Thank you very much for your elaborate feedback.
I am not completely opposed to my nephew using marijuana, as all of the studies I have read surrounding its use (studies after the 1990's), suggest that it's relatively benign. Even so, the idea of inhaling smoke into his lungs, at least in my mind, leads me to believe that long term damage to his lungs could occur, so I like to keep a pulse on his frequency of use.
Because all of my knowledge regarding cannabis stems mostly from studies, I like to speak to people with firsthand experience regarding its use and what they might have noticed over the long term.
Thank you once more,
"1"
It is good you take an interest in your nephew. Be careful not to be too preachy or judgemental, imagine if I started questioning all the things you enjoyed and put a moral slant on it, it doesn't bode well for harmonious relations. If you do have a moral objection to cannabis use, I believe you should simply avoid those who do it. Personally, I can't stand drunks, so I avoid Pubs, Clubs and people with what I consider serious drinking issues, I was never a party type of guy. If a friend or family member became an alcoholic, I would simply discontinue the relationship. Don't get me wrong, I have worked in the field and have a diploma in alcohol and other drugs, it's just that I simply can't tolerate people under the influence of alcohol, but those under the influence of cannabis rarely bother me. I learned long ago it's not my job to save others from themselves.
I don't really have any regrets about my cannabis use, I always tried to remain vigilant about other aspects of my mental health, exercising regularly, eating well, avoiding using harder drugs for any period of time, getting enough sleep, not pushing myself too hard, I always continued reading and learning and if anything I think for me personally, I benefited from using cannabis, it kept me from seriously going of the rails after helped with the fallout from what I considered to be a pretty abusive childhood. Fortunately for me, I began weight training for three solid years as well as a childhood full of physical activity before I tried cannabis at 19 years old. So whenever I felt I was using too much, I would sometimes have short bouts of abstinence and some intense weight training thrown in. When I eventually kicked it full time, i weight trained pretty seriously for a good two years and did lots of cardio.
Perhaps you could suggest alternative methods of ingestion for your nephew to use, there are many good cannabis butter recipes around that can be used in cooking and produce a far longer lasting and satisfying high, or even he could try a a vaporiser, they are common now and reduce the damage produced by the heavy smoke quite a lot. This shows you are concerned about his actual health and not just being a moral crusader. Treat it in the same way you would advising someone on how to train shoulders, steer them away from say upright rows to alternative exercises that are just as productive but potentially less damaging in the long run. But remember, if someone likes upright rows, you are unlikely to change their mind. Quite often, friends or family of cannabis users are almost always more concerned about someone else's pot use than the individual who is using pot. (Quite often these people have never tried the drug and have brought into the propaganda and fear surrounding it). You could explore the reasons why you find his cannabis use distressing?
Imagine I acted all annoyed and upset if you told me you drank 4 cups of coffee a day and as a result of a decades long propaganda campaign I hysterically warned you against it, that you were seriously compromising your health, would you stop drinking coffee knowing how benign it is and how ridiculous I sound. Cannabis has proven to be one of the most benign and beneficial drugs known to man. It is far less dangerous than the majority of prescription drugs on the market, one could even argue it is safer than aspirin, which when used long term causes serious physical compilations. There are many reason that pot has been banned and stigmatised, none of them have to do with health, and more do do with politics, economics and even racism.
