| Marijuana is often seen as a harmless drug that | | | | very easily available near many schools across |
| doesn't lead to addiction. Marijuana is also most | | | | the country. Often, teenagers don't have to go |
| often the "gateway drug", as users are observed | | | | very far to get marijuana. Peddlers are often to |
| to first experiment with marijuana, before | | | | be found nearby, and ready to sell their wares to |
| progressing to other powerful drugs, including | | | | anyone who is interested. They also frequent |
| opioids. Teenagers are most at the risk. One in | | | | parties, and marijuana again stands as the most |
| ten kids use marijuana regularly, according to a | | | | easily available, as well as most widely used drug |
| recent survey, and more than a quarter of high | | | | at high school parties. Such easy access that |
| school students have tried it at some point or the | | | | teens have to marijuana is really dangerous. |
| other. Thus marijuana is now the most widely | | | | The reason why so many teens are not afraid to |
| used illegal drug in the United States, and the | | | | try this drug is that it is largely perceived as a |
| users of which are increasing at an alarming rate. | | | | safe drug. In fact, it is different from the popular |
| But what is the reason for such wide usage of | | | | perception of a drug as a white powder that is to |
| this particular drug, and why is it that when the | | | | be snorted or a liquid to be injected, that |
| consumption of some other drugs have fallen, | | | | marijuana hardly feels like a drug. Many teens |
| while the numbers are steadily increasing for | | | | surveyed, believed that marijuana is not harmful |
| marijuana? One of the major reasons for this is | | | | and not addictive. This because when a teen first |
| the easy availability of this particular drug. | | | | looks at marijuana, the bunch of dry leaves hardly |
| Marijuana is one of the easiest drugs to access in | | | | looks as glamorous as it is made out to be in pop |
| almost all cities and towns across the United | | | | culture, and many teens fail to understand what |
| States. While laying hands on some other drugs | | | | the fuss is all about. This leads to taking the first |
| and chemicals may require special "contacts" in | | | | drag (which just looks and feels like smoking a |
| the gray world, marijuana is very easily available | | | | cigarette), which is the beginning down a long, |
| off the street. Moreover, marijuana is cheap to | | | | lonely and dangerous road towards drug addiction. |
| buy, at least cheaper than most other drugs. | | | | Teens should be properly educated on the ill |
| These two facts combine to make marijuana the | | | | effects of marijuana, and should be raised in a |
| most widely available drug, which is also very | | | | way to understand the difference between good |
| easily accessible to teens. | | | | and bad. With marijuana being so easily accessible, |
| In a recent survey, most high school students | | | | it is important for teens to be able to take |
| said that they knew where to get marijuana, | | | | correct decisions based on facts, rather than peer |
| even if they were not using the drug. Marijuana is | | | | pressure. |