DOSE:

repeated

smoked

Cannabis

BODY WEIGHT:

155 lb

I had maybe smoked 10 times at the most before my freshman year in college started. During the first week one of my floormates offered me to smoke a joint with him, and this continued every other day. About a month into the semester I had began smoking weed every day, usually with 2 other people. I also picked up the habit of smoking a cigarette or two afterwards, because of the feeling of 'I need something to smoke.' It got to the point later in the school year where I was smoking 3-4 times a day. My roommate, who did not smoke, started calling me a 'stoner' and 'pothead.' It was weird because it was not just me that had picked up this habit, but nearly every person on our floor smoked every day. I had, along with my entire floor, become weed fanatics. I enjoyed it very much and it didn't lower my grades at all! In fact, I ended freshman year with a 3.3 GPA.

The reason I am telling this story is to prove it is not addictive but does have consequences. It turned into a ritualistic act with 2-4 of my close friends within 2 months of the first semester. We would all get in my car at around 9-10 PM and drive up to a parking lot where I had a valid parking pass, as to not get a ticket. We would all get very excited when this time came. In consequence, 'Lot 59' became code for going to smoke. We would light up 3-5 bowls of some high-quality bud and pass the bubbler (later became a bong) around in my car. It was the classic definition of a hot box. As I have learned, these situations are the worst for one's lungs because of the amount of carbon monoxide inhaled. We would listen to music and just chill out in my car with tinted windows. Getting caught was never a threat because cops don't roll there and there is little traffic during the time.

After getting stoned, I don't feel the typical laziness like some do, I want to do something. Afterwards, we either walked or skateboarded back to our dorm room approx. 1/2 mile away through campus which is always an exhilirating experience when extremely high.

Effects/Experiences:

Appreciation of music, beats and instrumentals: I always want to listen to music when I'm high because it soothes the mind, and I do appreciate it more, it's very enlightening.

Appreciation of talent: I would appreciate sports (as I am a fan of sports) plays and feats more, and the ability to write, compose music, and play video games.

Sensory hallucinations: It's hard to explain what exactly I would feel but it feels like a tingling and warming sensation on my arms, I always get that. And I always think I can feel my intestines, stomach, lungs, it's a cool and odd feeling at the same time.
I always get an encompassing headiness and things always seem brighter than they are.

Visual hallucinations: Only once have I experienced this, and it's pretty weird but I had the sense to say 'whoa, I just hallucinated.' When walking back to my dorm room once, I envisioned 3 people staring at me (eerily) on a bench from far away, but when we got closer, there was no one there.

Mind racing: I always think things through and talk less when I'm high. It's sort of like seeing the thoughts in my head (Stoners know what I'm talking about).

Munchies and Dry-mouth: This is the staple of physiological effects and is wanted. I Always have some water when smoking. It's weird because I think it's hard to swallow any liquid with carbonation or high sodium content when high and it feels awkward so I avoid it. I would eat and never stop, because I lose the feeling of being full: kind of cool because I am never satisfied after eating something, I just want more.

My friends and I would always hear something that never existed, but only within in our minds. My friends would also develop a mild-paranoia of getting caught while smoking in the car, but I never did only when someone was relatively close and could have the opportunity of scoping in on our smoking session.

One of the weirdest occurences I had with weed was after smoking once I threw up and constantly felt sick to my stomach. After I threw up had the feeling of 'I'm going to die.' It was severe anxiety, panic attacks, and paranoia. I also had strange visions when I closed my eyes: for example I saw a hedgehog eating grass right in front of my face, and very bright lights swirling around me and I felt like I was falling eternally into some abyss. A very dreamlike state. I guess I also told my roommate that I thought I might never wake up.

Unwanted side effects:

The Chronic cough: I learned I couldn't play too many games of basketball anymore without coughing furiously. Also, when I did any physical activity, I would get high because the THC would be burned that was stored in my fat cells, decreasing my focus and my shot would be awful.

Changing sleeping patterns: Weed makes me stay up for 3-4 hours after smoking and then I crash hard. If I smoked at 12, I wouldn't go to bed until 4 AM, and I had class early.

Justifying Myself: I had to justify every action I gave up so that I could smoke. I would say 'I have to do something, so I'll smoke, it's so boring in the dorms!'

Bank Account Drops: I'm not going to tell you how much I spent, but it's way way way too much. And I'm frugal.

Psychological Dependence: This was low-moderate for me, but there were some people on my floor who would freak out/flip shit if they didn't smoke everyday. Feeling Drained all the time, and just feeling like I was not myself, like I was living in a haze every day (very drowsy) and unproductive. I believe this is called 'burnt-out' I was definitely that.

Marijuana does open up the mind, and I have only smoked myself to the brink of mental incapacity once or twice.

When I came home from school during the summer, I continued smoking but the priority and frequency decreased. It decreased to about once per week, even though I was extremely bored being at home in the suburbs with nothing to do. Finally, I just stopped smoking - cold turkey. I thought I would have some withdrawals symptoms but I didn't. I have been clean for about a month and a week, and my body feels so much better. I don't feel like I'm in a haze during the day when I'm not high. I lost my cough, and I feel so healthy. I think I will smoke in the future, maybe once a week max, but not with the frequency that I used to. For one, it's an expensive habit, and I don't think it's something to dedicate my life to as I did in the past year.

Exp Year: 2005	ExpID: 55378
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Feb 21, 2009	Views: 7,993
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Cannabis (1) : Retrospective / Summary (11), Not Applicable (38)