Weed is more than just a drug. It can be a gateway to achieving levels of happiness and serenity — at least for me, anyway. I’ve been an avid smoker since my first year at U of T. Three years have passed and now I am sober — for the most part. Ironically, weed is going to be legalized on October 17 but I probably couldn’t care less.

There are two main types of weed: indica and sativa. Indica strains are more relaxing, while sativas provide a more uplifting and energizing experience. I’ve used sativa with friends because it’s way more exciting. Indica has helped me sleep, to say the least, but it has had some other interesting effects on me.

Two years ago, I was, unfortunately, high during one of the most important moments of my life.

Back in second year, I was on the UTSC men’s intramural flag football team for the 2016–2017 season. Our team was on a hot streak. We made it to the final round, playing against UTM.

I remember smoking a joint right before getting on the team bus. Normally, a joint wouldn’t hit me that hard. As we warmed up, I remember feeling slightly lightheaded as I was running routes. I thought I was fine, but then the game began, and things took a different turn.

Our coach had me starting on defense to begin the game. I will always remember the first play of the game. UTM had a passing play. I remember looking at the player I was defending, struggling to follow him around on man-coverage. I felt a lot slower.

My reflexes were down and my judgments impaired because of the indica strain I had smoked. I think I have pretty good endurance and stamina, yet I felt more tired than usual during the game.

When we had the ball, it was also terrible for me. I remember at one point, I was just losing focus on everything going on around me. I couldn’t stay alert. Paying attention was nearly impossible.

One of my teammates, Dave, always shouted, “Look alive guys,” to keep us in check. I really needed to hear that, because I started feeling sleepy.

One of my most memorable moments in the game was when we were in the huddle. Our quarterback was going over the play that we were going to run.

I remembered exactly what route I was assigned. Then, as we left the huddle and lined up on the line of scrimmage, I forgot the route. I remember one of my older teammates yelling at me to get on the other side of the field.

The game eventually ended and we beat UTM. Playing in an important game while high was definitely an interesting experience, and on the bus ride home, I simply passed out.

I probably wouldn’t do it again.