Twelve Talks to
Have With Teens
Cannabis
The term “marijuana” has been used historically to promote negative stereotypes and sentiments towards Hispanic and Latine/x communities. To avoid perpetuating these, we use the term “cannabis” to refer to hemp, “marijuana,” or any other substance derived from the flowering tops of the hemp plant. We acknowledge that “marijuana” is a commonly used term in policies, laws, and regulations.
Use of cannabis during the teen years may result in damage to a teen’s rapidly developing brain, and may result in impaired cognitive function (CDC).
Some, but not most, people go on to try other drugs after trying cannabis
(National Institute on Drug Abuse).
According to the 2023 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, by the time they are seniors in high school, 21.8% of Jefferson County students report they have used cannabis in the past 30 days. Do not assume your teen does or does not use cannabis.
What is the problem with teens using cannabis?
Cannabis is not always addictive, but it can be. About 3 in 10 people who use cannabis have cannabis use disorder. The risk of developing cannabis use disorder is stronger in people who start using cannabis during adolescence (CDC).
Some negative effects of teen cannabis use may include difficulty thinking and problem-solving, problems with memory and learning, reduced coordination, difficulty maintaining attention, and problems with school and social life (CDC).
Using cannabis may cause temporary psychosis (not knowing what is real, hallucinations, and paranoia) while the user is high and there is a stronger association between cannabis and schizophrenia in people who start using cannabis at an earlier age (National Institute on Drug Abuse, CDC).
In addition to its effects on the brain, cannabis smoke has other health effects. People who smoke cannabis regularly may develop a daily cough or have a higher chance of getting a lung infection (National Institute on Drug Abuse). Cannabis smoke contains a toxic mix of gasses and tiny particles which can be harmful to the lungs, much like tobacco smoke (National Institute on Drug Abuse)
In Jefferson County, teens report that most cannabis is purchased from someone old enough to buy or grow it, or that it is taken without permission from an adult who lives with them (YTH 2024).
Jefferson County High School Age Youth
Marijuana use increases as grade levels increase.
% Past 30 Day Use
9th Grade – 11%
12th Grade – 25%
% Lifetime Use
9th Grade – 21%
12th Grade – 47%
Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, 2019
Video: Marijuana and the Young Brain
Open Ended Questions
Here are some open ended questions you can use to talk to your teen about cannabis:
- What do you think about cannabis messing with teens’ brain development?
- How do you handle it when (or if) you see cannabis being used by teens your age?
- More than 65% of high schoolers in Jefferson County think it is wrong or very wrong for teens to use cannabis. Why do you think they believe that?
- Why do you think people use cannabis?
- Only 14.1% of Jefferson County High Schoolers use cannabis; but almost ½ of Jefferson County students guessed that most kids in their grade use cannabis. Why are teens getting that wrong?
- I read that 3 in 10 people who use cannabis develop cannabis use disorder. Why do you think people do not know this statistic?
Conversation Starters
When you see an ad for cannabis or go past a dispensary (cannabis store), use it as an opportunity to ask questions.
Talk with your teen about how cannabis is bought and sold, and about their thoughts on the ethics of teens using illegal substances. It is also a good idea to talk with your teen about your values around dealers, or “plugs,” selling harmful substances to teens.
Ask if your teen ever sees people using cannabis at school or in the community – and ask if they see teens use it as edibles, dabs, vapes, or in other forms.
Watch together – and discuss – the Awkward Conversations video series.
Ask yourself
Are you being realistic? Assume your teen has been exposed to cannabis and approach conversations with that assumption.
Are you assuming use is typical when it is not? Fewer than half of Jefferson County students report having ever tried cannabis by the fall of their senior year, and only 14.1% of high school students report recent use (2023 HKCS).
Do you know the right words? Words related to cannabis change all the time. Here are a few to know:
- Plug: A person who sells alcohol, drugs, or other things to people they know, often through social media.
- Dab: Taking a dab means inhaling the vapors from a concentrated form of cannabis made by an extraction method that uses butane gas. Dabs, also known as butane hash oil (BHO) – and sometimes called “budder,” “honeycomb” or “earwax” – are more potent than conventional forms of cannabis because they have much higher concentrations of the psychoactive chemical tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, than is found in regular cannabis.
- K2, Spice, Fake Weed: A mixture of plant material sprayed with a synthetic compound that is similar to THC.
- Looking for more definitions related to cannabis? Visit the Twelve Talks to Have With Teens Vocabulary page.
Data included on this page includes:
Healthy Kids Colorado Survey 2023 (HKCS 2023)
Jefferson County Communities That Care Youth Town Hall 2024 (YTH 2024)
