Am I the only Aussie drug taker who's never smoked weed?

I took part in an annual MDMA drug study recently, one I am sure most BL'ers would have been aware of...

And when questioned about the other sorts of drugs I'd used, the research assistant was genuinely shocked when I told her I'd never smoked green before.

Indeed, growing up it almost felt un-Australian to not partake in the puffing of a few cones with your mates (or if you were hardcore, ripping a few billies), like I was the odd one out. It's probably doubly bizarre nowadays given my intense predilection for other illicit chems, which I'm sure ya'll would have picked up on in my posts somewhere %)
In the drug scene, it almost always comes as a shock when I turn down random offers of choof here & there.

Apart from my basic propensity to be subversive, I had a close family member develop a nasty, irreversible case of cannabis psychosis, which is what turned me right off at a young age. Indeed I was entirely anti-drugs until the ripe old age of 21. So yep, after doing almost every drug under the sun except m-j, I am keen to know if there are any others in the same boat, out there... and what all your thoughts are about the somewhat deeply ingrained relationship between Marijuana and Australian culture! (green & gold are our National threads after all....)

nah there are probably quite a few of you guys.

I know a few people who didn't touch drugs at school, went to uni and bam started popping pills like there was no tomorrow

Hmmm...
University life, eh
Seems to be rife among those that live on campus... well at least from what I've heard of a mate's brother who moved to QLD to study law.
Suppose you'd start to climb the walls living and studying within the same 1.5km radius, though.

I would think that it was uncommon.
Your situation is different to most though, with the family member.

I am the same i don't smoke anything i like my lungs

Smoked once didnt like it... dont smoke tobacco either..

20 years on hospitality and never smoked- now thats an odd one out!

(Sorry if thats slightly off topic)

So, no, you arent alone.

I know plenty of people.

Usually they used to smoke or at least have tried it though.

I used to smoke every day, now I usually only do when using other drugs. Couldn't do 'em without it.

If youd tried other drugs i'd keep away from it.
Most people suffer very bad side effects after mixing weed with MDMA and psychedelics. Read in the Weed forum ro search in the XTC forum its quite common. Weed becomes the underlying factor of psychosis.

If you read my post, I clearly stated I had no drive nor desire to ever go near it.

Given the fact a family member contracted psychosis, I'm probably already predisposed to it, hence my decision to keep right away.

But it's good to see a few other folks also deciding to steer clear.
Funny thing is I tend to click mostly with stoners or people who choof on a regular basis (to go to sleep or whatever), quite frankly other speed freaks tend to piss me right off, on the whole

I don't think I've ever met a drug user who hasn't smoked.

I don't think I have met anyone who has never smoked dope and used drugs. Infact nearly every one I know atleast smokes dope occasionally and most of them do every day.

I have read a few people on BL claiming they had never smoked weed but it isn't a common thing.

In regards to your family member, why do you feel cannabis would put you more at risk of psychosis than methamphetamine? The way I understand it cannabis doesn't so much cause psychosis as bring out the underlying condition, which amphetamines can easily do aswell.

Doctors aren't always the most knowledgeable people. Working in a medical centre GP's and even psychologists are very biased. One doctor was conviced that methamphetamine could not cause psychosis, it was the weed mixed with the meth, and he would ring up for AUTH for ADHD and give dexamphetamine to people who were meth addicts and told them to use these instead and keep away from cannabis as its 20 times stronger. Seems Dr's believe the channel 9 news too!

drug_mentor said:

In regards to your family member, why do you feel cannabis would put you more at risk of psychosis than methamphetamine? The way I understand it cannabis doesn't so much cause psychosis as bring out the underlying condition, which amphetamines can easily do aswell.

Click to expand...

I guess I'm just ultra-concerned that the underlying condition could be a heredity issue (the person in question is my mother), thus, putting me more at risk perhaps than others.

I've seen a few people go off the rails on smoking ice too, but when all is said and done, they can usually return to some kind of functional level...I've yet to see the same kind of regenerative return to 'normalcy' in those who have been afflicted by smoking dope..

yeah ive never met someone who is a drug user let alone into chems like speed and what not without having a chop, mainly because its common to have a sesh on pill/speed and other comedowns to help you chill out and what not a bit more. and to make it abit more fun in some cases then again i think it to be a wise decision you made to not touch it considering the family factors with psychosis. i was recently in a "drug diversion" program, and the drug councilor said that psychosis/schizophrenia can also be cause from speed. then again, this guy works for the man. so who knows!

Fair enough hyroller, I don't have a lot of experience with psychosis to really comment on the prospects of "returning to normal" based on the drug.

I just know what I have read and having been a chronic daily smoker of marijuana in the past I never worried about psychosis but amphetamines have made me feel hella sketchy at times, then again I am not predisposed to any sort of psychosis as far as I am aware.

Sorry to hear about your mum, that probably would turn just about anybody off the shit seeing that so I understand why you would err on the side of caution.

I also had a close family member, my father, go off the rails with bud, full blown psychosis, delusions of grandeur, ended up institutionalized the works not that i talk to him often but i think he recovered completely and is now a quite well off computer programmer with a family n shit. I've also seen it go the other way with my little brothers old man, started as a bong head and alcho, got into speed, started banging speed and then eventually started banging H. Lol last i heard he was in hiding in Queensland or in jail or something but yer back on topic neither experience has even crossed my mind when it comes to having a pipe and i'm a semi regular smoker. I'll smoke every day for a few months/weeks then not touch it or only smoke every once in a while for a few months and except for occasional panic attacks after a big session i haven't noticed anything bad from it.

But i don't know anyone that uses drugs but hasn't smoked at all, shit i don't even know many people who don't touch other shit and haven't smoked, it just seems strange!

^^^^ Good to hear your old man was able to get past it all! From what I've observed, men do seem to cope a lot better with bud-related mental issues than women. Not sure if it's fact or just my experiences, though

And yeah, it was shit to deal with (she literally thought everyone - including me, was stalking her... hence her decision to get a restraining order out on me at 17), but it did provide a good insight into the living hell that day-in, day-out addictions can create. I mean we're talking about someone who, for a good 6 or 7 years, literally couldn't get within 50m of the bong. Not healthy. Of course, most smokers aren't that severe, and just as well.

It kind of does seem like a rite of passage though - at least trying it in ones teens.

I avoid MJ like swine flu nowadays. My mates think i'm mad - "it's just weed you fag!" they tell me.

I get pretty intense paranoia and anxiety nowadays from weed, not just while smoking but a couple days afterwards. Whatsmore, my mum constantly reminds me of my now deceased Aunty who got Cannabis related-psychosis, and how we have mental illness in my blood.

Im well and truly turned of it.

I was 19 when I first smoked it and I've only done it about 3 times. I had done alot of other drugs before I smoked weed. One weekend I couldn't get anything and my friend asked me if I wanted some so I said sure

My oldies were heavy pot smokers, i tried it as a teen but never really enjoyed it. I only use speed or E every so often, and very rarely might smoke, maybe twice a year, and only with a select few. I also believe pot to be the drug that might send me crazy..lol...it effects me in a strange way.