Why did you start smoking?

[Gee]

I started out of boredom because I was duped into a job in the military that I would have never have chosen if it wasn't for the smooth talking recruitment officer. One day I started talking to a mate about cannabis and thought it would spice up the monotonous career we had both chosen. This mate was ex SASR (so he was extremely intelligent and fit, not the stereotypical lazy/dumb stoner) so I opened my narrow minded military-warped brain to the world of cannabis. Before then I was 100% anti-marijuana, but now I sit back and wonder how on earth it has been illegal for so long!!! It's good to see the majority of people waking up to the lies we have all been told.

 

I am drunk tonight for the first time in a LOOOOOOONG time cos I don't have any green. I truly wish I had some green because I feel pretty shit house and I know I'm going to feel worse in the morning. I even got angry at my wife earlier cos the fire alarm went off for some strange reason. If I was baked I probably would have just laughed. I feel like a total cock now, it had nothing to do with her.

[Budman2012]

High there,

Yeh , This is a difficult poll to actually vote on .. maybe at least one extra vote box for "A Combination of the Above - Please Elaborate" or something like that ..

But anyway ... the way I figure it , there is always going to be a certain amount of "peer pressure" involved , maybe even if you were to try Cannabis yourself by yourself for the first time ... With peers I'd think it very uncommon that one would be forced (gun to head so to speak) to partake in anything against their will .. sure maybe the more "hardcore" groups in society but not in your average younger peer group these modern times ...

 

So therefore I would think that Curiosity would have to also be a factor most of the time ... I was with a good friend in a comfortable environment and maybe It's my highly strung nature but I always felt a little pressure on any given occasion .. even simply to just try and be a good and perceptive friend and simple things like that

 

But I would say without a doubt it was my Curiosity that wanted to try it , The Opportunity had presented istelf in only a way Stoners could recognize its presentation , .. I had been growing a few little mullies in the scrub (poorly , first time) prior to smoking and I grew up in an area of Australia infamously known for It's Cannabis Culture so although my Oldies didn't smoke , (some aunties and uncles did) , I would say that it was an Environmental Influence also .. even just living in the region ...

 

Also Medicinal use ensued almost immediatly for me as I recognized the positive effects it had for mainly eating , sleeping , depression , PTS , anxiety and pain (I was 13-14) It helped to releive the chronic side effects of a truamatic series of events that left me in hospital for weeks ... as a younger teen I barely knew anything about the morphine (every 5 minutes at one stage) or anything else like that I was administered so much of (through necessity ofc) ... drug addiction was still a fairly foreign concept to me and coming out of hospital (although recommended) I/We thought there was no need to do a course to "ween" of the Morphine etc. .. Started smoking Cannabis not long after and have used medicinally ever since (as well as enjoying the obvious recreational attributes , whether be social or personal).

Sorry to ramble but hopefully that gives some sort of insight into what i feel about this subject and how I may vote .. which will be the curiosity one if I do

 

I think (well i did just now) , that almost bordering the Medicinal side of Cannabis use ... is the Spiritual/Artistic/Philosophical attributes that Cannabis can help so well to manifest in the curious soul .. (or maybe act as a catalyst to expand these attributes that already exist in an individual) .. These type of things are what I personally consider as the real "Recreational" side of Cannabis use ... not the stereotypical representations of Stoners that are usually perpetuated .. Hey man I'm so wasted ... or duuuh! , where'd I leave my car .. there's a mailbox lets trash it (though each to their own ; ) ) ...

Anyhoo .. what am I saying .. oh yeah ... the Medicinal use shouldn't really be seperated from the "other" uses I don't think ... Sometimes it's our Art/Philosophy/Spirituality and Curiosity that keeps us well , In good health also , what can be acheived by the "other than" Medicinal side must in fact help the Medicinal Cannabis Movement as anyone paying attention will realize ... Intellect to solve problems , Music to heal the soul and give high spirits , The culture that defines it , Guidance and prayer ... Research and exploration for something new .. to not settle for an easy way out or a second best or (Snip - oh yeah , stoners heheh ) but to have respect and compassion for our fellow species and all species in order to facilitate a better outcome for all and being the whole.

 

And to be honest , although the Cannabis is so good at helping releive the symptoms of so many Health disorders ... I think that the Spiritual awakening , expansiveness of mind and perception and just the joy of using , not to mention the beauty and experience of growing such an important .. revered and useful plant has probably helped endure my personal love and fascination with this plant and the culture formed from it , moreso than anything else aw heheh

 

O.k. I've rambled long enough (This reply has been edited down to about 1/4 of its original length btw )

Cheerz All , and keep enjoying

 

Budman

[Innocent criminal]

Fantastic in depth answer there Budman, thanks for the thoughts .

 

I have to agree I should have put in an 'combo of the above' answer, maybe a Mod can alter the last answer to include that?

 

I also found

the Medicinal use shouldn't really be seperated from the "other" uses I don't think ... Sometimes it's our Art/Philosophy/Spirituality and Curiosity that keeps us well , In good health

an interesting thought, I have the same opinion. It's been a long time since I smoked because of any external influence as such, I now smoke because I enjoy it on a personal level, the calming, the easing of aches from physical labour and arthritis (started in my early teens), and also the high (I find that I now sit back after a cone and savour the high as it comes on, much like you might savour a nice wine or spirit).

The growing side of pot is also a therapeutic exercise, bringing an inner peace and satisfaction rarely found elsewhere. (until the pigs come sniffin anyway)

 

Just my personal opinion though...

 

THC

Edited May 11, 2009 by TheHeadCing

[sohighstayflyskyhigh]

Hails OS

I found brew as an escape from school and life in the middle of no where land. I think brew has very spiritual quailities. I think over the years i would of thought of hundreds mayb thousands of ideas about the world... should probs start writein this shit down. But yea weed is good shit jus wish it was cheaper.

[cheeba]

In year 8 is when I tried it...I'd heard other kids talking about smoking cones (my mind conjured those incense cones...ha) and getting stoned but had little insight personally.

One time this kid in my year said his brother was growing a plant and he'd sell me some. I got a brown paper lunchbag full of tip and leaf for $5.

Seemed like a decent enough deal, even if I just got what had fallen off the damn tree.'

 

Had a friend around to my place, who'd never had it before (claimed he had...but no...) and chopped this shit up.

Tried to roll some joints, got about 6 of them made with about 3 papers each, they looked a fuckin' mess but held together alright.

 

We didn't even think about smell.

So instead of going to school that day, we'd come home to light up about 4 joints in our loungeroom over about 20 minutes, ha

My mother came home early and caught us, not with anything lit up, but she said "marijuana! you two boys have been smoking marijuana! dont lie, I can smell it in the hall", fair go, we weren't that stealthy about it.

She kicked us out, we just walked to the servo, got a bunch of chocolate and burgers, went across the street to centennial park and chilled in there, sitting cross legged facing eachother, pigging out while pissing ourselves in a laughing cycle while immitating my mothers speech.

We stayed there for about 6 hours.

 

My mother had found and taken the other two...I didn't bitch...

 

Then, the same guy and I found a joint, out the back of the Randwick rececourse hotel. Huge joint...but it had been dropped, it was half in a puddle and snapped.

We gathered...probably pretty stupid but whatever.

Sorted out the weed, ha, "washed" it in a strainer and dried it on the roof.

Rolled 2 more little joints.

That was both our first experience with hydroponic shit, and we thought we were stoned the last time...woo...

 

I only had it occasionally but got into it pretty heavily with a mate from Tafe when I was 15-16, then he moved away so it stopped, ha.

Myself and the gf got back into it, and have been since (use fluctuates) we first grabbed some when I was around 18-19.

It's been on and off but fairly constant.

 

 

As for the overall "why?"

The shit was good and not too much wrong with it that I could see.

Edited May 12, 2009 by cheeba

[JaykeSucks]

I honest first did it because I was suffering from depression and the meds I was taking were only making my hair thin out.

It really helped, and it's just gone on from there. I haven't felt depressed in ages, and my love for grass has also evolved into recreational growing and general interest.

It's great.

[tangwena]

Good thread this, I was at school in Africa and some older boys were talking about dagga, I bull shitted that I had tried it so they called me on it and said bring some in or else. Luckily our house servant (every one had servants) was able to hook me up with some primo gear that tripped the older guys out, after that I was smoking primo bud and selling it at school. I only stopped selling it after getting busted twice and being threatened  with jail by the magistrate. But I never gave up smoking it till my lungs shat themselves a few years ago now I just chew it and ingest it, its heaps stronger and lasts twice as long. I can stop for a few days but after 5 days it gets to boring being straight. Otherwise its every day.

Tangwena

[Serrated edge]

I'd seen people stoned and they didn't act in the fashion that I'd been led to believe by teachers ,family, and the media of 1973. That is ,they didn't carry on like lunatics. And didn't become addicted.

 

I paid 5 bucks for a ciggaret packet stuffed with finger sized buds ,rolled a little joint each for me and a buddy on the train ride home ,we smoked but nothing happened. Thought I'd been ripped off.

That night after another mate confirmed it was grass and I had another smoke I ended up about as stoned as anyone does for the first time .

I've loved the shit ever since.

 

A.. I had no pressure although some peers had tried it.

 

B.. I knew there was a big lie going on about how bad it was supposed to be.

 

C.. I didn't grow up surrounded by it.

 

A + B + C = Curiosity.

[Succubusted]

This mate was ex SASR (so he was extremely intelligent and fit, not the stereotypical lazy/dumb stoner) so I opened my narrow minded military-warped brain to the world of cannabis. Before then I was 100% anti-marijuana, but now I sit back and wonder how on earth it has been illegal for so long!!! After a visit to the popular bong shop http://www.herbtools.ca/ I was hooked up the paraphernalia, visiting the herbtools.co.uk headshop all the time! It's good to see the majority of people waking up to the lies we have all been told. I am drunk tonight for the first time in a LOOOOOOONG time cos I don't have any green. I truly wish I had some green because I feel pretty shit house and I know I'm going to feel worse in the morning. I even got angry at my wife earlier cos the fire alarm went off for some strange reason. If I was baked I probably would have just laughed. I feel like a total cock now, it had nothing to do with her.

My first time.... I don't actually remember..how cliche I do remember my friends first time though! Only because he passed out, and it was deffo due to peer pressure from us all. He made the fatal mistake of using a bong that we had picked up from a shop the day before, he was not ready for a hit like the one he received that day!

Edited October 31, 2016 by Succubusted

[Carnage]

I believe people start fresh a few times in life and change who they are.... people take a break from it all once in a while to reflect.

 

so;

 

-i started smoking as a young teenager to fit in socially on the weekends or after school

 

-later i started smoking again as young adult in social gathering circles of potheads trying to find who i was

 

-last 2 times i began smoking for medical reasons only