Significant Others: Girlfriends & Boyfriends / Question
Published: December 17, 2002
Dear TeenHealthFX,
My boyfriend does weed once in a while (once a month or so) and I told him this is bad for him, but I can't give him some straight reasons why he should stop. Could you tell me some reasons why he shouldn't smoke weed?
Signed: Boyfriend Smokes Weed
Dear Boyfriend Smokes Weed,
Good for you for looking out for your boyfriend's health. You are a good friend - and you are right, smoking marijuana is not at all a smart or healthy thing for him to do, however infrequently.
Here is the information on marijuana:
Marijuana gives a person a high or relaxed feeling and changes how a person would normally think or feel. This is not reality-based and seems like a method of escaping the real world, which is not good. Not only is it bad to be high most of the time, but there are also serious health risks involved with marijuana use.
Marijuana's short-term effects are:
- Risk of Bad Marijuana - Marijuana could be laced without your knowledge with anything making it even more dangerous. If it is mixed with other drugs or poisons, it can do physical damage to your body (sometimes deadly).
- Decreased Mental Abilities - You may put yourself in situations where you practice unsafe sex, which can lead to a sexually transmitted disease. You may also get behind the wheel of a car to drive, leading to a deadly accident.
- Difficulty with Concentration & Mental Confusion - Marijuana may cause you to forget easily, and have difficulty studying and learning.
- Bloodshot Eyes - It just doesn't look good!
- Excessive hunger - You may eat unhealthy food that you are craving due to marijuana use. This can lead to weight gain.
- Sleepiness - Your weekend's no fun if you sleep through it.
Marijuana's long-term effects are:
- Psychological Dependence - You may start feeling like you need the drug to get by in your daily living, which is not good for you and very expensive.
- Increased Tolerance - Your body may require more and more marijuana to get the desired effect.
- Sexual Issues - Marijuana affects your hormone levels causing a lack of sexual pleasure, decreased sperm count in males and infertility in females.
Marijuana is also illegal and can lead to arrest, conviction and in some cases jail time. You may also want to take into consideration your parents reaction. Depending on school policies you may have very severe consequences to accept if marijuana is detected through a school drug test.
Although marijuana may not be physically addicting, you can develop a psychological dependence that makes quitting tough. If you think that your boyfriend is having a hard time stopping then encourage him to ask for help. If he lives in northern New Jersey he can call the Access Center from Atlantic Behavioral Health at 888.247.1400 for more information. There are also self-help groups available such as Marijuana Anonymous that can help.
Keep in mind that it may also help for you to print out his answer and show it to him when you decide to talk about it again.
Signed: TeenHealthFX
Adolescents are more likely than young adults to become dependent on prescription medications.
