My friends just invited me to smoke marijuana (schwag) with them but I have never done drugs in my life...?

Question

I thought about trying it just this ONE time and I will never touch the stuff again, never drank or smoked in my life. I'm 16 and I'm kinda lost. They are my best friends so I can trust them with the kind they get. The question is, will doing it one time have any effect on me permanently? Will it damage my brain, lungs or anything? It's just once so I was wondering. Will my grades drop? Thanks guys, I need an honest answer.

No I'm not doing it to be cool or because I'm depressed. I guess I just want to know how it feels you know?

They promised me it wont be laced with anything.

No dude trust me I have control. I can control myself I'm not about to go get addicted to it. I know most people say that but don't mean it, but I do. I'm not stupid. The only thing that is making me want to do this is that my parents have drank marijuana tea when they were in greece. And they are still fine.

They told me they have white widow, but they suggested I start with schwag.

Answer 1

First, you need to look into yourself and decide if you WANT to do this. Don't do it just because you're friends encouraged you.

Second, "schwag" is slang for bad weed -- "bad" in the sense of not very potent, not in the sense of being dangerous. So, IF you decide to use (and I am not saying that you should), try and get some better stuff :)

Third, marijuana, in general, is not an especially harmful substance. Doctors in some states actually RECOMMEND it for a variety of diseases. It is certainly no worse than alcohol or cigarettes and quite probably less harmful. You cannot die from the immediate effects of smoking pot. You will not have sudden brain damage. It is, however, possible that the long-term use of marijuana could lead to lung cancer. This, however, has not been proven. Other studies have even shown that marijuana might inhibit certain cancers and that it can be used to help cancer patients control the symptoms of their cancer treatments.

Fourth, there is very little high quality medical research done on the recreational use of marijuana because, well, it is illegal. Most studies are not well designed (i.e. they don't "control" for other variables in one's life like drinking, mental health, etc.), many rely on self-reported data (which is not very reliable), and some use subjects that are not representative of marijuana users as a whole (for example, a study might only look into marijuana users who are currently in rehab).

Fifth, there are a lot of myths about marijuana. A great book is "Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts" written by a pharmacologist and a sociologist. It should answer a lot of questions you have, especially about the specific effects of marijuana on the body.

Sixth, everyone responds to drugs (from aspirin to marijuana) differently. In my opinion, the worst case scenario you could face in trying marijuana for ONE time is that you wouldn't like it very much and feel a little paranoid. It is also likely you will feel nothing -- marijuana does not always make you "high" the first time you use it. But, on the whole, trying marijuana once is much less horrible than the first time you smoke a cigarette (which I find awful) or the first time that you get drunk and sick.

Seventh, and most important, trying it once will not hurt you. You will not become stupider, except for the period of time that you are actually high (a couple hours at most). You will probably feel relaxed, maybe hungry, maybe content, maybe euphoric, maybe a little on edge (that is natural too), maybe creative, maybe sleepy, maybe lazy, or maybe motivated to go have fun! You will not become a drug addict, you will not turn into someone other than the person you are right now, and you will not be a bad person.

But, before you take my advice seriously, here is where I am coming from: I have years of experience with marijuana related issues and I am a very functional human being. I am considered a reliable and hardworking employee, I have healthy relationships with my family and friends, and I graduated from college with perfect (4.0) grades. There are people who will tell you that you cannot be successful and use drugs. I can personally falsify that: I smoke EVERY DAY and still managed to be valedictorian at my competitive school, hold leadership positions, and get regular promotions at work. It is simply not true to suggest that drugs CAUSE problems. Many times, people with pre-existing problems find themselves drawn to drugs, but that doesn't mean that drugs caused their problems. Often, people use drugs as an excuse for their own decisions and problems.

YOU decide the direction of your life, not the substances you ingest. As long as you are in control and making the decisions that you feel are right for you, you will probably make a good decision!

Also, before you go ahead and believe any of the stuff on this board (my content included) -- find a reliable reference. Too many people think they know about pot (it causes brain damage! you will flunk out of school!), but they are relying on urban myths. Get a real medical reference. I would recommend the book mentioned above, it should be available at the public library.

Good luck!

Answer 2

There's still a lot of "Reefer Madness" out there. Nowadays the DARE program does a great job of convincing kids that pot will kill you, or at the very least turn you into a lazy and unproductive citizen. I am constantly amazed at the folks who believe all this negative hype about the drug without having any real experience or knowledge. It's similar to our government trying to convince us of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq to justify a war. It's the war on drugs, instead.

I grew up with the original reefer madness campaign in full force, but I was also the type of person to look at the other side, and what I saw was a lot of people smoking weed who did not seem to have any of the issues the propaganda would have had you believe. It was for this reason that I decided to try it and see for myself. I remember the rush of anticipation and excitement the first time - the thrill of doing something so taboo - and the disappointment that nothing happened!! Persistance paid off the third try and I've been a smoker ever since.

What I see as the basic problem of such propaganda about marijuana is that if you experiment and find out for yourself that pot is not going to make you do all these awful things, then you may think maybe it's the same for crack, or crank, or even heroin. If what my government tells me about pot is not true - what else are they lying about? I believeTHIS is the main reason pot is considered a "gateway drug." Finding out the lies you've been told leads to a belief that nothing else you've heard about drugs is true. Unfortunately, when it comes to harder drugs, the truth is often worse than the propaganda.

That said, smoking pot for the first time won't kill you or harm you in any way. It may not even get you high until you've tried it a couple or three times. If you've never smoked, it may even be difficult for you to inhale enough the first few times without coughing. There can be a bit of a learning curve to getting stoned! Once you do get high, one of two things will happen. You'll either like it, or not. If you like it, you'll be tempted to do it again. NOT because it's addicting, but simply because you like it.

In using any drug, or alcohol for that matter, there is a certain amount of self control required. Knowing when it's appropriate to use or not use a drug is a part of keeping yourself safe. Smoking and driving is not an appropriate use. Smoking before class is also inappropriate. The fact that it is illegal adds another dimension to using. If you're stupid about it, you will get caught. Getting caught is not cool at all. It's harder to get away with it now that drug dogs in schools and random pee tests on the job are the routine.

It sounds like you've given a lot of thought to making your decision, and have even talked to your parents about it. If you do decide to try it, stay safe about it. Use your common sense and find and know your personal limits. It is possible to be a responsible stoner, just as it is possible to drink responsibly.

Good luck - and - btw - go for the widow - leave the schwag alone!

Answer 3

Smoking pot won't ruin your life or your body if you don't let it. -- Try it only if you are comfortable with it! -- I did it a few times and didn't even try it until I was 18 (my friends had been doing it much longer!)... I just started to feel lazy, especially on school nights, and decided that it wasn't for me! I just always felt stupid and slow! Haha.. .(That doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy it, I just had more importnant things to worry about!)-- Don't do something because your friends want you to. Do it when you are ready, if you're not, then don't! --I'll still think you are cool! :)

No, it won't have any permanent effect on you if you do it once. Some people aren't even effected by it the first time they try it! -- You may hate the way it makes you feel... You might like it!

Also, "schwag" is the cheap stuff and the most it will do is give you a headache... Wait til they have something they call "dank" if you want the full effect....

Pot is NOT addictive. -- The HABIT is.

Answer 4

I feel like the bad guy here...but honestly it won't hurt you. The only thing to be aware of is obviously not driving or like going out some place where you might run into trouble. Ive been smoking occasionally for a few years now...only with close friends and not often. I mean just be aware and remain totally in control. Never EVER think you need anything to get through the day especially pot.

Answer 5

Well sweetie. You love you friend blah blah, they promis you it's fine blah blah, you can trust the poit they get blah blah. How do you know? DO you know their dealer? the dealers dealer? they guys his dealers dalers dealer's get's it from? NO you dont, you dont know where it's been, who had it and who is getting money for it in the end. You think the only money goes to the dealer? No way momma, it's a pecking order, this dealer buys this much from that daler marks it up and sells it to this dealer who marks it up, just accidentally spills some other chemicals from the cocain he happens to be makeing in the room next door, and your brick of "unlaced" pot just happens to get a bit wet, and you through some sick twist of fait happen to get that nugget of pot that got wet from those chemicals and your posioning youself and you dont even know, and neither do your friends. That prolly sounds pretty unlikely to you, but baby it can happen. and you think that money for your pot is going to nice , kynd, earth friendly hippies fighting the man? I'll betcha a twenty sack it's not, it's most likely comeing for out of the country from places like mexico or hell maybe even closer, like that asshole out in the country with the vicious dogs who attack NCIS agents and other such things. I am not trying to be a flaimer, or even a fearmonger, but honsetly you DONT NEED DRUGS. no matter how much the tell you "it's safe beacuse it's from the earth" or "GOd grows it so I'm fine with it" It makes you lazy, impotent You cant hold down a good job beacuse you cant pass a drug test and you will never get anywhere untill you quit. and you can keep talking about how "I wont get addicted" beacuse hunny you already pretty much have toked up, you have lead yourself to believe these people are good friends, and all they spend time doing is smokeing pot. If that all they spend their time doing, when are you going to take care of school? You need school trust me. And sweetie, thats not a rant, thats the truth, just ask

Answer 6

doing it once wont hurt but u can hang out and not do it, I use to smoke and had a friend that would just hang out with us while we did it, I actually admired her for being so strong

if u havent tried dont start then u wont know what ur missing.

besides you never know if the weed is pure and might be laced with something like cocaine and that is not good, you will freak out

Answer 7

smoking pot once will most definitely kill you.....

haha, no i'm kidding. it shouldn't have any influence on how you act permanently, unless of course you smoke it everyday. there has been no evidence presented that shows smoking pot causes long term health problems, and It does not "kill braincells" like some people think.

intimately, the decision to smoke pot or not is up to you. don't let other people decide what is ok for you, or what you should be doing EVER!!!! be yourself, trust your gut, and you'll be fine!

Answer 8

NO! Stay away from all of that, even if they are your best friends...they should be sincere enough to understand. Reasons to stay away;

1.) Brian damage will occur
2.) Possibility of death
3.) Senses and awareness level goes down dramatically
4.) Can get arrested for underage drug abuse
5.) You may get addicted after your first try

So just tell them you'll pass and dont go...

and yes these things are permanent

Answer 9

That is your most fatal mistake right there... "It's only this one time." BAD idea. Believe me, many, MANY people have lost their way with that one little 5-word sentence.

Please, if you have ANY respect for yourself, you'll just say no. If they're truly your best friends, they too will respect your decision. Be strong, be smart, and don't start using drugs. I've seen too, too many lives f*cked up by "It's only this one time."

Answer 10

the truth is, one time with pot is not going to kill you. consistent use will affect your grades, job, dates, in general your life. my suggestion is if they really are your friends they will accept the answer of no. be a leader not a follower. and as a side note, pot stops your gag reflex. if you drink and smoke your chances of alcohol poisoning increases a hundred fold. It does kill brain cells cigarette smoking kills bran cells. it is the lack of oxygen that does it.