How To Recognise A Pot Problem

For parents who don't want to play ostrich, Dr Ingrid Lantner, a pediatrician and an expert on marijuana use among teenagers, notes these common symptoms of the chronic marijuana-using youngster: red eyes (often "handled" with eye drops, which can be a clue to pot use)... constant fatigue... uncalled for irritability and edginess (the "don't hassle me!" syndrome)... caring less about everything ("the drop-out syndrome") with a resultant drop in school grades... abrupt and unexplained mood changes... increasing friction with peers and family... feelings of paranoia... impaired ability to concentrate and loss of short term memory... flat, expressionless speech... lack of interest in grooming and appearance... increases difficulty in fighting off common infections... cough, asthmatic wheezing, chest pains... skin rashes... irregular menstrual cycle... distorted time sense (when asked to raise a hand in 60 seconds or less... and, of course, impaired driving ability.

It is important for parents to realise that, unlike the alcohol user, most pot-smoking youngsters are able to "come down" from a high and act normally when parents are around. Thus many parents of chronic pot-smoking youngsters may remain unaware of this fact for several years.

Also, in the words of Dr. Dean Parmelee, director of the Adolesence In-patient Services at Charles River Hospital, a teaching affiliate of Boston University School of Medicine:

"Some youngsters show some symptoms of chronic marijuana use; some show other symptoms. And some bright youngsters with outgoing personalities seem to be able to maintain their grades and activities for a few years-although gradually all users, youngsters and adults, compromise their potential, their activities and their lifestyles".

In other words, your teenagers may have no apparent symptoms of marijuana impairment. Except in one area. Driving. No matter how well they tolerate, adjust to or compensate for their pot use in other areas, over 70 research studies show that pot-induced driving impairments remain. And they are dose related. The more one smokes and the more potent the pot, the worse the driving impairments.