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Mxtyplk's avatar

I have smoked a lot of weed in my life, and known a lot of stoners. I think it's a significantly riskier and more addictive drug than it's made out to be. There is a low probability but pretty clear link with psychosis. For people who don't have dramatic negative effects, addiction can sneak up on you. It's a weird drug, it's low-risk in so many ways that it doesn't make sense for it to be illegal. But to depict it as harmless medicine seems wrong to me as well -- and I'm concerned that's the message kids are getting. I'm not completely sure what to tell my kids about it when they get older.

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Elana's avatar

Here is my weed story. I smoked a little in HS and college, even smoked some with my dad in late teens, early 20's. It doesn't relax me. I get giggly, somewhat paranoid and I perseverate. (I'm probably a total bummer to get stoned with. LOL)

I voted for legalization here in CA for every reason Freddie mentions. My older son has had anxiety/depression his whole life, was in and out of therapy, and at 17, we caught him smoking with his girlfriend. Absolutely not, we told him. At 18, due to CA's new laws, he spoke with some "doctor" on the internet, got a medical MJ card and could purchase legally whenever he wanted. This time was characterized by (probably normal, but still difficult) adolescent rage and hostility. He went off to college - small liberal arts school in Oregon. LOTS of MJ. Daily. Dropped out March of freshman year. Depressed, anxious, hostile, still using. Needs it to sleep. Terrible time. Summer of that year (he's 19 at this point) - psychotic break. Not just paranoid. We're talking delusions about the neighbors and family, hallucinations, hostility. Bad, very bad. Is he bipolar? Is this mania? Please, dear God, not schizophrenia. Meds (lots), psychiatry, inpatient facility. Stayed 2 of 4 weeks, detoxed from use. Home, not using. Psychosis clearing. Spacy and tremor from meds, wt gain. Slowly better. Pastry school. Promises never, ever to use MJ again. Pandemic -good for him. Needs that time to kind of recover. His brother and friends all home too.

Now. Working at a restaurant. Meds tapered to very low dose. Happy, funny, no hostility, paranoia or delusion. I thank the universe every day. He still has some trouble sleeping- said he was trying CBD. I'm anxious, but told him to speak with his psychiatrist and therapist about it. I hope he never, ever uses again.

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