I would be concerned about an emerging mental illness, drug use, or both.

OP, you can get at-home drug tests from CVS.
https://www.cvs.com/shop/cvs-health-home-drug-test-kit-7-drugs-prodid-343465?skuId=343465&cgaa=QWxsb3dHb29nbGVUb0FjY2Vzc0NWU1BhZ2Vz&cid=ps_dme_pla&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw--K_BhB5EiwAuwYoyqa7-z_LBxTv-RtUF6BWN0JA6wg_jpEkD-03LXCCQTH3yQjZYdSifhoCYLgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

You should also get some narcan to keep at home. Ideally, you would have some candid conversations with him and have "him" keep some narcan with him as well. He's allowed to carry it at school, at least in MCPS.

Anonymous wrote:https://medium.com/@thekatieallison/parenting-an-addicted-teen-what-i-wish-id-known-4f600e3be213

Have someone very skillful come over and check your IT data and it may reveal something.

If you can air tag him, that would shed some light on the absence thing.

He's probably skipping certain classes, hanging in the bathrooms or in friends' cars in the parking lot, vaping, or even smoking weed. No unusual in high school, and particularly among lacrosse players. So he may still "register" as being at school. Doesn't mean he's in the right classroom at the right time though.

id also be concerned about online predator chat

Check under mattress, inside shoes, inside socks, books, under stick deodorant, pockets.

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Gaming

Also schizophrenia can start this way.[/quote]

I hate to say it, but my brother‘s schizophrenia started with him having insomnia, losing a bunch of weight, and becoming fixated on certain things. [/quote]

How old was he when symptoms started? I thought 15 was on the young side.[/quote]

Aren’t there some articles that say smoking pot can accelerate underlying conditions?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gaming

Also schizophrenia can start this way.

I hate to say it, but my brother‘s schizophrenia started with him having insomnia, losing a bunch of weight, and becoming fixated on certain things.

How old was he when symptoms started? I thought 15 was on the young side.

Weight loss and elevated heart rate, along with a formerly motivated student being so checked out in class that teachers notice…very alarming.

OP the weight loss with everything else is concerning - get him help!

This is the age where boys with schizophrenia can first start to exhibit symptoms. Not at all saying that is what he has, but something to keep an eye on. It comes out of nowhere and some of these "odd" behaviors you mention could be concerning.

Anonymous wrote:This sounds like vaping or smoking carts (weed) and probably an underlying mental health issue.

This is exactly what I think as a pediatric RN

Reposting from PP. The blogger's son started smoking pot at age 14 and died of an opiate overdose at age 18.

Parenting An Addicted Teen: What I Wish I’d Known, Part 1
https://medium.com/@thekatieallison/parenting-an-addicted-teen-what-i-wish-id-known-4f600e3be213

Parenting An Addicted Teen: If I Could Turn Back Time, Part 2
https://medium.com/@katieallisonmail/parenting-an-addicted-teen-if-i-could-turn-back-time-part-2-a851b4ab0ad4

He’s snorting

Or he could have been catfished by some scam artist pretending to be a girl, sent them his masturbation video or other sexting stuff and is now being blackmailed?

This sounds like vaping or smoking carts (weed) and probably an underlying mental health issue.