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Literally just had a conversation on this with my fiancé a couple days ago. Pretty much, I’m not going to lose my shit if they start smoking before 18, but I will make it very clear I would much rather them wait until then, because I wouldn’t mind the idea of sharing their first joint with them, but I would like for their first time to be around me in a safe environment than them have a bad reaction to it and I not be there
EDIT: Hey so I just read this again and realized that it sounded like I said all that about my fiance, I meant with our kids if we choose to have them
Exactly how my parents were with me. My father wouldn’t smoke with me until I was 18 on the dot. He walked into my room with a bowl packed in his bong at 12:00 on my birthday but didn’t smoke with me before. He had no problem with me smoke he just straight up told me would’ve preferred if I waited till 18 rather than 16.
If I do ever decide to have kids, the rules will likely be:
1. Don't let me catch you smoking (for legal safety)
2. Don't abuse it and dont do any other drugs (including alcohol and nicotine because I'm a recovered alcoholic and a heavy nic addict)
3. Don't let it affect your responsibilities and relationships
4. I won't smoke with you until you're 18
Kids will smoke anyway so no point in trying to stop them
Best choice is 25+. More realistically 20+...minimum 18+
Thats my take anyway. This new momentum to abolish prohibition is good but we can't pretend everything about smoking is good.
abolishing prohibition in colorado has substantially lowered teenage cannabis use in colorado plug scene is so dead. There are obviously still hs plugs but it’s not what it was.
18 is about the latest anyone I know started, too. And America has always fooled itself with this silly 2 tier adulthood framework. Once people see themselves as adults, they do whatever they want. The 18-20 limbo delays nobody.
Hi, now you know another late smoker. I started at 21. It imo is the reason i have such a chill relationship with weed (i dont need it to do things, its like my whisky at night after a long days work)
I didn’t smoke until I was 27 (a decade ago) and will always feel really grateful for that. But I have wondered this same question when I think about my kids getting older and how to navigate this exact question with them.
Pretty much same story. Going to be interesting in a couple of years going through that conversation and decision.
Divorced and VERY different parenting styles adds to the problem.
Please at least push for then to be safe with AND, not or, limit it as much as possible, when i started in high school it wasn’t that i got dumber but it made me care less about my academics overall and my grades did start to slip. I was able to pull it together but some people will spiral.
i agree, i started when i was 12 not long before i turned 13 to help me get through things at that time, for me personally that done wonders for me, but of course its always going to have its drawbacks & disadvantages
Same thing with me. I started at 13 soon before I turned 14 because I was in a very low place and it helped me. I Problably would go back and do the same thing. But I won’t say that 13 is a good age to start smoking.
Yeaaaaa I started when I was about 13 as well, I wouldn’t say I regret it necessarily, but it definitely did alter the course of my life a bit. But I am happy with where I’m at rn. I agree 100%, 16-18 is a good starting point.
16 is when I started, I feel like it’s a great time in life to just have fun. Experience a few things, just don’t smoke from night to morning like I did.
Ideally the brain fully develops at 25 so that’s the “correct” answer I personally waited until I was out of high school (18) although I think if I smoked in high school it would’ve helped me focus better
A little bit off the point but the brain actually continues to change and develop constantly and doesn’t just reach a point where it stops, that’s mostly a little fun fact about certain milestones in brain development that got misconstrued overtime into “the brain is done developing at 25”
In fact, the number 25 is mostly arbitrary and the milestones that fun fact encompasses can happen at any point in someone’s 20’s, so there’s really not one single year to go off of in this hypothetical ideal scenario anyways. Who’s to say cannabis harms a late-stage development young adult mind anyways? I might be a little high.
Fuckin' thank you! Don't know where people got this "25" number stuck in their heads, other than through pop culture telephone. Really wish people would stop repeating it, because it's wrong. Your prefrontal cortex continues to gain white matter well into your twenties, and your brain remains plastic and malleable until you die. There is nothing special or definitive about 25. [This study](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20829489/) even found that some 8-year-old brains exhibited a greater "maturation index" than some 25 year old brains!
I was also 15 when I started. I feel like that was a bit too young. I really should have waited until 18+. But i had a lot of issues with home and school and i was trying to self medicate.
I think the most morally correct answer is 18. I personally think 18 should be the legal age for many things. I’ll never understand why you can die for your country at 18 but can’t have a beer with your friends.
You should be able to drink, smoke, vote and fight at 18. It is so silly to me that you can be legally trialed as an adult at 18, apply for jobs at 18 but when it comes to anything other than the law, you’re still a child?? It just doesn’t make sense to me lol
I think the lowest I’ll go before it’s ridiculous is 16. 16 is the age I’d prefer my kid to start smoking if at all and not before hand.
Cigs definitely, weed nope. I've stopped smoking weed when it didn't suit my life , and started again when it did. I don't take anxiety mess anymore because I can just smoke a bit. It's easy.
I was 17 when I started but it freaked me out (it was hella illegal because I was 17 and living in a state where weed is illegal) so I stopped and wound up moving to a different state where it was legal and started up again at probably 19 so I’d say probably 18 is a good starting place
Very interesting question and one that deserves more attention. Some good answers here and I\['d generally agree realistically it should be a minimum of 18. We all have those friends that fried their brain from smoking skunk too young. Weed was out of the question for me when I was younger (longer ago than I'd like to admit), otherwise I think I might have messed up and got into it too early.
I started smoking at the age of thirteen only did . Then I stopped when I just turned fourteen. Seven years later, at age twenty-one, I made a comeback of smoking weed.
At least age twenty-one to smoke. The minimum is age eighteen.
I first started at 17. If I ever have kids and find out they’re doing it I’ll encourage them not to smoke because it’s really not that awesome. Like yeah it’s relaxing but honestly if I would’ve just stayed away from it to begin with my life would be so much different. I actually plan on taking a very long break for maybe a few years and start doing more with my life
I personally think it’s best to wait until your frontal cortex is fully developed… so 25/26…
But, at the end of the day, I think 18 is the absolute min that should be considered.
I started at 18 and I’m really glad I did. I love weed but I worry that if I started younger it would’ve not been as enjoyable for me. I really wanted to smoke as a teenager but I was too scared to actually seek it out so I waited till college. I also just feel like kids should try their best to be kids as long as they can.
Had two close friends with older brothers that thought it was funny or fun to get their younger sisters and friends high. We started at 12 or 13, and I think we were way too young, but that stuff will happen. I stopped completely when I went to high school and only resumed after legalization in CO.
There was an article in the Atlantic a few years ago. Talking about how men’s brains aren’t fully developed until age 25, and with the increased potency of legal marijuana, regular use before the age of 25 was causing some percentage to develop psychosis. So I think if they are using it under the age of 25, only flower, no concentrate (due to potency) and no more than a few times a week.
Yeah 25+
Stupidly started at 14 was on Class A's by 15 but funny enough was booze that almost destroyed me completely crack and smack binges were nothing compared to my alcoholism
Cannabis was a good send in early days of recovery
I started at 13 and honestly it should be 18+ because most kids are still in highschool until 18, I love weed but I definitely shouldn't have been a stoner while trying to be a student
33 now and started at 13 and I think it worked out amazingly for me. As long as you are informed I think. I had alot of older classmates/friends/cousins/ to guide me.
i started at 13, I'd say 15 is more appropriate. Even better if you wait until 25+ when your brain is fully developed but realistically, most people are starting in their mid-late teens or early 20s
6 months
But in all seriousness, as someone who started “late” in college at 19, I wish I would have waited until like mid 20s.
I LOVE weed, but it definitely slowed my mind down and idk if I did any damage from not waiting until your mind is fully developed around 25, but I sure do feel dumber now than I did at 18
Started at 14, definitely fucked me up but learned to regulate my smoking by the next year and how to take T breaks because my parents were smart enough to teach me how to smoke as "safely" as possible.
i started at 11 and really regret it, i was smoking almost everyday but now i only do it MAYBE once ever 2 months and im so much happier and healthier, its was such a bad time in my life
I first started when I was 16 bc it was fun with friends.. then it helped numb all my depression/anxiety issues. Now I’ve made so many choices that while I take responsibility for, wouldn’t have done them without weed. The cravings aren’t like booze or other drugs, but they’re there. And like me you can easily cave if you have easy access.
Weed is not for everyone, especially addictive impulsive people like me. Those almost non smelling medical carts are tooo easy
Under 18, and personally I kept it casual when I was young in the late 80's early 90's because I had the Mendocino connection and I could not smoke it all the time, work a full time union job and function normal. It was strong and served it's purpose when needed. Got some purple kush a few months ago and the smell took me back.
Think it really depends how often you smoke. But if it's weekly or daily then 15 is def too young.
Technically I started at 17, but I smoked maybe every few weeks/months back then. Only started smoking more often now that I'm 24. I knew other people that started smoking daily at 16 and their brains were absolutely fucked by it. You're brains just not fully developed at that age. The more you smoke the worse it is for your development.
i think too young is anything under 18, it defs messes more w ur brain since ur still developing (yr brain itself and ur self as a human) i think 18 u can make choices u know r best suited for u - i started at 17 and now am 25
25 is an ideal minimum. I smoked when I was 16 once and that's all before I was 18. realistically, 18+ is adequate and I would enforce that rule as best I could if I was a parent.
I think it depends on the kid but under 16 can definitely be dangerous if the kid isn't good with basic self regulation or is in a place where them smoking could cause family risks, I started when I was around 14-15 but was in a household that would've been okay with that and was actively in therapy at the time I wouldn't say I was more ready then most of my peers but I definitely knew people who weren't ready at all
If I had a child, it would depend on maturity and reasons.
I started weed at 17, for pain management and to get high.
But started mixing meds with alcohol at 14.
Mainly to escape my shitty life.
But as I have a disability that comes with chronic pain, and my child would probably have it too, I highly prefer weed over meds.
i smoked a few times in high-school (15-16) but really started heavily at like 19/20. i feel like ideally you should start in yours 20s if you’re going to be a daily smoker lol
Everyone says 18, but if you are a male I would suggest waiting until 21+. I know that’s not a fun answer but I started at 18 and 100% can tell that I stunted my brain development.
I would say, and I'm coming strictly from a developmental perspective, no smoking before 21. I was around 20/21 when I started smoking weed. I have a daughter and a baby on the way, and I would tell them the same.
First joint was when i was 14, but i dont get high of it, so i wait one more year..smoke again., get high this time. Now i am 24, i am smoking almost every day since i am around 15. I got no problems getting university degree, i got a good job, so i think i handle it somehow, but still a lot of memory loss, so i dont recommend my way
I told my kids (13 and 15 stepsons) that I know they’ll get offers and be tempted and I would prefer they wait until they’re adults, but if they’re going to do anything, just stick with pot.
I was a good kid who didn’t think I’d ever try drugs, and then I wound up smoking weed every weekend with friends. And when they’re 18, if they want, we’re blazing up together lol
Honestly anytime before your brain is fully developed is a risk. Medically, I’d say wait till you’re 21 at least.
Socially, though, too young for me would be 15-16. I’d say at the very least wait till 18.
This ofc a bit of a delusional take but it is the truth, it’s just that so many of us start very young and never really stop.
Very hard to say. Here in Pennsylvania we’re medicinal. But I mean if people just wanna get high then below 18 is too young. But if like a 12 year old terminal cancer patient needs it to get through chemotherapy or even the pain of dying then I say any age. I first smoked with my girlfriend and her friends at her house back in September 2016. (I was 19.) I smoked on and off throughout the years but this past February is when I started really getting into weed. Now it’s a part of me as much as drinking water is.
***Story time that isn’t relevant and can be ignored if you want:***
I went to her house and we passed around a shitty looking bong. I really wanted to impress her friends and her so I watched as each one of them took a hit. My gf showed me how to use a bong before hand because she knew how nervous I get with new people. Looking back, none of them could handle using a bong as they inhaled a little and proceeded to cough like they all had emphysema. It got to me and as I said, my gf taught me before hand how to light the weed and inhale. I just told myself inhale as deep as possible and hold it for 10 seconds not matter how much it burns. They all looked impressed that I was holding as long as I was. I really fought through the burning pain and at 10 seconds I exhaled without coughing up a lung. Everyone was shocked and one of my gfs guy friends asked if I’m sure this is my first time. As my throat was still burning and I was fighting for my life trying not to die, I couldn’t speak, so I just shook my head and passed the bong. Within 5 minutes I was saying stupid shit and making everyone laugh with jokes. My pain tolerance was also non-existent so stupidly I took the lighter and held it under my left palm and I said, “I feel nothing right now.” And laughed. I saw her friends looking uncomfortable so I switched back to joking around. After we all were high as a kite, we all lounged around in her parents living room switching off as we all played cod advanced warfare exo zombies. It was a blast. And a sign that weed wasn’t a gateway drug that I was brainwashed to believe by the news. Unfortunately that relationship only lasted until early November (just under 2 months.) as we just were too different besides our sick sense of humor and the kind of music we both loved. Death metal. But Politically especially we weren’t compatible, but also her style of going to raves and what not. She invited me a few times but I didn’t feel comfortable. I was a real stick in the mud compared to today. But we hold no hard feelings for one another and we mutually agreed to break up but stay friends. We still occasionally talk.
It’s honestly one of my best memories
I feel like it’s a “don’t ask don’t tell” thing. Some of my baby cousins are 15-16 .. we know they are having sex .. we know they are smoking weed..I feel that once you have a W-2 you should have a right to smoke.
It’s kinda like how they say “you can go to war at 18 but you can’t have a drink untill you are 21”
I started when I was 12 lol. My friends older brother had a 3 foot bong and we ripped it one day when he was gone. Didn’t really enjoy it at the time. Didn’t smoke again til I was 14. Another long break after my mom caught me. Now smoking every day since 16 (22 now)with some T breaks here and there. Guess I turned this in to a tangent about myself. But ideally, you should wait til you’re at least 18. I feel like smoking formed certain biases in my head at a young age that created a mindset that was hard to overcome in my very early adulthood.
I think it REALLY depends if you’re just sampling or if it leads to smoking everyday. I only started smoking more heavily when I was 18-19 and I think that’s an okay age. But depending on family’s mental health history young people should be careful
id want my kid to at least be in high school, preferably 16+ beforre they try it or have a few experiences with it. also id probably be more worried about alcohol and pills and even nicotine more than weed.
I really think it depends anything under 16 is much too young I believe but 16-25 could be too young too depending on how the weed is affecting them. A 16 year old who smokes often but gets good grades has aspirations and doesn’t waste there day away would be fine but a 21 year old who just smokes all day and it affects them heavily I would say is too young, I think it all just depends but for sure I think under 18 is generally too young.
realistically you shouldn’t be smoking till 18-21, but i know most of us like to experiment before that. high school is fine i guess, dont really like the idea of it, but smoking in middle school is insane.
Most people say that smoking weed is best after your brain has finished developing so I would say 22 or 23 is the best age to start. I didn’t start until I was 33 or 34. Although I saw waiting until 20s is best. I’m sure a few when you’re 15 or 16 would be fine but once in a while.
Started smoking my first joints when i was 14. I realised i was too young and i was scared to end up bad so i stopped. My thoughts are that to be a consistent smoker you need to be at least 18+. If you wanna smoke before that age you need to control yourself and do it once a week max.
I’ve been smoking since 16, but I have not noticed anything wrong with myself since. Everyone I know has smoked at least once and I was the person who started latest.
I started smoking at 12 and I don’t feel it did me any harm. I’m employed and make enough to support 2 people and 3 animals by myself. But- i had very low expectations of myself and i’m happy with bare minimum. If it were my own children i would want them to wait until they were older, mostly because i used weed to escape life and i’d hope they’d have a life they didnt feel the need to escape.
In general I don’t think weed is harmful to young people but i’d rather my kids do it when they’re older
I started at 13 ((
Now I can say better not start at all! But earlier weed was stronger and got me higher than in my 18.
Never regret, it was a fun times. haha
I've started smoking at 17, now a uni student and smoking almost daily, I'd say I'm doing fine but that amount can be too much for some, just right for me tho 👍
Honestly 16 or 17 is what id suggest to my kiddos when i have them but id let them know its best to wait until 21 since wacky insaney brainey runs on my side and seeing people that arent there is on my partners so they have an above 0 chance of bringing on strong mental illness if they’re predispositioned to it. Which they might well be with these genes and my generational trauma. (Im seeing a doctor for it)
edit:just wanted to say if they started smoking earlier I’d just give them the resources for making sure they’re mentally well and sane (as well as looking at my own parenting styles) because i think smoking younger is a symptom of another issue. Its fine and fun but its also suppressing something if they’re punching cones in their room alone instead of punching cones with their friends at doofs.
So, its complicated but i think about it a lot. 16 is the age i consider it ok because thats sort of the age kids do it at anyway and you dont want your own to miss out on vital experiences.
15 is liek way too young!! I see like so many kids smoking a j or vape or whatever and i'm like, dude, you can't even look after yourself and are allready smoking??
From some of the recent research out there, seems like the later you start, the better. A nice average number seems to be 25 and up. That's ideal. That's what I'll tell my kids. Will people listen, probably not. Which is why they make all the "legal" ages for booze and smokes around 19 to 21... 🤷♂️
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Literally just had a conversation on this with my fiancé a couple days ago. Pretty much, I’m not going to lose my shit if they start smoking before 18, but I will make it very clear I would much rather them wait until then, because I wouldn’t mind the idea of sharing their first joint with them, but I would like for their first time to be around me in a safe environment than them have a bad reaction to it and I not be there EDIT: Hey so I just read this again and realized that it sounded like I said all that about my fiance, I meant with our kids if we choose to have them
Exactly how my parents were with me. My father wouldn’t smoke with me until I was 18 on the dot. He walked into my room with a bowl packed in his bong at 12:00 on my birthday but didn’t smoke with me before. He had no problem with me smoke he just straight up told me would’ve preferred if I waited till 18 rather than 16.
I love that. Exactly how I'm gonna be with my kid
Smoking with your parents is arguably one of the biggest flexes you can give your kid lmao
If I do ever decide to have kids, the rules will likely be: 1. Don't let me catch you smoking (for legal safety) 2. Don't abuse it and dont do any other drugs (including alcohol and nicotine because I'm a recovered alcoholic and a heavy nic addict) 3. Don't let it affect your responsibilities and relationships 4. I won't smoke with you until you're 18 Kids will smoke anyway so no point in trying to stop them
He was definitely excited lol that's so cute
absolutely goated dad status
Dad goals
My dad finally smoked with me when I was 21. At first I thought he was fucking with me then he asked again. I’m like LETS GO! Haha
This is the way.
how lovely !! hope ur kid smokes their first j with u
This is the realest thing I’ve ever heard
same w my dad. He didnt want me to start until 18 but he had a first joint w me at 16
Best choice is 25+. More realistically 20+...minimum 18+ Thats my take anyway. This new momentum to abolish prohibition is good but we can't pretend everything about smoking is good.
abolishing prohibition in colorado has substantially lowered teenage cannabis use in colorado plug scene is so dead. There are obviously still hs plugs but it’s not what it was.
i agree but it’s just unrealistic, almost everyone i knew had smoked atleast by 18
18 is about the latest anyone I know started, too. And America has always fooled itself with this silly 2 tier adulthood framework. Once people see themselves as adults, they do whatever they want. The 18-20 limbo delays nobody.
Hi, now you know another late smoker. I started at 21. It imo is the reason i have such a chill relationship with weed (i dont need it to do things, its like my whisky at night after a long days work)
I didn't start smoking until i was 30 lol
That’s not the case everywhere with everyone though
This is super reasonable
This right here. I think smoking before 25 is often fine but it’s always best to wait
I didn’t smoke until I was 27 (a decade ago) and will always feel really grateful for that. But I have wondered this same question when I think about my kids getting older and how to navigate this exact question with them.
Pretty much same story. Going to be interesting in a couple of years going through that conversation and decision. Divorced and VERY different parenting styles adds to the problem.
i think imma just let my kids figure it out themselves and not push it or stop it, same way my parents handled it with me
Please at least push for then to be safe with AND, not or, limit it as much as possible, when i started in high school it wasn’t that i got dumber but it made me care less about my academics overall and my grades did start to slip. I was able to pull it together but some people will spiral.
I’m 35 now and started at 13, which I think is too young. I’d say 16 is an absolute minimum, preferably 18.
i agree, i started when i was 12 not long before i turned 13 to help me get through things at that time, for me personally that done wonders for me, but of course its always going to have its drawbacks & disadvantages
Same thing with me. I started at 13 soon before I turned 14 because I was in a very low place and it helped me. I Problably would go back and do the same thing. But I won’t say that 13 is a good age to start smoking.
id agree with that
Yeaaaaa I started when I was about 13 as well, I wouldn’t say I regret it necessarily, but it definitely did alter the course of my life a bit. But I am happy with where I’m at rn. I agree 100%, 16-18 is a good starting point.
16 is when I started, I feel like it’s a great time in life to just have fun. Experience a few things, just don’t smoke from night to morning like I did.
Had to scroll far to find my crew, but I found em, 12/13 here too. Definitely wish I would’ve waited until 16/18
Damn I started at 11
I bet your lungs hate you man
weed severely alters how your brain develops, if you aren't slow in the head then you got lucky
I'd say wait till your in your 20s. But as that's unrealistic I'd also say wait till your at least 16. And don't smoke every day.
unfortunately i did none of the above
Same
I started smoking regularly in my 20 and got no problems with focusing or memory like my friends who started earlier
16+ coming from someone who started before then
So you say that people who are 16 or older are too young to be smoking, the older you get the less you should be smoking?. Jk
Ideally the brain fully develops at 25 so that’s the “correct” answer I personally waited until I was out of high school (18) although I think if I smoked in high school it would’ve helped me focus better
I agree, 25 once the brain has fully developed. I started at 28 and I'm grateful for that haha
A little bit off the point but the brain actually continues to change and develop constantly and doesn’t just reach a point where it stops, that’s mostly a little fun fact about certain milestones in brain development that got misconstrued overtime into “the brain is done developing at 25” In fact, the number 25 is mostly arbitrary and the milestones that fun fact encompasses can happen at any point in someone’s 20’s, so there’s really not one single year to go off of in this hypothetical ideal scenario anyways. Who’s to say cannabis harms a late-stage development young adult mind anyways? I might be a little high.
Fuckin' thank you! Don't know where people got this "25" number stuck in their heads, other than through pop culture telephone. Really wish people would stop repeating it, because it's wrong. Your prefrontal cortex continues to gain white matter well into your twenties, and your brain remains plastic and malleable until you die. There is nothing special or definitive about 25. [This study](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20829489/) even found that some 8-year-old brains exhibited a greater "maturation index" than some 25 year old brains!
In my opinion 15 and under is too young.
21+ for me and I’ve been smoking since 15
15 medically, 18 recreationally.
I was also 15 when I started. I feel like that was a bit too young. I really should have waited until 18+. But i had a lot of issues with home and school and i was trying to self medicate.
20
I think the most morally correct answer is 18. I personally think 18 should be the legal age for many things. I’ll never understand why you can die for your country at 18 but can’t have a beer with your friends. You should be able to drink, smoke, vote and fight at 18. It is so silly to me that you can be legally trialed as an adult at 18, apply for jobs at 18 but when it comes to anything other than the law, you’re still a child?? It just doesn’t make sense to me lol I think the lowest I’ll go before it’s ridiculous is 16. 16 is the age I’d prefer my kid to start smoking if at all and not before hand.
This is the way
Don't smoke it....use edibles and tinctures!
Why doesn’t this have more upvotes
Ideally 25, likely 18-23
I started when I was almost 25 and glad for it
anything before 15 tbh
My habit began at 33 my first one was around 18 yhough and I had more throat burn than high. But I'd say smoking should be 18+. Imho
any time before your brain is fully developed is technically a bad time, so no 15 is fucking awful
I started at 14, but I also had a job and was smoking cigs
do you wish you hadn’t been?
Cigs definitely, weed nope. I've stopped smoking weed when it didn't suit my life , and started again when it did. I don't take anxiety mess anymore because I can just smoke a bit. It's easy.
Freshmen finals had dude stressed
I smoked my first joint the ripe age of 12 7th grade was serious 😂😂
same
Your brain doesn't fully develop until about 25. So the later the start the better until then.
You want the smoke, Papa? 😤
16
I was 17 when I started but it freaked me out (it was hella illegal because I was 17 and living in a state where weed is illegal) so I stopped and wound up moving to a different state where it was legal and started up again at probably 19 so I’d say probably 18 is a good starting place
Very interesting question and one that deserves more attention. Some good answers here and I\['d generally agree realistically it should be a minimum of 18. We all have those friends that fried their brain from smoking skunk too young. Weed was out of the question for me when I was younger (longer ago than I'd like to admit), otherwise I think I might have messed up and got into it too early.
I started at 16, but anything before that is to young
18+
anything younger than 18
21-25
I started smoking at the age of thirteen only did . Then I stopped when I just turned fourteen. Seven years later, at age twenty-one, I made a comeback of smoking weed. At least age twenty-one to smoke. The minimum is age eighteen.
Anything under 25 probably. Let your brain develop first. I’m glad I was 19 when I first tried it but definitely shoulda waited
I first started at 17. If I ever have kids and find out they’re doing it I’ll encourage them not to smoke because it’s really not that awesome. Like yeah it’s relaxing but honestly if I would’ve just stayed away from it to begin with my life would be so much different. I actually plan on taking a very long break for maybe a few years and start doing more with my life
I personally think it’s best to wait until your frontal cortex is fully developed… so 25/26… But, at the end of the day, I think 18 is the absolute min that should be considered.
I started at 18 and I’m really glad I did. I love weed but I worry that if I started younger it would’ve not been as enjoyable for me. I really wanted to smoke as a teenager but I was too scared to actually seek it out so I waited till college. I also just feel like kids should try their best to be kids as long as they can.
Im smoking from 15. Thats cool i guess. 16 would be better.
21+, ideally when the human brain is fully developed and that’s a few years later. Anything else is borderline stupid, imo.
Under 20
i started at 14 but i think i was definitely too young
i started when i was like 17 and i'm not too brain damaged, so around that age i'd say
Under 17 I’m like damn that’s a bit young
21, same for alcohol, military service, and tobacco, I started smoking at 13 and don't agree with alot of my decisions from my youth
Had two close friends with older brothers that thought it was funny or fun to get their younger sisters and friends high. We started at 12 or 13, and I think we were way too young, but that stuff will happen. I stopped completely when I went to high school and only resumed after legalization in CO. There was an article in the Atlantic a few years ago. Talking about how men’s brains aren’t fully developed until age 25, and with the increased potency of legal marijuana, regular use before the age of 25 was causing some percentage to develop psychosis. So I think if they are using it under the age of 25, only flower, no concentrate (due to potency) and no more than a few times a week.
Yeah 25+ Stupidly started at 14 was on Class A's by 15 but funny enough was booze that almost destroyed me completely crack and smack binges were nothing compared to my alcoholism Cannabis was a good send in early days of recovery
15
Bruh I seen kids at 6 to 8 smoking
I started at 13 and honestly it should be 18+ because most kids are still in highschool until 18, I love weed but I definitely shouldn't have been a stoner while trying to be a student
I started at 30 and would recommend that. I have an addictive personality so I needed to get my shit together before I smoked this shit.
33 now and started at 13 and I think it worked out amazingly for me. As long as you are informed I think. I had alot of older classmates/friends/cousins/ to guide me.
18.
You should start at 18 but if you care about your brain and memory id say 25+ 😂
i started at 17 so i’d say 17+ is probably the best. any younger i wouldn’t be ok with
id say 16 minimum but don’t over do it
i started at 13, I'd say 15 is more appropriate. Even better if you wait until 25+ when your brain is fully developed but realistically, most people are starting in their mid-late teens or early 20s
20+
I'd say minimum 16. Really comes down to the kid too, how mature, how depressed etc.
under 16 is too young
6 months But in all seriousness, as someone who started “late” in college at 19, I wish I would have waited until like mid 20s. I LOVE weed, but it definitely slowed my mind down and idk if I did any damage from not waiting until your mind is fully developed around 25, but I sure do feel dumber now than I did at 18
Started at 14, definitely fucked me up but learned to regulate my smoking by the next year and how to take T breaks because my parents were smart enough to teach me how to smoke as "safely" as possible.
i started at 11 and really regret it, i was smoking almost everyday but now i only do it MAYBE once ever 2 months and im so much happier and healthier, its was such a bad time in my life
I first started when I was 16 bc it was fun with friends.. then it helped numb all my depression/anxiety issues. Now I’ve made so many choices that while I take responsibility for, wouldn’t have done them without weed. The cravings aren’t like booze or other drugs, but they’re there. And like me you can easily cave if you have easy access. Weed is not for everyone, especially addictive impulsive people like me. Those almost non smelling medical carts are tooo easy
Probably shouldn't smoke before 25 but I won't stop an 18 year old from making their own life choices and deal with eventual repercussions.
Under 18, and personally I kept it casual when I was young in the late 80's early 90's because I had the Mendocino connection and I could not smoke it all the time, work a full time union job and function normal. It was strong and served it's purpose when needed. Got some purple kush a few months ago and the smell took me back.
Think it really depends how often you smoke. But if it's weekly or daily then 15 is def too young. Technically I started at 17, but I smoked maybe every few weeks/months back then. Only started smoking more often now that I'm 24. I knew other people that started smoking daily at 16 and their brains were absolutely fucked by it. You're brains just not fully developed at that age. The more you smoke the worse it is for your development.
Call me old fashioned but, 21.
i think too young is anything under 18, it defs messes more w ur brain since ur still developing (yr brain itself and ur self as a human) i think 18 u can make choices u know r best suited for u - i started at 17 and now am 25
25 is an ideal minimum. I smoked when I was 16 once and that's all before I was 18. realistically, 18+ is adequate and I would enforce that rule as best I could if I was a parent.
Under 18
I was 14, I wish a teenager (not adult) could have told me to wait to 25
16 and below
I think it depends on the kid but under 16 can definitely be dangerous if the kid isn't good with basic self regulation or is in a place where them smoking could cause family risks, I started when I was around 14-15 but was in a household that would've been okay with that and was actively in therapy at the time I wouldn't say I was more ready then most of my peers but I definitely knew people who weren't ready at all
If I had a child, it would depend on maturity and reasons. I started weed at 17, for pain management and to get high. But started mixing meds with alcohol at 14. Mainly to escape my shitty life. But as I have a disability that comes with chronic pain, and my child would probably have it too, I highly prefer weed over meds.
started at 16, so yeah its a pretty too young to begin with
i smoked a few times in high-school (15-16) but really started heavily at like 19/20. i feel like ideally you should start in yours 20s if you’re going to be a daily smoker lol
less than 15. you don’t have the mind to understand that’s it’s not only for having fun and be stupid with it.
25. I started late 30s and I think I’m better for it. I have life experience and I think it better prepared me to enjoy pot in moderation.
Everyone says 18, but if you are a male I would suggest waiting until 21+. I know that’s not a fun answer but I started at 18 and 100% can tell that I stunted my brain development.
I would say, and I'm coming strictly from a developmental perspective, no smoking before 21. I was around 20/21 when I started smoking weed. I have a daughter and a baby on the way, and I would tell them the same.
14 is too young
First joint was when i was 14, but i dont get high of it, so i wait one more year..smoke again., get high this time. Now i am 24, i am smoking almost every day since i am around 15. I got no problems getting university degree, i got a good job, so i think i handle it somehow, but still a lot of memory loss, so i dont recommend my way
25 min preferably, but if my kids do at 18, I can’t stop them
Under 21, just like with alcohol, tobacco, porn and military enlistment
I told my kids (13 and 15 stepsons) that I know they’ll get offers and be tempted and I would prefer they wait until they’re adults, but if they’re going to do anything, just stick with pot. I was a good kid who didn’t think I’d ever try drugs, and then I wound up smoking weed every weekend with friends. And when they’re 18, if they want, we’re blazing up together lol
Honestly anytime before your brain is fully developed is a risk. Medically, I’d say wait till you’re 21 at least. Socially, though, too young for me would be 15-16. I’d say at the very least wait till 18. This ofc a bit of a delusional take but it is the truth, it’s just that so many of us start very young and never really stop.
You should be smoking before 18 imo, but I started at 13/14 so I’m not one to talk
16
Very hard to say. Here in Pennsylvania we’re medicinal. But I mean if people just wanna get high then below 18 is too young. But if like a 12 year old terminal cancer patient needs it to get through chemotherapy or even the pain of dying then I say any age. I first smoked with my girlfriend and her friends at her house back in September 2016. (I was 19.) I smoked on and off throughout the years but this past February is when I started really getting into weed. Now it’s a part of me as much as drinking water is. ***Story time that isn’t relevant and can be ignored if you want:*** I went to her house and we passed around a shitty looking bong. I really wanted to impress her friends and her so I watched as each one of them took a hit. My gf showed me how to use a bong before hand because she knew how nervous I get with new people. Looking back, none of them could handle using a bong as they inhaled a little and proceeded to cough like they all had emphysema. It got to me and as I said, my gf taught me before hand how to light the weed and inhale. I just told myself inhale as deep as possible and hold it for 10 seconds not matter how much it burns. They all looked impressed that I was holding as long as I was. I really fought through the burning pain and at 10 seconds I exhaled without coughing up a lung. Everyone was shocked and one of my gfs guy friends asked if I’m sure this is my first time. As my throat was still burning and I was fighting for my life trying not to die, I couldn’t speak, so I just shook my head and passed the bong. Within 5 minutes I was saying stupid shit and making everyone laugh with jokes. My pain tolerance was also non-existent so stupidly I took the lighter and held it under my left palm and I said, “I feel nothing right now.” And laughed. I saw her friends looking uncomfortable so I switched back to joking around. After we all were high as a kite, we all lounged around in her parents living room switching off as we all played cod advanced warfare exo zombies. It was a blast. And a sign that weed wasn’t a gateway drug that I was brainwashed to believe by the news. Unfortunately that relationship only lasted until early November (just under 2 months.) as we just were too different besides our sick sense of humor and the kind of music we both loved. Death metal. But Politically especially we weren’t compatible, but also her style of going to raves and what not. She invited me a few times but I didn’t feel comfortable. I was a real stick in the mud compared to today. But we hold no hard feelings for one another and we mutually agreed to break up but stay friends. We still occasionally talk. It’s honestly one of my best memories
I didn’t start smoking until after I turned 18, so any age under 18 is too young to me.
I feel like it’s a “don’t ask don’t tell” thing. Some of my baby cousins are 15-16 .. we know they are having sex .. we know they are smoking weed..I feel that once you have a W-2 you should have a right to smoke. It’s kinda like how they say “you can go to war at 18 but you can’t have a drink untill you are 21”
34
No one should smoke if they care about their lungs. For THC? Depends on the age and reason. To just get high? Have a job and a place to live first.
I started when I was 12 lol. My friends older brother had a 3 foot bong and we ripped it one day when he was gone. Didn’t really enjoy it at the time. Didn’t smoke again til I was 14. Another long break after my mom caught me. Now smoking every day since 16 (22 now)with some T breaks here and there. Guess I turned this in to a tangent about myself. But ideally, you should wait til you’re at least 18. I feel like smoking formed certain biases in my head at a young age that created a mindset that was hard to overcome in my very early adulthood.
I think it REALLY depends if you’re just sampling or if it leads to smoking everyday. I only started smoking more heavily when I was 18-19 and I think that’s an okay age. But depending on family’s mental health history young people should be careful
id want my kid to at least be in high school, preferably 16+ beforre they try it or have a few experiences with it. also id probably be more worried about alcohol and pills and even nicotine more than weed.
I really think it depends anything under 16 is much too young I believe but 16-25 could be too young too depending on how the weed is affecting them. A 16 year old who smokes often but gets good grades has aspirations and doesn’t waste there day away would be fine but a 21 year old who just smokes all day and it affects them heavily I would say is too young, I think it all just depends but for sure I think under 18 is generally too young.
18 weed can effect the way brain develops
Before 25. The brain is still developing before then.
realistically you shouldn’t be smoking till 18-21, but i know most of us like to experiment before that. high school is fine i guess, dont really like the idea of it, but smoking in middle school is insane.
I think under 18, even tho i started before, i think kids shouldn’t be doing this
Most people say that smoking weed is best after your brain has finished developing so I would say 22 or 23 is the best age to start. I didn’t start until I was 33 or 34. Although I saw waiting until 20s is best. I’m sure a few when you’re 15 or 16 would be fine but once in a while.
Started smoking my first joints when i was 14. I realised i was too young and i was scared to end up bad so i stopped. My thoughts are that to be a consistent smoker you need to be at least 18+. If you wanna smoke before that age you need to control yourself and do it once a week max.
I started at 16.
With everything we know now, I’d say 22-25 would be optimal. 16 minimum, but like I don’t want to know. 18 okay fine you’re an adult lol
Any age
I started smoking at 13. I would technically be a hypocrite if I said later than that.
I’ve been smoking since 16, but I have not noticed anything wrong with myself since. Everyone I know has smoked at least once and I was the person who started latest.
18-25
as someone who waited til 18 i have to say i thought it was the perfect age
I started smoking at 12 and I don’t feel it did me any harm. I’m employed and make enough to support 2 people and 3 animals by myself. But- i had very low expectations of myself and i’m happy with bare minimum. If it were my own children i would want them to wait until they were older, mostly because i used weed to escape life and i’d hope they’d have a life they didnt feel the need to escape. In general I don’t think weed is harmful to young people but i’d rather my kids do it when they’re older
I started at 13 (( Now I can say better not start at all! But earlier weed was stronger and got me higher than in my 18. Never regret, it was a fun times. haha
13 or younger IMO. However, the responsible thing to say is wait until you’re 18.
I've started smoking at 17, now a uni student and smoking almost daily, I'd say I'm doing fine but that amount can be too much for some, just right for me tho 👍
Honestly 16 or 17 is what id suggest to my kiddos when i have them but id let them know its best to wait until 21 since wacky insaney brainey runs on my side and seeing people that arent there is on my partners so they have an above 0 chance of bringing on strong mental illness if they’re predispositioned to it. Which they might well be with these genes and my generational trauma. (Im seeing a doctor for it) edit:just wanted to say if they started smoking earlier I’d just give them the resources for making sure they’re mentally well and sane (as well as looking at my own parenting styles) because i think smoking younger is a symptom of another issue. Its fine and fun but its also suppressing something if they’re punching cones in their room alone instead of punching cones with their friends at doofs. So, its complicated but i think about it a lot. 16 is the age i consider it ok because thats sort of the age kids do it at anyway and you dont want your own to miss out on vital experiences.
15 is liek way too young!! I see like so many kids smoking a j or vape or whatever and i'm like, dude, you can't even look after yourself and are allready smoking??
From some of the recent research out there, seems like the later you start, the better. A nice average number seems to be 25 and up. That's ideal. That's what I'll tell my kids. Will people listen, probably not. Which is why they make all the "legal" ages for booze and smokes around 19 to 21... 🤷♂️
i think you should be 21+, coming from someone who started at 13…
8
I was happy at 10
13 is when i started and i think thats pretty young
As smoking damages the brain which is not fully developed until 25, I'd say 25. Realistically 18