I'm gonna take the time to make a really informative post, my younger brother who is 16 smoked weed, it got to this point where his addiction was harming the family. He was SO blindsighted by smoking weed and warpped in the mind that he thought it was a good thing for the family. He refused to see any shrinks or take medication for his anxiety claiming it would "change his perosnality" and that the weed relaxed him and made him feel better. When in all actuallity the weed was "chaging his personality" and causing MORE anxiety. Then drug dealers started coming to and hanging around our house, and my parents had the last straw they packed him up and sent him to a drug rehab facility. After 50days of being there and away from home he has improved so much being sober, is an amazing thing and too many people fall into the trap of thinking that weed helps them when it really doesn't. The process of "healing" has involved a lot of family participation but I cannot tell you how much better my brother is and how putting him in rehab was the best thing we ever did for not only him but for the FAMILY. I cannot convince people not to smoke weed but thats how it starts - with curiousity because it is forbidden. Do you know in Amsterdam where it is legal to smoke weed barely any of the locals do it? It's only the tourrists. I know first hand, I lived in Belgium for five years just south of Amesterdam...and my brother didn't develope a weed problem there, it was only until AFTER he moved to sunny CA where it was forbidden and fell into the "wrong" crowd that he picked up his nasty habit of weed.
It's really nice that you post your story, and I'm sorry to hear what you went through, at the same time I am also happy your brother is doing good now!
I love weed and smoke it a lot, doesnt change me as a person I still work, go to school and everything else! Anyone want a j
Maybe if you didn't smoke weed you would be an even better person, particularly if you live where it's illegal...
Ummm thats what my brother thought too, but the difference now is amazing, guess, people don't know what its like to be sober until they are COMPLETELY sober. No problem, its been a tough time but things are so much better now its amazing!
I am completely sober, I used to smoke ALOT of weed. While yes I can say I was lazy when I smoked, it was MY fault not the weed. People blaming weed for the problem and not taking responsibility IMHO is the problem. It's great to have a scapegoat such as weed, family and friends will fall in line and believe that it was the horrible weed and not the person themselves. It was me as a person, it was my friends as people, not 'weed' that caused them to be lazy, that caused them to be any different than their normal selves. In fact we were our normal selves, our normal selves also decided to smoke all day long instead of doing anything else. Those who smoke on occassion, or lightly for the most part are no different than what they'd be if they did not smoke. It is those who abuse it, which again is the persons fault not the plant.
I know a number of high powered executives and contractors and architects who smoke while off the job. They say that it is a great stress reducer. It does not seem to interfere with their job performance. They all make a ton of money but they do say that they do not smoke on the job. Some people can not tolerate it, like me. It affects my nervous system in a bad way. Makes me jittery. You have to be careful about the grass you purchase. Lots of it these days is laced with very toxic chemicals and makes a "high" that is not weed like at all.
Yeah but I bet the weed didn't help because you were probably most interested in getting high....not doing what needs to be taken care of, you could say the same thing about my brother the whole rehab thing has been a whole attitude adjustment!
That's like anything though, video games, watching movies, sex even. It is the person, not the substance. Unless you're talking about something trully addictive such as crack, tobacco, etc.
Speaking from first hand experience of using every drug under the sun and drinking alcoholically for 20 years I'll tell you weed can exacerbate mental illness in some people and generally is a waste of time although it can be quite effective for many to relax, be creative and enjoy themselves if they need to check out from from reality. Make no mistake though that those who are genetically prone to mental illness particularly schizophrenia and paranoia shouldn't use it as it can cause bad paranoia, it can and will tip you over the edge. Sobriety and clean living is the only real way and the truth! Helps cure cancer? hahh helps cause it is more likely. I'm pro legalization and feel MJ should be legal and should replace alcohol as societies "most acceptable mind altering substance" or even better something like Kava kava.
Im 15 and yes I smoke weed but only on weekends with my friends. Right now it's fun, makes skiing, sledding, gaming, eating 100X better but I know when I am 18 I will have to quit.
I agree with you so much, we've seen all these things in my brother, not only that, I want to add that weed can be a gateway drug to other drugs. I know my brother started abusing prescription medication because the "dudes he smoked with used them too"
The 'gateway' drug has been all but dismissed. Tobacco and alcohol are far more 'gateway' drugs. The 'reality' bit also is false, with pot you do not get away from 'reality' you relax. I'm sorry but you are trully trying to blame the substance and his friends and not have your brother take any responsibility for his own actions. --- BTW the 'reality' bit I get more out of 'reality' when I workout hard than I ever did from smoking pot.
Great post! As far as Kava Kava, it was supposed to make my knees wobble, but it didn't actually do me anything significant or noticeable, I still ran my 60 minutes as usual that same night...
For example i would lose my house. So i would think:"Right, i need to try and concentrate and think where my house is" and then i would be like