Myth: “Everyone at school smokes pot.”

Fact: Most students don’t use marijuana

In Butte County…most have never tried it:

• 94% of 7th graders
• 80% of 9th graders
• 62% of 11th graders

 

Myth: “I’ll be fine if I only get high on weekends.”

Fact: You can’t control your high

• Marijuana is 3-5x stronger than it used to be
• Marijuana’s effects can last for days or weeks and include:
  • Problems paying attention and concentrating
  • Slower thinking
  • Less memory

Myth: “Smoking weed helps me sleep at night.”

Fact: Teen marijuana users are more likely to have trouble sleeping

• They tend to go to bed later and sleep less
• People who start using marijuana early are more likely to have sleep problems later in life

 

Myth: “Smoking weed won’t affect how I do in school.”

Fact: Marijuana has been shown to have a connection to:

• Lower grades
• Skipping classes
• Studying less
• Lower motivation
• Potential for dropping out
• Lost opportunities (sports, jobs, special programs)

 

Myth: “After graduation, what I did in school now won’t matter.”

Fact: Teens who smoke marijuana frequently have fewer choices

• 60% of daily users do not complete high school
• Young users are 4x less likely to finish college
• Drug testing can limit job opportunities
• Social media photos may be checked out by schools and employers

Myth: “You can’t get addicted to weed”

Fact: 9% of those who use marijuana will become addicted

• Even more likely the younger you start using
• 25%-50% who use every day may become addicted
• Withdrawal symptoms are hard to overcome

 

Myth: “Weed has the same effects no matter what your age is.”

Fact: Heavy teen use lowers IQ permanently

• Early marijuana use is linked to IQ dropping about 8 points
• Regular teen users who stopped using latter in life did not recover the brain functionality that was lost

 

Myth: “It’s medicine, just like any other drug.”

Fact: Marijuana is not the same as prescribed medicine

• A doctor may recommend but not prescribe it
• The dosage and potency are not controlled
• It is not tested by the FDA for safety, purity, or side effects
• Smoking or eating cause different reactions

 

Myth: “I drive better when I’m high.”

Fact: Marijuana impairs driving ability

• Impairs motor skills, alters perception of speed and slows reaction time
• Risk of an accident doubles when a person drives soon after using marijuana
• After alcohol, marijuana is the most frequently found substance in the blood of impaired drivers, fatally injured drivers, and crash victims.

 

Myth: “It’s just not a big deal.”

Fact: Marijuana use is a big deal because:

• It’s almost four times stronger than it used to be
• It affects your brain-sometimes forever
• It impairs driving
• It can impact school, jobs, and future success