By Kingsley Obom-Egbulem
Renowned hip hop superstar and world acclaimed “Weed Ambassador”, Snoop Dogg might be done with smoking marijuana, given his recent post on Instagram.
“After much consideration and conversation with my family, I’ve decided to give up smoke. Please respect my privacy at this time” Snoop wrote in a statement he shared on Instagram atop a photo of him with prayer hands.
The notorious marijuana smoker, who was reported to have sent Ed Sheeran screaming “I can’t see right now” after attempting to smoke marijuana with him, feels being a grandfather should come with some change in habits.
“Being a grandfather has changed me in multiple ways,” Snoop was quoted as saying in an interview. “The main way is being concerned with how I live, how I move, the kind of people I’m associated with because I want to see my grandkids grow old” he said. “The only way I can do that is to take precautionary steps as far as how I move, who I hang out with, where I go out, my intake… I just don’t want to do this to my body anymore. I want to survive” he added.
Cannabis is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. It is addictive, with 1 in 10 users likely to become addicted and some addictions lasting a life. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main psychoactive component of cannabis, among 483 other known compounds.
For many weed smokers and addicts, weed-smoking celebrities are considered influencers and brand ambassadors for this deadly habit. Hence, Snoop’s decision to quit weed may have come as a disappointment to many of his followers.
“Today isn’t April Fools’ Day, Snoop,” wrote one of his fans, while another joked, “I am sure his account got hacked.”
Marijuana smoking has increased in recent times compared to cigarette smoking. It is smoked almost everywhere is and glamorised in music videos by artists. According to a Gallup Poll conducted in July 2022, 16% of Americans say they smoke marijuana, with 48% saying they have tried it at some point in their lives.” In 1969, only 4% of Americans said they smoked marijuana” the poll disclosed.
Snoop once claimed to smoke 81 blunts a day. A blunt is a large cigar (or wrap) containing marijuana. Several celebrities have shared their experiences of smoking and sharing “weed time” with him. Ed Sheeran, happens to be one of such celebrities whose experience didn’t end pretty well.
“I’ve had a good amount of conversation, so I have a bit, and I’m like, ‘I don’t feel too bad, this is good,’ Sheeran said while recounting his experience. “Then I have a bit more…then I have a bit more…then I have a bit more,” Sheeran continues, “I just remember looking at him like, ‘I can’t see right now.'”
Not everyone’s experience with marijuana is pleasant as it can leave you anxious, afraid, panicked, or paranoid. It can raise your chances for clinical depression or worsen the symptoms of any mental disorders you already have.
Marijuana users often have beclouded senses and judgment, as it heightens their senses (colors might seem brighter and sounds might seem louder). It distorts their sense of time, hurts their motor skills and makes driving more dangerous and lowers users’ inhibitions, so they engage in risky behavior, like sex or take other chances.
We’ll be discussing more about marijuana and the teenage brain and many more, at The Lagos Anti-Drug and Substance Abuse Conference (LADAC). The date is Thursday, December 7,2023. Plan to attend with your kids, students, and youth club