The Discovery of Marijuana Use by a Parent of an Early Adolescent

Philip, a 14-year-old male, is brought to your office by his anxious parents who recently discovered that he was using marijuana. Over the past 2 months, he has appeared moody, irritable, and has been losing interest in his school work. His parents had attributed these behavior changes to “teenage years‘’ until his mother discovered a marijuana cigarette in his room. His father responded with anger directed at the youth. Philip had a happy and productive childhood before this event. He was a solid “B‘’ student with several friends and a modest interest in participatory sports. He has two older siblings in college. The family was close and previously had enjoyed time together. Philip's father stated that the use of drugs was absolutely forbidden in his family, and he felt that Philip had “let ‘him’ down.