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Mission Statement

Smart Kids Don’t Get High Foundation is a 501 (c) (3),
non-profit organization based in Los Angeles,
California. Our mission is to provide drug
education, prevention and addiction resources to
children and teens worldwide.

For founder John Watts, it is his passion
to provide resources to our youth as drug
prevention, educate them of the effects of drugs
and the dangerous side effects of short and long-
term drug use. It is also his passion that those
who are using drugs use the provided resources
to stop.

With accessible resources and word of mouth,
the gateway to other drugs can prevented.

With so many evils in the world and too many
opportunities for our children to lose sight of
their dreams through increased exposure and
access to drugs and alcohol, Smart Kidz Don’t Get
High Foundation aims to provide drug prevention
agencies, educators, parents and guardians with
the tools they need to set and keep, our children
on the right path to a bright future.

Table of Contents

Introduction..................................................................1
Choice of Environment...................................... 3
Peer Pressure............................................................ 5
History of Marijuana............................................ 6
Questions & Answers......................................... 9
Smart Kids Are Rewarded..............................16
Think About It............................................................18
Vocabulary Words..............................................20

Introduction

We here at Smart Kids Don’t Get High Foundation
care about your health and want to talk to you
about getting high and the harm it can cause you.
We know that using drugs like Marijuana can
seem exciting. Maybe you have friends who’ve
tried it or you’ve seen it used by people you
admire on TV or in the movies, and you’re
probably hearing people talk about it as more and
more states are making it legal for medical or
even casual use.
It’s important to remember that just because
something is legal or seems like the “cool” thing
to do doesn’t make it safe or good for you.
Knowing how a drug affects your mind, body and
future will help you make smarter choices.

Let’s get the facts!

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Choice of Environment

First, I want to talk about your environment and
how it can influence your life choices.
Sometimes people end up living surrounded by
negativity and without many positive influences.
This may leave them feeling like their only choices
in life are to join a gang, get pregnant, drop out
of school or to use or sell drugs. When it seems
there aren’t any good choices available, you can
easily end up making bad ones and that can have
a big impact on your education and your future.
We all have dreams and goals we want to
accomplish. It’s important, especially when times
are tough, to keep those dreams in mind and
to make choices that will help you get closer to
achieving them. Find friends who share similar
goals and push one another to be the very best
versions of yourself. The choice and the power to
make your dreams a reality
is yours.

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Just
say,

“NO”

Peer Pressure

This leads me to my next topic, peer pressure.

It’s easy to think the adults in your life can’t
relate to the pressure you feel from friends or
classmates to make decisions that don’t feel
right. But, believe it or not, they do understand
how hard it can be to say “no” and many of them
have experienced the same pressure and ended
up making some poor choices themselves.

While it’s always best to go with your gut
and say “no” to anything that feels wrong, we
understand that sometimes you end up saying
“yes”. It’s okay! Mistakes are a part of life and
they help us to learn important lessons about
ourselves and how our decisions affect others.
But, you should remember that every choice you
make is a building block to who you will become
and what possibilities may be available to you
later in life. Having the courage to stand up for
what you feel is right is always a good choice
– and your true friends will stick with you no
matter what!

5

History of Marijuana

Before I answer some common questions, let’s
look at the history of Marijuana use and how it
came to the U.S.

Marijuana was first brought to the United
States in 1850 for medicinal purposes and was
prescribed for various conditions, including labor
pains. By 1890 Marijuana had been replaced by
cotton as a major cash crop in southern states.

It was in the 1920’s that Marijuana use for
non-medicinal purposes started becoming
popular and, at that time, was only used by jazz
musicians and people in show business.

In the 1950s it was used by the “Beat

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Generation”, a group of American post-World
War II writers, to aid their creative process and
in the 1960s it was used by college students
and “hippies” as a symbol of rebellion against
authority.
In 1970, The Controlled Substances Act classified
Marijuana, along with heroin and LSD, as a
Schedule I drug, having the relatively highest
abuse potential.
In the 1980s, the U.S. government began
passing strict laws around the use,
manufacturing and possession of Marijuana
to prevent widespread use. Then, after over a
decade of decreasing use, Marijuana smoking
began making a comeback in the early 1990s.
Now here we are in 2015 and so far 23 states
have once again legalized Marijuana for some
form of use. It doesn’t look like Marijuana is going
away, so it’s important to educate yourself
on what it is and how using it could affect your
body and your life.

7



What is Marijuana?

Marijuana comes from the dried leaves and
flowers of the hemp plant. Hemp’s fiber, oil and
seeds can be used in different ways, including
making rope, clothing and paper. When the leaves
are crushed and smoked either in cigarette form
(also called a “joint”) or through a device called
a bong, it becomes a drug that changes how a
person feels and acts through chemical reactions
in the brain. The Marijuana drug has many names
on the street including:
J, Mary Jane, Pot, Reefer, Roach, Weed and Blunt.

When do people usually start
smoking Marijuana?

A recent government survey tells us Marijuana
is the most frequently used illegal drug in the
United States. Over 83 million Americans over the
age of 12 have tried Marijuana at least once. The
Monitoring the Future Survey, which is conducted
yearly, includes students from 8th, 10th, and 12th
grades.

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How does Marijuana make
you feel?

Within a few minutes of inhaling the smoke, you
may feel any combination of the following: a dry
mouth, faster heartbeat, loss of coordination,
poor sense of balance, slow reaction times or
redness of the eyes. Not everyone’s experiences
are exactly the same because everyone’s brain
reacts differently to the chemicals. Different
varieties of the hemp plant may also change the
effects you experience.

How can you tell someone is
high on Marijuana?

As we’ve mentioned before, not everyone
reacts the same to Marijuana use. Some of
the most common signs are: red eyes, finding
everything funny, paranoia, anxiety, and having
the “munchies”.

Is it bad for you?

Possibly. Even though it is a naturally growing
plant, repeated Marijuana use can cause poor
memory, impaired learning, difficulty thinking
and solving problems, poor muscle coordination
and judgment, a shorter attention span, and
dangerous driving behavior.

10

Is Marijuana legal?

It’s legal in 27 states and Washington D.C. for
both medical and, in some states, recreational
use but under federal it still remains illegal.

How is Marijuana used medically?

It is used to lessen or eliminate symptoms of
glaucoma, arthritis, epilepsy, and muscle tension
or spasms, to name a few. If it’s
approved for medical use in your
state, you should be supervised by
a parent or health care provider
when using it.

11

How long does Marijuana stay
in your body?

As a rough guide: according to Drugs.com, if
you smoke the occasional joint the drug will
stay in your system for up to 10 days, if you
smoke frequently up to 45 days and if you smoke
constantly up to 90 days. This could have a
negative effect on your life if you’re looking for
a job and your employer requires a drug test
before or during employment.

What are some of the effects
of long term Marijuana use?

Increased heart rate, breathing problems,
increased risk for mental health problems,
increased risk of problems during and after
pregnancy, reduced school performance, and
impaired driving.

Can a person become addicted
to Marijuana?

As Marijuana becomes legalized in more states
for recreational use, scientists are starting
to perform more extensive research into this
question. According to Addiction.com, some
say that Marijuana is highly addictive and can
cause unpleasant effects both physically and
psychologically especially when the user quits,

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while others state that the drug has no real
addictive qualities at all. In time we’ll know more
but for now it is better to be safe than sorry.

Do people smoke Marijuana
more than cigarettes?

Marijuana is becoming more and more popular,
especially among young people like you. 23% of
high school students said they recently smoked
Marijuana, while 18% said they had puffed a
cigarette.

How can smoking Marijuana
affect my school performance?

Marijuana users have reported poor outcomes
on a variety of life satisfaction and achievement
measures. Using Marijuana at an early age has
been connected to poorer school performance,
increased absences from school and increased
risk of dropping out without ever graduating.
Daily Marijuana use has been
shown to cause users to get
lower grades, compared to
students who do not smoke.

13

How is driving while being high
dangerous?

It has been reported that 20% of teenage
drivers have driven while being high. About 33%
of these drivers said they were unconcerned
with driving while high because they didn’t think
that Marijuana could impact their driving ability.
It’s important to remember that your reaction
times, vision and overall judgment may be
impaired when your high and that makes driving
dangerous for you and those around you.

Can I go to jail for using or
having Marijuana?

Yes! If you live in a state where Marijuana is not
legal, if you are under 21 years of age in a state
where it is legal, or if you have not been issued
a medical Marijuana card by your health care
provider, you can most definitely go to jail.
Over the last 15 years, police departments in
the United States made 10 million arrests for
Marijuana possession and 76% of those arrested
were young people in their teens
and 20’s.
Having an arrest on your criminal record will
have serious consequences later in life and may
make it difficult to find a job.

14



Smart Kidz Are Rewarded

So, what have we learned today?
We know that Marijuana is already legal in
27 states and it looks like it will become more
widespread in the future. We’ve also learned that
using it can have serious consequences both to
our health and to our life choices.
What reward do you get from getting high?
None.
What reward do you get from making the choice
not to get high? A chance at a quality education,
a good job, making those around you proud and,
most importantly, being able to be proud of
yourself and the decisions you’ve made.
Smart kids are rewarded when they make
smart decisions. They overcome obstacles
by using their head and seeking out positive
influences to help navigate tough situations.

“Remember, Smart Kidz Don’t Get High.”

Be smart.

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17

Think About It!

Making good choices comes from educating
yourself and taking time every now and then to
think about who you are, who you want to be and
how willing you are to stand up for what’s right
for you.
The questions below will give you a starting
point for thinking about the influence Marijuana
use may or may not have on your life.

Do you ever think about using Marijuana?
Why or why not?

Do your friends talk about using Marijuana?
• Do they know all the facts, including the
dangers?
• How would they treat you if you decided
you wanted to try it? If you didn’t want
to? How does that make you feel?
Have you ever been around others who
were high?
• How did they look to you?
• Were you comfortable being around
them?
Do you have any friends who are against
drug use?
• How do they make you feel?

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If you’ve tried Marijuana before:
• What were you feeling before you tried it?
• How did it make your body feel?
• What emotions did it make you feel
(or not feel)?
• How did you feel after the high?
If you’ve tried Marijuana more than once, or
regularly get high, why do you do it?
• How does it affect your school work?
• How does it affect your family life?
• How does it affect your friendships?
These are all important things to think about to
help you stay on the path to a positive future.
If you’re thinking about or currently using
Marijuana or other drugs you could be headed in
the wrong direction.

To find information and resources
for staying off drugs, visit:

SmartKidzChoices.com

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Vocabulary Words

Addiction: or condition of being addicted to a
particular substance:
Affects: have an effect on; make a difference to:
Choice: selecting or making a decision when faced
with two or more possibilities:
Courage: make an effort to do something that
frightens one:
Dangerous: likely to cause problems or to have
adverse consequences:
Experiment: to try or test, especially in order to
discover or prove something
Impact: have a strong effect on someone or
something:
Marijuana: the dried leaves and flowers of the
hemp plant that are smoked as a drug
Peer Pressure: influence from members of one’s
peer group:
Poor Performance: likely to get lower grades and
drop out:
Reward: certificate given in recognition of an
effort
Smart: is someone that makes good choices:
Stress: a state of mental or emotional strain or
tension resulting from adverse or very demanding
circumstances.

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