I’ll never forget the first time I was around marijuana. Isn’t that sad? Isn’t it sad how more than likely every child or young adult will come across drugs at some point in their lives? In any case, I first came across marijuana when I was in college. Yes- I don’t know how I made it through high school without having ever encountered drugs. Oh wait- I know cheap bongs. It’s because I hung around people who didn’t do drugs. That and I lived a pretty sheltered life: Thanks Mom and Dad! In any case, I was walking through the

hallways in my dorm and saw a guy smoking something. As I walked past him, I smelled something that smelled kind of sweet but definitely wasn’t a cigarette. I later found out from my roommate that this guy was smoking marijuana. That was my first encounter with marijuana and it certainly wouldn’t be my last. I would come across it many more times when I worked as a police officer for a couple of years.

So, what is this fascination with marijuana? I actually found out from my father that my grandfather, who died before I was born, was given marijuana to smoke when he was dying of cancer. Apparently marijuana has medicinal purposes. In his case, he smoked marijuana because it relieved the pain caused by pancreatic cancer. But, there are plenty of people out there (and young people at that) who don’t have

any medical problems, but yet, are smoking marijuana. The reasons for this (or at least one reason) is because marijuana has a calming effect on people. Marijuana, which is also referred to as pot, grass, weed or an entire host of other names is by far, one of the world’s most commonly used illegal drugs and can actually be a lot more dangerous than it looks. I say that it can be more dangerous than it looks because it can actually be “laced” with other drugs to give it a more potent effect.

However, if it is laced improperly, it can have adverse effects on the person smoking it which may result in death. A lot of people will tell you that marijuana is one of those gateway drugs into more serious drug use such as heroin and meth. They would be correct. A lot of people who smoke marijuana don’t see any harm in doing so, and therefore take this same attitude and approach when faced with other drugs. Marijuana is usually smoked in a pipe, which is sometimes referred to as a bong. It can also be smoked by rolling it up into loosely rolled cigarettes known as “joints”. Some people will even go so far as to slice

open and hollow out cigars, replacing the tobacco with marijuana to make what are called “blunts”. Joints and blunts may also be used to smoke other drugs such as crack and PCP. The best method of stopping the use of illicit drug use is prevention. Talk to your kids about the dangers and negative consequences associated with drug use. Let them know that you care about them and that you don’t want to see them go down the wrong path. It may end up saving their lives one day.