Marijuana smoker’s experience

Unknown to people, there are many hidden nutritional values in the mostly condemned Marijuana. While  majority condemn its intake,   many youths see that as the only source of inspiration with many nutritional values.

For a 24 year old Nathaniel , an undergraduate of  Nnamdi Azikiwe University, who is in Lagos because of the ongoing ASUU strike, he started smoking Marijuana at the age of 20 when he gained admission into the higher institution. His first experience  when he smoked it still remains evergreen in his memory, that he felt he can never be normal again.

“The first day I smoked Igboo is one of the days I cannot forget in a hurry. I had a friend, who is an addict in smoking. So, one day when we hung out with some friends, after drinking, he brought the wrap and told me that if I take this, it will clear the alcohol I took and it will make me look and appear very smart. So, after much conviction, I decided to try it. I first drew the first smoke inside, they clapped for me and said that was the way to do it, that I should take it gradually.

Marijuana
Marijuana
I never knew when I finished almost one wrap alone. When I was done with that, it was obvious to me that I was in for a big trouble. It was as if they added an extra flesh on  one side of my skull. My skull was going towards one direction. I felt as if there was gutter all over the road and I started leaping.

My friends started laughing but when they noticed the thing was getting out of hand, they grabbed me, sat me down in one place and prepared a very big bowl of garri without sugar for me. After drinking the garri,  I was still hungry.

I felt very weak and slept off and woke up in the middle of the night. When I woke up the next day, I was feeling very hungry as if I had been starving for more than one week. I ate like never  before and I slept off again. When I woke up, I was very happy. Everything around me made me laugh. Even when you cursed me, I would laugh over it,” he recalled.

According to Nathaniel, though his parents were  seriously against his consumption of Marijuana, he made them to believe that, he felt so comported and understood everything he read whenever he smoked.

“It was not easy making my parents see reasons why they should allow me smoke, though  I never did that in their presence. For me to read and understand well, I must smoke. Even when I want to go in for any examination, I must smoke so that I will remember all that I have read and be able to put them together well. I am in my third year now and I made good grade.

So, smoking has never stopped me from reading and passing my examinations. If I am about to write an exam and I have not smoked, I’d feel I have not read. So I don’t seem to believe it when people say that  Marijuana is not good for health. But if you know it does not work for you, stop smoking it,” Nathaniel advised.

As against the belief of most people that Marijuana is very bad to health, Peter, has a point to prove. To Peter, the best medicine a depressed man who lost appetite could take is Marijuana. He is one of the people that used to believe that Marijuana is not good until he confirmed from a medical practitioner that most sleeping drugs that also boost appetite are produced with a higher percentage of that.

“ I strongly disagree that Marijuana makes people mad, it is all lies. If you take it the first two to three times and you cannot stand it, I will advise you to quit.

It is very good and highly medicinal. I started smoking at a very tender age and up till now, I am still intact, I am even better than some people that do not take it. Whenever I want to be in my best mood, I normally go for that. I talk less when I smoke and I think more. You can’t say I have quarrelled with you after smoking, why would you not want me to smoke since it is good for my own health?, ” he said.

Peter also insists that as far as he is concerned, he doesn’t think anything can make him not to do his thing.

While some seem to applaud this weed, Kunle, a graduate of Lagos State University, LASU, has a different side to this story. He strongly believes that behind every big crime committed in an area, you’d find out that most perpetrators of the crime are Marijuana smokers and in most cases, they smoked before executing their crime. In his words,

“ Why would a normal man  tell me that Marijuana is good for health when most criminals are smokers of marijuana. Though I have not tasted that before , I know and people around me know that Igboo inspires people to think about crime, it has no positive inspiration,” Kunle cautioned.

According to Kunle, if there is a way to stamp out the intake of this weed, we are going to find out that there will be higher rate of responsible youths.

“Many youths are out of school because they joined their friends in taking what they know is not good for their health. Generally, smoking is not good for health. I have this young and vibrant dude in my village, he is one of the boys I respected so much. But, where is he today?

He now walks about the village mad, no thanks to Marijuana. When he started this earlier, everybody in the village were against that.He was warned to desist from  it, but youthful exuberance led him to that. Now he has ruined his future. I will advise youths to stay away from that. It has no nutritional value. Anybody that says Igboo is good for health is a liar. Parents should warn their children to desist from this act.”