Rising Marijuana Use Among Teens Spurs Community Call to Action

Despite what schools may say and parents would like to believe, the use of marijuana among middle and high school students is on the rise in Macomb County.

“It’s here,” said Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham. “It’s a problem and schools and law enforcement need to come together to try to minimize it.”

Wickersham was one of several panelists who took part in Friday's town hall meeting at the Macomb Intermediate School District to address the growing use of marijuana among youth in the community.

Sponsored by the Chippewa Valley Coalition for Youth & Families, Macomb County Prosecutor Eric J. Smith and Wickersham, the meeting drew almost 200 area law enforcement representatives, school counselors, elected officials, ministers, nonprofit organizations and community anti-drug coalition members.

“Power happens when you bring people in rooms to talk together,” said Charlene McGunn, executive director of the Chippewa coalition. “The need is to redirect dialogue on marijuana (from) solely issues of medical marijuana and legalization to how it is affecting our youth.”

Stats show marijuana use on rise among youth locally, nationally

This conversation could not be timelier, with national marijuana use among teens increasing for the fourth consecutive year in 2011, according to a University of Michigan study. That same study reports marijuana use is now at a 30-year peak level among high school seniors, with local law enforcement confirming these statistics carry over to Macomb County as well.

From 2008 to 2009, during which time Michigan’s Medical Marijuana Act went into effect, Macomb County saw its minor in possession (16 years and under) cases for marijuana increase 29.7 percent, according to the sheriff’s office.

At present, Wickersham said his office averages two cases per week of juveniles in possession of marijuana across the county’s seven school districts.

As to why this is, panelist and associate professor of psychology at the University of Detroit Mercy Dr. Kathleen Zimmerman-Oster said, “The risk has gone down and the use has gone up.”

According to a 2009-10 focus group consisting of Macomb County students, 79.4 percent of seventh graders viewed the risk of marijuana as moderate or great, with only 62.3 percent of 11th graders sharing this view.

The same focus group revealed that marijuana is considered the “drug of choice” among teens because it is thought to be safer than tobacco and alcohol. When asked about the regularity of use among their classmates, these students said they believe 40 percent of their peers use marijuana daily and 80 percent use it on the weekends.

While the actual number of students using marijuana is believed to be significantly less, Zimmerman-Oster said this “perception” of use is equally disturbing because it suggests many teens are beginning to view marijuana as an acceptable part of high school life. 

Community needs to make youth marijuana use a topic of conversation

“We all face the same challenge of getting a message back that hits home with teens,” said Prosecutor Smith.

Smith, whose office prosecutes around 400 cases a year of marijuana-related offenses among 14-16 year olds and more than 1,000 among 17-19 year olds, joined Wickersham, McGunn and other community leaders in calling for immediate action on this issue.

McGunn said two ways in which community members could become immediately involved are by joining one of the 12 anti-drug coalitions currently operating in Macomb County, or by making the issue a topic of conversation among friends, neighbors and local media (e.g. of a local newspaper).

However, she cautioned not to forget to draw the youth themselves into the conversation.

“We as adults forget we cannot plan things for the youth without asking them. We see the world differently.”

For more information on these and other efforts of the Chippewa Valley Coalition for Youth & Families, visit their website at http://cvcoalition.org/.