WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The office of National Drug Control Policy says that THC levels in marijuana have reached an all-time high. And according to the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, teens who smoke the drug are more likely to be involved in gang or violent activity.

Everette Shaw Sr. use to be an addict, starting around the age of 12 before that “escalated to crack cocaine in my forties.” But now, Shaw says the problem with drugs is much worse than when he was growing up.

“Now-a-days when that happens,” said Shaw, “you’re getting robbed, raped, beat up, whatever.”

And statistics show that he may be right.

According to the Campaign, teens who use drugs are twice as likely to act violent, with marijuana being a warning sign of later gang involvement.

"We’re dealing now with a Chevy Suburban, where the marijuana of the 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s was a Ford Pinto,” said Bob Richardson, a peer specialist with Insight Human Services.

Richardson’s organization, which is a division of Partnership for a Drug Free NC in Winston-Salem, said that higher level of THC in the drug could be a link to the rise in violence.

“It makes one not accountable, not responsible because of their inability to reason, because of the chemical in their brain,” said Kenneth Bonhan, also a peer specialist.

For Shaw, he said the best advice he can give is to get a kid involved in sports of the arts.

“If you’re going to be skilled, that means you’ve got to put time into it and when that time is being used positively then you don’t have time for the other stuff,” said Shaw.

The number of teens entering treatment for addiction to marijuana is also on the rise, with a 115 percent increase from 1994-2004.