According to the Hazelden survey, three quarters of parents (74 percent) believe their teen has never smoked marijuana, yet the most recent figures from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, indicate that half of teenagers try marijuana before they graduate high school. Just 7 percent of parents said they know their teen has smoked marijuana, 6 percent suspect their teen has smoked marijuana and 12 percent don't know.

Of the parents surveyed, 41 percent have smoked marijuana themselves at some point. These parents are more likely to believe today's marijuana is stronger than that of previous generations (52 percent) vs. parents who have never smoked marijuana (31 percent), although they were less likely to think it's addictive. Parents who have smoked marijuana themselves were also more likely to talk with their kids about marijuana (94 percent) vs. parents who had not smoked marijuana (82 percent).

While most parents (86 percent) reported talking with their teen about marijuana, just over half of parents (55 percent) made their teen aware of disciplinary consequences stemming from marijuana use. Revoking privileges was the most commonly cited consequence (61 percent), followed by grounding (58 percent), forbidding interaction with certain friends (56 percent), and sending their teen to counseling (51 percent). And while the phrase "don't drink and drive" is oft repeated, that same message virtually disappears where marijuana is concerned. Only one parent in the Hazelden survey communicated a "don't drive if you're high" message to his teen.

Other Findings

• The younger the teen, the more recently his/her parents have broached the topic of marijuana. On average, parents of 13, 14 and 15 year olds discussed it just over three months ago; parents of 16 year olds discussed it nearly four months ago; parents of 17 year olds discussed it just over four months ago; and parents of 18 year olds discussed it just over six months ago.
• 14 percent of parents haven't talked with their teens about marijuana.
• Younger parents are more likely to talk with their teenage sons and daughters about marijuana. 92 percent of parents under the age of 40 have discussed marijuana vs. 88 percent of parents aged 40 - 49, and 77 percent of parents aged 50 and over.