How is marijuana used?

Most users roll loose marijuana into a cigarette (called a joint or a nail) or smoke it in a pipe. One well-known type of water pipe is the bong. Some users mix marijuana into foods or use it to brew a tea. Another method is to slice open a cigar and replace the tobacco with marijuana, making what's called a blunt. When the blunt is smoked with a 40 oz. bottle of malt liquor, it is called a "B-40."
Lately, marijuana cigarettes or blunts often include crack cocaine, a combination known by various street names, such as "primos" or "woolies." Joints and blunts often are dipped in PCP and are called "happy sticks," "wicky sticks," "love boat," or "tical."

How many people smoke marijuana? At what age do children generally start?

A recent government survey tells us:

• Marijuana is the most frequently used illegal drug in the United States. Nearly 69 million Americans over the age of 12 have tried marijuana at least once.
• About 10 million had used the drug in the month before the survey.
• Among teens 12 to 17, the average age of first trying marijuana was 14 years.

A yearly survey of students in grades 8 through 12 shows that 23 percent of 8th-graders have tried marijuana at least once, and by 10th grade, 21 percent are "current" users (that is, used within the past month). Among 12th-graders, nearly 50 percent have tried marijuana/hash at least once, and about 24 percent were current users.
Other researchers have found that use of marijuana and other drugs usually peaks in the late teens and early twenties, then declines in later years.

How can I tell if my child has been using marijuana?

There are some signs you might be able to see. If someone is high on marijuana, he or she might:

When the early effects fade, over a few hours, the user can become very sleepy.
Parents should be aware of changes in their child's behavior, although this may be difficult with teenagers. Parents should look for withdrawal, depression, fatigue, carelessness with grooming, hostility, and deteriorating relationships with family members and friends. In addition, changes in academic performance, increased absenteeism or truancy, lost interest in sports or other favorite activities, and changes in eating or sleeping habits could be related to drug use. However, these signs may also indicate problems other than use of drugs.
In addition, parents should be aware of:

• signs of drugs and drug paraphernalia, including pipes and rolling papers.
• odor on clothes and in the bedroom.
• use of incense and other deodorizers.
• use of eye drops.
• clothing, posters, jewelry, etc., promoting drug use.