How High — A Pot Smoker’s Journey (Part One: The Beginning)

Part One: The Beginning

Some journeys begin with a plan. Mine began with curiosity, good music, and a few friends who were a little further ahead of me.

Growing Up in 1970

I grew up as a sheltered, middle-class kid in a middle-class suburb. At fifteen, I hadn’t experienced much beyond the familiar world around me. I was trying to figure out some of the interesting things happening in the world, especially the things that seemed to be happening around me rather than to me.

And in 1970, there was plenty going on.

Music was evolving. The counterculture was making its presence felt, and conversations about drugs were everywhere. For a teenager, it was an interesting time to be growing up, but it wasn’t always easy to know what to make of it all.

When it came to marijuana, the message I heard was mostly about the dangers. We were warned about all the bad things that could happen if we took even one puff of that “reefer.”

Very few kids my age were experimenting with it, and I certainly didn’t know where to get it or what I would need to smoke it. Rolling papers and pipes weren’t exactly part of my everyday world.

The Friends Who Opened the Door

Like the familiar saying goes, a friend introduced me to it.

I knew a few guys who were a grade ahead of me. They were already exploring things I hadn’t experienced, and they were listening to some pretty cool music, too.

Spending time with them became my introduction to a different world, one that would leave a lasting impression on my life.

My first experience with marijuana was through a joint. I’d heard that it was difficult to get high the first time you tried it. That wasn’t my experience.

The feeling came on almost immediately, and I found it pleasant. Suddenly, things seemed a little different.

Music sounded better. Potato chips and chocolate candy bars sounded particularly appealing. And there was something about being part of the group that made the experience memorable.

We passed the joint around, laughed together, listened to new music, and explored ideas and creativity with a more open mind.

It wasn’t just about the experience itself. It was also about the people, the conversations, the music, and the feeling of being included in something new.

Looking back, that sense of connection made a strong impression on me.

The Beginning of a Long Journey

I didn’t know it at the time, but those early experiences would become part of a much longer story.

There would be plenty more to discover, some amusing experiences, a few frustrations, and lessons I couldn’t have anticipated at fifteen.

But this was where it began: a sheltered suburban kid, a group of friends, some great music, and a curiosity about the world beyond what I’d always known.

And so began my lifelong journey with Mary Jane.

To be continued…