By Everyday Health Guest Contributor
Published May 17, 2014
By Jack B. Stein, PhD, Special to Everyday Health
Parents should be aware that the marijuana being sold today, legally or illegally, is not the same as what was used in the 1960s and 1970s. Instead, today’s marijuana can have a real impact on the development of their child’s most precious resource, the growing brain.
Marijuana has been featured all over the news in recent months. Many questions about marijuana’s negative effects, possible medical value, and its safety and use have surfaced in the face of evolving legislation and changing cultural attitudes. It is even legal for recreational use in two states, Colorado and Washington.
With so many adults having legal access, it is likely more teens will be finding it easier to get marijuana, and more will try it. In fact, national surveys are showing that fewer teens perceive marijuana as harmful.
So what do parents tell their teens about the safety of marijuana in a changing world?