HARI SREENIVASAN: Finally
tonight: With marijuana
legal in some form in 26
states and the District

of Columbia, many of our kids
have questions about pot.

RAND Corporation behavioral
scientist Elizabeth
D'Amico offers her
humble opinion on how to

answer their queries.

ELIZABETH D'AMICO,
RAND Corporation: Among
family and friends, I'm
regarded as the Dear

Abby of adolescent
so-called bad behavior.

Here's the reason why.

Because I have researched
alcohol and drug use among teens
for more than 20 years, and

I'm a parent, people
always assume I have
devised a foolproof
strategy for talking to

kids about such issues.

Lately, I have been fielding
a lot of questions about
marijuana legalization.

I do feel like I have an
edge when it comes to talking
to my kids about marijuana.

But, sometimes, it seems like
I am sharing information on
the fly, as I drive my kids

down a busy L.A.
street to school.

Since recreational marijuana
was legalized in California
last fall, a new billboards

pop up all the time to advertise
the fine art of smoking
weed and where to buy it.

This leads my kids, 11 and
13, to ask a lot of questions:
Why do people smoke marijuana?

It can't be bad if
it's legal and they can
advertise, right, mom?

As always, it is best
to give balanced, honest
answers based on facts.

Why do people smoke marijuana?

Some may smoke it for medical
reasons, to help with pain.

Others may smoke
it recreationally.

Parents might liken
it to alcohol.

You know how some people
have a glass of wine
with dinner to relax?

Now some may smoke pot
for the same reason.

But it's also important that
your kids know that getting can
change their mood and behavior.

And just like alcohol, tell
your kids it's illegal to drive
after you have smoked pot.

I tell my kids the main reason
that marijuana is illegal for
those under 21 is because their

brains are still developing,
and marijuana can affect their
concentration and memory.

It may mean you don't
do as well in school.

That can mean fewer
opportunities, like
getting a good job.

Given this changing legal
landscape, my kids and yours are
going to be exposed to marijuana

as frequently as
they are to alcohol.

And now that it's legal, here
come the marketing campaigns,
which all make smoking pot seem

normal.

And just like alcohol and
tobacco ads, marijuana ads
may influence their choices.

My own research has shown that
middle school kids who reported
seeing ads for medical marijuana

were more likely to report
smoking pot one year later.

You can't just say, don't do it.

But you can get the facts, share
them with your kids, and help
them make a healthy choice.