«I smoke weed because it's fun»

I smoked pot for the first time when I was 14 at school camp. I felt almost nothing. The second time I tried it a few months later it worked better, it was a lot of fun. I'm a hip-hop fan, and marijuana is a huge topic among rappers. That alone wouldn't be a reason for me to smoke weed: Joining in because it's part of it. Peer pressure doesn't work for me. I smoke weed because it's fun.

We were at a hip-hop party recently. There's this great music playing, your friends are there, everyone's a bit high, everyone's dancing - you just feel it, if you know what I mean. It's indescribable. I overdid it for a while, smoking weed several times a week. I didn't worry too much about it. But now I had the urge to smoke one more often, which stressed me out. I also had to hide smoking weed from my parents. That made me feel guilty. So I cut down.

«The cliché of the listless stoner bothers me»

Nowadays I sometimes go weeks without smoking weed. Now that I'm an apprentice, I couldn't afford it any other way. I think my mum found out about it. But so far she hasn't asked me about it, so I hope it stays that way. Just the thought of a family meeting on the subject makes me flee. I don't give my parents any cause for concern either: I was a good secondary school pupil, I'm doing well in my apprenticeship now too and I'm in good physical shape.

The cliché of the listless stoner bothers me. When my mate Flurin and I smoke weed, we also want to experience something. If we're not going out, we look for a place outside to sit together instead of hanging out on the sofa with a joint. That's too stupid for us.