title: Focus Groups of Parents and Teens Help Develop Messages to Prevent Early Marijuana Use in the Context of Legal Retail Sales.
abstract: The changes in Washington State and Colorado marijuana laws call for the development of new brief family-focused adolescent marijuana use preventive interventions that are relevant for and tailored to the context of legalization for retail sale. To that end, focus groups with parents and teens were conducted to find out about their concerns and needs in the context of legalization.
  
  
  
  Six semi-structured focus groups (3 with parents, 3 with teens) were conducted in Washington State in 2013 related to consequences of teen marijuana use and messages that would be effective in helping to prevent teens from using marijuana in the context of legal adult use. A total of 33 teens and 35 parents participated.
  
  
  
  Three primary themes were common to these parents and teens: the negative consequences of marijuana use during adolescence on mental, physical, and social health; the need for more or better information; and the need for information/messages to come from trusted sources. The themes related to potential prevention messages include the use of fear; stories about real people; focusing on short-term consequences; and teens needing alternative activities (something better to do).
  
  
  
  The results suggest that parents and teens need information about the new retail marijuana legalization law. Teens are open to both information and guidance from parents as long as it is calm and respectful. Firsthand accounts of consequences of marijuana use from peers and adults, rather than threats from authority figures, could hold some promise for persuading teens to avoid marijuana use.
authors: a Social Development Research Group, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington , USA.
authors: Martie L
authors: ML
authors: Skinner
authors: a Social Development Research Group, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington , USA.
authors: Kevin P
authors: KP
authors: Haggerty
authors: a Social Development Research Group, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington , USA.
authors: Mary
authors: M
authors: Casey-Goldstein
authors: b Boys Town National Research Institute for Child and Family Studies , Boys Town, Nebraska , USA.
authors: Ronald W
authors: RW
authors: Thompson
authors: b Boys Town National Research Institute for Child and Family Studies , Boys Town, Nebraska , USA.
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Buddenberg
authors: b Boys Town National Research Institute for Child and Family Studies , Boys Town, Nebraska , USA.
authors: W Alex
authors: WA
authors: Mason
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000074609:Marijuana Use / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D014861:Washington
keywords: Marijuana; adolescence; legalization; substance abuse prevention