Smoke Rings Rising: Triumph of a Drug-Endangered Daughter

JENNY, 16, WISHED SHE HADN'T FOUND IT. Bobbi's monthly list of bills, scrawled on an Aid to Families with Dependent Children stipend envelope, was tucked beneath an ashtray holding a half-smoked joint and smashed cigarette butts. "Mary Jane...rent...PG&E...groceries." As always, Jenny's mom's weed connection topped the list while food sat at the bottom.

Residing in rural Concow, California, in the 1980s, Jenny is accustomed to pot being the priority within her household and the necessities t...