Ask Dr. Meg: Son Smoking Pot

Welcome back, friends! Hope that you all had a blessed Christmas.  We are back in the swing of things on the blog today.  I’ll have new content soon, but in the meantime, here is a question and my reply from a reader last fall.

Dear Dr. Meg:

My 16 yo told me he has been smoking pot occasionally. We have a very close relationship, I had him at 16 so we kinda grew up together. He knows it’s illegal and that I do not want him doing it..i told him thank you for your honesty but you’re in trouble.

How damaging is marijuana to a teen? How do I deal with this without overreacting or under reacting and still keep the lines of communication open?

Concerned Mom

Dear Concerned Mom:

I,too, am glad that you have such a great relationship with your son that he told you about his smoking dope. That’s the good news. Still, you have a problem on your hands.

I would tell him that you are glad that he told you but that, because you love him more than anyone (particularly friends who are giving it to him) that it’s very bad for him. It is bad for his lungs and it can lead to use of other drugs. Here’s my concern as well.

Is he using to mood alter because he is down or depressed? If so, get him to a pediatrician who deals with teens and depression. If not, then tell him that there are much healthier ways to have fun and help him stop. Smoking pot leads to nowhere positive.

Sincerely,

Dr. Meg