To All Young Ambitious Stoners

When it comes to marijuana, there are usually two reigning beliefs. One is that its horrible. It is the gateway drug from hell that will have you shooting stuff into your arm within a week. The other belief is that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with smoking marijuana at all; that it serves as medicine for people who need it, and come on, when was the last time someone killed themselves or someone else from being high?

Well neither of those myths really speak to regular, everyday people who take a bong hit after work and have Netflix, munchies, and Mary Jane marathons on the weekends. See the problem with smoking weed for the person that doesn’t struggle with cancer or have a desire to do a harder drug is that it doesn’t seem like a big deal. Which in turn makes you believe it isn’t.

So when a blurry state of euphoria sends you on a shopping spree and pricey dinner, you feel great. It’s not until the next morning that the realization causes you so much anxiety you have to blaze another bowl.

Then there’s that article you wanted to write. I mean you didn’t really feel like it; but you were just going to charge through. That is, until you blazed and found more pleasure in reading other’s people’s articles all afternoon instead.

It’s not that cool being high when you’re all chilled out, self conscious, and monotone at family gatherings. Or you smile for a selfie and look like a crying Chinese man. And it also kind of sucks being faded during those weird highs where you overanalyze everything, eat everything, or feel so self-conscious that you can’t enjoy anything.

There is a culture of cool associated with blazing. Rihanna blazes, Obama blazes, or did. Whatever. But when you have people that tie your shoe for you, you have hours to veg out on Instagram and take bake breaks. But when you’re still trying to get your game up, you don’t.

Bob Marley merchandise is everywhere and the stoner hippie grunge look seems to be a fashion mainstay. The culture is appealing. We’ve even developed lingo; blazing instead of smoking because the latter sounds gritty. Trees instead of weed because it’s less abrasive. And swishes or twists rather than blunts because, duh, way cuter.

Undeniably, trees open up another dimension. One of surging creativity, enlightenment, and euphoria. Everything is more interesting, tastes better, and you suddenly see the hidden meaning in every popular music video.

But marijuana blurs the lines between healthy productivity and functional stoner. It promotes complacency and allows you to feel totally chill just zoning all day.

It really comes down to discipline. Like most of the things we love but are only supposed to like, weed requires moderation. Enjoy sparingly. Those cool older guys you blaze with once had dreams of being great too. But then they got high.