Synthetic Marijuana and Your Teenager

Your teenager may come across a variety of substances known as "synthetic Marijuana," the most common being Salvia and K2. Marketed to teens on the Internet, in head shops, and gasoline stations, these substances look and act like marijuana, but (some) are technically legal. Some of the substances are packaged like marijuana, and some are powders that can be smoked on a cigarette. Recently, the DEA banned the most common 5 drugs in this category, but others will likely take their place. Since these   drugs are so different from each other, their effects are quite different, but you should look for hallucinations, "out-of-body" experiences, dizziness, slurred speech, and paranoia. If your teenager displays these symptoms, you should get help from an addictions specialist immediately. The argument that the substances are technically legal is just plain silly: the legality or illegality of a particular substance has no bearing on the danger it poses to your teenager.