GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - Marijuana use is making a comeback again among teenagers and now medical marijuana is blurring the lines, making it harder for parents to get through to their kids about the dangers of the drug.

The Fisher boys are just like any other 13 and 14-year-old boys, they leave their toys spread all over the yard. For mom Sheri Fisher it's no big deal, she's not going to have to 'talk to them' about cleaning up, but she will talk "with" them. That's just something she's always done. Fisher says, "It's about, 'what's that movie about,' all the way up to the important and serious subjects."

Especially when the issue of marijuana comes up. Fisher says her kids are at the age where topics like medical marijuana are starting to raise questions. "Marijuana which used to be taboo and illegal is now in some cases ok. So it opened the door for us to talk about that," she says.

A survey done by the National Institute on Drug Abuse suggests the medical marijuana debate is sending a message to teens that the drug isn't as bad as once thought. "Every year more teenagers are going to treatment programs to kick their marijuana habit then all other drugs combined," says Barbara Kinkelaar, a certified professional counselor.

Kinkelaar says marijuana can negatively effect coordination, self-control and sense of time to name a few. Kinkelaar says it also effects mental capacity, "Ability to reason and solve problems, judgment perception," especially in teens and young adults. "Brains are... not to be messed with," says Kinkelaar.

The survey by the NIDA also says until recently marijuana use by teens was on the decline. But not anymore. Kinkelaar says, "The reason they are going to treatment is because they can't quit, that's addiction."

She also says it's important to talk to your teens about drug use, especially since many people believe the drug isn’t addicting. Kinkelaar says, "I believe its both physically and psychologically addicting."

But many will tell you talking to teens in general can be a bit tricky. Besides being a mother, Fisher is also a professional life coach. She says a technique to stay away from is the 'because I said so' approach. Fisher says, “I think as a parent if you say, 'don't do it because I said so,' sometimes its inviting them to do it."

One thing that really helps Fisher says is to build an avenue of communication with your children at an early age that will help with the difficult conversations down the road.

She also says you need to know your facts. "Explaining to them the difference between drugs and medicine and when its appropriate use and all the factors that can really help them to make informed and safe decisions," says Fisher.

Getting the family involved can also help strike up a conversation, especially at dinner. "It's a time when my husband and I can talk with them about bigger subjects and at least introduce them and then I usually go back and one on one talk with each of them," says Fisher. "And one of our biggest jobs as parents is to work ourselves out of a job. So we are trying to teach our kids along the way as we're releasing the reins, giving it more over to them." It's one way Fisher is making sure it's just her kid’s bikes being left on the playground and not their lives.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse says the past year use of marijuana reported by 8th graders was 11.8 percent with 32.8 percent of 12th graders saying they used the drug in the last year.