WEBVTT 00:02.600 --> 00:05.000 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% HARI SREENIVASAN: Finally tonight: With marijuana legal in some form in 26 states and the District 00:05.000 --> 00:08.400 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% of Columbia, many of our kids have questions about pot. 00:08.400 --> 00:13.400 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% RAND Corporation behavioral scientist Elizabeth D'Amico offers her humble opinion on how to 00:14.533 --> 00:16.566 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% answer their queries. 00:16.566 --> 00:20.366 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% ELIZABETH D'AMICO, RAND Corporation: Among family and friends, I'm regarded as the Dear 00:20.366 --> 00:24.166 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Abby of adolescent so-called bad behavior. 00:24.166 --> 00:26.133 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% Here's the reason why. 00:26.133 --> 00:30.200 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% Because I have researched alcohol and drug use among teens for more than 20 years, and 00:30.200 --> 00:34.800 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% I'm a parent, people always assume I have devised a foolproof strategy for talking to 00:34.800 --> 00:36.833 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% kids about such issues. 00:36.833 --> 00:41.100 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% Lately, I have been fielding a lot of questions about marijuana legalization. 00:43.066 --> 00:46.333 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% I do feel like I have an edge when it comes to talking to my kids about marijuana. 00:46.333 --> 00:51.133 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% But, sometimes, it seems like I am sharing information on the fly, as I drive my kids 00:51.133 --> 00:53.300 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% down a busy L.A. street to school. 00:53.300 --> 00:57.766 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% Since recreational marijuana was legalized in California last fall, a new billboards 00:57.766 --> 01:02.766 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% pop up all the time to advertise the fine art of smoking weed and where to buy it. 01:04.766 --> 01:08.566 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% This leads my kids, 11 and 13, to ask a lot of questions: Why do people smoke marijuana? 01:10.100 --> 01:14.233 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% It can't be bad if it's legal and they can advertise, right, mom? 01:14.233 --> 01:18.933 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% As always, it is best to give balanced, honest answers based on facts. 01:18.933 --> 01:21.466 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% Why do people smoke marijuana? 01:21.466 --> 01:24.433 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Some may smoke it for medical reasons, to help with pain. 01:24.433 --> 01:26.800 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Others may smoke it recreationally. 01:26.800 --> 01:28.966 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Parents might liken it to alcohol. 01:28.966 --> 01:32.100 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% You know how some people have a glass of wine with dinner to relax? 01:32.100 --> 01:35.133 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Now some may smoke pot for the same reason. 01:35.133 --> 01:40.133 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% But it's also important that your kids know that getting can change their mood and behavior. 01:42.066 --> 01:46.066 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% And just like alcohol, tell your kids it's illegal to drive after you have smoked pot. 01:48.100 --> 01:51.066 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% I tell my kids the main reason that marijuana is illegal for those under 21 is because their 01:51.066 --> 01:55.866 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% brains are still developing, and marijuana can affect their concentration and memory. 01:55.866 --> 01:58.366 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% It may mean you don't do as well in school. 01:58.366 --> 02:01.433 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% That can mean fewer opportunities, like getting a good job. 02:01.433 --> 02:06.400 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% Given this changing legal landscape, my kids and yours are going to be exposed to marijuana 02:06.400 --> 02:08.700 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% as frequently as they are to alcohol. 02:08.700 --> 02:13.700 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% And now that it's legal, here come the marketing campaigns, which all make smoking pot seem 02:14.533 --> 02:16.600 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% normal. 02:16.600 --> 02:21.533 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% And just like alcohol and tobacco ads, marijuana ads may influence their choices. 02:21.533 --> 02:26.533 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% My own research has shown that middle school kids who reported seeing ads for medical marijuana 02:27.966 --> 02:31.200 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% were more likely to report smoking pot one year later. 02:31.200 --> 02:33.300 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% You can't just say, don't do it. 02:33.300 --> 02:38.300 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% But you can get the facts, share them with your kids, and help them make a healthy choice.