Why do young people use marijuana? Children and teens start
using it for many reasons. Curiosity and the desire to fit into
a social group are common ones. Some have a network of friends
who use drugs and urge them to do the same (peer pressure).
Those who have already begun to smoke cigarettes and/or use
alcohol are at heightened risk for marijuana use as well. And
children and teens who have untreated mental disorders (e.g.,
ADHD, conduct disorder, anxiety) or who were physically or
sexually abused are at heightened risk of using marijuana and
other drugs at an early age. For some, drug use beins as a means
of coping - to deal with anxiety, anger, depression, boredom and
so forth. But in fact, being high can be a way of simply
avoiding the problems and challenges of growing up. Research
also suggest that family members' use of alcohol and drugs plays
a strong role in whether children/teens start using drug -
making parents, grandparents, and older brother and sister
models for children to follow. So indeed,