certified teenager here, definitely sounds like weed as opposed to anything harder. if he was on heroin you’d know. you can’t really be a functioning H addict, it will be obvious.

if he’s hanging around with a group like that, make sure he has access to safety resources. it’s very unlikely that his friends are even actually doing those hard drugs, let alone encouraging him to try them too, but it’s never a bad idea to be prepared. Despite being a teenage boy, he’s likely smart enough to not do heroin. i myself am in a friend group of teen boys, they’re stupid and some are more risky than others, but they all steer clear of heroin. the best thing you can do is be a safe space for him. it’s very common for teens to dabble in drugs, and for most people that’s all it is: just a little try, nothing to genuinely worry about.

my advice (as a teen, not a parent so take it with a pinch of salt) is to subtly let him know that you know and give him safety advice and stuff like “you can always call me to come get you, no question asked” etc. he’ll probably roll his eyes or whatever but he’ll remember that you’re there for him. he knows the risks and thus likely knows his limits, most people say they’ll only every touch natural stuff (weed, shrooms, etc), and that’s probably how he is too. remind him to be careful with dosages of anything and to listen to his body.

in all honesty i don’t know your kid, i don’t know what approach will be most helpful, but just try to remember that it’s a pretty normal teen experience and that the rumours of heroin and crack are most likely false or extremely exaggerated. you haven’t done anything wrong as a parent and he’s most likely smart enough to steer clear of the real risky stuff. it will be okay🩷