Hey Auntie, so I live in WA where pot is legal. I’m 17 and a lot of my friends are smoking and I’m wondering since it comes from Mother Earth, how can it be that bad for me?
Great question and I think one that a lot of people struggle with.
Keep in mind that there are many things from Mother Earth that are not really healthy for you. The tricky part is that at this point your brain is still developing and it will continue to do so well into your 20s. The impacts are unclear, but we know it can affect your brain chemistry, which can interfere with your decision-making and therefore your achievement. It can also affect your attention span, learning capabilities, and memory.
Being a teenager, you have a flood of hormones in your body and if you add pot to the equation, then this might just take it to a whole new level. And while you’re still trying to figure out who you are and what you want out of life, smoking pot might make this a lot harder.
As you think about these things, you have to decide whether it’s a risk worth taking. And while you may be thinking, maybe you’ll just try it a few times to get your friends off your back, keep in mind that research shows that 1 in 6 people who start using pot as a teen will become addicted to it.
And just because it’s legal where you live, it doesn’t mean it is for those who are under 21. It can have other effects like costing you a job, hurting your relationships, or getting put on your record, which are things that can continuously circle back to haunt you.
You Decide
So if you want to stay on point and avoid making things even more difficult during a time when things are already tough, it might be a good idea to take a pass on smoking pot, but ultimately it’s up to you.
For more information on drug facts check out: Listen2YourSelfie or NIDA for Teens.
I’ll be thinking about you.
Best of luck! Auntie Manda
