Marijuana... Offered to me

I wouldn't personally recommend it, especially if it is something that you have already decided you don't approve of; however, it would be foolish for anyone to act as though it isn't common for teenagers to experiment with these things. The main thing that I would recommend is that if you decide to go through with it that it is something that is done responsibly, no different than with alcohol.

 

It's up to you. You can control what you do, and it's not like if you smoke it once that you'll immediately move onto heroine shots. Just take the necessary precautions if you decide to do it...and don't do it just because you're being pressured by your friend.

 

It is totally your decision.. However my perspective.. What if you tried it that one time.. And it begins a life long addiction and to even more harder drugs.. What if something happens to you that ONE time you try it.. I have heard so many horror stories of people trying drugs once and they end up critical in hospital on a ventilator or worse, some people who had to bury their child.. So it's up to you if you wanna take that risk.. Nothing bad might happen, yet something bad could also happen. It's a risk that only you can decide if it's worth taking, yet, also.. Don't feel pressured just cause your friend is doing it. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is say no especially when you wanna impress friends.. I know kids do these things, it's a matter of do you wanna join them and follow the leader.. Or do you wanna be the leader and lead by example.

 

Just because it's illegal doesn't mean it is evil. However, do keep your head and don't be stupid if you do indulge. And please don't make a habit of it while it is illegal because that's the worst possible reason to land yourself in jail.

 

Try it. See if you like it.

However, keep in mind that weed is like sushi: Every different strain has different effects. Some you might like, some you won't. There's good weed, and there's bad weed. If it works out for you, as the others have said, keep it in moderation. It's a great way to hang with friends, and just relax for a little bit (assuming the strain does let you relax, which most do).

There's also a huge difference between smoking weed and ingesting it in a brownie, but that's a totally different topic.

Oh, one more thing: Make sure the stuff's not laced (meaning make sure there aren't any other drugs or foreign things in it). For example, weed can be very healthy (of course, depending on the strain). However, if it's spice, that can be very detrimental to your health, and yes, you can overdose on it (unlike pure weed). Or if there's something like meth in it, you'll want to steer clear from it.

 

yodo (you only die once), if ur curious go for it so u dont die later being like why didnt i smoke that

but dont if u need.a job within the next three months

 

I know people that have never smoked anything, used any drugs or consumed alcohol because they were concerned about their risk of addiction. And they're mean spirited, abusive people. I wanted to add that because your wording makes it sound like if you don't try anything you'll automatically be a good person. I would like to remind people of hardcore Christians who would have us all dead if it was up to them, who never touched a drug in their life. I have actually seen an inverse correlation between potheads and 100% sober people in this case. The potheads I know (I don't know all potheads, I have a very small sample size) are some of the most caring and intelligent people I know, and I'd trust them with my life.

The gateway theory has been disproven (Source, you can find a million more with Google) for those worrying about OP suddenly becoming a crackhead. I see a lot of misinformation in this thread. I wanted to straighten out some things first. We don't stop people from becoming addicts by feeding them misinformation, we do the exact opposite.

What Chip said about neurotransmitters is true (Source). You can absolutely become addicted to marijuana and I personally know a few people who will get upset if they don't get to smoke every day, this is not a healthy thing and becomes very expensive in the long run. While it's not a physical addiction (no physical withdrawal), the mental addiction is still quite strong. I think the reason behind the recent surge (just my own speculation here) has to do with the fact that people are finally realizing it is an addiction, and you do need help. This is what I mean about misinformation being a bad thing.

Now; it would seem like I'm probably a supporter of OP toking up. I'm not. OP: your brains are still developing and I would advise you to stay away from all mind altering substances (especially alcohol and other hard drugs) until you are 25 or at least 18. It is also (unfortunately, in my opinion) illegal in most places around the world, and getting into legal trouble from a young age could make your life more difficult in the future. Don't let peer pressure get to you, don't do anything ever if you don't feel like it. This is your life, you live it exactly how you want to!

 

Bravo.

There are several reasons why government/society do not like illegal "drugs". Some of them understandable, others not so much.

When I was your age, I considered what I would do if offered various types of drugs. I decided that marajuana was a possible one to try, but that I would never ever try anything likely to put my life in serious danger, and I have stuck to that rigidly throughout my life. I am now 40, and still use MJ from time to time.

The world feels much happier when everything is stuck in little boxes. "Drugs are bad" - well yes, but alcohol and nicotine which are legal drugs in most places do as much if not more damage and cause as much if not more addiction than the "bad" ones. What's the difference? Tax revenues, mostly. On a sliding scale of "what does more damage to society?" Weed ranks pretty low compared to alcohol.

I'm not going to tell you what you should or should not do. I don't know you and I cannot predict whether using it would be a harmless thing for you to do or not.

What I will tell you is to get yourself informed before making your decision. Not with opinions of other people, but proper facts about it. Do your research and dont rely on a few opinions here to make your mind up for you. The worst thing you can do with any sort of drug is to take it without knowing what to expect, especially when it's something that will have an effect on your mind and thought processes. So read up, and make your decision based on if it sounds like something you actually want to do for yourself, not because your mate thinks you should and because you dont want to let him down.

There is no shame in saying no if you are not comfortable. Good for you for actually taking the time to seek out advice on it before going ahead. That shows a maturity that will serve you well in your decision making.

 

I re-read Chip's post and I'd like to further point out that I haven't seen any studies showing that people are predisposed to become addicts later in life. If Chip (or anyone else) can provide sources I would be very grateful, because this topic interests me a lot. What I linked to is a study about a protein called DeltaFosB which builds as a result of abusing things that make you feel good and once you have become addicted, you will remain addicted for a very long time.

People will have different views, because this is a very subjective topic strewn with misinformation. Like OOC73 said, people like to box it into the "bad" category and move on without ever really thinking about it.

Whether or not you become addicted is not something anyone can predict. I think it's safe to say the safest way to go is to stay away from all psychoactive substances, but that's really hard. Sugar is psychoactive and has been found to be highly addictive in rats (more so than e.g. cocaine (Source)), yet almost everyone you talk to abuses it. I do, too, and I'm trying to quit but it's HARD. The bottom-line here is, life is complicated and the government peddles its own drugs. Do your research, decide for yourself which ones (if any) you want to subject your body and mind to.

Edit:

I want to add that it's very important that you do your own research. Don't ask people about it, we all have our own biases and our own experiences. Read actual scientific studies and come to your own conclusion based on the information you can find.

 

Weed isn't 'bad', it's a totally natural plant with healing and medicinal uses. The issue as I see it is, should you try it now, while you are still quite young, considering that the brain continues to develop until one is in one's early twenties, as I understand it? The longer you can put off using intoxicants, the better for your long-term health. It's very difficult to have weed, or any other intoxicant, 'just once'. In my experience, 'just once' very easily becomes 'I must try that again' which soon becomes 'just one more time' and from there, one can become a regular user - so think carefully about this. Do what you think is in your own best interests.

 

I would be wary with the consumption of ANY illegal psychotrope as a teenager.

Nowadays anyone and their grandmother grow cannabis, and you never know what the sample you will buy really contains. Your neural growth is far from finished at 16, and the long term effects of occasional or regular consumption of cannabis -and other impurities/drugs it contains- are poorly understand and potentially disastrous.

Marijuana has also been shown to trigger latent mental disorders -schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, etc- in some individuals.

Stick to occasional low doses of alcohol if you want some fun tbh.

 

I would argue that your suggestion to use alcohol instead of marijuana is a terrible one from a purely health perspective. But let me actually include some sources instead of just throwing my opinion out there.

Study: Marijuana May Protect Against Brain Damage From Binge Drinking - Ignore the claim that marijuana may protect against brain damage (I don't like unproven claims). Focus on the fact that people in his age group suffer from brain damage from what many would argue is a small amount of alcohol.

Alcohol is second only to Heroin in addictiveness, Marijuana is just above Caffeine.

Alcohol causes cancer - Sorry for using Wikipedia as a source, but it's very comprehensive and the sources I checked out were good. Still:

Cannabis instead cures cancer. Again a source with a bunch of sources, it's not Wikipedia this time, but posting all these sources would make this post huge.

The argument that marijuana can trigger psychosis in people genetically predisposed is a very good one. OP: If you or anyone in your family suffers from schizophrenia you should stay away from marijuana and alcohol (which can worsen it as well). (Source) This is a very good argument that hadn't been brought up yet!

I don't understand your argument that because there's a lot of marijuana around (everyone grows it) there's a high likelihood of the marijuana you receive being "bad". I would argue it's the exact opposite, but how are we going to find sources for this? Would you care to be more specific?

Again, I would suggest you stay away from all drugs (including alcohol), but if you have to do it you should definitely stick with marijuana from a health standpoint.

 

Marijuana's fine if you only do it every now and then, like, typically around the end-year holidays. You just gotta make sure it isn't laced with cocaine or something else.

Just stay away from cocaine. Scarface is actually a very informative film on how destructive the white stuff is.

 

Hum.... Are you sure you're talking about weed?

 

The choice is yours and if its on your bucket list YOLO just don't get caught.

 

@The Leryous

I think we're on the same page.

Alcohol has a long history of research behind it, and it is widely accepted that a small consumption -aka a glass of wine or a beer once in a while- has no adverse health effects in the long term. Much less is known about cannabis, however.

In this context I don't care too much about addictiveness or cancer-curing virtues, tbh. (Red wine does contain antioxidants, however!)

About the quality of marijuana... I have no evidence. From a business perspective, however, a low bar of entry = trust is difficult to establish = fierce competition = mass production + low quality is the best way to win the market over. This happens on almost every market of the type (clothing, toys, furniture, ...). Also, I don't indulge, but have many friends who do, and I have heard complaints of grass -literally- or random cheap plants being blended with the cannabis to increase the weight, etc. :dry:

 

If you don't really want to, then stick by your guns. It's not so great that it has to be on your bucket list.

If you really want to experiment, I'd wait until I was older, and then for the first time I'd do it with a trustworthy person who is experienced with smoking weed and knows about the different types, their strengths, and where to find a trusted source.

I do know for a fact that, like alcohol and other drugs, it can be very detrimental to your general well-being and mental health if you do it too often, so it really should be only a sometimes thing.