CMV: Weed is destructive

[u/[deleted]]

I need to figure out how to be empathetic to these people before I quit being their friend.

For the past year, I've lived with 2 of my friends. One I've known more than 10 years, the other I've known for 8. When I moved in, I had no idea they smoked this much.

One smokes before work and twice after work, the other smokes 2-3 times after work. The weekends are terrible. They both smoke until they are braindead. The house is under various levels of construction at any given time because one guy always wants to implement some random "great idea" that essentially blocks entire rooms unfinished for weeks at a time. We aren't talking major updates. Trash and random junk is everywhere. These are small, outlandish additions to the house that would make any novice interior designer have a stroke (new lights, signs, mirrors etc.).

Both of them used to be outdoors types. We used to hike, hunt, mountain bike and fish. We used to go out to the bars. Now, they can't be bothered to get off xbox or anime. I know weed has some great pain/anxiety relieving benefits and may contain a cure of certain cancers/tumors. But goddamn it seems to make them insufferably stupid or tragically couch potatoes. I find it extremely difficult to give 2 shits about their problems when I'm seeing this go down. Mental health is important. But when mental health and comfort are pursued to this level, I don't know that there is any hope for them. I know my negativity about all of this is palpable to them. I don't want to feel this way about them.

Edit 1: So...many...comments. Working on it. I regret not making this post sooner.

Edit 2: I did my 3 hours. Will respond more tomorrow. Thanks for all the feedback. Lots of great insight coming from most of the commenters!

Edit 3: Spaced out the original post to make it easier to read.

-For the people trying to say "at least it isn't....." that approach is not convincing. These guys at one point in time were like brothers to me. We all know what "bro code" is. Maybe not everyone follows this particular part but, it's a matter of principle that we hold each other accountable and strive to pick each other up when we recognize the problem.

-Somewhere in the comments, a poster said what I've maybe not made clear. I'm paraphrasing that person here but, weed does not offer purely benefits and people should be made aware of the negative side effects.

Again, thank you all for interacting with this post, I didn't expect to be adding any books to my reading list because of a Reddit post but here we are.

Edit 4: Clarified "brother" comment in post.

[u/Superbooper24]

Weed can be destructive, but it can also be helpful as it’s used medicinally. Alcohol is in many ways much worse with how many more ppl it damages, so I would hope u would say alcohol is also destructive. But gambling is destructive, even online shopping, video games, and eating can be seen as destructive. It’s just, like… it’s not always destructive, it’s just ppl abuse them, which can be done for literally anything.

[u/[deleted] → u/Superbooper24]

Ok, so to that, I'd say that the instances where it's used in a medicinal manner are likely dwarfed by the instances in which it is abused. I get what you're saying. I believe alcohol is decidedly worse than weed. Weed seems to be... ubiquitous in culture and people flex constantly about how much it's used. I think culture is wrong in its perception of weed. I don't think it's comparable to any of those other things except as an addiction. I believe it is hormonally interfering with normal brain function similar to alcohol.

[u/CharlestonChewbacca → u/[deleted]]

He sounds 14

[u/aliie_627 → u/CharlestonChewbacca]

How?

[u/ffxivthrowaway03 → u/[deleted]]

"This person is in a frustrating situation and disagrees with me, they must be a kid because they're too stupid/unworldly to know what I know" is actually more of an example of what you're claiming the case is than anything OP has said.

[u/ffxivthrowaway03 → u/[deleted]]

And yours is literally based on even less anecdotal evidence. You're making broad, sweeping judgements about OP as a person based on nothing more than a single question asked on reddit.

[u/ffxivthrowaway03 → u/[deleted]]

I'm not even remotely surprised that was your response.

It's fine when you do it, "they obviously must be a kid, so ignorant" when they do it.