Marijuana - Advice?

[Mentalpants]

If you're young and you're in college that's the place to be experimenting. Weed can be misused. But it can also be very fun. And the risks involved are negligible enough that (unless you have an existing mental disorder, or a known susceptibility to one) that trying it should really be some where on your agenda.

I think a lot of people have a bad image of the drug because perhaps some of the worse students in their high school did it, and were dicks about doing it too, wearing it as a badge. To judge the drug based on their behaviour is simply irrational however. It's pretty rare for a person to judge alcohol based on drunken annoying jocks - if you don't do that you should give weed the same courtesy.

Being bothered by your girlfriend doing it is a very unfair thing to do (provided she's smoking it privately and not in your house where you wish her not to, or some such), and I'm glad that you see that. It's definitely an attitude worth working on. I think the best way to work on that attitude would be to try it with her, as distasteful as that might initially seem.
You never know, it might be a *very* fun experience

The people who I would also say shouldn't try it, apart from those with possible mental illnesses would be anyone who is susceptible to bad procrastination and not being very active with themselves. As it can worsen that a whole bunch. I can't even imagine how many college dropouts have been a victim of weed.

 

[RipRoaringWaterfowl]

Marijuana used to be legal in America back since colonial days when it was grown for export, and by the 20's the drug, now nicknamed Reefer, was being smoked. Then some pompous guy entered the FBI and said that it shpould be illegal, and instigated a scheme to force all pot to Washington D.C., where it was already illegal to have it, to force marijuana out.

The problems people have with marijuana are because the law says it's bad, and the law is because of one man who decided reefer was wrong. I don't really like marijuana, though that's because when smoked a lot over time it can cause brain damage that slows thinking, drive, and motor control, plus makes the user lose sense of time. Not because of the law.

Also, marijuana in pill form for medical purposes? Good.

 

[Hagi]

Legalizing weed would probably go a long way towards removing it. It works where I'm from (the Netherlands) and we have among the lowest weed usage rates in the western world.

I'm sorry but that's just wrong. It's only legal up to a point.

I know, I could write a few paragraphs explaining how exactly the system works.

But for most responsible practical uses it basically boils down to legalized.

And if we're going for the full story then it isn't even legal up to a point. It's completely illegal. There's just another law stating that you can't be arrested and/or fined for breaking that first law as long as you keep to certain amounts and locations.

 

[teisjm]

This is gonna sound more rude than intended, so pardon the unsmooth language. It is not meant to make you sound stupid, wrong or anything else, it just makes it easier for me to get my point across, so again i ask your forgiveness in advance, and please don't take anything personal.

I find the question slightly confusing, do you want to become okay with it? or are you looking for justifications for feeling troubled by it?
I'm gonna assume it's the first, for the sake of the post, since i can't give you a halfway decent answer to the second option.

You list all the reasons why you shouldn't be bothered by it, stating a lot of points peopel usually use to justify their smoking of weed, i'd do so myself, if i was put in a position where people didn't just accept it.

Heres gonna come some assumptions, if they don't hold, just ignore them. They might apply to others and not you.

You say you're okay with alcohol and ciggarets, but not weed. This might be because weed is not legal like the others, making it sortof a hard stance to take, to object to those things, whereas weed is easier to object at because it's illegal, so you have the "public stance" to back you up in your oppinions. If you have secret dislike for people drinking or smoking tobacco, this is probably into the reason.

You don't smoke weed yourself, so you might not like the way people get when smoking weed, i know for instance that i'm not the most exciting company when i'm high. But then again, you should tell people that they're dull to be around when they're high, and not bother bothering about what the do, when you're not around.

Perhaps You don't like your girlfriend smoking weed, because it's something you can't relate to yourself, and you have some kind of controll freak mindset, that makes you want her to assimilate, and become more like you, because you're afraid of you and her beeing too different or something like that. Just like some people will insist that videogames is retarded, immature and a complete waste of time, totally ignoring the facts that it makes you happy, and can quite often benefit you otherwise as well, when they keep telling you to give them up, and grow up.

Perhaps you were born and raised with the idea of the law beeing something that should be blindly obbeyed, and even though you can see why can be less harmfull/bad han alcohol, you can't get past the point that it's illegal, even if you consider the law stupid. Just like people getting butthurt if they see someone walk over a lightcross when the light is red, just cause there was no cars around.

Perhaps you've been fed too much anti-weed propagande through your school or other places, and can't rid your head of the idea that it is inherently evil, despite your logic saying otherwise.

Perhaps you're justifiably afraid of the legal consequences for her, seeing how it is illegal, and purche and possession of weed can lead to sentences if caught (i don't know what kind of sentences in your country, they're minor where i live, if you're not selling)
If she could face serious legal trouble for it, i can fully understand your concern, despite the actual crime beeing victimless.

Perhaps you're afraid to pull back on your innitial stance, cause it'll make you feel like you "lost" the argument, or that you'd have to admitt you were wrong. Politicians are famous for this, they'd often choose to appear stubborn and stupid rather than admit a mistake. This could possibly apply here as well.

Perhaps it's something completely different, but if you can use anything written above, feel free to tweak it to apply more to you, and if not, remember that this is guesswork from a stranger online, so don't feel judged, or anything like that.

Cheers

 

[Genericjim101]

My opinion is to not do it if you have existing mental illnesses XD

 

[Soundchekz]

Well, duh, excessive use of anything is bad, even water can be bad for you if you drink too much.

 

[Odbarc]

It's bad for you.
It's illegal.

I'm against it. Of course I've never done it.

 

[afroebob]

Logically, it is a bad thing from perspective. Weed leads to a lazier society, this is fact. But some people can handle smoking weed and still be an active member of society and really the same could be said about alcohol, too. Really, smoking weed should be legal (but with restrictions like not smoking weed in public) because even though it does lead to a lazier society (once again, proven fact) it should be legal because

A) We should have to choice to do drugs despite them reducing the overall activity of society because it is a part of freedom and
B) Because while it does lead to a lazier society a good portion of the population can handle weed without it having a negative effect on them and in some cases could possibly even help them and they shouldn't be punished for what other people do.
C) The only reason weed was ever outlawed in the first place where mostly if not all moronic reasons(a major factor was actually racism).
Bottom line this. Do you think if you smoke weed you can handle it? Its fine to do it if can control it and do it in moderation because, like everything else, anything can be bad for you if not done in moderation.

 

[Powereaver]

I can say itself as a fresh leaf marijuana is less worse then a normal cigarette its the drying process they use that makes it a lot worse.

 

[Nocola]

Maybe you don't like being around people who are not sober?

Who does? Ever been the ONE sober guy at a party? Or at a club? It's probably one of the worst feelings one could ever experience.

 

[Zen Toombs]

She said she would [stop smoking marijuana] because she respected the fact that it bothered me. Although, sometimes I wonder if she still does sometimes. I don't like that it bugs me to the point of distrust.

It's good that you recognize that your distrust is likely unwarranted, because otherwise you'd likely see major problems with your relationship with this girl. (You still distrust her to some degree, so you're still having problems. Just smaller ones.)

One way to deal with how you feel is to look at the situation from other angles, and dissect your motives and motivations for your beliefs. For example, do you dislike marijuana because it is illegal? If so, would you also dislike alcohol, dancing, or [insert unusual hobby you have] if the government makes it illegal? Do you dislike it because of the affects it has on your body? If so, what about other drugs (including alcohol or caffeine)?

If you thoroughly look at your reasons for not liking weed and they don't hold water, then your position may change. It often works for me but I am sometimes something of a robot,

[sup] Hi guys! [/sup]​

so this advice may not work quite as well for you.

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

Hi folks, I have a huge problem with weed...

If anyone has any advice for me, or even less likely feels the same way I'd like to hear about it. Thanks guys.

I have a question for you, actually. If marijuana were to be fully legalized, would that change your opinion of your sig-other smoking it?

If the answer is yes, then I'd ask why - you know rationally that tobacco and alcohol are both more harmful and dangerous, so what is it about that particular substance that bothers you.

If the answer is no, then you are only upset by the legal issues. Would you be upset if your girlfriend pirated video games? If she committed tax fraud?

 

[JaceArveduin]

My only problem with it is that the money I would spend on it is money I could be spending on food, or games and books.

before college it would have been the other way around, but food is nice when you're on your own

 

[sniddy_v1legacy]

See I've done this a few times, read about half a dozen, in my life

Not a regular user, but at the right party and in the right mood I would again....

No ill affect, and I'm not a waster....and to be fair haven't used in 6 years maybe, crowd I hang and party with no-one uses and I'm not inclined to find my own supply...

But to be fair it's your life, and if you have issues with it for whatever reason...that's OK.

What concerns me is this 'Although, sometimes I wonder if she still does sometimes. I don't like that it bugs me to the point of distrust'

That's wrong. You either need to trust her more, and if you can't you either need to seek help or maybe a new relationship...alternatively face your distrust, is it the possible side affects, the fact it's illegal or fear of the unknown....

But that distrust is gonna eat at ya and spread if you can't trust her on this, what's next? And TBH I think THAT is the issues hear, trust, not drugs....

 

[LordFisheh]

Hi folks, I have a huge problem with weed...

Woah woah woah, don't jump to conclusions. I never said I smoked it. In fact I never have, and I don't want to. Truth be told I hate it and I get mad at my friends who do. I'm a 19 year old university student. You'd think I'd be all into it, right? My mom even takes it in pill form legally from the government for medical reasons.

I know it's a lot less harmful than for example drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes, and I don't have an issue with those things. So why do I have such a quirk with weed? My girlfriend and I have talked about it before, she's done it a few times and I told her it made me uncomfortable that she did, and I asked her to stop. She said she would because she respected the fact that it bothered me. Although, sometimes I wonder if she still does sometimes. I don't like that it bugs me to the point of distrust.

Logically it makes no sense, I know it's not that bad for you,(compared to other legal substances, anyway) I'm okay with drinking/smoking, my own mother takes it (legally), and I've never had a bad experience, or known a friend who had a bad experience with it before. So what's my problem?

If anyone has any advice for me, or even less likely feels the same way I'd like to hear about it. Thanks guys.

I used to feel pretty similar. It made me uneasy even though by that point my moral compass in theory had nothing against it, short of buying it from third world drug cartels. In the end I just told myself, every time the idea bugged be, 'no, it isn't wrong, and here's why...'. At some point it must have caught, because I have no problem with it now, though I don't do it myself.

In the end, I put it down to the sanitisation of the world I got in school. In civics, we saw a lot of what I now consider propaganda; we were progressive on things like sex but as soon as The Law was being infringed upon, things were different. There was one side to the moral debate, and it wasn't the one of free choice.

 

[AperioContra]

There's an adage I'm quite fond of "You can't dispel with reason and Idea not born in it." Because of this adage, I don't believe I can give proper advice in order to banish your phobia because as you've pointed out, it conflicts with actual. This is an emotional response, probably due to a fear that your friends or your girlfriend may get caught and arrested. This fear is not totally without merit, but it isn't all that likely of an event unless your friends are selling weed as well.

One bit of advice I can give from personal experience is that demanding that a person stops something they like for your personal comfort has a likelihood of building resentment, they will get the feeling of you trying to control them (which no human being likes) again, depending on the situation this feeling may not be born in reason any more than your dislike of marijuana, so it will be difficult to combat. But honestly, that's all I have for you, best of luck.

 

[anthony87]

I was the exact same as you man. Then I tried some and I didn't die.

That's not to say I smoke it regularly, if it gets offered to me I can't predict if I'll say yes or no. More often it's no, sometimes it's yes.

Best advice I can honestly give is to take a drag or two and see how you feel. Maybe you'll like it, maybe you won't but you shouldn't go getting pissed off at your mates and GF for smoking it. If anything at least giving it a go yourself will make you less uncomfortable.

 

[Nocola]

Hi folks, I have a huge problem with weed...

If anyone has any advice for me, or even less likely feels the same way I'd like to hear about it. Thanks guys.

I have a question for you, actually. If marijuana were to be fully legalized, would that change your opinion of your sig-other smoking it?

If the answer is yes, then I'd ask why - you know rationally that tobacco and alcohol are both more harmful and dangerous, so what is it about that particular substance that bothers you.

If the answer is no, then you are only upset by the legal issues. Would you be upset if your girlfriend pirated video games? If she committed tax fraud?

Ah so many posts to respond to. I'll start with yours.

If it was legal would I still have an issue... Yes, probably. But if that's because I inherently don't like it morally or due to societal perceptions built up over many years I don't know. There's so many factors. I think it's just the fact that it's so ingrained to think of it as a negative thing. Why it seems to bother me so much more than other people, to the point of making me angry (like at my friends) I don't know.

But I would be bothered if she broke the law in other ways, fraud, stealing. Quite bothered actually now that you mention it.

 

[kane.malakos]

It may be the culture surrounding weed that you have a problem with. I don't really have a problem with people smoking it, but people who devote their entire lives to it to the exclusion of everything else irritate me. It's a fun diversion for a lot of people, but it's not a gateway to enlightenment, it's not the greatest substance in the world, and there are more important things to do than lay around getting high. Stoner culture annoys me about as much as sports fans do, and for the same reasons.

 

[UrieHusky]

I'm not entirely sure what you're asking for advice wise.
As for not trusting your girlfriend, if you don't have trust you don't have a relationship to be honest with you.
If you're asking whether you're wrong for not liking weed, you aren't. Weed still does harm to your health since you're still inhaling smoke at the end of the day, it's just nowhere near as bad as smoking cigarettes.

End of the day, you're within your right to dislike weed.

Sorry I can't be of more help to you but your question was rather.. arbitrary..