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Question: Now that Maine has legalized marijuana, I feel like everything I have told my kids about not using drugs needs to be revised. How do I explain to my kids that I don't approve of drug use when it is now legal to use it?
Answer: Good question! The best part about your question is that you have already been talking to your kids about drug use. Perfect! Surveys have shown that parents are the most important influence in their children’s decisions about drug use. It is important for families to set an expectation, early and often, that underage drug and alcohol use is not healthy or acceptable.
Marijuana, although legal for adults, is harmful to the developing brain. Physical, psychological and emotional growth is going on in the adolescent brain, and using drugs (marijuana and others) and alcohol can stop or slow development. It also changes the ability to learn to cope without a “crutch.” Almost every teen experiences anxiety in some form or another. When using a drug like marijuana they don’t learn important, unaltered skills to deal with it. This is the very thing that gave marijuana the “gateway” drug label. It can lead to further experimentation.
I suggest doing an internet search with your kids about marijuana. Make it a game or a family project. Give one person the assignment to look up “marijuana and lungs” and another “marijuana and adolescents.” Other subjects can be “marijuana and driving,” “chemicals in marijuana,” and “behavior change and marijuana.”
Lastly, if you or a family member uses marijuana for medical or recreational purposes you will need to establish a routine that is not around the kids. Parents model behavior for their kids. Kids are smart. Get the facts and be open to their questions. Talking about marijuana and establishing family rules around drug/alcohol use is your best chance in helping them make good choices.
Luanne Starr Rhoades, LCPC, LADC, CCS is a professional counselor and the Outpatient Therapy Director at Health Affiliates Maine, a mental health and substance abuse treatment agency serving adults, adolescents, children and families. For more information or if you or someone you know needs help, call us at 877-888-4304 or visit our website www.healthaffiliatesmaine.com and click on “Referrals."
