Even if you experimented with pot when you were younger, there’s nothing hypocritical about trying to keep your kids off of it now. Reliable and consistent evidence indicates today’s marijuana is more than twice as powerful on average than it was twenty years ago. With twice the concentration of THC, the chemical in pot that affects the brain, marijuana is now capable of causing double the damage.

Kids who regularly smoke marijuana are affected in all kinds of ways, including:

• Decreased ability to learn

• Impaired judgment when driving

• Compromised judgment regarding sex

• Symptoms of depression, even suicide

• Breathing problems

• Greater exposure to cancerous chemicals than even tobacco

• Increased likelihood of using more dangerous drugs

Signs of marijuana use include:

• Bloodshot eyes or clothes that smell of smoke

• Isolation, depression, fatigue or anxiety

• A decline in school performance or attendance

• A change in sleeping or eating habits

• Use of incense or room deodorizer

What can you as a parent do? First, remember that you are a powerful role model for your kid(s), so you’re encouraged to act accordingly. Talk to your kid(s) about how taking drugs puts them in risky situations and can lead to making decisions they’ll regret later. Let them know there’s a firm rule of no marijuana or any other drug use in your home, and that there are clear consequences if the rule is broken. And the sooner the better, since the average age when teens first try marijuana is under 14 years-old.

Most importantly, stay involved in their lives. Know who they’re with, what they’re doing, where your teen is and when they'll be home. Consistently ask who, what, where, when. Keep the lines of communications open. Kids whose parents are steadily involved in their lives are far less likely to do drugs. Be your child's lifeline.