1. Bell Ringer Open your student workbook to page 55.
Under the heading titled Journal Entry, circle which version of the statement you agree with and write a few sentences explaining why.

2. Unit 5: Tobacco, Alcohol & Other Drug Prevention
Lesson 7: Marijuana: Get the Facts

3. Healthy Behavior Outcomes
Avoid experimentation with alcohol and other drugs.
Avoid the use of illegal drugs.
Support others to be alcohol and other drug free.

4. Lesson Objectives By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
Summarize the harmful short- and long-term physical, psychological and social effects of marijuana use.
Counter myths about marijuana.
Analyze the benefits of remaining marijuana free.

5. Marijuana is a drug that you may hear conflicting opinions about and one that has many myths associated with it.
What are some other things you may have heard about marijuana or some other questions you may have about it?

6. Marijuana: Get the Facts
Turn in your workbook to page 22.
These are some common myths about marijuana.
Each of you will be assigned one of these myths to explore.
As you read all the information about marijuana, look for and underline any facts or evidence from the reading that can disprove your assigned myth.

7. What percent of high school students do you think use marijuana?

8. According to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, just under 40% of all high school students have tried marijuana at least once, but only about 23% currently use it.
Currently using marijuana is defined as having used the drug at least 1 time in the past 30 days.

9. Why do you think teens choose to experiment with marijuana?
How could perceived norms - what people believe about other people’s behaviors - around marijuana use affect a teen’s choices?

10. Summary
Teens may start using marijuana for many of the same reasons teens start drinking alcohol – to celebrate, change the way they feel, feel less shy in social situations, or escape their problems.
They may use marijuana to feel like part of a group or because someone pressures them.
When teens think more people their age use marijuana than actually do, it can add to this pressure.

11. Benefits of Avoiding Marijuana Use
What do you think is the biggest benefit of being marijuana free in the short term?
What do you think is the biggest benefit of being marijuana free in the long term?

12. Summary
Negative consequences and benefits can be thought of as opposite sides or versions of the same future.
Not using marijuana lets you avoid the potential memory problems long-term marijuana use can cause and gives you the benefit of a clearer mind and better memory.

13. Which fact you learned today would most convince you to not use marijuana?