Funding Awarded for Marijuana Prevention and Information Outreach

Posted by Derek Johnson on November 21st, 2017 Posted in: Blog

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The GMR office is excited to announce that the Lakeville School District (MN) has been granted an Outreach Award to develop a prevention and information outreach campaign on the harms of teenage use of marijuana.

Background
As more states legalize marijuana, the perception of harm of marijuana use decreases. This sends a mixed message to youth. They are taught that marijuana is harmful, but media messaging suggests otherwise (See this recent NPR Article). For the first time, the number of marijuana violations has surpassed the number of alcohol violations. According to the 2016 Minnesota Student Survey (MSS), 20% of 11th grade males in Lakeville report past 12 month marijuana use. 14% of 11th grade females in Lakeville report past 12 month marijuana use.

Project Description
The GMR office is funding the Lakeville Area Public School staff to develop an interactive and informative marijuana prevention and information outreach campaign. A group of students will form a Youth Action Team to direct the development of a peer education campaign designed to educate and change perceptions on marijuana use and harms. Students will receive training from GMR’s Outreach Librarian in Minnesota on how to locate reliable health information, and a flyer/brochure will be developed for parents regarding the negative impact that marijuana use has on young people.

Outcomes
This project intends to engage youth in conversation about marijuana, spreading awareness about the reality of marijuana use in Lakeville high schools, and increasing students’ knowledge about the consequences of using marijuana and where to find reliable health information.