Some campuses have reported an increase in marijuana arrests. The 1997 NCAA Study of Substance Use and Abuse Habits of College Student-Athletes also reported a rise in marijuana use, compared with previous years' studies.
Researchers agree on one thing.
There is no single cause. Lloyd Johnston of the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research believes the decrease in public attention paid to drug problems, such as fewer newscasts and anti-drug commercials being aired, has contributed to the perception of marijuana as a harmless drug, which has fueled increased use. Forty-six percent of the parents surveyed said they believe it is likely their teens will use illegal drugs. Forty percent of parents said they believe they have little influence on their teen's choice of whether to use drugs. Marijuana is the dried flowers and leaves of cannabis sativa , the hemp plant.