Smoking vs "Smoking"

So I had a patient recently come in for her yearly visit.  Young girl, pleasant, former athlete, healthy.  My nurse went through the normal questions:  married or single, exercise regimen, caffeine, smoker?  At the last question, she answered, "You mean cigarettes....no, I don't smoke."  Fairly straightforward, right.  Well not so fast.

When I entered the room it was like walking into Bob Marley's basement.  I don't smoke weed, but this girl smelled like a medicinal marijuana clinic, not just a user.  It was so prominent, I immediately wanted to put some Rusted Root on the radio and watch The Last Airbender reruns.

Hey, to each their own, but honestly, if you smoke that much weed, how can you consider yourself to be a non smoker?  I get that it's not exactly socially acceptable, but frankly, and this isn't a bad thing, tobacco smoking has become so villianized and culturally gross that to some, weed smokers are better.  At least they smell nicer....well the smoke...they still have that whole not-really-feeling-like-showering-ever and I'll-just-put-my-hair-in-dred-locks thing going on.  But still, smoking weed is still smoking, isn't it?  I have another patient who smokes "mad weed" and she works for the freaking government.  I guess they either don't test, don't care, or nowadays it's damn near required to be stoned 24/7 if you work for the feds just to get by.

Am I a big marijuana proponent?  No.  Of course not.  Smoking is smoking and is probably bad for you.  Do I believe that there are medicinal qualities?  Certainly.  I'm sure if Pfizer could isolate it, they'd put it in a capsule and charge you $240 per month to take it, so it medically has merit.  But that's not why these women smoke it.  Not too many 26 year old glaucoma patients out there.  Justifying smoking weed when you are young and healthy because of it's medicinal qualities is like saying you want to go on a ventilator for the weekend because you are really tired of breathing on your own.  It may be medically helpful for some, but that's not why they smoke it.   They smoke it to get high.

In general, I think weed is like beer, cigarettes, and other crutches people use to get them through their lives.  I feel bad for some folk addicted to any drug...I mean how bad must your reality be for you to want to alter it on a regular basis?

Just don't say you are a non-smoker.

Peace and love, brothers and sisters....peace and love.  And Hendrix. 

And Doritos. 

The Guru