Report shows more students in Pueblo admit to using marijuana than any other county

More students in Pueblo County admit using marijuana in a 30 day period than any other county in the state.

This statistic comes from the most comprehensive study since recreational marijuana became legal. We first reported on the findings Monday night.

According to the 2014 report just released, in a 30 day period, 31 percent of high school students in Pueblo reported using marijuana. 22 percent of middle school students in Pueblo also admit to using it. Those percentages are higher than any other county in the state.

It raises the question: What are Pueblo schools doing to educate students on marijuana?

D-60 would not comment on the numbers but say they’re trained to educate students on drug use and provide them and parents with resources.

“The consequences really associated with using marijuana at an underage category is something that these youngsters really need to be aware of so that they understand this can drastically impact their ability to perform well in high school and also at the college level,” said Dalton Sprouse, director of communications for Pueblo City Schools.

Dalton says one of the best practices is for parents to have a conversation with their kids on the consequences.

“It’s very much illegal and can result in loss of Pell grants, financial aid, scholarships, even the loss of ability to participate in extra curricular activities in their school,” said Sprouse.

The Pueblo Health Department plans to meet with county commissioners in May to talk about the idea of a youth intervention program.

D-60 recently introduced a list of “good to know” tips on its website where parents can find marijuana related resources and tips. You can visit it here.