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First, you need to get this idea of "weed made him stupid and fucked up his life" out of your head. The weed, like the alcohol, are just tools in his personal destruction. If he's fucking up now, it's because he's a fuck-up, not because of weed.
Lots of kids get the 4th-year depression. Sounds like it hit this kid hard. Some commit suicide, some just isolate themselves from the world and simply have a nervous breakdown of sorts. You're talking about a kid who was set on a path of excellence, and who suddenly realizes that nothing he does is ever any good- good grades are expected, and anything less gets him lectured. Imagine being that kid and pulling a B... how depressed would that make you feel? And a lot of times, the parents are somewhat at fault for not properly instilling the value of hard work. If you work hard, and try your damnedest, and still pull a B, there should be congratulations in order, not "a B is not an A, were you even trying?" He had nowhere to advance (in his mind) and all he had to look forward to was MORE pressure in college for 4 or more years.
p.s.- i almost had this shit happen to me, but then my parents realized I thought I couldn't be perfect enough for them, and they explained what i just said about working hard. That was WAY more than enough to make me feel good about any grade, so long as I put forth the effort. It's amazing what good parenting will do.
As far as the alcohol and weed go, he likely knew someone who turned him on to it as a "distraction" or "a great way to relieve stress". Marijuana IS a great way to relieve stress, but EVERYTHING in moderation, and NEVER enough to interfere with important life duties. That's just bad decision-making, not the pot itself.
Bottom line: Blame the tools, and you'll never help your friend. Understand where it started, and cause him to remove the tools himself.
Good luck to both of you, I hope you can save a future.
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