The use of marijuana among teenagers, although viewed as harmless, is .
actually very detrimental to their lives in many ways. Four of the most .
harmful possibilities that exist are, the link between marijuana and crime, .
the health risks involved, the family problems that arise, and the fact that .
marijuana has been known to lead to other drugs. Although these problems do .
not always evolve in all teenagers that smoke, the chances are that, given .
time, marijuana will damage the lives of either the smoker or those around .
them.
Next to alcohol, marijuana is the most commonly used and widespread drug .
in the United States. "Drug abuse is a fact of life in the United States .
with an extremely negative impact on teenagers, who are more susceptible to .
addictive behavior and think less about the consequences of drug .
use."(Phillips 32) Results show that between nine and seventeen million .
Americans use marijuana casually, more than all other drugs .
combined.(Schleichert 40) Results also show that after two decades of .
declining marijuana use among high school students they are now using .
marijuana more than they ever have before.(Schleichert 40) The most common .
reason that people begin using marijuana is as a result of peer pressure or .
to fit into a specific crowd or group of people. This peer pressure also .
leads to the continued use due to the misconception that they would be the .
only ones not doing it. However this casual use among teens often turns .
into a heavy use of the drug and addiction. .
The use of marijuana has been directly linked to crime among teens. .
Between 1990 and 1995, the number of juveniles charged with narcotic related .
crimes in the United States has more then doubled, which directly .
corresponds to the rise of the use of illegal drugs among teenagers.(Levine .
7) The crime among these teens often takes on a snowball effect. There is .
always a need to get more high and more often.