No one starts out doing crank. No one grows up with dreams of being a crack whore. But sometimes things get sideways and it's hard to stop.

We'll talk about the most common drug for two reasons. First, I'm familiar with it. Intimately.
And second, it's the most common, of course. We have to talk about it before the others!

Pot (weed, dube, dope, trash, stash, grass, marijuanna, mary jane, micky dee's) is everywhere. Chances are you've either been asked to try it or know someone that has. You may even be the asker yourself.

Here's a few things you won't learn from school:

1. Pot has long lasting effects. Not only does it stay in your system for up to 30 days, but it affects your brain chemestry and growth of neurons at a time when you may need them most - your teen years. After smoking pot you'll be duller, slower, and generally more lethargic long after the dope wears off.
   
2. Pot is worse than cigarettes. Aside from stinking, pot will push more of the harmful carcinogens (cancer causing chemicals) into your system than half a pack of cigarettes. Cancer sucks, but lung cancer really sucks. Try breathing with a plastic bag over your face.
3. Pot lowers your inhibitions. You may do things when you're stoned that you wouldn't normally do. You can even halucinate if you have enough. You may slur your words, mouth off, or have sex with someone when you know it's wrong. All it takes is getting in the car with strangers one time for you to be on a milk carton.
4. Pot is a gateway drug. Yeah, yeah, I know. You've heard it all before. But YOU won't move on to other drugs! You're different! Bull. You see, it's not just pot that creates the gateway, it's the people involved with the pot. You're at a party and smoking a dube, all stoned out of your gourd, and someone offers you a hit of acid, or a line of cocaine. You decline because you're not a druggie! You're just stoned. They do the line and you forget about it. Next time, you're drunk AND stoned. They offer again, and then tease you for not doing it. You're a pussy, a prude, etc. Then they do the line next to it. At this point you have a 74% chance of saying yes. 74%! Thats not good odds. And the third time? 88%. The fourth time is a lowly 93%. Stop and think about that. If you associate with people doing the same thing you're doing now and get offered another drug four times you only have a 7% chance of saying no. Are those odds acceptable? Would they be acceptable if it was your kid standing there stoned instead of you?

Remember, you don't NEED to smoke pot to have a good life. In fact, your more likely to be living in a trailer house making minimum wage if you do. Where do you want to go today?

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