I was addicted to marijuana for three years. All throughout high school, I was very against it. I felt that anyone that used it was weak and a loser. My reasons for taking such a harsh stance against weed and drugs was because my Father was a drug addict, and I watched him get high from when I was 7 until the day he overdosed and passed away when I was 14.
I started smoking pot when I was 18. I gave in to peer pressure after all that time of bashing and staying away from it. For 2 years, I smoked pot and loved it- it was great. I'd get to chill with my friends, blaze it up, and just enjoy the high and relaxation. Unfortunately, a very stressful weekend at the end of the summer in 2010 changed everything. A series of events happened within a 2 day period that changed my reaction to weed. The next time I smoked- I began to have a terrible panic attack, and I thought I was going to die. Now some of you may laugh, but the truth is, even though I could rationalize and know in my head that my anxiety was bull****- it didn't help. Thinking you can die at any moment and facing that fear is terrifying. Every time I've smoked weed since then, I've panicked- with nothing able to calm me down. My addiction continued for about a year before I was finally able to quit for good and I've never been happier. I have my life back, and I'm no longer controlled by this substance.
Why do I tell you this?
Simple. I still believe that marijuana can be very beneficial for some, and if used appropriately- it's really not that bad. It's like alcohol. If you drink socially, on occasion, it's not going to hurt you. But if you drink everyday- then you're an alcoholic. The problem with marijuana is that it's more addicting than alcohol. If you're of the lucky few that can smoke on occasion without becoming addicted; GREAT, enjoy. But you take a risk by beginning in the first place- you may be unable to quit.
In terms of legalizing it- I think that it SHOULD be legalized, with strict regulations enforced. I don't think just anyone should be able to walk into a head shop and pick up some bud. I think that doctors need to prescribe it on a very strict case by case basis that makes it much harder to get than it is in California today (docs will give it to anyone). At the end of the day- it's your life. For me, pot was negatively effecting my life. Before the panicking- I was a lazy, unmotivated hermit that thought pot enhanced all of these things in my life. Yes, it makes music and television and all that **** more interesting. But for me, I want to achieve my goals- and weed was preventing me from doing that.
I leave you with this MUST watch video for any doubter of legalization -
