Where do teens get their marijuana? School cops say parents, other family members

Published: Dec 22, 2017, 6:20 am • Updated: Dec 22, 2017, 1:05 pm

By David Migoya, The Denver Post

The Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area since 2015 has surveyed school resource officers regarding marijuana use in schools, and asks for anonymous written comments about what they see. Here is a sampling of those responses:

“On several occasions students have shown up to school obviously high on marijuana … I have seen this at the 6th grade level … Some tell me that my mom and dad say it’s OK.”

“Every student that is caught with some form of marijuana has stated they get the product from their parents or other family members that are old enough to buy the product at a store.”

“There has been a definite increase in marijuana concentrate at the school. … I have also seen the increase in the use of social media to buy their product. … Internet sales is a booming business in the marijuana world.”

“I have had to deal with students who have overdosed on edible marijuana at school. This results in a medical response and school discipline but rarely charges as there is no drug present at the time.”

“Many students skip their study period just prior to lunch and return from lunch high on marijuana. This is pretty much a daily occurrence.”

More on teen use

• Surveys Colorado uses to track youth marijuana use are flawed, critics say
• Colorado school police dispute notion that teen marijuana use is down
• Is vaping a factor in teen use of marijuana?
• Teen marijuana use in Colorado down post-legalization
• Weed replacing alcohol as substance of choice for some teens

“I have 6th graders that smoke marijuana before school. They steal it from their parents or older siblings. A lot of my kids say they see their parents use marijuana at home.”

“13-year-old boy was dealing marijuana to two other students after stealing marijuana from his father’s medical supply.”

“My first week as an SRO, two students in school parking lot with 4 ounces, vapor pens, pipes, paraphernalia. … Parents got lawyers for their kids. Mother told juvenile son, ‘don’t make any comments.’”

“Student took marijuana from her parents bedroom and gave it to a boy she liked, to impress him, as a birthday gift. He didn’t like her so he gave it to another student, who sold it to another classmate.”

This story was first published on DenverPost.com

Topics: Colorado, police, schools, teen use