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Fact Sheet
Did you know?
Every day over 4,700 kids under age 18 try marijuana for the first-time1 The average age of marijuana initiates in the U.S. was 17.1 in 2001.2
More than 100,000 kids enter treatment each year for marijuana and other illicit drugs3
More kids enter drug treatment for marijuana dependency than for all other illicit drugs combined4 Three out of five (61.7 percent) teens in drug treatment are dependent on marijuana.5
Teens are at a higher risk for addiction than adults Teens generally become addicted to substances faster than adults and often their early substance use is not addressed because symptoms are often passed off as typical teenage behavior.6 Teens who had tried marijuana in school were eight times more likely to be using marijuana at 35 than those who hadn't tried it by graduation.7
The earlier kids try marijuana the more likely they are to become addicted to drugs later in life A study shows that the highest prevalence of marijuana dependence was found among those in the youngest group of age (14 or younger) of first marijuana use.8 Among past year marijuana users, one-fifth of those initiating marijuana before age 15 were classified with illicit drug dependence or abuse in the past year compared with approximately one-tenth of those initiating marijuana after age 15.9
In addition to harmful effects on health, teen marijuana use is also associated with emotional, behavioral and academic problems Marijuana abusers are four times more likely to report symptoms of depression, and have more suicidal thoughts than those who never used the drug.10 The percentages of youths engaging in delinquent behaviors rose with increasing frequency of marijuana use.11 THC changes the way sensory information gets into and is processed by the part of the brain that is crucial for learning and memory.12
You have the power to intervene early and make a difference in teen drug use
Early action from friends, parents, or loved-ones of teens who have started using drugs could help a teen stop before treatment may be needed. When youth aged 12 to 17 were asked whom they would talk to about a serious problem related to substance abuse, 68 percent reported they would turn to a friend or sibling, 64 percent to their mother, 45 percent to another adult (grandparents, aunt, uncle), and 41 percent to their father.13 Two-thirds of youth aged 13 to 17 say that upsetting their parents or losing the respect of family and friends is one of the main reasons they don't smoke marijuana or use other drugs.14
Kids who learn about the risks of drug abuse from their parents or caregivers are less likely to use drugs than kids who don't.15
References
1 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, SAMHSA, 2002
2 Ibid.
3 Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS): 2000 [Online: http://wwwdasis.samhsa.gov/webt/quicklink/US00.htm]
4 Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS): 1994-1999. (2001) SAMHSA, Office of Applied Studies. [Online: http://wwwdasis.samhsa.gov/teds99/1999_teds_rpt.pdf]
5 Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS): 2000 [Online: http://wwwdasis.samhsa.gov/webt/quicklink/US00.htm]
6 Cannabis Youth Treatment Randomized Field Experiment. Preliminary report: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2002
7 Merline, A.C., O'Malley, P.M., Schulenberg, J.E., Bachman, J.G., & Johnston, L.D. (2004). Substance Use Among Adults 35 Years of Age: Prevalence, Adulthood Predictors, and Impact of Adolescent Substance Use. American Journal of Public Health, 94(1), 96-102
8 Initiation of Marijuana Use: Trends, Patterns, and Implications, SAMHSA, 2000
9 Ibid.
10 Bovasso, G. "Cannabis Abuse as a Risk Factor for Depressive Symptoms,"American Journal of Psychiatry, 2001, 158:2033-2037.
11 The NSDUH Report: Marijuana Use and Delinquent Behaviors Among Youths, National Survey on Drug Use and Health, SAMHSA, 2002.
12 NIDA, Marijuana: Facts Parents Need to Know, November 1998; Pope, H.G. et al, "The Residual Cognitive Effects of Heavy Marijuana Use in College Students," Journal of the American Medical Association, 1996 Vol. 275, No.7
13 The NHSDA Report: Youths’ Choice of Consultant for Serious Problems as related to Substance Use, Feb 2003.
14 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study, Partnership for a Drug-Free America [PDFA], 2002
15 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study, PDFA, 1999
