About half of all high schoolers in the United States have used marijuana. Using marijuana can put a person at greater risk for a variety of problems, including psychiatric problems like depression; lack of motivation; and an inability to say no to other dangerous illegal substances. Researchers from the National Institutes of Health in Baltimore, Maryland, and Cardiff University in Wales investigated factors that affected a teen's risk of becoming involved with marijuana.
Researchers used data from a national health survey of 13,718 11- to 21-year-olds; two parts of the survey were conducted a year apart. In the first survey, teens reported how many times they'd used marijuana in their lives. In the second survey, a year later than the first, teens reported how many times they'd used marijuana since the first survey. If the teens had used marijuana, they noted whether they'd used it experimentally (fewer than 10 times) or regularly (10 or more times). Teens also answered questions about other health behaviors, such as how much time they spent exercising, whether they had symptoms of depression or headaches, whether they liked school or got into trouble, whether they got along with relatives, and whether they or their friends were involved with substance abuse, delinquency (like stealing, causing property damage, or running away from home), or violence (like fighting or pulling a gun on someone).
Three factors predicted a teen's risk of being involved with marijuana: Teens who had friends who used drugs and alcohol and who used them themselves were more likely to experiment or regularly use marijuana, as were teens who'd had delinquent behavior, or had school-related problems. Teens who had all three risk factors had 20 times the risk of experimenting and 87 times the risk of becoming a regular marijuana user.
Other factors (such as religious and family involvement) helped to reduce the risk of marijuana use in some teens, depending on their age and gender.
What This Means to You: Teens who use drugs and alcohol, who participate in delinquent behavior, and have problems in school, are at the greatest risk for experimenting and regularly using marijuana. Using marijuana isn't just a harmless pastime - the risks associated with it range from traffic accidents and unprotected sex to criminal problems and unemployment in adulthood. Let your child know that using drugs, alcohol, and tobacco is not OK and could cause major harm to his or her health and trouble with the law. Also, get to know your child's friends and whether they use drugs, too. If you think your child may be using marijuana or another drug or you're concerned because he or she is at risk, talk to your child's doctor.
Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: May 2005
