There is a bag from a pot shop in a pile of stuff belonging to my 17-year-old. Here are some more facts:

• He has been smoking marijuana almost daily for almost four years.
• At no time before he began smoking marijuana was he violent or destructive or in any significant trouble. In fact, he was joyful, accomplished, and well adjusted.
• In the four years that he has been using marijuana, he has done the following:

o punched countless holes in walls;
o broken household items such as televisions, musical instruments, framed pictures, pottery, and other art objects;
o intentionally dented the family vehicles;
o bashed in several interior and exterior doors;
o blatantly smoked marijuana in the house, refusing to stop;
o been cited for speeding over 100 mph;
o totaled car
o refused household chores;
o used foul language with family members;
o threatened to kill himself;
o thrown away food that is purchased and prepared for him;
o quit several jobs;
o skipped school;
o rejected his entire family;
o physically assaulted a family member;
o thrown a moving car into park from the passenger seat;
o taken joyrides in his parents’ cars;
o stolen the family car keys and thrown them away;
o flattened the tires on the family vehicle;
o locked family members out of the house;
o texted angry messages to his parent’s workplace

And there’s no end in sight.

Revised November 2017