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Parents who are concerned about whether their teens are using drugs often first suspect marijuana usage. It's not surprising since marijuana is one of the most used illicit drug of young people, and it's also one of the first drugs that young people experiment with these days. It's a bit hard to tell whether your teen is using marijuana unless you catch him/her after smoking, when the effects are still apparent.

These are the most common signs of marijuana usage:

• Large (dilated) pupils
• Lethargy, not feeling motivated to do anything
• Looking sleepy or overly relaxed
• Bloodshot eyes
• Catching paraphernalia which might have been used to smoke marijuana like rolled paper, roach clips, bong, pipes, etcetera.
• Burn marks on the tips of the fingers
• Seeds discarded from cleaning marijuana
• Clumsiness
• Hunger (the "munchies")
• Laughing excessively
• Dry eyes and mouth
• Increased thirst
• Poor coordination
• Oblivious about time
• Anxiety
• Hallucinations
• Panic attacks
• Confusion

Many users also advertise their marijuana use by possessing shirts, stickers, posters, necklaces, keychains, or anything else that has the cannabis plant print on it. Not all people who wear the merchandise use marijuana, of course, but if you see your child suddenly becoming interested in this, it wouldn't hurt to err in the side of caution and ask your teen about it as well as keep an eye out for other signs of marijuana use.

Teens who use marijuana with friends also tend to talk about it using code words. If you see your teen talking with friends and using code words like kentucky blue, jive stick, magic smoke, mary jane, root, rope, griff, wooz, and more, it means they are talking about marijuana.

Teens who are experimenting with marijuana also tend to try and cover up the smell by using incense in their room, using strong cologne or perfume and more.

There are other telltale signs like changing set of friends, wanting more time alone than usual and seemingly needing more money for no apparent reason. For example, asking for money to "buy" something, while you don't notice them bringing home anything new. A drug habit can get pretty expensive, and it could lead to curiosity about other hard street drugs.

It's important that you confront your teen when he/she is not high. If you catch them with drug paraphernalia, they'll most probably deny that it's theirs. However, standing your ground and saying that posessing the paraphernalia is a serious enough offense will send a clearer message about your stand on using marijuana or any kind of drugs.

Some parents make the mistake of making light of finding out that their teens are smoking marijuana. After all, marijuana is probably the least addictive of all the illicit drugs that teens use. However, it's still as addictive as smoking tobacco can be. Many people who seek treatment for their addiction to hard drugs also admit that they started off by experimenting with marijuana. It's best to intervene as early as possible, before the bad habit takes a firmer hold on your teen.