Underage Cannabis Use at Home
For years, popular television shows and movies have portrayed American youth as frequent users of marijuana—so much so that it’s sometimes considered a rite of passage among young people. Many parents feel it’s inevitable that their children will experiment, and wonder if a permissive approach might be a safer, more realistic strategy than completely banning it. But letting kids use cannabis at home doesn't teach them to use it responsibly—and it doesn't keep them safer. Here's what you need to know about underage cannabis use at home.
Talking about cannabis with your teens can be unnerving, especially if you’re a past or present cannabis user yourself. If your child asks, should you disclose your own experience with cannabis to them? Will honesty hurt or help this conversation?
Since Connecticut’s legalization of adult-use cannabis last year, there’s been a lot of discussion about the potential ramifications for teens and adolescents. Becoming part of this conversation—and the solution—starts with getting informed. Here’s what you need to know about the complex relationship between mental health and cannabis use among young people, whose brains are still developing.
Adult use of cannabis is now legal in Connecticut, and retail sales will officially begin in January 2023. However, the new law’s impact on teens and adolescents—who are most at risk for developing Cannabis Use Disorder—remains to be seen. Here’s how you can help steer kids away from underage use and keep them safe from CUD.
Drinking at college has long been thought of as a rite of passage. Students turn to alcohol expecting a good time and a relief from social anxiety, but far too often, this “campus experience” has lasting and even deadly consequences. That’s because college students are especially vulnerable to binge drinking—a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings one’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08% or higher. 
September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. For parents and other members of the community, this is an opportunity to broach what can often be an uncomfortable or difficult topic with teenagers.