You may have a point but hopefully some children will think he's an idiot.
It doesn't matter if
some children think he's an idiot if he's now a magnet for the pot-head subculture.
People don't realize that there is a strong cultural component underlying marijuana usage. They form communities, and at that age, part of the problem (and, more importantly,
the mutual attraction) is being open enough to find people with whom you can smoke and from whom you can get the green.
When you essentially advertise to these children that yours not only managed to get a hold of pot, but also was not afraid to try it, what do you realistically think is going to happen? They will in all likelihood
gravitate towards him, both with curiosity and admiration. It's possible that this may then lead to
social acceptance among the very crowd that his mother would prefer that he avoid!
Also, don't you think that this may trigger bitterness and rebellion on the part of this young man? Teens aren't known for responding to these types of punishments very well, especially if even a small subset of their peers show that they not only condone, but support this behavior. His mother may have just made the single worst decision possible given the situation.
None of this is inevitable, but it's a risk which should have been considered by the boy's mother. Whether or not some (or even a majority) of kids think he's an idiot (which, by the way,
also has the potential to drive him further into the subculture by way of derision) is irrelevant.
