If you’ve been following my blog, you know that I struggled with marijuana addiction during my teen years and my heavy use resulted in mental health problems. I’m not saying that everyone who uses marijuana will have the exact same experience as me or that everyone who smokes it will end up anxious and depressed. It’s possible, but I can’t prove that. These days, I’m very happy and enjoy many meaningful friendships which give me the support to share my experience.
I started this campaign because if I knew then what I know now about the dangerous effects of marijuana, I think I would have been more hesitant to pick up that first joint. If I knew then that frequent ten marijuana use can lead to symptoms of bipolar disorder later on in life, I might have tried a little harder to control my use. If I knew then that marijuana use disorder was what was causing me to struggle badly in school, I might have stopped sooner.
If recreational marijuana was legalized in Nevada back when I was a teenager, I probably would have kept on smoking and never gotten the help I needed. Fortunately, I did find the support I needed to quit. I lead an incredibly happy life despite my past and try to use every opportunity I have to prevent marijuana use.
Jessie Schirrick 