My friends are doing pot more and more. Should I worry?

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BrownEyedBoy

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Alright, so they used to do it occasionally, so they could get an extra "high", if you will, at parties or nights out. But now I've noticed a trend that they've been going out almost every day and sometimes they don't even tell me they're going out just because I refuse to smoke weed.

I am aware that marihuana is the "foot-in-the-door" when it comes to drug and I've begun to worry about them. Should I worry about it? Because I know there are a lot of people who do it constantly and are fine so I'm not sure if I should worry. I'm scared out of my mind of drugs because I've heard way too many stories of rockstars who have experimented with drugs and have not ended up well. But more importantly, should I do anything? I know that when I say things against drugs they withdraw and pretty much just keep doing it without my knowledge.

Thanks in advance to everyone.
 
generally, pot is not a big deal.

it can kill motivation, but not much else. stoners tend to get terribly boring but most of them don't get into harder drugs, and many people outgrow marijuana. i wouldn't worry about friends getting high before going out, but i might start to worry about someone who sat at home and was stoned all day.
 
I'd guess either they'll grow out of it or you'll grow out of being friends with them. I think it's natural for young people to experiment, but when someone doesn't grow out of smoking pot (or partying heavily, or drinking a lot, or anything like that) that you should start to worry. While some people who smoke marijuana do end up trying other more dangerous drugs, that's definitely not always the case. Keep an eye on them; if you see any big personality changes or are really concerned for their safety, don't be afraid to speak up.
 
generally, pot is not a big deal.

it can kill motivation, but not much else. stoners tend to get terribly boring but most of them don't get into harder drugs, and many people outgrow marijuana. i wouldn't worry about friends getting high before going out, but i might start to worry about someone who sat at home and was stoned all day.

I have to disagree. :( My co-worker's brother accidentally shot and killed himself when he and his buddies were higher than kites. No other drugs (or drink) but pot involved. They didn't get high all the time either. :(

I'm not saying pot is deadly or whatever but too many people just blow it off as not dangerous at all. You can also get a DUI. :shrug:

On the other hand, all my college roommates were potheads. :) I never smoked but they used to tease me that they'd empty one of my cigarettes (back in the day when I smoked) and mix it in. lol It was never an issue for us. They respected my desire not to do it and I respected their desire to smoke.
 
generally, pot is not a big deal.

it can kill motivation, but not much else. stoners tend to get terribly boring but most of them don't get into harder drugs, and many people outgrow marijuana. i wouldn't worry about friends getting high before going out, but i might start to worry about someone who sat at home and was stoned all day.


actually that's not true...
one joint does as much damage to your body as 30 cigarettes.. not to mention the amount of brain cells it kills... it's comparable to alcohol... seems innocent, but if you over-do it, it can cause great damage, especially for kids who are still growing, becuase it will disturb the growth...
 
actually that's not true...
one joint does as much damage to your body as 30 cigarettes.. not to mention the amount of brain cells it kills... it's comparable to alcohol... seems innocent, but if you over-do it, it can cause great damage, especially for kids who are still growing, becuase it will disturb the growth...



well ... i agree that one joint is more physically harmful than one filtered cigarette, but most people don't smoke joints in the way that they smoke cigarettes. ever hear of a pack-of-joints-a-day smoker?

what's also true, i've found, about marijuana, is that the behavior of stoners is far less anti-social than drinkers. you don't hear about people beating up their girlfriends or driving into minivans filled with kids or date raping someone while they're stoned. but you hear all about this in regards to alcohol. the only reason why alcohol is a socially acceptable intoxicant and marijuana is not is due to culture (with not a little bit of racism for good measure). one isn't measurably worse than the other, though a full-bodied glass of red wine sure tastes better than a bong hit.
 
In my personal experience with my son, he got caught up with the wrong crowd that started with pot and went into much heavier things drug-wise along with theft, vandalism, etc. Thank goodness over time my son wised up and found new friends which is what I might suggest you do especially if you are worrying so much. Teens can be so mean and the ridicule and peer pressure might be too much for you if you continue to chill with this pot smoking group without partaking yourself. Sounds like you've got a good head on your shoulders. Use it to your advantage!
 
I lived a quite similar situation when I was a teenager, my friends were doing pot more and more frequently (I smoked marijuana twice or three times, but, thanks God, I didn't like it), when I think back about those times I see that I was worrying because deep in my heart I felt that the situation wasn't going well, I went to a different uni and found different friends, then, some time later, I learnt that most of them had gone into coke. You can't know by sure if it's going to get serious, but if you worry about it, there are high probabilities of being something to worry about, my advise: try and find new friends.
 
I find pot to be as distasteful as cigarettes and can't bear smokers of any kind in my vicinity while they are smoking. Even afterwards, I wonder if they realize how badly they smell (no, you can't disguise it, even though you think you're doing a fabulous job).

That said, it really depends on whether your friends are just doing it recreationally or whether they're using it to avoid/escape reality. That's when I'd start worrying, because I've seen a couple of people like that and it didn't turn out well.
 
what's also true, i've found, about marijuana, is that the behavior of stoners is far less anti-social than drinkers. you don't hear about people beating up their girlfriends or driving into minivans filled with kids or date raping someone while they're stoned. but you hear all about this in regards to alcohol.

Exactly.

Also, there are different types of 'stoners'.

The ones who sit at home all day on the couch and just smoke pot, dont go get a job, and eat everything in the house and are complete bums.

And there are those that smoke pot and still hold down a job, have a car, live on their own, etc.

It's a problem when all they want to do is sit around and smoke pot and not do anything else. With everything, pot, alcohol, etc effects different people differently. I know many successful people that smoke pot.

And for the record, I smoke cigarettes, and my boss is very sensitive to cigarette smoke and she always tells me how she can never smell it on me. Some people just 'retain' the smoke smell more than others. I've met people that absolutely REEK of cigarette smoke and it really is disgusting, but not everyone that smokes smells like that.
 
I consider myself to be a successful citizen, and I smoke at least once a day, if not a couple. It depends on how your friends are using it, but generally, if they're being responsible about it, you shouldn't have much to worry about.
 
I admit I 've smoked pot (I swear I didn't inhale tho) :ohmy: and I am not totally against it but I prefer people keep it to themselves. I know people can be ""responsible" users and there are thousands of people in the world you'd never imagine smoked pot.

What I do have a problem with is someone like my next door neighbor. We share common fenced front yard and gated back yards and he is constantly having people coming and going in and out of the yards. I have a dog and it pisses me off these frequent visitors of my neighbors are so careless & thoughtless leaving gates open and littering the place with surfboards, skateboards, bicycles, etc. I have spoken with my landlords and the PD about my neighbor and his constant smell (when he opens his windows or doors his place REEKS of pot smoke and he tries to cover it up with that nasty smelling nag champa incense). When I tried to talk nicely to the guy about how it bothers me (I can even smell it in my place thru the vent) he got real nasty and tried telling me he doesn't care what I think or feel because he smokes for medicinal purposes, to keep himself "well". Yeah, right...I've heard that one before too. The landlords on advice of the PD had their attorney draft an addendum to the lease stating no smoking of ANY substances in on or around the premises or property. This hasn't stopped my neighbor or slowed the number of "visitors" who come and go. Nor has my neighbor offered up his "legal scrip showing his right to smoke for medicinal purpose only" to the landlords. The PD is watching him, they've told my landlord they believe the guy is "packaging". My neighbor is just the kind of person I don't feel safe being around. Especially if he is buying and selling and he has young teens coming over on skateboards and bikes, even transient-looking people and my neighbor is probly in his early 30's. These visitors go into his house or thru the house across the backyard into his garage for about 15 mins then they leave. Round the clock. Daily. It drives me nuts and I think it is so disrespectful of the neighbors (like me) and community. My neighbor always looks so stoned and I try to avoid him all the time. This whole thing wouldn't bother me if it wasn't so obvious what was going on and if he was more discreet. Some people.............:doh:
 
We all use drugs, I find pot a waste of time, but harm minimisation is key.

As far as carcinogens go a vaporiser solves that.
 
generally, pot is not a big deal.

it can kill motivation, but not much else. stoners tend to get terribly boring but most of them don't get into harder drugs, and many people outgrow marijuana. i wouldn't worry about friends getting high before going out, but i might start to worry about someone who sat at home and was stoned all day.

I've seen this first hand with people over the years. I've smoked plenty of times over the years, but never craved it or anything harder. But, I know people even in my age group that crave pot and others who have addictive personalities who went further because they couldn't get high enough off pot any longer. But that's a whole 'nother thing. :wink:

Not to mention most companies still test only for pot in most cases. Fail the drug test, don't get a job.


It's time to get new friends. :yes:

He may want to consider this for sure.
The biggest problem is if he's hanging with them and they get busted, there's not a cop on this planet that will believe he's the only one not smoking.
He can probably prove it in court after he hires a lawyer and forks out a misdemeanor fine. The lawyer will cost more than the fine in most states.
That's only if there is not more than personal use on any one of the stoners. Then it's possession with intent to sell, a felony.
Those grand jury trials I sat through 2 weeks of last year, opened my eyes to what's at stake these day's.
Just standing around with a group of people smoking a joint, one can be charged with possession.
 
generally, pot is not a big deal.

it can kill motivation, but not much else. stoners tend to get terribly boring but most of them don't get into harder drugs, and many people outgrow marijuana. i wouldn't worry about friends getting high before going out, but i might start to worry about someone who sat at home and was stoned all day.

SURE KILLS MOTIVATION-got that right.... have a friend who got into it little by little (through some of her other friends) and then got to the point that they do it every day, few times a day and can't seem to enjoy themselves without getting stoned. I find it silly and immature. And for me, as someone who doesn't get high, there is nothing more boring but hanging out with people who are high... to me they are no company.
 
I figure you're a teenager or somewhere along those lines. This is a pretty common situation at that age group. Just take it easy and if you don't want to get involved with it, don't get preachy to them. If you're genuinely concerned, maybe ask to tag along when they're doing their thing, see what goes down, to make sure of stuff. You don't have to like it. There are a few dubious things that some of my friends do that I don't approve of. But dropping them as friends? That's ridiculous. Maybe if they're just a ramshackle bunch that you don't get anything out from, but considering you're asking the question, I bet you're good pals with these guys. You don't need to quit a friendship over some spliffs.
 
I used to smoke at LEAST once a day but I would still consider myself a perfectly functioning person, I just enjoy things more when I'm high. Now I don't smoke as much (maybe a few times a week) but I mean I just finished a year of college with a 4.0 GPA, made deans list, and I have totally normal friends and a very full social life (Sorority, etc). Some of us enjoy smoking a lot and some don't which is totally fine. Like personally I don't need to or enjoy being high for daily activities (especially around meal times :lol: ) but one of my best friends just likes the state of mind and smokes all the time but she's a totally functioning high person. You would never know she was unless she told you. My uncle is a 40 year old man with kids and he takes one hit every night to put him to sleep! I guess it all depends on the person. But for me, for example if I'm going to watch a fun movie or something I'll smoke before it, or if I'm just chilling in my room listening to music and don't have anything to do for the day, or at concerts, etc.

But I do agree that some people with addictive personalities find that pot isn't enough after a while, and those are the people that need to be careful. I will admit, before I started smoking I would have never considered doing other drugs that I have experimented with but I wouldn't ever do those again on a normal basis or anything like the way I smoke. And I did kind of grow out of smoking as much as I used to. I agree with everyone else that it's nothing to worry about unless they stop functioning normally and don't leave the house and stuff like that.
 
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