Too young to smoke weed?

[K-Dazed]

I started smoking in Grade 8, and I'm currently finishing up Grade 11. I'm on the honour roll, play school Football and looking to play Rugby and Basketball next year. I love marijuana and smoke it roughly ~4 days of the week. I work out 3 times a week, play pick-up basketball everyday, and when football season is on, do football practice Monday -> Friday. I work Saturday and Sunday from 1pm - 4pm.

I have a job, am physically active, and get good grades. The simple answer is the people with no motivation in their life, who smoke weed, probably have a combination of things in their life which make them unmotivated.

I however don't smoke at school or go to class/practice high, as I can't really function that way. I enjoy getting high on weekend or on weekdays late at night. I still have motivation to do a ton of things, as I've always been interested in writing and currently am looking into writing a novel.

However, I am in no way "satisfied" with my use. If it were up to me, I'd probably look to smoke only once a week, however due to the people I hang out with, and my lack of willpower, I smoke more.

 

[j0nblaze]

16 years

I've been smoking since I was 14 or 15. I tried it and got wrecked.. honestly thinking back I don't know why I tried it again.. but I did. Did acid in high school and some shroomls when I was in my early 20's.. most of my friends got into e and coke but I had a kid so smoking weed and occasional excessive drinking was adventurous enough for me.. I believe it will always come down to why you are doing anything and if its for the wrong reasons then you can't expect a positive outcome. And even with good reasons things can go wrong so be honest with yourself about what you can handle. I never had a bad trip on acid and I probably did it a hundred times. Almost every time I did shrooms it ended up bad. Once me and my woman were doing shrooms.. my mother brouht my 4 year old daughter home unexpectedly. I took her from my mom, put her safely in bed then sat in the bathroom and cried my eyes out because I felt that smoking weed everyday made me a bad father. I felt like I hadn't been sober for years and was scared.. I don't think smoking weed made me a bad father and recently after 10 years took a year off. I found that I function better smoking it daily or not at all. Occasional smoking wasn't enjoyable. I wasn't addicted to weed but I made stupid decisions like driving for an hour to get 1 single gram.. quite often actually.. if you have an addictive personality than you should probably make choices to avoid the crowd that uses weed because they could lead you places that aren't safe. Other drugs, dealers, cops, trouble with parents, being broke, selling drugs, bad lungs, bad eating habits.. really as far as drugs go is it worth doing? Considering it is illegal and somewhat expensive for the average person and the effects.. if im smoking everyday I get more effects from herbal tea... or a cigarette after not smoking for a day is also comparable. Hope this helps..

 

[rave_itsrealfun!!!]

Everyone in the pot culture will tell you it has no adverse effects because it is in the process of being legalized. Really, it's one of the worst recreational drugs of all and a lot of people such as I abuse it to all hell and are ruined by it. Just respect it and NEVER make it a habit. When I first started blazing I didn't even know people like me existed. You should treat marijuana like a milder version of a psychedelic drug such as LSD or mushrooms in my opinion and use it very sparingly at most once a week.

The thing is I've done really well, I have an engineering degree. How it will adversely effect you is socially. many, many people are right fucked socially cause of this drug. After a while of constant blazing your self esteem might be utterly wrecked and you won't feel any desire at all to talk to anybody and will become a recluse of the bong. I have seen it time after time after time again and a lot of people don't even seem to realize it. If you blaze all day you will constantly hit your reward and pleasure centers in your brain you know? You will start to not give a fuck about anything since you can just get high and be content.

 

[jamesmartin]

Dude it really depends on the person .

I can't staaaaand my high school. I'm in senior year now in Canada..
For me I smoke weed throughout high school most of the time. I have an 80% average but that's soo low compared too what I could potentailly get if I wasn't highandburntout all the time.
This doesn't actually bother me when I'm high for some reason though sooo I haven't really stopped or made the slightest effort too change
but hey that's just who I am . And I'm happy


However I have friends who have 90%+ averages who smoke with me and just as much as me .
They don't seem too b affected a much academically .


But yeah man weed is a psycadellic .
It depends on the person using it an they're mindset , attitudes and setting

 

[StonedNative]

I think if you start smoking a lot when you're too young, it could lead to being less motivated or possibly lead to harder drugs. I started smoking nearly every day when I turned 16. Before that, I probably smoked maybe 3 times in my life. Now, I continue to smoke every day, and I'm still as sharp as I was before I became a chronic smoker.

 

[ChronicHD]

Damn reading this thread makes me kinda regretful. I see a lot of myself in what some of you guys are saying and it makes me sad. I have lived a great life, but for the past 4-5 years it has been at an almost constant state of stonedness. I don't put weed ahead of responsibilities, I get my work done and everything, but I smoke everyday at least a couple bowls. Maybe it's time I take a break.

 

[slimvictor]

It depends on you. If you are the type of person that is always learning new things and undertaking new activities, pot will probably not hold you back that much if you continue to actively engage with enriching pastimes. But if you allow yourself to be a lazy slob and just sit around indulging in various forms of media, you're quickly going to turn into a pretty lame person whether you smoke weed or not.

That being said, I think the OP is way too young to be smoking weed 5 days a week. I mean, jesus-- cut it down a bit, its more enjoyable that way anyways. Once a week is plenty at that age. What seems worrying is that if you're smoking that much weed, most of your time is spent either at school or smoking weed-- how can you possibly have time to engage in studying, hobbies and non- drug related social interaction?

Bottom line is I don't think the OP would even be asking the question in the first place if they didn't at least suspect their behavior was deleterious to their health and well-being.

This.

Lots of people are citing their GPA or SAT scores to prove that they aren't affected by cannabis use, but that means nothing to me.
Maybe you got a 3.7, but you would have gotten a 4.0 if you had been sober.
Maybe you got a 4.0, but you would have learned a lot more and retained the information better if you had been sober.

Personally, I started smoking at 16, and have been psychologically addicted ever since - it has been almost 25 years. There were years when I only smoked 10 times, and years when I smoked 350 times, but cannabis has always had a strong hold in my psyche.

I am very, very productive when I smoke - I use the high to create something, such as poetry, music, art, or to do yoga, or to think about my life and analyze my psychology and emotions.
I smoked every day when I was writing my master's thesis and dissertation. I smoked and worked for 3-4 hours, then smoked and worked for 3-4 more hours, then smoked and worked....
I still managed to finish them and get my PhD.
Does that mean that "it is okay to smoke every day"?
Not necessarily.
In some ways, being high helped me find creative ideas, and in other ways, I failed to make logical connections, and it slowed me down.
But I kept smoking.

What did I gain by smoking so much?
Plenty, including creativity, insight, energy, fun...
What did I lose by smoking so much?
Plenty, including some power to be happy and content and productive when I am not high, and also some type of power over myself.

If you can stick to once a week, it is unlikely to do much damage, and you will more likely have fun and be creative.

Good luck, and be strong!

 

[j0nblaze]

im taking a break..

Damn reading this thread makes me kinda regretful. I see a lot of myself in what some of you guys are saying and it makes me sad. I have lived a great life, but for the past 4-5 years it has been at an almost constant state of stonedness. I don't put weed ahead of responsibilities, I get my work done and everything, but I smoke everyday at least a couple bowls. Maybe it's time I take a break.

But not by choice.. I am kinda stuck and unable to get to any weed.. I scraped out my busted yesteday, itbwas caked with crystals.. got me decent effects.. none since then.. over 24h.. I miss it, I can tell I am not right without.. if there was some slim chance or ridiculous journey I could make I would do it for one piece of bud.. sound depressing? It is.. that being said I have options that I am not doing. I could call people I would otherwise not call.. or roll up some roaches but its not that bad to go without it.. I wont beg or ask for favours to get it, but it sucks not having a joint.. its worse when you think you might be able to get some.. once you can accept you wont be smoking anytime soon it starts to get better..

 

[j0nblaze]

thanks for this..

This.

Lots of people are citing their GPA or SAT scores to prove that they aren't affected by cannabis use, but that means nothing to me.
Maybe you got a 3.7, but you would have gotten a 4.0 if you had been sober.
Maybe you got a 4.0, but you would have learned a lot more and retained the information better if you had been sober.

Personally, I started smoking at 16, and have been psychologically addicted ever since - it has been almost 25 years. There were years when I only smoked 10 times, and years when I smoked 350 times, but cannabis has always had a strong hold in my psyche.

I am very, very productive when I smoke - I use the high to create something, such as poetry, music, art, or to do yoga, or to think about my life and analyze my psychology and emotions.
I smoked every day when I was writing my master's thesis and dissertation. I smoked and worked for 3-4 hours, then smoked and worked for 3-4 more hours, then smoked and worked....
I still managed to finish them and get my PhD.


Does that mean that "it is okay to smoke every day"?
Not necessarily.
In some ways, being high helped me find creative ideas, and in other ways, I failed to make logical connections, and it slowed me down.
But I kept smoking.

What did I gain by smoking so much?
Plenty, including creativity, insight, energy, fun...


What did I lose by smoking so much?
Plenty, including some power to be happy and content and productive when I am not high, and also some type of power over myself.

If you can stick to once a week, it is unlikely to do much damage, and you will more likely have fun and be creative.

Good luck, and be strong!

I couldn't make this point until I read this. Being content without it is my problem, while its in my system.. excellent perspective..

 

[MarkoPolo]

growing up smoking pot will make you turn into a fucking zombie. i swear the amount of stoner kids i see these days who seem to have no life, its fucking outright distusting.
theyre shit at sports, they fail all their subjects in school, they only hang around with the other stoner kids in school.
and usually their parents smoke it too. which is sad.
imo drugs should be introduced when the child has learnt about them and is responsible.
i know cuz i used to be like that when i was like 14 -15.

 

[SourCream]

I come from a circle of friends who all rejected society at the age of 15 and all began smoking pot in our closed circle.

It is now 15 years later and I can tell you, that it is not the best idea.

While a few of us have managed to be semi-successful, including myself, others are massive failures being 35 years old and still living with mummy spending money from the social on weed, without a care in the world. We can all agree though, even the successful, that this has held us back and stopped us from achieving our true potential.

On the other hand, we also all agree that it has given us a lot too. Myself, I was a massive troublemaker, always looking for fights and trouble and the next rush. It chilled me out massively, in a good way, and taught me such things as patience. We are all also good people ethically and morally, despite not being religious etc.

I think it is all to do with substance abuse. Smoking pot every day should never be needed (unless its medication) and is just plain abuse. If you can moderate the use to a more acceptable level and be a more social smoker, I believe you could smoke your entire life and pretty much be free from most negative aspects.

If you can manage that, you are a better person than me. I have spent 14 years in a pattern of abuse and now I am 30 and trying to break this pattern, it is pretty fucking tough.

 

[j0nblaze]

I've smoked everyday I could for the last 16 years. I took 1 year off. 1 year ago. The more regularly I smoke the harder it is for me to be content without, if there is a possibility of getting some. I mean its easier to accept that I can't get it than choose not to. I used to smoke 5-10 grams a day from 24-29 depending who I was with. I never felt high, and I very rarely do. It just doesn't feel normal not to. Its weird for me because if I take a week or so off, ill take one or two puffs and get way too high. I can't even drive.. I drive around smoking weed all day. I put over 50 thousand k on my car easy and am a great driver 99% of the time. I think I had one accident in a parking lot. My point is that it is just a habit. You can find relief from habits but you shouldn't use them to cope daily.. its natural to be having a shitty day and want to puff if its what you do to wind down. But if you feel like that all the time than smoking weed might not be what you be spending time and energy on.. I smoke most days but prob closer to 2 grams a day. Some days I can't get it, which is really frustrating to me. Not not having, asking people that should be more than happy to make a phone call for me. Its definitely not me getting mad over drugs, its the fact that I have done and do things for the people I do ask and they pretend not to be able to help..

 

[scottd420]

For those wondering about brain damage from weed-
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090202175105.htm


Actually my post was informative as it gets. It's your fault for not appreciating it.

Okay where to start? This study has only 14 subjects and it was paid for by people looking for damage, not searching for findings of neutral (or positive) change. Not everyones brain is the same, so sure they will differ in there response over the very short period that they were monitored. It says that the lights on the scan are damaged areas; really it shows the area lit up from stimulation, the nucleus accumbens, which releases dopamine when stimulated by things ranging from sex, sugar and caffeine along with heroin, cocaine and cannabis, so really this means nothing.
It was merely a scan for activity involving certain neurotransmitters, and it actually looks pretty normal. They didn't do MRIs or CT scans to verify physical change, so how could you tell what the inside actually looked like? Anyway this is a complete scham, there is no need to discuss a right winged mostly likely predetermined study such as this. They need more sensory tests to make it believable.

 

[QuasiModo]

I feel my experience may be of use to the OP. Marijuana never made my grades decline, never made me act out or fuck up.. I'm not any more lazy or less productive because I get high. I've been able to keep a job, been able to be a successful young adult IMO.. I've got a car, a life. Its not like this for everyone, but really its up to you. I have friends who I consider stoner losers, the type who I only hang out with when I'm smoking weed because thats all I have in common with them and as far as I know it is the only thing they do. Do you see yourself being content with weed as your main lifestyle facet? I like smoking pot, if I had enough I might sit inside all day and smoke it.. But I don't. I have plenty of time to be sober and I am not socially dependent on pot (I go to parties sober all the time, or stoned).. I go to work stoned, I go to school stoned, I eat, sleep, shit and breathe like any other human being stoned. You know the main difference I have noticed between myself and people who don't smoke nearly this much weed? I am a happier, calmer, more well adjusted person.

Take that for what it is, I've been smoking since I was fucking 14 and I'm a perfectly optimistic, social, intelligent, functioning member of society.

more peace, more love
Q_M

"The truth is, marijuana probably isn't going to make you kill people. Most likely isn't going to fund terrorists, but pot makes you feel fine with being bored and it's when you're bored that you should be learning a new skill or some new science or being creative. If you smoke pot you may grow up to find out that you're not good at anything."

Ok, well I know this is from South Park. But it makes me think...could this be true?

I'm currently in High school and I smoke alot (at least 5 days of the week). Just recently I've starting thinking about how this might effect me, and if I need to make changes. I'd really like to hear about the experience of others while growing up and smoking pot. Let me know what you were like in high school, how much you smoked, and where you are/what you are doing now. Thanks!

 

[Care]

"The truth is, marijuana probably isn't going to make you kill people. Most likely isn't going to fund terrorists, but pot makes you feel fine with being bored and it's when you're bored that you should be learning a new skill or some new science or being creative. If you smoke pot you may grow up to find out that you're not good at anything."

Doing any type of drugs during your developing years is bad for this exact reason. Southpark hits the nail squarely on the head once again. I think people who smoke all day every day will definately run into this problem, but those who use moderation, not so much.

However compared the the ritalin and adderal thats given out like candy these days weed seems pretty innocuous.

 

[jamesmartin]

growing up smoking pot will make you turn into a fucking zombie. i swear the amount of stoner kids i see these days who seem to have no life, its fucking outright distusting.
theyre shit at sports, they fail all their subjects in school, they only hang around with the other stoner kids in school.
and usually their parents smoke it too. which is sad.
imo drugs should be introduced when the child has learnt about them and is responsible.
i know cuz i used to be like that when i was like 14 -15.

maybe you were just like that ??

i know people who smoke weed and have lifes .

 

[Mafioso]

great posts and insight Heavily Sedated. reading through them gave me a lot more motivation to quit smoking weed all the time and start living life again.

OP, for the most part i would agree with south park's take on how smoking weed can affect one's life. I know for myself it has been mostly true. I used to play music pretty much every day, now i only play 2-3 times a week because i'm usually getting stoned all the time. When i'm high i have less energy in general and rarely find motivation to actually get up and do something productive. i spend a lot of time sitting around, listening to music and watching tv when i'm stoned. when i first started smoking i would justify it because it made me content when i had nothing to do. a few years down the road i realize that pot is now one of the main reasons i have nothing to do. if instead of sitting around getting high all the time i spent my time being productive, working towards a goal, building a social network and developing relationships that aren't based solely on smoking weed or doing drugs i would have a lot less free time on my hands to sit around and be bored. really its true when they say smoking leads nowhere, but they never talk about the journey to get there. in many ways its opened me up to a lot of experiences i probably wouldn't have had, had i not smoked weed. smoking weed is more than just doing a drug, it becomes a way of life for most people, a sort of sub-culture. but like i said, its a fun journey to nowhere, and the ride gets old pretty quick imo. as of late i feel like i smoke just to subdue the anxiety smoking has caused me.

 

[protokin]

What about being 16 and only smoking when u don't have school, like weekends and summer? I'm a sophomore and thats what I do and I get mostly A's so I guess at the moment school is the priority.

 

[jamesmartin]

i wouldn't say you're too young to smoke, but i would be very careful about how much of a priority you make pot out to be. i had a lot of fun in hs (and college), but i also missed out on a lot of opportunities that i'll never have again because i was so focused on getting stoned.

Ditto man.
I'm in my senior grade now and I started smoking daily in grd10.
For many and in this case for me , my mind was blown from finding this wonderful plant. It kept getting blown everyday of high school pretty much . You could say I was "in love".
Unfortunatley , even though I beleieve I'm fairly intelligent I continued too date miss Mary .
Now my grades weren't really affected but I found that weed zombified me after a while . Well actually up till now it did haha .
Now I'm in senior year and I wish I just didn't smoke weed & instead

 

[cybergenesis]

I don't know anyone who smoked weed every day when they were a teenager who doesn't regret it.

It slows down your thinking (influencing your grades at school), can make you less social, can mean that instead of out partying you are inside smoking weed, and will also mean your tolerance goes up and weed won't be as fun.

Smoking weed every day is a bad idea regardless of your age, but when you're young especially.

I started smoking weed when I was 15, and so did my brother. I don't know anybody who DOES regret smoking it back then. It was one of the best things about my teenage years. None of my friends have regrets. I am in my 30's and still know many people from back then that still smoke, though most not as much. All of them have balanced lives, jobs, relationships etc. But they were balanced in the first place. People who were unbalanced in the first place often tend to blame marijuana on their problems.

I know lots of young people around age 15-16 that smoke weed, and I proudly encourage most of these kids to do so, often have a bong with them.