Beginning January 1, 2020 use of recreational marijuana becomes legal in Illinois. Starting on January 1, 2020, people 21 years old and over can buy marijuana products in Illinois. Let me restate, 21 and over. It is not legal for our teens to use marijuana!
People over 21 can have:
- 30 grams of cannabis flower;
- 5 grams of cannabis concentrate; and
- No more than 500 milligrams of THC contained in a cannabis infused product.
People cannot smoke or use marijuana in:
- Public places;
- In any motor vehicle;
- Near anyone under the age of 21;
- On school grounds; and
- Any place where smoking is prohibited under the Smoke Free Illinois Act. (Illinois Legal Aide Online)
O.K., those are the facts regarding legalization. But, what do we do as parents to keep our children safe?
Know the Facts about marijuana
First and foremost, Talk! It is the most important thing you can do. More than ever we need to talk to our children about the facts of using marijuana. We need to talk about the health issues of using marijuana. Talk about what marijuana can do to the child’s mental development. But, don’t preach or moralize. Just talk!
This is an unusual situation we find ourselves in. The last time an illegal substance changed to a legal substance was in 1933 when Prohibition was repealed. This is an unusual and difficult situation.
According to a study published by the “American Journal of Pediatric Health” there is a greater use of marijuana use among high school students.
Between 1991 and 2017, marijuana-only use increased from less than 1% to slightly more than 6%.
During this time, both alcohol-only and cigarette-only used decreased by 12% and 1% respectively.
Research also found that the percentage of students who reported using alcohol and marijuana more than doubled, while dual-use of alcohol and cigarettes decreased significantly.
Facts and Talking Points
Remember, marijuana is still considered a dangerous drug for children under 24 years old. This is just like cigarettes and alcohol. We tell our children not to use these drugs because they are dangerous. If they choose to use as adults, it is up to them. But while their brains are still developing drugs are off limits!
Marijuana is not safe just because they made it legal!
Brain Science: This is not a legal or moral issue-its about brain development.
Addictive: Marijuana can be addictive. Research indicates that about 9 percent of users develop addictions.
Using and driving is unsafe. Marijuana is the most common illegal drug identified in deadly car crashes and is thought to roughly double your chance of being involved in a crash.
Marijuana is linked to lower grades. Pot has negative effects on attention, motivation and memory. In recent research, heavy teen users who continued on to become very heavy users as adults lost an average of six (6) IQ points by mid-adulthood.
Marijuana is linked to some mental illnesses. There’s some evidence that early use may increase psychotic disorders, such as, anxiety, depression and paranoia among those already at genetic risk.
Edible marijuana can be particularly dangerous. “Young people sometimes take a small square of a brownie, but when they don’t feel an effect right away, they take another piece and another piece,” said Halpern-Felsher. “Suddenly, half an hour later they’re quite sick and wind up in the hospital.”
It's safe because people use it as medicine. The AMA considers marijuana to be a dangerous drug and public health concern. Smoking pot poses the same risks of lung cancer and emphysema as smoking tobacco. You can tell your child “You don’t have cancer or MS or glaucoma. You don’t take medicine for diseases you don’t have.” (AMA)
This is yet one more challenge for parents and our teens. But remember you are the parent and set the rules. Armed with statistics and an understanding of marijuana talking is still your best line of defense. Talk and talk often and your child will have a better chance of not using these substances and making good life decisions. Good luck!
