Marijuanas Impact (On me)

A Story by Adrian Saucedo

Marijuana has changed me in negative ways, i crave it more often, i forget things more often, its also changed me as a person that my family doesn't like. But it has its positive effects on me...

As a child i remember being told drugs are bad. Marijuana, also known as the gateway drug, is especially frowned upon in society. Growing up most of my friends indulged themselves in recreational marijuana use, and i was the odd ball that didn't follow the crowd. As i got older, entering my sophomore year of high school i began smoking weed, not often, but none the less smoking. I always told myself it's okay, i'm not addicted, but soon that all changed. Weed has taken its toll on my memory, i won't deny that. But weed has also opened my eyes to a lot of things. As i began smoking i realized my youngest sister on my moms side was severely neglected by me and her older sister. We never payed her any attention, and we always kicked her out the room because we thought she was annoying. One night, after i smoked, i left my room to get a drink from the kitchen. I left the room without turning any hallway lights on, and as i approached the kitchen i heard a door open from behind me. My mothers door was right across from mine, and she shared a room with my sister.

I quickly darted behind a wall and watched as my sister excitingly ran out the room, ready to play.

She's the youngest in the house, really doesn't get out, and other than my mom, doesn't really get to bond with anyone else. Since i never turned the lights on in the hall way the house appeared empty in her eyes. As i watched from the darkness, i saw her mood change, she quickly went from excited to sad, and reentered the room in solemn silence.

I don't think i would have ever noticed this sober, and i don't think the way i treated her would have ever changed, if i hadn't started smoking weed. Ever since then, the way i treat her has really improved.

Before i started smoking weed, i never had an opinion. What i mean by i never had an opinion, is i never questioned anything. Ever since i started smoking weed i've questioned numerous things like, religion, government, and also the school curriculum. I'll be honest since i started smoking weed, i had no interest in school what so ever. I felt as if some of the things they were teaching me weren't going to help me succeed in life. As i realized the school curriculum was flawed, i came across a video interview of rapper Tupac when he was younger speaking about what the school teaches.

Do you ever have a thought? Then come across someone who takes the words right out of your mouth? This video was just that. School doesn't teach me how to pay bills, and how to make great life decisions, its strictly a daycare for you to go to, while your parents go to work. To a certain extent school can teach you great things, but some of the subjects, math mostly, require you to know certain things, in order to pass, and SOME not ALL the information wasn't even on a need to know basis, for what i wanted to pursue in life. That's when i realized the school system is flawed, and not everyone is going to be an A1 student.

The government, everything isn't all it seems. I find myself watching videos of David Ike, a man who exposes the world for what it is, and smoking weed has allowed myself to ask questions relevant to life, and what the meaning is. As for religion, smoking weed has allowed myself to ask questions such as, "What proof has been provided, to establish that God has created all of man kind?" So far Science has proved way more than a Bible ever could prove, and growing up i learned that results are essential for getting answers, correct answers more specifically. One day while i was sitting in Debate Class, i tuned in to two of my neighboring classmates conversation. One was supporting the idea of God is the one who created man, and the other was supporting the idea that evolution is the reason for mans existence. As much as i wanted to input my opinion, i listened to how ignorant, the classmate supporting the idea of God creating man was. Meanwhile i enjoyed listening to the other classmate explain how his theory was more relevant to the others theory. The classmate supporting Creationism kept saying "So we were monkeys and just magically turned into humans, your dumb."

I laughed to myself thinking, "How ironic for her to use the word 'magically' when she believes in a man in the sky, who answers prayers in your time of need." If i had never smoked weed, i probably would have been as ignorant as the student supporting Creationism was.

Till this day it bothers me that people don't search for their own answers instead of just accepting what they are told.

Someone i know, (I won't name names because it's not my business) has had a nice life, due to their father illegally crossing the border in order for his children to have a better life than he had. He's legal now, but insists everything was made possible because of God, but i insist. I truly believe it was his hard work, blood, sweat, and tears that made everything possible in his life. It bothers me when people thank God for their hard work and effort. I don't have a problem with peoples religious values, lets just clear that up right now. But as i began speaking for myself on a religious term a lot of people disagreed with my opinions when they were way more understandable than what they believed. My grandma didn't like the fact that i questioned, and often mocked God, and my mother begged for me to join her at church, but i never went. One day, under the influence, i realized that people are often threatened with Hell. Hell being the scariest of all places in a humans eyes, really intrigued me. I came to the conclusion that religion is basically a way to keep people in the correct moral status, as far as not killing, stealing etc. Now this is my opinion, i dont expect everyone to agree, but don't you ever question these things?

Back to weed, yes, weed has harmed peoples decisions very often, but in my eyes weed helps human beings strive for truth, and to not accept things as they are. Weed helped question things in my life, and thoroughly changed my opinion on such things. Now i don't promote weed usage, but i do promote questioning everything. Because questions lead to answers, this is Marijuanas Impact (On Me).