I'm thinking about smoking Marijuana

[Unsure person]

Hi everyone,

I'm a 17 year-old male, for about a year now I have been regularly going to parties and in the last 6 months I have been regularly drinking at them. I've tried weed 4 times, only two of those times did it have any effect (didn't smoke it very well lol).

I quite like drinking, I hate being a party and not drinking, in fact I find it really hard. I don't think I'm am alcoholic or going that way though, because I mean, it doesn't bother me when I don't drink and am not at a party (all though, if I haven't gone out to a party for some time I quite like a drink with my dad).

More recently I've been interested in marijuana/weed. It's one of those things a lot of people try. I'm the kind of person who up until a little while ago, wouldn't do ANYTHING wrong, I would be scared to.

Basically, I'm wondering on people's opinions on how much would be 'safe' or 'ok'. Because it's a point in my life that I was to experience this, but I don't want it to stuff me up either. I'm usually smoking with a group of girls, one of who I really like and would like to get to know better.

So, ideally, I would like to smoke on an irregular basis. Sometimes it might be 1-2 times a week, but usually once every 2-4 weeks. If I did this for up to a year, am I likely to suffer from problems? (i.e. becoming dependent, short term memory issues etc.)?

If my reasons for smoking are to have fun, but also having other things to do for fun (without smoking or drinking) would this help? I've read about people who require weed to do certain things (i.e. go to work, go to sleep etc.). So, would that be a good way to avoid becoming dependent?

[Nakisai]

Hey buddy. It's great that you are wanting to know all these answers to all these questions. They are great questions to ask and you came to the right place to ask it.

Two times a week isn't bad. It isn't bad at all. People might say that two times a week is harmless, and for the most part it is but some times two times a week turns out to be 2 times a day and even more!

My ex boyfriend started smoking two times a week, and he thought that was okay. It was okay. I didn't mind it and it made him happy. He soon loved the fun he was having with it, and started using it with more events he was doing. Sort of like experimenting. Soon, things weren't all that fun with out weed. Watching a movie with just him and I wasn't fun anymore with out weed. A late night walk wasn't fun unless we smoked half way through. A hang out with friends was worthless with out a toke for him.

My ex is now highly addicted to weed and is facing criminal charges for his carelessness with it. I have done weed with him too and no matter how much I do it, I could stop on the dot when ever I wanted. I randomly stopped on the dot one night for two months just because I wanted to. I was in 100% control of my smoking while he was not. I quite weed and I think I am on my 15th day now. It doesn't really matter as I wasn't even addicted to it in the first place.

My point is buddy, that you really have to be careful before you do this. Will you be the kind of person to fall in to this easily? Most people on this site, from which I had read fall into it and don't even realize it until its seven years later and they have wasted their lives sitting on the couch getting high.

My advise to you is don't even risk it. You don't know how your body will react or if you will start craving more and more after a while. It isn't worth the risk. Once addicted to pot, you loose friends, family, relationships and even your life.

I think all will agree on me here that it isn't worth it, and it's not worth it to start because you never know....you might not be able to stop.

[BFB]

Hi unsure person and welcome to the forum.

You are in a situation very similar to a lot of young people I guess. At the end of the day different people can have very different experiences with weed, I am not going to try to pretend that everybody who has used it ends up experiencing the kind of problems that the people who post here have, but it can happen to some, probably more than those who will only tell you about how wonderful it is would have you believe. Likewise most the things you will hear here will be on the negative side, that’s the nature of a forum that has been set up to help people who have experienced problems with weed. So anyway like I say people can have very different experiences with drugs especially weed and which kind of experience you are going to have you often don’t know, it may not be much of a problem, it may end in tears. So all I can really do is tell you how I honestly see the situation and it’s up to you to make up your own mind, but to be honest experiencing what I have, drugs in general including cannabis are not something I would recommend, but if you are going to do it make sure you keep a close eye on how you are reacting to it.

Take care

[Unsure person]

Thanks for that advice.

Even though it's a risk, I could get run over by a bus tomorrow - so I want to have at least a small experience with it.

I'm quite fortunate that I basically can tell my dad anything like that. Hopefully if things get out of hand he will be able to advise me. In saying that, he had one bad experience with weed and never did it again (only did it once), so I'm not always sure if he would know best ..



Hopefully you don't see me on this forum anytime saying I'm addicted. But I think I'll just try and keep my reasons clear why.

Cheers.

[BFB]

That’s ok, I must admit I did find it a bit difficult to advise someone in your position, I mean based on my experience I would be inclined to say no don’t bother stay away from it, if it does to you anything like it did to me you will be very pleased that you didn’t, but I do appreciate that not everybody’s experience is going to necessarily be as bad as mine, I know a lot of people try a bit a pot when they are young and it doesn’t necessarily turn out like the experiences you will read here, that said I still think that drugs on the whole even weed are generally bad news and like I say not something I would recommend, I still think there are much better ways for young people (by the way I am only 31, is that still young? LOL no probably not) to enjoy themselves without having to take the risks that using drugs can lead to, but I know all too well that young people do and that all too often the just say NO scare them as much as possible approach often doesn’t work and just makes them think they are been lied too, so I think the right thing to do if asked is to be as honest as possible and try to give a balanced perspective. That said as somebody who has experienced the extremely negative sides, I was messed up that bad (anxiety, depression, cognitive problems, memory problems, if you smoke too much it can stop your brain from working properly) ,that I nearly committed suicide and I am still nowhere near the person I once was, it has left me with lasting damage/scars, like I say as somebody who has been significantly harmed by it, it would be wrong of me not to warn you, it’s not necessarily as harmless as particularly a lot of people your age/my age if your kind enough to still call me young, would have you believe, there’s a bit of a conspiracy type mentality which I was a part of that everything you hear about weed been bad is totally wrong and that’s total BS, I wish it weren’t, no one more than me would like to still be sitting here to this day, puffing away without feeling any negative effects, but it can have negative effects and for quite a lot of people especially when it comes to things like anxiety, paranoia, depression and mental health. It can also be extremely habit forming for some and pretty much take over your life and it goes without saying that smoking anything is very bad for your lungs, I have seen lung scans of long term heavy weed smokers who have totally ruined the density of their lungs and that’s permanent damage. So if you want to make sure that you don’t find yourself coming back to this forum telling a similar story to the rest of us the only real way to make sure is not to do it at all. So if I can’t persuade you not to do it, like I said in my last post just monitor very carefully how you react to it and be aware that drug use can be a very slippery slope that before you know it leads to becoming a habit and your life revolving around it. Anyway it’s your call just be careful it can be a bit of a wolf in sheep’s clothing for many.

Take care and I wish you the best in the future.

[Unsure person]

Again, thanks for that.

Just to verify, using it on an irregular basis (if it remained that way) shouldn't cause problems? Even when it's only only occasions is it possible that this can cause depression, anxiety, noticeable memory loss, permanent lung damage etc.?

Because, I'm fairly sure I can stay away from being addicted to it. If I say no more than 2 times a week (and on average 1-2 twice a month) then if that's not going to cause problems then things might be good. Then I know if I use it, or feel the urge to use it more than 2 times a week that I am becoming addicted.

Many people on this forum (like the two of you who have posted, thanks for the quick response ) will say that it's wrong and to steer away from it completely. Unless I'm going to build up an addiction straight away like tobacco, crack, p, etc. then I will be giving it a try - so basically what I'm saying, is I am taking on board what your saying even though I'm giving it a try for a while still.

Oh, also - one question about the effects of weed .. can it affect me a few days after I've smoked it? One of my mates who smokes regularly, said that he's felt like he was stoned even when he hadn't been smoking, up to a week afterwards. Since it stays in your system for a long time is this true? My last smoke a few weeks ago, was on a Thursday, I had work on Friday afternoon and felt similar to when I was high on Thursday. Is it likely that was in my head? And being high at work can often be a problem, but if it's almost just the 'after effects', is that a hazard? (That's if it can affect you after a while).

Sorry for all these questions lol, I just like to be prepared and make good judgments (all though, on this forum, and in real life plenty of people I'm sure wont agree with it lol).

[BFB]

Hi again

No it’s not as likely that you will experience the negative effects as much if you are a light user, they tend to be things the heavier users experience more as far as I am aware, the main danager is probably if you like it more than you think you will and end up using more and more until eventually you become like us, that’s when you are probably most likely to experience significant negative effects. Although I have heard of even light users freaking out and experiencing intense anxiety and paranoia, some people from what I have heard can’t even smoke a little bit, I know of one guy who’s a mate of one of my old stoner mates and whenever he has tried it, it’s sent him totally paranoid, the last time he tried it he was trying to hide in the boot of his car saying the FBI were after him (we live in the UK so it’s not very likely), although I am not saying that’s the norm but some people can have quite freaky reactions. And while these things are probably not the norm, there’s only one thing you have said that perhaps concerns me a little, it’s about your dad having a bad experience with it, if you do take after him which is often the case when it comes to how our brains are wired, predispositions to these things often run in families, it probably increases your chances of having a bad reaction too, maybe you should talk to him again about what he experienced, if you do try it, it will probably be wise to try a very small amount first. If you are a person who has any history of mental health problems in your family then you are one group of people I really would advise to stay away from it, drugs like cannabis can be really bad news for people with a predisposition to mental health problems.

Anyway I don’t get the impression I am going to be able to talk you out of it and yes like you have guessed that will tend to be the main type of reaction you will get here, I suppose it’s a bit like going to alcoholics anonymous and asking should I start drinking, most will probably advise against it, but I am glad you have came and asked even though you are probably not going to make the choice I would prefer you to make, at least you have researched it for yourself and not just listened to what others you age may say about how great it is, at least now you have heard the other side of the argument and will hopefully be more vigilant of the potentially negative effects than you would have been and I think that can only be a good thing, so I respect you for doing that. Anyway like I say if you do decide to try it I would take very little at first and see how you react. Oh and about the weed hangover type thing, yeah if you do enough you can feel a bit foggy a little while after, I know especially with regular users it can be like you are always a bit stoned, or that’s how it was for me anyway. The only other thing I forgot to mention is the legal implications of using cannabis, here in the UK it’s not really that much of a deterrent as the penalties aren’t that harsh, a lot people here get let off with a caution especially if you are caught for the first time, but in other parts of the world including the US the penalties can be a lot harsher, you may end up with a criminal record or something depending on where you live, which is something else to consider I suppose.

Anyway take care and feel free to come back if you have any other questions.

[ajh151h]

Again, thanks for that.

Just to verify, using it on an irregular basis (if it remained that way) shouldn't cause problems? Even when it's only only occasions is it possible that this can cause depression, anxiety, noticeable memory loss, permanent lung damage etc.?

Because, I'm fairly sure I can stay away from being addicted to it. If I say no more than 2 times a week (and on average 1-2 twice a month) then if that's not going to cause problems then things might be good. Then I know if I use it, or feel the urge to use it more than 2 times a week that I am becoming addicted.

Many people on this forum (like the two of you who have posted, thanks for the quick response ) will say that it's wrong and to steer away from it completely. Unless I'm going to build up an addiction straight away like tobacco, crack, p, etc. then I will be giving it a try - so basically what I'm saying, is I am taking on board what your saying even though I'm giving it a try for a while still.

Oh, also - one question about the effects of weed .. can it affect me a few days after I've smoked it? One of my mates who smokes regularly, said that he's felt like he was stoned even when he hadn't been smoking, up to a week afterwards. Since it stays in your system for a long time is this true? My last smoke a few weeks ago, was on a Thursday, I had work on Friday afternoon and felt similar to when I was high on Thursday. Is it likely that was in my head? And being high at work can often be a problem, but if it's almost just the 'after effects', is that a hazard? (That's if it can affect you after a while).

Assuming that you are going to start smoking there are a few things that you should try to keep in mind.

-No matter what your brain chemistry is, you aren't going to suddenly have cravings like you would within a few months of smoking cigarettes. It is a slowly building psychological dependency. Over a few months you might notice that you are thinking about smoking more and more, and then start smoking a little more frequently. Then, say, six months down the road from then you've bumped it up a little more. You will slowly lose interest in other parts of your life, and start smoking a little more, and so on and so forth. Then, you might make some friends that are doing it all of the time, so you start smoking even more frequently. After awhile of doing this, you will definitely experience cravings, due to building levels of anxiety, although the extent of depression you experience varies widely on your brain chemistry. You should be aware that it is a very slippery slope; if you are going to smoke, try to keep it as small a part of your life, and your thoughts, as possible.

-I would say that twice a week is definitely pushing it, over any long period of time. Smoking that much causes you to have a constant level of THC in your brain, which is something that you have to try to avoid if you don't want to experience negative side effects. If I was going to try to smoke responsibly, I would keep it under once a week, around twice a week or once every three weeks optimally. It isn't the same drug that it was in the seventies; it's much more powerful, and if you want to smoke responsibly you need to adjust the frequency that you smoke accordingly.

-One of the key things to keep in mind is not to accept the status quo of the drug culture. People believe, and will have you believe, that smoking all of the time is acceptable. Not to mention the problems associated with doing this, eventually that kind of thinking can lead you into other, more harmful drugs. It's really a battle of two frontsne against your own inclinations, and one against the people around you.

I also want to give you some information based on new research that might steer you away from marijuana use altogether:

- I have talked to two very reputable psychologists about marijuana, and both of them told me that recent studies showed having any THC in your system greatly affects learning ability. At your age you are putting yourself at risk by smoking at any regular interval; you are still learning basic things that you need to know in order to develop fully. I wouldn't want you to jeopardize this.

-With the rising potency of weed it is an increasingly risky thing to do.There hasn't been very much research done about marijuana, and we aren't even close to being fully aware of how it affects the human brain; all we know is that it stimulates certain receptors, especially located in the hippocampus. Your brain isn't fully developed until you are 25, and there has been recent research that shows smoking marijuana before this point retards brain development.

-Smoking pot, as you have probably seen, will add a whole new element to your social life. You will see a whole new side of life, and people, that you have never experienced before. At first it is a very new an enjoyable thing, but as it becomes a regular part of your life, it can be very sad. There is a possibility, no matter how careful you are, that you will get wrapped up in drug culture and have a very bad experience.

- If you are only planning on smoking a little bit, why not wait until you are older and fully developed, when you know you aren't putting yourself at risk?

Ultimately it's up to you. If you are going to do it, just keep in mind that you don't want it to become too big a part of your interests. It's not a healthy thing to get too involved in, like most activities such as sports or music, where the more interested you are the better off you are. It's really the exact opposite.

[BFB]

They are very good points made by ajh151h especially about you been at far greater risk from the negative effects of marijuana at your age, your brain still isn’t fully developed and hard wired yet and until it is taking drugs like cannabis does have a much greater risk of messing it up, another reason why I would not advise it.

[Unsure person]

I've just finished school for the year, and have around 8 weeks of summer holidays (I live in New Zealand), which with 'this time' available is why I am smoking it now rather than while I had school (all though, my first time was unfortunately a few days before my first exam and I was feeling quite out of it for that ..).

But anyway, my 'plan' is that I will smoke it on and off during the holidays (twice a week being maximum, on average once every two weeks). If I like it, I will only do it once a term when I have school. I would like to avoid addiction, or negative effects (such as it messing with my brain), but if I was to do it like that, am I likely to have troubles?

I'm not sure if this makes a difference in whether or not it could become a problem but I'm mainly doing it for social reasons (some girls I like hanging out with), but I'm not always high when I hang out with them (all though, other times it's usually at a party and I'm drunk).

There is some risk in smoking, especially at my age. However that is the same with drinking (and that's how I attempt to justify it). I know this must be strange, as someone said it's like going to an AA meeting and asking whether or not to start drinking .. but I've talked to lots of other 'sources', it pays to talk to both extremes however.

And slightly offtopic, I was meaning to say this in my last post, 31 can still be young, depends what kind of person you are, so essentially that's up to you. (Hmm .. doesn't sound quite how I mean it, and sounds like a course sounding cliché, it's not meant to lol).