Explore why you should teach your child to identify and name feelings, its importance, and find examples of how you can teach this skill, while growing your own ability as well.

The teenage years are particularly vulnerable to negative impacts on the brain such as marijuana use. It is during the teen years that dramatic growth and change occur in the brain, and marijuana use in this time can result in negative changes to brain development and function. This podcast talks about the consequences of marijuana use, the impact of marijuana on the developing teenage brain, and parents’ role in delaying the use of marijuana.

A simplified explanation of the brain science of a developing teenage brain is featured in this podcast and in a few other tools on the ParentingMontana.org website. The Montana Department of Health and Human Services and the Center for Health and Safety Culture at Montana State University, who bring you this podcast, felt parents and those in a parenting role should be equipped with the information to have an open discussion with their children about why marijuana can be harmful to the developing brain as well as the other risks. 

Parents are the most important influence in their child’s life, therefore parents play a major role in their teen’s decision to use marijuana. Parents, you can greatly reduce repercussions of marijuana on your teen’s brain development if you can discourage use. This podcast equips you with information to have essential conversations with your child. You can help prevent the immediate and long term risks associated with teenage marijuana use and its harm to the brain.

Laws about the use of marijuana can be confusing, change over time, differ by type of use -- such as medical or adult-use, and vary by state. While many states allow for medical use of marijuana and an increasing number of states also have legalized marijuana for adult use, marijuana use remains illegal at the federal level, and adult-use marijuana is illegal for individuals who are under the age of 21. Parents, or those in a parenting role, and teens are often unclear about the laws and have misconceptions about the consequences of breaking the laws.

As a parent or someone in a parenting role, you make a lot of decisions about what is acceptable or not acceptable for your child/teen regarding marijuana use. Knowing the laws and ordinances in your community and state can help you make informed decisions about what is best for your child/teen. But, even if something is legal, it may not be safe for your child/teen. As a parent, you are key to helping your child prevent harm associated with marijuana and other substances.

This podcast, as part of ParentingMontana.org, explores the marijuana laws specific to Montana and discusses scenarios that you, as a parent or someone in a parenting role, might encounter. The Montana Department of Health and Human Services partnered with the Center for Health and Safety Culture at Montana State University to create tools and resources for the parents in Montana. Most of the content on ParentingMontana.org is relevant to parents everywhere, but this podcast is specific to marijuana laws in Montana. So, if you are a parent in Montana, listen now to learn about the current laws around marijuana use for youth and adults.