8 ms·

I used to wish to be a professional drummer. When I was 14 I attended a drum camp for a week to meet and learn from some of the world’s best drummers, along wit

I used to wish to be a professional drummer. When I was 14 I attended a drum camp for a week to meet and learn from some of the world’s best drummers, along with other children and adults from around the UK with similar ambitions. I became friends with one kid who was exceptionally talented as a musician, but also had a chronic marijuana habit. He was a better drummer than me at the time, but the drum camp was held every year. I attended the following year, and to my surprise, so did he. As I am a huge nerd, I spent the entire year obsessively practicing. My friend spent the whole year smoking marijuana and being complacent. We were excited to see each other and catch up, but it wasn’t long before we started showing off our skills on the drum sets. His heart sank when he realised how dramatically my skills had surpassed his. I think he had a bit of an identity crisis, and likely as a consequence of the frequent substance abuse he developed a deep and blatant paranoia. He tried to commit suicide in his room the following day, and had to be removed from the camp. I didn’t speak to him much after that — kids weren’t quite as connected as they are today back in 2005 — but to my surprise he did manage to contact me a couple of years ago. I asked him how he was, and he said he was doing better now after rehabilitation, but that life got much worse for him since we last met, explaining that he had been addicted to heroin. I recognise that this is an extreme case, but I grew up with a lot of kids like this, and marijuana is scary as shit to me, despite some nerds today being adamant that it’s excellent and certainly better than alcohol.

hansworst 5y ago
This is an interesting story, but you have to wonder what led to this kid starting to smoke weed in the first place. It sounds to me like he may have had bigger underlying mental health issues that caused him to start smoking, rather than the weed being the cause of his subsequent suïcideer attempt and heroin addiction.
- dunefox 5y ago
  Depression can be a big factor, so I rather see cannabis use as a symptom not as the illness.
- vorpalhex 5y ago
  And what if the weed took his minor problem and significantly magnified it? We see this behavior happen all the time in other drugs like SSRIs.
  - animal_spirits 5y ago
    That's how I feel when using. The good times become better, but the bad times become worse.
registeredcorn 5y ago
I hope that you do not regret telling this story, I appreciated it very much. I am glad to hear that your friend is doing better. I have similar experiences with losing friends in a similar fashion. It is a sad thing.
sneak 5y ago
I'm not sure how a suicidal heroin junkie fucking up their life with hard drugs is relevant in a thread about cannabis. The whole "gateway drug" nonsense was debunked decades ago.
- jb1991 5y ago
  This. The very vast majority of cannabis consumers will never touch hard drugs, and have no desire to even consider it.
  - ALittleLight 5y ago
    I don't know if the "gateway" concept is true or not but this fact (if true) doesn't dispute it. If you imagine hard drug use as a funnel with an optional step at the top - marijuana, with a very low conversation rate, the fact the conversation rate is low doesn't mean it's not the top of the funnel.
    - scaramanga 5y ago
      All of which would equally apply to alcohol or tobacco. And the data to support such a link for alcohol or tobacco is apparently just as strong, if not stronger. But this whole line is a canard. The question is, would prohibiting any or all of those help anyone? Does prohibition help or not? Because prohibition is the one part of the equation that a debate could actually have any affect on. But I think it is quite clear why so much time, energy, and dubious argumentation is spent avoiding that question.
      - ALittleLight 5y ago
        The consequences of a statement are irrelevant to the truth of that statement. My point, as I wrote, is that it may or may not be true that marijuana is a gateway drug even if few marijuana users actually go through that gateway.
        SirHound 5y ago
teen 5y ago
This is totally irrelevant in multiple different ways.
- futharkshill 5y ago
  Why is it that everytime a bad story about MJ is mentioned, there are always so many people in comments doubting authenticity and relevancy? It is almost like an agenda or something
  - ProfessorLayton 5y ago
    Maybe because it has been scapegoated as a "gateway drug" for years and years by various interested parties?
    - johnnywasagood 5y ago
      Plain old denialism.
  - cthalupa 5y ago
    People are skeptical on any side about purely anecdotal experiences. I've posted pro-marijuana anecdotal experiences in here, but I don't expect people to take it as gospel, and frequently specifically call it out as a personal anecdote. In the past, have seen the exact sort of response your replying to directed towards me. And that's fine, because anecdotes aren't data! But it's just hard to separate correlation from causation here. Not all people who drink or smoke or do other drugs are depressed, but plenty of depressed people will drink or do drugs. Plenty of people that have natural talent or skill, or who worked long enough to get to "the top of their game" get complacent even if they do not regularly engage in any of the vices we're talking about here. Arrogance and complacency are hardly unique to drinkers and smokers. Even from an anecdotal perspective, assuming that marijuana was a contributor to the person becoming complacent, it seems unlikely that the marijuana was a strong causative factor in the suicide attempt. There are a lot of people that smoke pot regularly, and by definition, most of them are not the best person at their hobbies or professions, and they're not committing suicide. There's obviously some deeper issues in play here. (And I think it might be totally reasonable to say that people that have those deeper issues should avoid mind-altering substances)
robinduckett 5y ago
14 year olds don't get access to weed without someone either giving it to them or giving them the money to do it. I doubt you showing him up had much to do with the suicide attempt, so don't worry.
stevev 5y ago
As a user, I highly recommend that anyone under 21 not use cannabis. Their young brain is still developing. It’s a drug like alcohol. Addiction can have consequences.
- Mezzie 5y ago
  Agreed. I started my drug usage in my mid-20s (including alcohol) and I highly recommend it. My brain was done cooking and I had enough self-confidence + self-awareness to not make dangerous decisions.
  - sweetheart 5y ago
    Same here! Both for alcohol and weed. Based on the little I know, that seems to be much better than starting to smoke while the brain is developing.
JohnBooty 5y ago
If you begin a habit from an unhealthy place -- then yeah, it can be the beginning of a negative feedback loop. Sounds like this kid started from a bad place, and I'm not sure that a 14 year old could possibly begin a weed habit from a healthy place. Hell, even 20 seems a bit early. nerds today being adamant that it’s excellent Well, it's certainly a tool. Tools can help you or hurt you. I think a lot of people have success with it. But, people hurt themselves with it too. I really wince when people talk about weed as some kind of magic cure.
gwbas1c 5y ago
Remember, this is anecdotal. I'd view the problems with marijuana (and heroin) as symptoms of mental health issues; not the cause.

hansworst 5y ago

This is an interesting story, but you have to wonder what led to this kid starting to smoke weed in the first place. It sounds to me like he may have had bigger underlying mental health issues that caused him to start smoking, rather than the weed being the cause of his subsequent suïcideer attempt and heroin addiction.

dunefox 5y ago
Depression can be a big factor, so I rather see cannabis use as a symptom not as the illness.
vorpalhex 5y ago
And what if the weed took his minor problem and significantly magnified it? We see this behavior happen all the time in other drugs like SSRIs.
- animal_spirits 5y ago
  That's how I feel when using. The good times become better, but the bad times become worse.

registeredcorn 5y ago

I hope that you do not regret telling this story, I appreciated it very much. I am glad to hear that your friend is doing better. I have similar experiences with losing friends in a similar fashion. It is a sad thing.

sneak 5y ago

I'm not sure how a suicidal heroin junkie fucking up their life with hard drugs is relevant in a thread about cannabis. The whole "gateway drug" nonsense was debunked decades ago.

jb1991 5y ago
This. The very vast majority of cannabis consumers will never touch hard drugs, and have no desire to even consider it.
- ALittleLight 5y ago
  I don't know if the "gateway" concept is true or not but this fact (if true) doesn't dispute it. If you imagine hard drug use as a funnel with an optional step at the top - marijuana, with a very low conversation rate, the fact the conversation rate is low doesn't mean it's not the top of the funnel.
  - scaramanga 5y ago
    All of which would equally apply to alcohol or tobacco. And the data to support such a link for alcohol or tobacco is apparently just as strong, if not stronger. But this whole line is a canard. The question is, would prohibiting any or all of those help anyone? Does prohibition help or not? Because prohibition is the one part of the equation that a debate could actually have any affect on. But I think it is quite clear why so much time, energy, and dubious argumentation is spent avoiding that question.
    - ALittleLight 5y ago
      The consequences of a statement are irrelevant to the truth of that statement. My point, as I wrote, is that it may or may not be true that marijuana is a gateway drug even if few marijuana users actually go through that gateway.
      - SirHound 5y ago

teen 5y ago

This is totally irrelevant in multiple different ways.

futharkshill 5y ago
Why is it that everytime a bad story about MJ is mentioned, there are always so many people in comments doubting authenticity and relevancy? It is almost like an agenda or something
- ProfessorLayton 5y ago
  Maybe because it has been scapegoated as a "gateway drug" for years and years by various interested parties?
  - johnnywasagood 5y ago
    Plain old denialism.
- cthalupa 5y ago
  People are skeptical on any side about purely anecdotal experiences. I've posted pro-marijuana anecdotal experiences in here, but I don't expect people to take it as gospel, and frequently specifically call it out as a personal anecdote. In the past, have seen the exact sort of response your replying to directed towards me. And that's fine, because anecdotes aren't data! But it's just hard to separate correlation from causation here. Not all people who drink or smoke or do other drugs are depressed, but plenty of depressed people will drink or do drugs. Plenty of people that have natural talent or skill, or who worked long enough to get to "the top of their game" get complacent even if they do not regularly engage in any of the vices we're talking about here. Arrogance and complacency are hardly unique to drinkers and smokers. Even from an anecdotal perspective, assuming that marijuana was a contributor to the person becoming complacent, it seems unlikely that the marijuana was a strong causative factor in the suicide attempt. There are a lot of people that smoke pot regularly, and by definition, most of them are not the best person at their hobbies or professions, and they're not committing suicide. There's obviously some deeper issues in play here. (And I think it might be totally reasonable to say that people that have those deeper issues should avoid mind-altering substances)

robinduckett 5y ago

14 year olds don't get access to weed without someone either giving it to them or giving them the money to do it. I doubt you showing him up had much to do with the suicide attempt, so don't worry.

stevev 5y ago

As a user, I highly recommend that anyone under 21 not use cannabis. Their young brain is still developing. It’s a drug like alcohol. Addiction can have consequences.

Mezzie 5y ago
Agreed. I started my drug usage in my mid-20s (including alcohol) and I highly recommend it. My brain was done cooking and I had enough self-confidence + self-awareness to not make dangerous decisions.
- sweetheart 5y ago
  Same here! Both for alcohol and weed. Based on the little I know, that seems to be much better than starting to smoke while the brain is developing.

JohnBooty 5y ago

If you begin a habit from an unhealthy place -- then yeah, it can be the beginning of a negative feedback loop. Sounds like this kid started from a bad place, and I'm not sure that a 14 year old could possibly begin a weed habit from a healthy place. Hell, even 20 seems a bit early. nerds today being adamant that it’s excellent Well, it's certainly a tool. Tools can help you or hurt you. I think a lot of people have success with it. But, people hurt themselves with it too. I really wince when people talk about weed as some kind of magic cure.

gwbas1c 5y ago

Remember, this is anecdotal. I'd view the problems with marijuana (and heroin) as symptoms of mental health issues; not the cause.