There is a lot of misinformation and distorting of facts around marijuana and youth in Arizona and in our own town. A recent letter to the editor stated that marijuana use is down in Arizona, but the author failed to tell Fountain Hills residents that not a single student in Fountain Hills took the survey that was quoted.

As the director of the Fountain Hills Youth Substance Abuse Coalition, our number one concern is our kids and we are concerned about our kids and marijuana.

In the survey that Fountain Hills youth do take, one out of four of those students who smoke marijuana said they got marijuana from someone with a medical marijuana card. That’s double the state average and a 35 percent increase since 2012. Alcohol, tobacco and prescription drug abuse are down in Fountain Hills, but marijuana is flat.

Five other facts:

1. Today’s marijuana is dramatically stronger than the marijuana of past decades. In some cases, the marijuana is five times as strong as the marijuana of a generation ago.

2. Marijuana now comes in cookies, brownies and candies. They are called edibles and can lead to poisoning and hospitalization. One incident was recently reported on in The Fountain Hills Times.

3. Science clearly shows regular marijuana use in teen years can lead to a drop in IQ.

4. One out of eight youth who smoke marijuana started in elementary school.

5. You can prevent your child from using marijuana.

There has never been a time when we have had so much science and research about the harms and risks of marijuana. Take the time to talk with your kids. We’re here to help. You can find our website at fhcoalition.org.