1. The statistics show that more teenagers experiment with marijuana than alcohol during the middle school and high school period, and the use of this drug is very widespread.
2. Teens have a harder time getting alcohol because this substance is carefully controlled and a buyer who is over 21 years old must be found. This is not the case with marijuana so it is easier to obtain.
3. This drug comes in plant form, and may resemble grass and lawn trimmings if discovered. Stems, seeds, and leaves may be seen, and it is normally stored in a sandwich baggie.
4. Teens who use marijuana by age 12 have a 50% higher chance of developing a serious mental illness within 12 months of this use than those who did not try the drug until after this age.
5. Roughly 2% of those who have tried marijuana at least once have reported this substance use before they were 12 years old.
6. Marijuana will cause addiction in at least 1 out of every 6 teens who try it, and this rate of addiction increases to between 25%-50% when the teen uses the drug on a daily basis.
7. Around 14% of teens who die in a traffic accident will have marijuana in their system, and it is the most common of all the illegal drugs that are tested for.
8. Around 10% of teens in grades 6-10 have reported using marijuana at least once in their life, and the percentage increases with age.
9. 1 in 4 high school seniors have reported using marijuana within the last 3 weeks.
