Marijuana & Teens

By: Bradley P. Koffel, Koffel & Jump

Many teenagers who experiment with marijuana do so for a short time period and do not become frequent users.  Experimentation with marijuana is neither good nor bad.  In other words, it is an activity that many teens will try along with other activities their parents would prefer they not do. 

What parents need to know today is that the marijuana in America today is that the active ingredient (THC) is substantially more concentrated than the “weed” of the ‘60’s and ‘70’s.  Lab testing shows between 5 – 10 times more potent.

Generally, marijuana acts as a relaxant and more focused for a period of 4-6 hours.  The onset of impairment is within 20 minutes of the first “hit”. 

There a 5 stages to drug use: experimentation, social / recreational, habit, abuse, and addiction.  I have found that most parents will first detect evidence of marijuana use either at the social / recreational stage or habit stage.  Experimentation of marijuana tends to be of such a low level use that a teen will be smart enough to avoid detection.  Once a teen gets careless about his or her use and gets caught, they probably have progressed beyond experimentation. 

In Ohio, marijuana possession and possession of paraphernalia are misdemeanors in the overwhelming majority of cases.  A typical sentence is a 6 months – 5 year license suspension, $100-$250 fine, probation, random urine screens with a probation officer, and a “Drug Abuse” conviction on the client’s permanent record.  Also, grants, scholarships, and certain student loans are at risk of being lost.

The majority of our marijuana cases we can get some sort of plea bargain worked out with a prosecutor to protect our client’s future record and avoid the license suspension. 

To inquire about representation for you or someone else, call 614-481-7215.