Author: Patty Winters
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v15/n306/a01.html

POT, PARENTS AND CONSEQUENCES

Regarding the June 7Metro article "Pot-smoking parents: What about the kids?":

Parents can reconcile personal marijuana consumption with its effects 
on children with three tools: science to understand how marijuana 
harms the developing adolescent brain and can be addictive in some 
people; a clear understanding of the law, including the differences 
between federal and state laws and between legalization and 
decriminalization; and strategies to have age-appropriate, effective 
communication with their children that acknowledges some laws have 
not caught up with science.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute on Drug 
Abuse for Teens, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Partnership 
for Drug-Free Kids and Prevent Teen Drug Use all have free 
parent-friendly resources.

Parents should consider the consequences to their children's 
well-being and their relationship with their children if their 
approach to this complicated problem does not include these tools. 
They should also have ongoing conversations to help their children 
understand the high stakes of marijuana smoking so they can discern 
if they want to risk the adverse outcomes.

Patty Winters, Derwood The writer is coordinator of the Brave and 
Bold Coalition, which advocates against alcohol and drug use by teenagers.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom