# Paranoia from dope smoke? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 31, 2000, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paranoia-from-dope-smoke/31498 "2000-08-31T15:01:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![A\_girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@A\_girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_girl)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2000, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paranoia-from-dope-smoke/31498/1 "2000-08-31T15:01:50Z")
I’ve been smoking maybe once a week for about 8 weeks. Last time I did it was last weekend, and I did it twice, Fri and Sat. Now I think people at work are spying on me and stuff, which they may be, 'cause it’s rumored I spend a lot of time online… haha! But I was wondering if this was caused by smoking or or would it have worn off already? Does the paranoia feeling some people get last a while? I’ve never felt like that when I’m actually stoned, feeling like the cops are coming or anything like that. Thanks! A girl PS, hurry and answer, before somebody sees! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2000, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paranoia-from-dope-smoke/31498/2 "2000-08-31T15:10:06Z")
I’ve never really understood the whole paranoid thing. In college I indulged, ahem, somewhat more than occasionally, and never experienced anything faintly resembling paranoia. Nor did all but one of my friends. But I often hear about it as tho it is common. Last Friday it merely enhanced a wonderful day out of the office on the golf course. Only paranoia related to drugs I knew was a major coke head/dealer who was pretty much nuts anyway. But he went the whole route, checking the curtains every 30 seconds for narcs circling the block, arguing strenuously how the FBI kept tabs on you through the TV, etc. Didn’t stop him from getting high, tho. Sorry I couldn’t help with your OP. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2000, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paranoia-from-dope-smoke/31498/3 "2000-08-31T15:28:00Z")
A girl, I don’t smoke anymore (random work drug tests) but when I used to (this was years ago) I used to feel paranoid at times as well. That’s why I hardly ever smoked it. However, as far as you feeling like they might be “spying” on you at work, it might not have anything at all to do with smoking - it might be just a gut level intuition kinda thing. Especially if you’re doing something you’re not supposed to be that feeling can be kinda intense. Been there, done that, so I know how you feel. I know, that probably didn’t make much sense, did it. Sorry - just trying to help. ---
**Author:** ![oldscratch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ed655f/32.png) [@oldscratch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oldscratch)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2000, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paranoia-from-dope-smoke/31498/4 "2000-08-31T15:30:40Z")
Never got paranoina when I wasn’t stoned. The problem with pot is a lot of the “problems” are psychosomatic. You don’t remember something, you blame it on the pot, when you probably wouldn’t have remembered anyway. You get paranoid, blame it on the pot. I’m not saying that pot doesn’t cause some problems, but it’s probably not causing yours. ---
**Author:** ![A\_girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@A\_girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_girl)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2000, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paranoia-from-dope-smoke/31498/5 "2000-08-31T15:37:55Z")
I have to quit it anyway for now because school’s started. But I feel better now. 🙂 A girl ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2000, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paranoia-from-dope-smoke/31498/6 "2000-08-31T15:55:20Z")
WAIT A MINUTE!! Did I read correctly? “I have to quit it anyway for now because school’s started.” !?! What better time or place? ---
**Author:** ![Demo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demo/32/8472_2.png) [@Demo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demo)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2000, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paranoia-from-dope-smoke/31498/7 "2000-08-31T16:00:20Z")
What Oldscratch said goes for me as well. Dinsdale: No doubt! ---
**Author:** ![Trout\_Mask\_Replica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a88e57/32.png) [@Trout\_Mask\_Replica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trout_Mask_Replica)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2000, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paranoia-from-dope-smoke/31498/8 "2000-08-31T16:09:33Z")
I’ve smoked a few times, and I’ve noticed that I was much more likely to get paranoid if I did it in unfamiliar surroundings. ---
**Author:** ![aenea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@aenea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aenea)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2000, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paranoia-from-dope-smoke/31498/9 "2000-08-31T16:29:17Z")
A Girl, I have many years experience and have never experienced paranioa. The only times I’ve ever seen anyone act paraniod has been people doing way different drugs. Never just pot. Or they had other problems and blamed it on the pot. In other words - “What Oldscratch said”. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2000, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paranoia-from-dope-smoke/31498/10 "2000-08-31T16:33:21Z")
A Girl, don’t move, we will be there momentarily to come and get you. Yes, we have been watching you. Now it is time to go… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![A\_girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@A\_girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_girl)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2000, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paranoia-from-dope-smoke/31498/11 "2000-08-31T17:24:50Z")
AAAAAAH! I’ll be in the corner, naked, covering myself with tinfoil! (I knew you guys were out there, but nobody would believe me!!!) 🙂 A girl ---
**Author:** ![DRY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@DRY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DRY)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2000, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paranoia-from-dope-smoke/31498/12 "2000-09-01T07:31:15Z")
As I posted on the other Marijuana thread in IMHO, I’ve never smoked it. But I have a friend whose SO pressured her into doing it. She told me she HATED it, and that it DID make her incredibly paranoid. She claimed to have smoked it while watching Toy Story, and became convinced that the “Toy Story Monsters” were out to get her. :eek: 😕 I started to laugh and told her: “Deb, you’re not serious, are you?” But she was. No doubt in my mind she was. And this person is not a prude and not deranged in any way. ---
**Author:** ![oldscratch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ed655f/32.png) [@oldscratch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oldscratch)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2000, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paranoia-from-dope-smoke/31498/13 "2000-09-01T15:36:36Z")
Reminds me of a new years party I had. Some friend(read idiot) gave another friends 14 year old sister E. She was fine, but I had the cookie monster toy there (you know the one for 4 year olds that talks) and she started freaking out on it, thinking that it was coming after her. It is a pretty scary machine and all. ---
**Author:** ![DRY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@DRY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DRY)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2000, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paranoia-from-dope-smoke/31498/14 "2000-09-02T08:18:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by oldscratch \* > \*\*Reminds me of a new years party I had. Some friend(read idiot) gave another friends 14 year old sister E. She was fine, but I had the cookie monster toy there (you know the one for 4 year olds that talks) and she started freaking out on it, thinking that it was coming after her. It is a pretty scary machine and all. \*\* Oldscratch–yeah, that sounds similar to what happened to my friend. Though my friend was in her late twenties at the time. And I don’t know about your friend’s sister, but my friend still does not like the movie (bad associations–presumably it no longer scares her).