Parenting and pot: When should the conversation start?

By Randi Martin

WASHINGTON — In November, D.C. voters get to cast their ballots on the legalization of marijuana. And if local parents in the metro area are putting off that drug talk, experts say it’s time to start.

“Between the ages of 10 and 12, the conversation should start coming up,” says substance abuse counselor John-Mike Nelson of Virginia Counseling Services.

Wait too long and it could be too late. “At 15 and 16, they are already in high school and pot is already a very popular gateway drug,” Nelson says.

http://www.wtop.com/267/3700607/Parenting-and-pot-When-should-the-conversation-start