Smoking cannabis at home: ‘At least then I’m not just waiting until it’s time for bed’

One 21-year-old student, who wishes to remain anonymous, has been lighting up a joint more often since the start of the pandemic. “I smoke much more cannabis, at home on my own on the sofa. TV series are much funnier when you’re stoned.”

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When did you first come into contact with drugs?

“When I first came to university, I began smoking cannabis. That was quite normal in my circle of friends, so I sometimes smoked with them. I never actually bought any drugs myself and only smoked with a group. Later, I occasionally bought an XTC pill or 2c-b. That was something we often did at parties, or just at home.”

How has your use of drugs changed during the pandemic?

“I’ve started to smoke a lot more cannabis, at home on my own on the sofa. In the evening, I’ll often turn on the TV to watch a series, a funny cartoon like Rick and Morty, and then I smoke a joint. I don’t drink much more alcohol than before. Alcohol makes me much more sociable. When I’m on my own, I don’t need that so much.”

Why do you think that your cannabis use has changed so much?

“There are no more parties or festivals where you think: ‘I will remember tonight’. Sometimes I’ll have a drink, but only with the people I see a lot anyway. So that’s not so exciting. When I smoke cannabis and watch a series, the evening is a bit more fun and the series is slightly funnier. At least then I’m not just waiting until it’s time for bed again.”

And besides cannabis: what else do you take?

“Cannabis is what I use most because it’s a soft drug. It’s one that’s fine to do alone at home. I occasionally use 2c-b, XTC, 3-mmc or ketamine with friends. I don’t do 3-mmc anymore. There hasn’t been much research on that, so once was enough.”

What is your favourite drug?

“It used to be XTC, because of the euphoric feeling you get. The only disadvantage is that you get a dip a couple of days later. That makes you feel depressed, which isn’t so great. Which is why I now prefer 2c-b. You get a slight euphoric feeling, without the dip. You also get great visuals during a 2c-b-trip.”

How do you feel about the fact that you’re taking more drugs?

“I got quite a shock when I first realised. When you smoke cannabis on your own at home, you cross a kind of boundary, which is quite frightening. There are certain risks involved in drugs which you must be aware of. If you drink too much alcohol, you can drink yourself into a coma, and with large quantities of cannabis and 2c-b, you can suffer psychosis. Luckily, I’m quite careful and I have friends I can go to if it goes wrong. That’s a comforting thought.”