Caught my kid smoking pot

[LEWIS540]

She’s basically an adult.

Legally we like to pretend they’re kids until 18 or 21.

Not really true.

Have to trust them to make their own decisions and hope they are sensible enough to apply moderation.

 

[jeff7b9]

I know the popular belief today is that weed isn't that bad, but I don't want my 16-year old smoking it.

Her brain doesn't finish developing until she's 25, and smoking it now has been shown to have all these bad effects.

I feel like a hypocrite because I smoked a little as a teen but

that's not feeling like a hypocrite.

that is literally the definition of being a hypocrite

that shit wasn't as strong as the shit they have today. This new stuff is probably making kids even more retarded.

Also how they get caught? That says a lot about their decision making.

this.




I agree here.
How did this kid manage to get busted?


This will go a long way towards clearing up whether bringing down the hammer either fails miserably or fails miserably and heavily reinforces the idea that what is most important is lying and deceiving old out of touch grumpy guy who doesn't get it.

 

[Fluffernutter]

Remind her that being boring opens doors.

I know that many here are commenting it's no big deal. And there is some truth to that....as long as it doesn't become her identity.

Good student?
Social?
Active?
Cares about others?

If you can answer yes to those questions, I think you have nothing to worry about.

However, if you are more likely to say no to those questions, I'd be concerned.

I have students who smoke and do well. I also have students who have embraced the culture of smoking pot, and their future is quite bleak

 

[MDoza]

Like real pot or that shitty overpriced THC-A stuff?

At least make sure she isn’t spending money on some fake weed.

Some people can smoke weed and still be functional members of society, but others become wastoids. Sometimes people that start that young just grow out of it. Weed is mostly social, especially for girls. She might just be smoking because it’s the thing to do with her friends.

I’d just keep an eye on her grades. If she starts having problems at school, crack down. If not, just try to discourage it and tell her to be safe and responsible. Trying to stop her completely when there have been no negative impacts from her use will probably just make her want to rebel and smoke more, while getting exponentially better at hiding it from you.

 

[HUGHPHUG]

Smoking anything is stupid and extremely harmful, doesn't matter what it is. That might be a better focus point than 'don't do this harmless drug because it's awesome and all the best people in the world do it'. It's not an argument you can win

Buy her a strong edible and watch her think she's dying, that might be a better deterrent

 

[TheNinja]

Bro, you gotta let them off the leash to make their own choices at 16 a bit.

EVERYONE drank and smoked some pot at that age

the better thing to do is make sure she trusts you and can talk to you or she will just start hiding shit from you

This. Like my wife is a complete nutcase as far as scorched earth. If she finds out my kids try pot or alcohol she's gonna go ballistic and they know it. I'm much more calm and I just talk to them. I tell them I was a teenage once too and tried things out. Just don't try to hide it from me (even though of course they will). And my one rule I tell them that will get the grounded for a long time "Never drive or get into a car with someone who has drank or smoked pot or done any other drugs. Call me and I will pick you up. I won't yell at you the whole way home or get you in trouble. I will come and get you and it will be a quiet comfortable ride home".

Same with a party, I always tell them if you get in a situation you don't want to be in, don't make it worse, call me and I will come get you and make sure you are safe. No judgements (especially that night) about it. Try to keep that open communication is the key so they aren't scared to come to me.

 

[Mr.Maelstrom]

I know the popular belief today is that weed isn't that bad, but I don't want my 16-year old smoking it.

Her brain doesn't finish developing until she's 25, and smoking it now has been shown to have all these bad effects.

I feel like a hypocrite because I smoked a little as a teen but that shit wasn't as strong as the shit they have today. This new stuff is probably making kids even more retarded.

And I was trying to think of all the kids I knew that started smoking at 16 regularly, if any of them grew up to be smart and successful, and I can't think of any.

Anyhoo, time to bring down the hammer in my house.

Spoiler

Smoking marijuana at age 16 can disrupt critical stages of brain development, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, which isn't fully formed until the mid-20s.

Structural & Functional Changes
Thinning of the Prefrontal Cortex: Regular use is linked to accelerated thinning of the prefrontal cortex, the area responsible for executive functions like planning, complex decision-making, and impulse control.

Disrupted "Pruning": THC can interfere with synaptic pruning, a natural process where the brain "cleans up" unnecessary connections to become more efficient. This disruption can lead to abnormal brain architecture.

Altered Reward Systems: Marijuana use may lead to a decrease in dopamine receptor sensitivity, which can result in decreased motivation and a reduced ability to feel pleasure from normal activities (anhedonia).

Cognitive & Mental Health Risks
IQ and Learning: Research, such as a major longitudinal study from New Zealand, found that persistent use starting before 18 is associated with a significant drop in IQ (up to 8 points) that may not be fully recovered even after quitting.

Memory Impairment: Short-term and verbal memory are often the first functions to decline, making it harder to retain new information at school.

Psychiatric Risks: Early use significantly increases the risk of developing psychosis or schizophrenia, especially in those with a genetic predisposition. It is also linked to higher rates of depression and anxiety

.

By 16/17, we were always smoking pot at a buddies house where his mom let all the kids in our group post up and smoke weed.
All day after school, no hard line regarding a time when we had to leave, she would get us liquor from the store etc. I'll always appreciate what she was trying to do.
At that age it seems so refreshing to have access to a "hip" parent, but i will always feel a bit bad for my buddy. He never had to hide it, or anything else for the matter.
She ended up fucking a friend of ours that was my age (17) for many years actually.

My parents didn't play any kinda shit like that lol, I appreciate them insisting on the whole cat and mouse chase aspect being in play between kids who smoke pot and the pothead parents who catch them doing it

 

[TheNinja]

Smoking anything is stupid and extremely harmful, doesn't matter what it is. That might be a better focus point than 'don't do this harmless drug because it's awesome and all the best people in the world do it'. It's not an argument you can win

Buy her a strong edible and watch her think she's dying, that might be a better deterrent

lol - I like it. Like the old trick when I was a kid, someone got caught smoking and the parent made then chain smoke at least a pack right in a row and watch them turn green and get sick

 

[Stoic1]

Get some paperwork from an adoption agency and leave it laying around the house.

Look up "how to put up your kids for adoption" and so she sees the browser history.

...

She'll straighten right up.

 

[Stoic1]

Obligatory

 

[Boomb]

I’m with you on this, TS. I started smoking weed at 16 (I’m 47 now), and I’m 100% sure, that all my problems with anxiety and panic disorder, are because of that. And as TS already said, the weed I smoked probably wasn’t half as strong as the weed they smoke today….

It’s been probably more than 20 years since I last smoked and I don’t miss it a bit. I have a few (real) beers from time to time though (weed and hops are from the same “family”)

 

[NadaRekowski]

I know the popular belief today is that weed isn't that bad, but I don't want my 16-year old smoking it.

Her brain doesn't finish developing until she's 25, and smoking it now has been shown to have all these bad effects.

I feel like a hypocrite because I smoked a little as a teen but that shit wasn't as strong as the shit they have today. This new stuff is probably making kids even more retarded.

And I was trying to think of all the kids I knew that started smoking at 16 regularly, if any of them grew up to be smart and successful, and I can't think of any.

Anyhoo, time to bring down the hammer in my house.

Spoiler

Smoking marijuana at age 16 can disrupt critical stages of brain development, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, which isn't fully formed until the mid-20s.

Structural & Functional Changes
Thinning of the Prefrontal Cortex: Regular use is linked to accelerated thinning of the prefrontal cortex, the area responsible for executive functions like planning, complex decision-making, and impulse control.

Disrupted "Pruning": THC can interfere with synaptic pruning, a natural process where the brain "cleans up" unnecessary connections to become more efficient. This disruption can lead to abnormal brain architecture.

Altered Reward Systems: Marijuana use may lead to a decrease in dopamine receptor sensitivity, which can result in decreased motivation and a reduced ability to feel pleasure from normal activities (anhedonia).

Cognitive & Mental Health Risks
IQ and Learning: Research, such as a major longitudinal study from New Zealand, found that persistent use starting before 18 is associated with a significant drop in IQ (up to 8 points) that may not be fully recovered even after quitting.

Memory Impairment: Short-term and verbal memory are often the first functions to decline, making it harder to retain new information at school.

Psychiatric Risks: Early use significantly increases the risk of developing psychosis or schizophrenia, especially in those with a genetic predisposition. It is also linked to higher rates of depression and anxiety

.

I try to implement the same rule, kids 9 now but he's just always finding my stash somehow.

But seriously, smoking excessively weed from 17-20 fucked me and my poor brain up.

I guess it depends, smoking two puffs on a party once every 4 months would be okay to me as a dad, smoking bongs before school absolutely not.

 

[shunyata]

Did you sit down with them and make them smoke the whole carton ounce in one sitting?

 

[Mr.Maelstrom]

Did you sit down with them and make them smoke the whole carton ounce in one sitting?

"I made them roll it up into 8 very loose joints that I smoked back to back alone. Fish gotta swim, kids."

 

[chardog]

there's a good chance that pot is a gateway drug into harder stuff, I would stand up to her and make it stop...... I'm guessing the approach is what makes it more difficult, inexperienced in this field, but if it were my own kid, I'd have them end it.

 

[Thrawn33]

If you actually want to take action that reduces the chance of her doing it, pay. Promise an actual benefit of she manages to avoid using it again. Like a first car or something. Doesn't have to be big.

Having an actual tangible reward makes a significant difference in recidivism. More than anything else imo.

First car for not smoking pot, lol.


That's terrible, all that does is breed expectation of tangible reward for normal "good" behavior. Then the second you don't reward the kid they act out.

Literally participation trophy mentality.

Good job not getting pregnant, here's a new phone.

Hey you went to school every day this week, here's some money.

You didn't do any drugs Billy, here's an X-Box

I rewarded my kids for doing above average shit, not expected behavior.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

Kids are gonna do shit like that imo. I would probably lean more into encouraging her to stop and showing her what stoned retards end up turning into. I think if you try and go too hard against it she'll just get better at doing it without you knowing.

I don't think it's a death knell for her future.

I used to smoke pot as a teen and now I have 145k likes on an internet karate forum.

 

[Killer Whale]

Calling it pot is the sign of a dweeb. Just sayin’

 

[Spounman]

I know the popular belief today is that weed isn't that bad, but I don't want my 16-year old smoking it.

Her brain doesn't finish developing until she's 25, and smoking it now has been shown to have all these bad effects.

I feel like a hypocrite because I smoked a little as a teen but that shit wasn't as strong as the shit they have today. This new stuff is probably making kids even more retarded.

And I was trying to think of all the kids I knew that started smoking at 16 regularly, if any of them grew up to be smart and successful, and I can't think of any.

Anyhoo, time to bring down the hammer in my house.

Spoiler

Smoking marijuana at age 16 can disrupt critical stages of brain development, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, which isn't fully formed until the mid-20s.

Structural & Functional Changes
Thinning of the Prefrontal Cortex: Regular use is linked to accelerated thinning of the prefrontal cortex, the area responsible for executive functions like planning, complex decision-making, and impulse control.

Disrupted "Pruning": THC can interfere with synaptic pruning, a natural process where the brain "cleans up" unnecessary connections to become more efficient. This disruption can lead to abnormal brain architecture.

Altered Reward Systems: Marijuana use may lead to a decrease in dopamine receptor sensitivity, which can result in decreased motivation and a reduced ability to feel pleasure from normal activities (anhedonia).

Cognitive & Mental Health Risks
IQ and Learning: Research, such as a major longitudinal study from New Zealand, found that persistent use starting before 18 is associated with a significant drop in IQ (up to 8 points) that may not be fully recovered even after quitting.

Memory Impairment: Short-term and verbal memory are often the first functions to decline, making it harder to retain new information at school.

Psychiatric Risks: Early use significantly increases the risk of developing psychosis or schizophrenia, especially in those with a genetic predisposition. It is also linked to higher rates of depression and anxiety

.

I'm snitching. I found her dealer, you're welcome.

 

[lowlife]

As a subject matter expert you absolutely should be concerned. The weed today is all well above 20% THC and concentrates go all the way up to 90% plus. The shit we smoked back in the day was all well below 10% with the occasional batch of slightly stronger. It's like pee wee football vs the NFL, completely different league and damn near a different sport, yet people still talk about it like we're back in the 90's and its totally harmless. Crazy, ime and imo.