This is a Drugs of Abuse guide to Marijuana and Synthetic Cannabis. Although it is titled "A Parent's Guide" it contains information for anyone who has a loved one or friend who is addicted to drugs. The guides in this series will cover identification, effects, and dangers of many common drugs, and some less common ones.

The tragic loss of Amy Winehouse brings grief to her family, friend and fans. Her death at such an early age, (27), reminds us of other performers, and regular people, who were also not able to handle the pressures of adult life. All loss of life at an early age is most tragic for parents. Hopefully other young people learn from Amy and get the help they need to recover from their problems before it is too late.

It is indeed not easy to deal with the challenge. As a parent, the fight to win over the trust and affection of an addict child is truly a difficult task. It is therefore important that with the early signs of addiction, there should be action. Parents ought to do something, and not helplessly wonder how to stop the addiction at once.