Smoking Weed

Many would argue that marijuana, or ‘weed’ as it is commonly known, is a harmful substance. Some, especially those who like to consume it, would argue that weed doesn’t do you any harm expect give you a short ‘buzz’ or “high.” There has been a number of articles written, with supporting statistics, to illustrate both sides of the argument. When I was younger I thought weed was terrible and believed that weed smokers were only setting themselves up for failure. As I got older and realized how many people I knew smoked weed, it seemed as though there was no negative effect; if anything, I even saw some (weed smokers) as successful in other areas of their lives.

Mike Tyson, Ronaldinho and Michael Vick are all very successful athletes who smoke, or have smoked, weed. It doesn’t appear to have had an effect on them or slow them down in any way. However, others suggest it stops them from reaching their full potential. Another successful weed smoker is Lil Wayne. He’s a very intelligent recording artist who is also known for his ability to articulate himself well in public. He, too, is a heavy weed smoker. Another successful and well-known recording artist, Jay- Z, often referred to by those in his circle as ‘the greatest rapper alive’ and ‘entrepreneur extraordinaire’, is a also known weed smoker. With so many famous people smoking weed, icons in their field, it would work to disprove many of the supporting arguments for anti-(weed) smoking. It might even lend to people experimenting with hardcore drugs. The one real and indisputable drawback is the relatively heavy financial cost of addiction to weed.

As a black male that doesn’t smoke weed it’s a struggle everyday to say no to peer pressure. When my friends ask me why not, I don’t have a good reason for them; but as a faithful person, and out of respect for my mother, I continue to decline the offers. To those of you who believe smoking is bad, you might want to think twice before judging those who do. To those who are already addicted, I doubt you’ll rush to quit after reading this. Or will you? Tell me what you’re going to do or not do. Post your comments below.