Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug among America’s youth. Twice as many 8th graders today have tried marijuana compared to a decade ago. And despite the growing scientific evidence of the harm it can cause, many youth—and their parents—still see the drug as benign.

This fall, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy’s (ONDCP) National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign launched a national effort to dispel popular myths and misconceptions about marijuana. The initiative targets youth ages 9–18, their parents, and other influential adults.

ONDCP is reaching out to drug educators, teachers, prevention practitioners, in-school health care professionals, and others to bring the marijuana initiative to communities nationwide.

The initiative seeks to debunk some of the most popular myths and misconceptions about marijuana among parents and children, including:

Myth 1: Marijuana is harmless.

Myth 2: You can’t get addicted to marijuana.

Myth 3: Marijuana won’t hurt you—it’s just a plant.

Myth 4: Marijuana doesn’t make you lose control. It just makes you mellow.

Myth 5: Marijuana isn’t as popular among kids today as newer drugs like ecstasy.

Myth 6: There’s not much parents or anyone else can do to stop kids from experimenting.

Marijuana puts young people at risk. It is more potent than ever and can lead to a host of significant physical, social, learning, and behavioral problems at a crucial time in their lives. Despite popular beliefs, marijuana use can lead to dependency and addiction. In fact, marijuana sends more teens to treatment each year than any other illicit drug. Perhaps just as important, when using marijuana, many young people suffer from impaired judgment, leading to risky decision-making with lifelong consequences.

The initiative includes national parent- and youth-focused print and broadcast advertising; partnerships with some of the nation’s most respected youth-serving, parenting, and public health organizations; news media outreach; educational materials; online resources; and multicultural outreach to African- American, Asian, Hispanic, and American Indian audiences.

Contributor: Sarah Kayson, National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, Office of National Drug Control Policy