The dude was taking and traficking drugs before Elan.

It's not weed. It's not alchool either ( why isn't that drug constantly called the gateway? ), it's giving-in to addictive personality traits because if feels good at the moment.

If you can't take drugs ( any drug, alchool too ) without spiraling into shoving drugs into every part of your life and drive it down a cliff ( litterally driving shit-faced in the story ), just say no to drugs indeed.

Same thing with fatties who can't buy dessert in bulk because they will stuff themself sick, unable to restrain themselves.

If you can't restrain yourself, don't keep your ''drug of choice'' in the house, learn to say politely but firmly no when offered. It gets easier the more you deny yourself that self-destructive behavior.

Of course you're going to lose friends with who your shared times revolved around doing the thing you stopped doing. ( They might not even have an addictive personaly out of control problem, but doing the thing is all you saw them for. ) Find other friends. Do something else.

No, really, actually say no to drugs when you clearly can't fucking handle them responsibly.

You nailed it.