Contents

• A Letter to Parents
• What is marijuana? Aren't there different kinds?
• What are the current slang terms for marijuana?
• How is marijuana used?
• How many people smoke marijuana? At what age do children generally start?
• How can I tell if my child has been using marijuana?
• Why do young people use marijuana?
• Does using marijuana lead to other drugs?
• What are the effects of marijuana?
• What happens after a person smokes marijuana?
• How long does marijuana stay in the user's body?
• Can a user have a bad reaction?
• How is marijuana harmful?
• How does marijuana affect driving?
• What are the long-term effects of marijuana?
• What about pregnancy: Will smoking marijuana hurt the baby?
• What happens if a nursing mother uses marijuana?
• How does marijuana affect the brain?
• Can the drug cause mental illness?
• Do marijuana users lose their motivation?
• Can a person become addicted to marijuana?
• What is "tolerance" for marijuana?
• Are there treatments to help marijuana users?
• Can marijuana be used as medicine?
• How can I prevent my child from getting involved with marijuana?
• Talking to your children about marijuana
• Resources
• References

Tips for Parents

Be a good listener
Give clear no-use messages about drugs and alcohol
Help your child deal with peer pressure to use drugs
Get to know your child's friends and parents
Monitor your child's whereabouts
Supervise teen activities
Maintain an open and honest dialogue with your child.

For more information on marijuana and other drugs, contact:
National Clearinghouse on Alcohol and Drug Information
P.O. Box 2345
Rockville, MD 20847
1-800-729-6686
TDD 1-800-487-4899