During my high school years, I went through a phase where I was quite the cannabis enthusiast. While I didn’t indulge every day, weekends typically found me smoking weed with friends and my boyfriend. Looking back, it wasn’t my best period, but I managed to handle it responsibly, enjoying the usual stoner insights about life and existence.
That was until everything changed during my senior year. After recovering from bronchitis, I found myself on antibiotics and still coughing quite a bit. When a close friend came by with some weed, we thought it would be a better idea to eat it rather than smoke it.
I had no idea how wrong that decision would turn out to be.
Many people are aware that consuming marijuana can lead to much stronger effects than smoking it, but I underestimated just how intense it could get. I definitely didn’t monitor how much I was eating, and I couldn’t fathom how the combination with my medication might affect me.
Within an hour of ingestion, I was in full-blown panic mode. It felt like I was floating outside my body, completely detached from reality. I began to fear I was losing my mind and would never return to being myself again. This overwhelming sense of disassociation was paired with a surge of anxiety and paranoia; my heart raced, and I was shaking uncontrollably.
I remember frantically calling my boyfriend, who was away at college. “I ate some weed,” I told him, “and something is really wrong.” His laughter only made my anxiety worse. Despite his attempts to calm me down, nothing seemed to alleviate my terror. I truly believed I was on the brink of insanity and that hospitalization was inevitable.
Fortunately, as the effects wore off after a few hours, I returned to normal. But that experience left a lasting impression. I vowed never to consume marijuana again, although I did try smoking it a few times afterward. Each time was a reminder of my earlier episode, and the paranoia lingered, making it impossible to enjoy the experience.
By the end of my early college years, I decided that smoking was not for me either. Despite some peer pressure to try it again, I realized it simply wasn’t worth it. Coming to this conclusion was a pivotal moment in my youth, allowing me to assert my boundaries.
I want to clarify that I don’t judge those who use marijuana for health or therapeutic reasons. I completely understand its importance for many individuals, especially with the various strains available today. However, I’m not interested in experimenting further.
As a mother of two boys who will likely explore substances like marijuana and alcohol in the future, I feel it’s essential to highlight that not everyone has a positive experience with these substances. While I don’t consider marijuana as dangerous as some illicit drugs, I believe society often overlooks the potential negative effects it can have. It’s vital to educate young people about these realities because marijuana can produce different reactions in different individuals.
This will be a part of the conversations I have with my children as they grow older and start to navigate the world of experimentation with drugs and alcohol. I’m committed to being honest and sharing both my positive and negative experiences.
Conclusion
In conclusion, marijuana affects individuals differently, and it’s perfectly acceptable if someone finds they can’t handle it. We need to foster open discussions about the less talked about adverse effects of marijuana use.
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Summary:
My teenage experience with marijuana took a traumatic turn when I tried consuming it instead of smoking. After a severe panic attack, I vowed to avoid it completely, realizing that not everyone has a positive experience with cannabis. As a parent, I plan to educate my children about the risks and realities of substance use.