This article is for all the people who post on the subreddit r/leaves about quitting cannabis. But before we start, I just want to make it clear that I do not intend to quit cannabis.
I find myself to have a healthy relationship with the plant, and modulate my consumption every year. This is because I practice mindfulness, meditation, and other wellness activities in conjunction with my cannabis use.
Cannabis – for me – is merely a tool to be used within my conscious experience of reality. Sometimes, it helps me achieve certain tasks, other times it helps me achieve certain states of being.
However, at no point is cannabis in control of me.
I have stopped cannabis “cold turkey” many times and do so at least once a year.
For me, there is no addiction in the traditional sense. Simply a mature means of consuming cannabis according to my preferences.
However, I also recognize that people can have problems with cannabis, just like I had problems with excessive gaming, tobacco, and porn/masturbation at one point in my life. With certain of these areas, I still struggle.
For example, if I allow myself to game even a little bit, I can get hooked and waste hours of my day on something that does absolutely nothing for my overall wellbeing.
But, seeing that “gaming” isn’t considered as taboo as smoking cannabis – people even laugh at the notion of being addicted to games.
But the truth is, gaming has ruined many people’s lives…and yet, you can’t blame the games. Nor can you blame the substance.
The addict is the only one to blame within the cycle of addiction, as the addict is the only one that can break the cycle. We all have our little preferences in life, and if cannabis happens to be your addiction – I, a stoner who has kicked many other addictions in my life including tobacco – want to give you some perspective on how to go about it.
Firstly, as an ex tobacco smoker of 15 years, I understand the way of the addict. In fact, being addicted to tobacco is not only more expensive than cannabis, it’s far more addictive. However, I quit tobacco twice cold turkey. The first time, I simply decided to let it go and went without smoking for three years.
Then, after I was weak and smoked again – I kept on smoking a few more years, until one day I read the book “Easy Way to Quit Smoking” by Alan Carr.
This was the book that reminded me of all the negative programming I had with tobacco, and as I read the book, I renegotiated every agreement I had with the substance.
Because at the end of the day, addiction is a series of automated agreements between the user and the substance.
It’s an unconscious program that activated when certain emotional triggers arise. These triggers are typically associated with high stress situations where the addict feels like the substance will provide the relief they seek for the malady.
However, since the substance only deals with the symptom of the situation – the underlying problem remains and the addict feels guilt and shame for repeating the never ending cycle of their addiction.
The main trick when it comes to dealing with addiction is to become mindful of the unconscious agreements you have made with it.
For example, after reading plenty of “leaves” stories – most people recount their experience as “With cannabis I did this, but felt that…I wanted this, but was too high to do anything…etc…”
They basically shielded their own responsibility in the interaction and blamed it on “the cannabis”.
This will not help you leave for good because you give power to the plant. The plant is just a plant. If YOU never picked it up and YOU never smoked it, it would have never forced itself on you.
Rather, the expected returns your unconscious believes it will get from using it will provide you with the reasoning and motivation to consume. So the first step is to completely assume ultimate responsibility.
You smoke because YOU choose to smoke.
I tried to quit, but it’s hard AF!
You stop smoking and the first thing you want to do is smoke. This is the same with any addiction. If you deprive the monkey mind of its source of pleasure, it’s going to continually want to figure out ways and remind you of moments for you to give into your weaker desires.
This isn’t “the cannabis” doing this. This is the part of your unconscious mind that became dependent on cannabis as its means of escape from its trauma that was initially diminished with cannabis use. This is you, not dealing with your issues.
The anxiety, the restlessness, etc – these are all the unconscious elements you have suppressed with weed. You were too afraid to sit with it, and now – it’s all there in your face.
The best thing you can do is relax. Realize that this feeling will last for a short period of time – usually no longer than 15 minutes – and that it’s really just energy that needs to move.
While it’s true, you will have a slight drop in your endocannabinoid intake – meaning that a very good thing you could do is get into some sort of exercise regimen. Go for a brisk walk, run, ride your bike, do yoga – whatever, get that body moving and increase your own endocannabinoid production.
The first thing about quitting an addiction is to accept the difficulty, anticipate it, embrace it – find a way to use it as fuel!
In the case of tobacco, I envisioned the cravings as the tobacco demon dying, and every time I held out, it’s hold on me became less and less.
Sure, I am personifying the substance – however, this was merely a tool for me to transmute the anxiety of quitting into motivation to keep on the path. At no point, did I give the substance power over me – rather, I personified it to make it smaller than me.
It’s okay if you want to visualize the “weed demon” and see its hold on you diminish. But remember, the “weed demon” is just you masquerading as the weed demon. You’re taking a part of you that is hooked on the sensation, and diminishing the importance of that connection.
Become truly analytical…
You need to reframe the way you look at weed. What does it bring to your life, is it really responsible or is the associated things you do that brings you joy? Understanding the context of use will allow you to renegotiate your unconscious agreements with the plant.
At first, don’t try to quit smoking.
Doing this usually fails.
Rather, continue to smoke as is – but begin to truly analyze your toking sessions. First, smoke, and focus in on how you feel. What about smoking weed do you love? What do you hate? Is there other ways for you to experience similar things to what you love about weed? Before weed, what did you do to increase these feelings in your life?
Becoming mindful of your smoke sessions will give you valuable insight as to where you ascribe the importance of weed. When you identify the “core benefits” you obtain from weed, you can begin to find alternative ways to supplant those needs.
In many cases, by simply doing this – you’ll notice a major decrease in your consumption. That’s because you’re taking external action towards obtaining the internal desires of your soul.
Nonetheless, understanding your relationship to your addiction, your reasons why you smoke and why you “can’t” stop – you’ll begin to unravel the lies you tell yourself.
Don’t be too hard on yourself…
If weed is really difficult for you to quit, get some help. It’s okay to admit you have a problem with cannabis. Not everybody is meant to do every drug. Some people have problems with alcohol, others with food – if cannabis is your thing…that’s okay.
It’s not a sign of weakness, it’s merely the way you are configured and you’ve got some work to do.
I quit cannabis for a few years when I was younger before taking it back up. I had to mature a lot in the process and rewrite my relationship with the substance before I could integrate it back into my life.
Other people quit forever.
Everything is fine – because every life is unique.
While the book “Easy Way to Quit Smoking” is written for tobacco smokers – there’s a lot of underlying concepts you can take out and apply to cannabis.
Addiction is addiction – when you understand how it works, you can undo the programming you sustain everyday with your use.
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