Prevention    *     Education     *     Awareness

Community Drug and Alcohol Council, Inc.

Marijuana: Savvy Parents Know the Facts

Marijuana is a green, brown, or grey mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant. Most users roll marijuana into a cigarette and smoke it, called a joint. It can also be smoked in a pipe or water bong. When a cigar is emptied and filled with marijuana it is called a blunt.

The marijuana of today is about 6 times more powerful than the marijuana of the 1970s.

Slang terms: herb, weed, Mary Jane, reefer, Aunt Mary, skunk, boom, gangster, kif, or ganja.

43.6% of high school students in          Escambia County and 37.8% in Santa Rosa County reported using marijuana or hashish in their lifetime (FYSAS 2004).

Marijuana cigarettes can contain other drugs such as crack cocaine and PCP. Marijuana smoke can contain more of the same cancer-causing compounds as tobacco.

Signs to watch for:

· Dizzy/has trouble walking

· Red, bloodshot eyes

· Has a hard time remembering

· Odor on clothes or in bedroom

· Uses incense/eye drops/mouthwash

· Negative changes in behavior

Marijuana can cause:

· Poor performance in school/athletics

· Short term memory loss

· Respiratory problems

· Impaired driving ability

· May damage immune system

· Cancer     

· Addiction

What the Savvy Parent can do:

· Talk to your child about the dangers of marijuana. 

· Set clear standards. Be a role model.

· Know your child’s friends and where they are spending their time.

· Spend time with your child.

 

Need help? Contact CDAC.           (850) 434-2724

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