Posted by 
I’m sometimes asked by Christian parents for my help because their teenager is experimenting with marijuana. Sadly, drugs can be found in many places and whether we want to believe it or not, children are often exposed to them on a daily basis. That doesn’t mean that they are all using drugs, but it does mean that if they want to experiment with drugs, they only have to look around the corner to find them.
It doesn’t surprise me when talking with teenagers that peer pressure is the major reason why they sometimes go down this road. Nevertheless, we know that helping them learn to resist these pressures and doing what is right, is important for them, as well as an important part of being a Christian (Prov 1:10). Clearly, drugs are detrimental to their health and spiritual wellbeing. The scripture teaches us that our bodies are the temple of God and we need to take care of them (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) and although they may not want to hear that, it’s our jobs as their parents to gently remind them of God’s love and His desire to make His home in their heart. Jesus said, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (Jn 14:23)
All the media talk about the possibly legalization of marijuana and its supposed medical benefits only makes things worse. Some teens will grab any straw to justify their negative behavior.
So what can you do? One of the best ways a parent can show love for their child is to set strong boundaries for them. Children who know where the boundaries are tend to be more stable and make better choices for themselves. This takes some work on our part, but it’s worth it.
Renowned Christian Psychologist Dr. James Dobson gives this advice in his book Bringing Up Boys…the question was asked, “My son has recently begun running around with some kids who have introduced him to marijuana. He doesn’t deny what he is doing because he says it is harmless. Can you give me the facts?”
He responded by saying, “Your son has been given some very bad information that is being passed around by those who are promoting the legalization of marijuana. It is a lie. Dr. Harold Voth, the senior psychiatrist for the Menninger Foundation in Topeka, Kansas, has set the record straight.”
He said, “First, five marijuana cigarettes have the same cancer-causing capacity as one hundred and twelve conventional cigarettes. Second, the part of the brain that allows a person to focus, concentrate, create, learn, and conceptualize at an advanced level is still growing during the teenage years. Continuous use of marijuana over a period of time will retard the normal growth of those brain cells. Third, a study conducted at Columbia University revealed that female marijuana smokers suffer a sharp increase in damage to their DNA, the genetic code. It was also found that reproductive eggs are especially vulnerable to damage by marijuana. Forth, a second Columbia University study found that people who smoke a single marijuana cigarette every other day for one year had a white blood cell count that was 39 percent lower than normal, thus damaging the immune system and making the user far more susceptible to infection and sickness. Smoking marijuana is a dangerous hobby.” [1]
“I doubt if your son will be satisfied with this answer, even though you should share it with him. His motivation is probably related more to peer pressure than to his belief in the harmlessness of marijuana. The danger is that he will “graduate” from pot to something harder and more addictive. If I were you, I would bring all my energies to bear on getting my son away from the gang he is now running with, even if it requires you to move. He is apparently at a critical juncture in his life.”[2]
This is good advice if you ask me.
Beth D. Baus is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a private practice in Riverside, CA. She teaches Christian Counseling and other counseling courses for Apostolic School of Theology / Hope International University. To visit her new website, go to www.ourhealthyfamilies.org.
[1] Harold M. Voth and Gabriel Nahas, How to Save Your Kids from Drugs (Middlebur, Vt: Paul S. Ericksson, 1987).
[2] Dr. James Dobson, Bringing Up Boys, Tyndale House Publishing, Wheaton, Illinois (2001).
