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Marijuana Is Still a Threat Here’s why getting high can lay your kids low Marijuana is more potent and harmful than ever. But since the 1960s, a lot of teens have viewed the drug as safe. “That benign perception continues, even though more teens enter treatment for marijuana addiction each year than for all other illicit drugs combined,” says Robert Bidwell, M.D., Kapi‘olani adolescent specialist. “Marijuana is riskier than people think, especially for teens.” Marijuana is by far the top illicit drug for U.S. youths. Three out of five young people who use drugs use marijuana alone. And compared with 10 years ago, twice as many eighth-graders today have tried marijuana. Recent attention has focused on the dangers of “ice” or methamphetamine, which is a serious epidemic in Hawaii. However, Dr. Bidwell stresses that parents should also be concerned if they learn their child is smoking marijuana. He advises parents to talk to their physician or seek professional assistance. Experts urge parents and teens to know the facts: Marijuana today is strong. The chemical THC causes its “high.” The average THC content of marijuana rose from 6 percent in the 1970s to as much as 20 percent in 2004. Marijuana can harm speech, thinking, judgment, short-term memory, coordination and balance. It can cause drowsiness, delusions, poor vision, vomiting, headache and dizziness. That spells trouble for users who try to drive. Chronic marijuana use plays a part in breathing ailments, such as coughs, sore throats, bronchitis and pneumonia. Like tobacco, marijuana contains cancer-causing agents. Marijuana led to an estimated 12,000 U.S. emergency room visits for youths ages 12 to 17 in 2003. Young marijuana users are more likely to take part in risky behaviors. Among them: unprotected sex, acts of violence and driving while impaired. Marijuana use is linked to low motivation. Young people with an average grade of “D” or below were more than four times as likely to have used marijuana than those with an average grade of “A.” Robert Bidwell, M.D. “Marijuana use affects the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory,” says Dr. Bidwell. “That can harm teens who use the drug in their learning years. “Regular marijuana use also arrests emotional development and maturity,” he adds. “Regular users may find it much harder to succeed in life and form stable relationships.”