How do you kick a marijuana addiction?

Umm… there’s no such thing.
At least not a physical addiction.

Here’s a site about marijuana addiction, that also contains information about treatment. Narcanon also has a site. It seems that they are kind of advertisements for marijuana detoxification and marijuana treatment centers. I don’t know what the centers do, or if you can do it on your own. But it’s a start.

Buy as much as you possibly can afford and then send it all to me. You won’t have the desire to do it after that

i know that some people do not feel that it is an addicting drug, however with prior experience i believe it is.

How do you smoke it? If you smoke blunts, you are most likely addicted to tobacco.

Go to a rehab facility or

grow up and do coke like an adult.

I meant that it can be psychologically addictive, but it is not possible to be physically addicted. Counseling is all you need if it’s the former.

thanks rawpixels. ahahah

& no it was rarely out of blunts & i do not smoke cigarettes.

& to eponymousipster i think maybe you should grow up and be helpful considering this is a website to help people.

kthanks.

asmonet i understand what you mean now.

You can’t break the addiction because there is no addiction to marijuana. I wouldn’t worry about it too much.

Again i do believe that there is.
maybe not even being addicted to the drug.,

but the whole process leading up to smoking and then the high is addictive.

@vegelizabeth You are taking the first step by asking for help. I applaud you. It is a habit that is very hard for some to give up.

Gradually smoke less. If you get irritated and feel the need to smoke, go outside, exercise, do something fun that doesn’t involve smoking weed. Stop hanging out with people that smoke a lot (or if the only thing you got in common with them is smoking weed). Get a new exciting hobby or something constructive to do, so you don’t have to think about weed or feel the need to blaze.

Think about why you smoke so much or why you need to smoke to make your life bearable or exciting. If there are some things you need to change in your life, do it. Get some new goals, hobbies and things in your life to fill the weed-smoking hole.

thank you very much jonsblond

@vegelizabeth i said “go to a rehab facility” which is exactly the same thing as counseling.

google offers this fine result: http://www.ehow.com/how_2083594_overcome-marijuana-addiction.html

and suggests you hike yourself down to Marijuana Anonymous, which i did not know existed. So, as you like it.

caveat emptor

Elmagico,
you have been very helpful.

i am smoking less, but can still feel that anxious feeling.
it sucks.

I was addicted to smoking blunts and started using a vaporizer and have no more cravings and use marijuana
less than I used to.
I have no intentions on stopping, I was just looking for a safer alternative

@eponymoushipster Marijuana Anonymous? Really? That’s the biggest crock of shit I’ve ever heard of. Propaganda at it’s finest.

“weeds not a drug. You ever suck dick for weed?”
Bob saget

@daloon: Your site isn’t exactly credible. The pictures are labeled things like weed, pot leaf, etc. One would think they’d refrain from using the word marijuana as well, as the plant is actually cannabis. Marijuana was a racially motivated name. Also, it’s a bit of a copy paste from alcoholism and hard drug use sites. It’s almost exactly the same as many alcoholism sites I’ve seen. Take a look at the detox page, it’s all wrong for cannabis. Never mind the glaring misinformation on the sidebar about ‘marijuana is a gateway drug’.

You’re describing a psychological addiction. Counseling is seriously as far as you will ever need to go to get over it. If you have problems with anxiety speak to your doctor. I used to smoke to treat panic attacks. I finally spoke to my doctor about anti-anxiety meds and no longer need to.

For the last time Fluther, you don’t use weed you smoke it.

essieness-

Why even bother wasting time answering this question if you have nothing to say that is helpful.

It’s a longer process imo since it’s not only about smoking weed but the things that are attached to it. Some good friends you like to smoke with, the things you associate with it like going to the movies wasted and so on. It’s a psychological thing because for a short time you feel that life hasn’t got the same quality or you got nothing to do and something is missing. Other things will take weed’s place pretty fast and satisfy you in the same way, you’ll feel more energetic and motivated also, at least it was like that in my case.

Imo the best thing to get rid of some anxious, nervous, confused or irritant feelings is to really do something else – go hiking or ride around on your bike, meet up with a friend – so you don’t sit at home bored and get the urge to smoke. Those feelings will gradually become weaker and weaker.

@asmonet

Technically, I inhale thc vapor, not smoke it. You can also eat it.

@vegelizabeth Don’t get too haughty, honey. I had something helpful to say, but you disagree. Why ask the question if you’re only going to disagree with the answers you don’t like?

@vegelizabeth: You’re new to Fluther so you might not have picked up on this yet, but Fluther is a place for discussions, questions, answers, jokes and having fun. All wrapped up in one. Generally, we allow some side conversations if it is still on topic to some degree.

I’m over it.

i have known many pot smokers, and i’ve never met anyone that was addicted. i did not think it was an addictive drug…? just stop smoking. stop buying it, i guess.

I’m still right. :)

@vegelizabeth I get the feeling you want to be addicted to it. Maybe for cool points? I’m not sure. It probably has a lot to do with your age. I highly doubt that at 17 you have been smoking long enough (or a large enough amount) to constitute being anywhere close to having a problem. But, if you’re really concerned about being “addicted” (which is physically impossible), I would just do some serious research on the subject.

I would heed @asmonet‘s advice… Fluther is a place for discussions, so when you ask a question, you have to expect to get some answers you don’t like. That’s part of the process. You will never learn anything if people only tell you what you want to hear. You must open your mind to others’ opinions and beliefs in order to grow.

Yes, because i want to be addicted to smoking marijuana my entire life.
thanks.

@essieness yeah, i didn’t know it existed either, but i suppose there can be a X Anonymous for anything, just like there’s a Dummies or Idiot’s book for everything, too.

@vegelizabeth you need to chill, dude/dudette.

I am fine, however this question is real, and it’s a big deal in my life right now.
So i would appreciate less argumentative comments & for people to understand that what i am going through is a problem, & i am trying to fix it.

It’s not easy.
I am old enough to understand addiction.

i will be eighteen in less than a few weeks and feel as though i am adult enough to understand.

I simply just wanted tips and/or help.

so for those of you that did help,
thank you.

and for those of you that did not,
goodbye.

As far as kicking an addiction there are many 12 step groups available- chief among these is Narcotics Anonymous-There are no social, religious, economic, racial, ethnic, national, gender, or class-status membership restrictions. In addition it’s free to join. In 2007, there were over 25,065 groups holding over 43,900 weekly meetings in 127 countries.
http://portaltools.na.org/portaltools/MeetingLoc/

It is modeled after AA. They define a drug as any mind or mood altering substance up to and including alcohol so don’t think that it’s only narcotics. Addiction is not about freedom-and only you can decide if you are addicted or not. Millions have gone on to live highly effective and productive lives. If you are even a little curious you can check it out

Seriously I really don’t get the slating she gets. She comes to this site with a problem and everybody gets caught up in semantics “Oh no, weed’s not addictive. You know!”, “You are just trying to be cool, you want to be an addict” and goes into the old argument that you can’t get addicted to weed. Fuck that. Let’s call it a “habit” then.

Btw ever heard of something called a psychological addiction – surfing the net, compulsive shopping and so on? Imo this question isn’t about withdrawals or going to rehab but about kicking a habit.

I know plenty of people who had similar problems. People who smoked daily for years and found it hard to break the habit since it was so ingrained in your lifestyle and your personal life suffered from this. So all you “Weed isn’t a drug, it has no negative effects, you’re a pussy” hippies should step back – she said she has a problem, who are you to judge if it’s a problem or not?

Its all mental bro. 3 Days and your golden.

Apparently, it’s true that weed makes you paranoid. wow

Is any of this really worth arguing over.

I just wanted help.
thats it!

That’s what we’re trying to give… if you’ll take it.

My point about the distinction between addictions was valid @elmagico. It’s information she should have. The point is an addiction is not the same as a habit. Look it up. She said addiction. We clarified.

Now, jump down from your soap box.

@all Where are the mods? I think we need an intervention.

@essieness flag the appropriate quip[s].

I have taken it, but i have no time for people that already come in here with a preconceived notion of marijuana.

I find it to be addicting!
thats it!!!!!

everything about it.

the process of smoking it
smoking it
the ppl you are with when you do it
where you are when you do it.

everything.

i spend aprox. $100 – $150 a week alone on it.
It’s alittle more than a habbit honey!

I don’t talk it up because i like it!
i talk it up because its a real thing i am going through!
and you are all making a joke out of it!

i didnt come here for this

People have reputations, and they want their answers to be right.

@asmonet—I had a feeling those sites were a little iffy. As I said, they seemed sales-oriented. I didn’t realize they had been copied from other sites.

Still, I think it is true that there are treatment programs for folks who believe they are hooked on pot. I know it’s true that some people have trouble stopping. Psychological or physical addiction; it’s still a problem.

@vegelizabeth: do you still live at home? If so, do your parents know?

@vegelizabeth
I offered you the solution. It comes from personal experience. E-mail if you have any questions.

Or we could man up and play nice. How about it everyone?

@eponymoushipster Can you flag a personal comment?

Yes, i live at home,
both my parents know about it.

they both do it & allow me too
that is another reason it is hard to kick.

Peace…

@essieness yeah, right next to the “Great Answer” line, it should say “Flag as…”.

Conversely, you can PM one of them.

flag what you want, you didn’t take anything i had to say into consideration.
just what you came in here with.

which is again your preconceived facts on marijuana!

I’m pretty much over this question.
I’ll get my answers somewhere else.

We all agreed you feel you have an addiction, we were offering clarification as to the nature of said addiction, or I was. After your last post I’m further convinced you do have a real psychological dependence on cannabis. I suggest counseling. And speaking to your doctor if you have lingering anxiety issues.

After your comment about your parents I must emphasize counseling above all else now. That is not a healthy situation for someone your age. Or any age for that matter.

@daloon: Yeah, I was only pointing out the credibility of that site in particular. I agree with your other points.

Ummmm… just stop doing it? You are not going to go through symptoms of withdrawl since there is not physical addiction. At one point I wanted to stop and guess what I did? I fucking stopped! just say no. They taught me that in Kindergarten. Have an ounce of willpower and you can quite.

Weed isn’t a real drug. You ever sucked a dick for some weed! I don’t think so.

Yeah, man. Jesus, why all the negativity? The girl came here with an honest question about something she perceives as a problem and many people are jumping down her throat and arguing semantics. Why not offer some constructive advice? If your reaction about marijuana has been to get defensive, maybe you need to look in a mirror and and revise your definitions of “addiction.”

@vegelizabeth Sorry for the rude introduction to fluther. It’s not always like this. You can, and usually do, get some good advice here, but sometimes you gotta wade through a lot of BS.

Good luck.

It’s all in your head.

I am here because i have tried to stop smoking & i did actually suffer very bad with drawls.
I will try something else.

this is obviously not the right place.

@tb1570 How is telling the girl that there is no such thing as a physical addiction to marijuana considered rude? It appears to me that she is the one who got defensive when she didn’t get the answers she wanted to hear.

What kind of withdrawals?

essieness-

Trust me i was a weed smoker, i enjoyed it once too!
But that doesn’t stop the fact that it is illegal, and shouldn’t be used for non medical purposes.

Stop coming up with excuses for it.
I get it, you smoke it coool, coool.
it just shouldn’t be done, period.

I still wish i never even tried smoking.

Having done some research on this, read up on a large number of recovery programs, and also seen a number of recovery programs in action (not for myself), I am quite convinced that there is such a thing as an addiction to marijuana. It may be relatively uncommon, but if it is experienced as an addiction and has effects that act on a person like other addictions, I see no reason not to treat it as such, regardless of the lore. I believe that for people who are struggling with a feeling of helpless inability to stop using, it is a great disservice to discredit their experience.

Some serious recovery programs do not give sufficient credence to weed as a drug of choice and tend to treat it lightly. And even NA meetings can take it lightly. It can be hard to find the right intervention.

@vegelizabeth, if you know anyone who has succeeded in kicking weed, you might start there. Counselors and therapists may not know where to refer you. If I were in your place, here is what I think I would do: I believe I would go to AA, not NA, and follow their steps, just substituting in my own mind my drug of choice for theirs. At the very least I would meet people there who know how to take addiction seriously, know how to recover, and probably know others in the same situation with respect to marijuana.

Here is what not to do, and I mean it: do not replace weed with some other drug that you know people will take seriously.

@vegelizabeth: You say that your parents smoke regularly, too? If that’s the case, I think you have a much harder road in front of you. In fact, I would venture to say that it will be nearly impossible for you to quit as long as you are at home. Are you going off to college? I’d say that wherever you go, so long as you are no longer at home, it will become possible to stop. I would consider this as you go along. If you try to stop while at home, and you fail, you can*not* blame yourself. Try again, under better circumstances.

One more thing. It doesn’t matter what other people say about the advantages or problems with pot. If you want to stop, that’s good enough reason to find out how.

@vegelizabeth Oh my… You’ve been exposed to too many Above the Influence commercials. Here’s a website you should check out. They have great articles about studies being done on marijuana along with many other issues. Unfortunately, the government has almost succeeded in convincing a lot of people that marijuana is bad for you, a gateway drug, evil, and so on. Just because it’s illegal doesn’t make it bad. That’s what they want you to think. You’re buying into it, unfortunately.

I would like to hear your opinion on why it shouldn’t be used for non-medicinal purposes.

Also, if you were once a “weed smoker” and “enjoyed it”, why the sudden change of heart?

I have been to AA meeting however i didn’t find it very helpful considering my “need” we’ll call it rather than an “addiction” for some people because it was not for marijuana.

There are no Marijuana anonymous meetings around here and to be honest i have never heard of them before.

When i was going through the with drawls however i was experiencing a lot of irritability like i didn;t know what to do with myself, pacing for awhile, I had really bad headaches, extreme cravings, really bad stomach cramps, i was pretty restless, i completely stopped eating and my mood swings were crazy.

thats just some of them.

today marks the 1st day in over months that i have not smoked “weed”.
& i fell as though i am dying.

I definitely need help.

I realized it wasn’t taking me where i wanted to go in life.
I look at my parent’s lives and no that i don’t want to be that way years down the road.

that is the sudden change of heart.

@vegelizabeth, I am really proud of you, and you can do this!

Everything is one step at a time. There is no shortcuts.

I don’t smoke, but my husband does, and smokes a lot.

Speak to your doctor about antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication. I think it’d do you a world of good.

ess-

Your going to tell me smoking weed hasn’t impacted your life ever negatively?
It’s not something to do over and over again, your just killing your brain cells.

I have changed a lot since i started smoking, i wish i could have my old self again.
so no the “live above the influence” commercials have not impacted my view on weed!!

My own life has.

Often people smoke because of other issues. I’ve heard it described as “filling the hole.” Self-medication, which is what smoking $100—$150 a week is, doesn’t make the root issue better, it only masks it.

Here is the deal, you can become psychologically addicted to THC and if you stop cold turkey after smoking regularly you can become irritable, restless, and have trouble sleeping. More often than not truly painful withdraws when someone stops smoking (@vegelizabeth) are in fact caused by underlying issues that the THC masked.

I would ask you these questions (you don’t have to answer me, just answer yourself)...
1. Do you drink or use other drugs when you smoke weed?
2. Do you binge drink?
3. Have you gone through a trauma in your life?
4. Is there a history of depression in your family?

If you answer yes to any of these than it is completely probable that THC was simply a mask to your true problem. I would consult a Physician or Psychologist if you feel unbearable pain during times of non use.

PS – THC has side effects, but compared to any legal drug (nicotine, alcohol, OTCs…) it is hands down the safest and highly unlikely to cause serious withdraw symptoms.

That is very true!

A 12-step program is still likely to be your best bet. Most therapists don’t know how to do it better than they do. Go with an open mind and listen for what they say to do “if you want what we have” (sobriety). If you are looking for excuses as to why they won’t work, you’re still protecting your drug.

i’ll answer them so everybody can read,

I have not ever used any other kind of drug.
I do not drink, once every like ten months or something
not often at all.

& yes there has been trauma in my life, yes associated with weed.
depression is a yes too. not severely.

To be fair vegelizabeth, I’m just going to offer up that smoking has never impacted my life negatively. It’s been about four years now.

drClaw is right on point. Having a professional to talk with will be really helpful. It’s helpful at 17 even if you’re not going though this.

You seem to want a different life for yourself and need support getting to that life. Some of it will be cultivating new habits to replace the old. You need someone consistently in your corner.

Well than i guess your one of the few lucky ones.

a lot of people will not admit to marijuana ever having any negative impact in their life.

i’m not afraid to show it, i wasn’t when i was regularly smoking it either.
which is just yesterday.

@asmonet, an alcoholic and a normie can drink side by side, and one gets hooked and the other doesn’t. I think normies are far more common with respect to weed, but I do not think all weed users are normies.

I am laying it all out on the table because i know i need help.

I am planning on going to a community college in 4 months.
when i graduate.

I lived on my own for 6 months with my boyfriend who also smokes but not nearly as much as i do he does encourage me not to and supports me but it is still hard.

I just recently moved back in with my mom, before now i wasn’t smoking daily but still way to much.

I can easily in one day pack away a good 10 bowls out of a bong.
I do find this to be serious.

@vegelizabeth No, marijuana has never affected my life negatively. I am a productive member of society. In fact, I smoke marijuana to help me. I have Addison’s disease and have to keep my stress level down, so I smoke to aid in that. I have never felt the negative withdrawals that you speak of when I go without smoking. Maybe those issues are symptoms of an underlying problem that the marijuana was masking, like @drClaw said. I would look into that if I were you.

@vegelizabeth, it is serious, and you are right to treat it so. You have already done a really hard thing in facing this squarely. Don’t turn away from the honest recommendations you asked for.

@Jeruba: I agree with that, she just sounded like she couldn’t believe anyone would come away unscathed and so offered my own view. :)

@Jeruba You are right.

@vegelizabeth 10 bowls a day might be a problem. Is it an addiction? I doubt it. I think in that case it’s more of a problem of will power. I would love to sit around and smoke all day, but I have responsibilities. So I just don’t let myself.

Why are pot smokers so freaking defensive about how safe and great it is? The girl said she has a problem and instead of offering advice you tell her she must be making this problem up?

Don’t get me wrong, I love drugs. But like, be aware of their consequences and also realize that they affect everyone differently. Sheesh.

The girl isn’t thinking straight. Somehow she is seeing her need for real help. This isn’t a time for quarreling about semantics. SeventhSense, for one, offered the voice of pertinent experience.

Vegelizabeth’s problem is compounded by the fact that she can’t get away from it. Her parents smoke, her boyfriend, while he’s supportive of quitting, smokes. Normal in her house IS smoking every day, and not a problem for anyone but her. She wants a different normal for herself.

I’m interested about the link to depression. There’s one guy in my group who went off his meds, and now hes drinking and smoking like crazy, in an effort to self-medicate. He suffers from depression and mania. He’s bipolar (like everyone else in the group).

If pot helps with depression, and there’s a history of it in your family, then I can see why there’s so much smoking going on. If it’s not just pot, and it’s also depression, that also needs to be treated.

Alright well basically.

I am done.

Let’s all defend smoking because we do it, thats the way to go!

And pot doesn’t “treat” depression; it masks it.

[Mod says] This is a very interesting and useful thread. Let’s try to keep it that way. To that end, please refrain from demeaning others’ personal experiences and comments. Berating other users is also inappropriate. While it is totally fine to disagree (and we encourage that), please try to do so in a civil and respectful manner. Thanks.

This hasn’t really helped much.
so i guess i’m going to go.

@vegelizabeth, what one specific thing do you feel would be most helpful to you? You can do this.

If i didn’t have any access to weed.
i honestly think i am helpless until i am on my own

unless i enter a treatment center.

Are you covered by a health insurance plan?

it’s always around.
there are 3 other people i live with that are smoking on a daily basis.

It’ll be easier when i move out on my own.

I think you are in a tougher spot than most people on this list, because of your age and your home circumstance. Getting away from it is hard.

It’s not without hope, it’s just more difficult.
You can’t avoid contact highs unless you go outside, but you can refuse to smoke with them. Tell your boyfriends and parents you’re quitting and do not want them to offer or share anything with you, period.

It will be easier when you move out on your own. Perhaps the motivator now can be not to spend the money and save it towards moving out on your own.

Thank you very much AlfredaPrufrock, your a huge help.

Do you have any place that you can go to get away from it? Relatives, friends who don’t smoke?

I’ve kind of hid it from my family.

my family outside of my immediate family is very conservative and does not know about my addiction.

Most of the people i am around on a daily basis smoke.

I think @asmonet‘s last advice is sound. Share your thoughts, feelings and desire to quit using w/ your parents & bf. If they truly love you & care about you, they should be supportive of you & your efforts and at least agree to not use around you.

Thank you tb i’ll talk to my family soon.

I’m willing to bet that while your family may not know about you, they do know about your parents, and may be willing to help without judging or interfering. Can you find reasons to stay over at a grandparent’s house or other relative occasionally during the week without telling them why?

I am sure i can, thank you very much you have been of much help.

I really do appreciate your time.

Honestly, coming clean about your own addiction to everyone in your family may be the way to go. Having everyone behind you as you try to change your life is important, secrecy only creates another unnecessary burden. Tell everyone who you think loves you, get help. resources and everything you can out of them. You’ll need it.

That’s not always that easy, asmonet. Sometimes it stirs up more controversy than one is able to deal with in the middle of all this. It will come out, but it’s not always the best starting place. Vegelizabeth needs to get her footing first.

@vegelizabeth—I didn’t mean to discourage you. I just meant to let you know what the real obstacles are. If you know about them, you can prepare for them, and the last few folks have given you some excellent ideas about dealing with some of the obstacles we foresee. I believe it is worth trying before you move out. I hope you do. I also encourage you to come back here whenever you want support. There’s even a question around about supporting people who are trying to accomplish various long term goals. Put a note there about what you are trying to do, and you’ll get help.

You are not alone. You have done a good thing coming here. You have a hard time in front of you, but you also have a life in which to work on your problems. It will get easier. It may just take some time.

I do worry that some of my family may treat me differently.
I know most of my mom’s side of the family knows that she smokes thought they do not agree with it they know.

they treat her like she is less than a person, and they are superior so i know what me telling them will bring.

but it does need to all come out at some point.

Yes, I can imagine having to deal with grandparents berating your parents in the midst of all this will only add to all the stress in ways that you definitely don’t need.

It is a stressful process i know tonight, is going to be long..

You need to focus on small victories. Take it one day at a time. Look at the money you save. Bank it. Look at the bank book. Part of becoming an adult is knowing that you can and do choose the person you are, to a certain extent.

thank you, honestly you have been of much much much help.
I will definitely be back with an update. I have to go, thank you again.

If you want to PM me and tell me you made it through another day, I will be very happy for you. Anything like this is very difficult without cheerleaders.

awweee thank you, i will!

Yeah, and remember to sometimes just take some deep breaths and tell yourself “I will be OK,” because eventually, you will. Good luck, and don’t forget there are people who care about you and are pulling for you!

I didn’t have time to read this entire thread because I am at work. I smoked for a very long time, so I understand how hard it is to quit. I moved 1000 miles away, so I was able to quit because I didn’t know anyone in the area and my SO is very much against it. But even under those circumstances, it wasn’t easy.

I don’t know if this is repeating what others have said, but the best thing to do is to remove yourself from situations where others are smoking, especially during the early stages.

I wish I had more time to type, but I will come back later to add more. I wish you the best of luck. I’ve not smoked in 8 years. The fun days were fun, but I can’t say I miss it now.

annnnnnnnnnd this is why people with addictive personalities shouldnt use drugs….. Anything in life can be addicting, but any addiction can be broke with some will power.

@uberbatman I knew you’d come through with a great answer. Lurve.

hahah and again don’t leave anything if it is not helpful to me.

thanks again essieness

why bother?
does it will some empty space in your body?

jeeeze.

@vegelizabeth how many times have you said now that you find fluther useless and unhelpful and your leaving…....yet…here..you..are….

i never understood people who do this…

I would think if those extended family members look down on your parents for continuing to smoke they’d applaud you for trying to stop.

@uberbatman tell me this after you’ve stopped!!

@scamp: Are you implying uber is addicted?

@vegelizabeth I’m taking a drug class right now and yesterday I gave a major presentation on marijuana and you are right it is possible to have withdrawl symptoms like you were describing. As stated before marijuana is not physically addictive but it is psychologically addictive and like any addiction physical or psychological it’s not going to be easy to quit. Lucky for you withdrawl symptoms from marijuana use only last 3 or 4 days. Best of luck on waiting it out and stay busy in the meantime.

@asmonet I am implying nothing of the sort. I am responding to his statement: annnnnnnnnnd this is why people with addictive personalities shouldnt use drugs….. Anything in life can be addicting, but any addiction can be broke with some will power. Which came right after my post. Is he implying I am an addict?

@scamp i had to stop twice in my life. Once for a girlfriend and i quit for 3 years and once for a job and i quit for a year. Neither time was a problem for me.

Edit: scamp no, i wasnt implying you were addicted i was implying the the OP clearly has an addictive personality and shouldnt have tried marijuana in the first place.

@uberbatman You know I love you like a little brother, and I mean this with all due respect, but that’s not really stopping.. it’s taking a break. alcoholics do the same thing. My alcoholic ex husband quit drinking for the same amount of time, and he still drinks now. What made you go back when you stopped?

Ah, I see what happened there. I misunderstood based on your misunderstandings with each other.

Complicated.

@scamp what made me go back is the fact that i enjoy smoking marijuana and there is no feasible explanation i can come up with as to why i shouldnt enjoy it. I quit for the girl because i believed i loved her and she meant more to me than a drug, and i quit for the job because it was a job i wanted at the time which also means more to me than a drug. But right now i have neither of those things in my life and i dont see marijuana impacting my life in any negative ways so i really see no reason for me to abstain from it.

^Word.

@uberbatman I remember feeling like that too. I just hope that 30 years from now, you don’t look back with the same regrets I now have. Whether you see it now or not, it will stunt your growth. I saw no reasons for abstaining either.. until long after I quit.

Are you telling me that at the age of 19 (is that right?) you have smoked long enough to have quit for 4 years? So does that mean you’ve been smoking since you were around 14 or 15?

I am not asking these questions to argue or prove a point. I just hope what happened to me does not happen to you. I’d hate to see you waste the years I did before you realize what it can do.

Im 20 and i started when i was 13. In all honesty im really happy i quit for that girl when i was younger. That relationship was horrible, but that was the only good thing to come from it. I wasnt mature enough to be smoking pot at that age and the people i smoked with werent either. aside note, i generally hate your typical pothead. heyyyyy mannnnnnnnnnn….STFU It may just be because im young still, but i dont regret anything. Ive made some stupid choices in my life and done many things that i probably would have done different given a second chance, bu ti dont regret anything. The past is past. Dont fret over what you can not change. Live in the present.

Thanks, I’m not fretting over the past tho. I’ve learned alot from it, and I finally can say I have a future. I was just telling you I hope you don’t have similar regrets later on. I’ve always been very fond of you, and I wish you the best. Living in the present is nice to think about, but before you know it, the future can sneak up on you and look pretty bleak if you’re not careful.

I’m sort of disgusted by the complete brush-off that veg has gotten here. Sure, she may have been a little immature in the way she said [blank] was being a jerk, but [blank] was still being a jerk.

You can be addicted to anything. You can be addicted to water. You can be addicted to white socks. You can be addicted to cherry pie with vanilla ice cream. Just because it’s not a purely physical need, doesn’t mean it’s not an addiction. The brain is tied to the body more than people might like to think; a psychological addiction can EASILY manifest itself physically.

I don’t think anyone is arguing that she is not addicted, we were informing her. At least I was trying to. I don’t agree with the tone the post took but it happens. Sometimes, Fluther isn’t clicking.

@asmonet: Yes, there was argument that she wasn’t addicted. There was even a comment that she WANTED to be addicted. Didn’t come from you, but it was there.

That last one, yes, I noticed and it bothered me a great deal. I decided to ignore it, and I hope veg can do the same for the crap she did manage to wade through.

@vegelizabeth, I hope and pray you get the help you deserve. Speaking from experience I know my boyfriend is addicted…...but it is in a different way. It is in a way were he cannot escape it because of his friends and family (being around it, because of them. It is in a way were he has tried giving it up (it would’ve been 100 days March 19th, of him being sober but he…broke it) and he has never happened to give it up. I know once he stopped, I saw something else in him. It’s so hard to explain..I could just see this different personality, he wasn’t as irritable. And it’s not like it’s destructive with him, it’s just overtime something I have noticed and this thread has made me notice. I really do think it is psychological. Being young (you are young) and around people that use drugs it’s hard not too as well. You need self control, to believe in yourself and know you can do it. I know you can do it, you just can’t let yourself be around it its unfortunate that you are around it because of your family. it’s almost like out of sight out of mind.. also, I smoke, but can’t see myself overdoing it because I don’t want to abuse it.

Dont quit pot, you look hot. Actually you should smoke this dank with me.

Idiotic.

@Triiiple, I believe you just further strengthened vegelizabeth’s conviction to quit with that offer…

hahhahahaha

@AlfredaPrufrock Maybe, but im high and im kind. A friend with weed is a friend indeed.

A friend who’ll tease is better.

I second the idioticness! (to @Triiiples comment)

sorry, assumed you were laughing at that comment

i was laughing at Alfreda.

actually, because i was going to say that.

@scamp thanks it means a lot :) Im very fond of you as well.

You certainly can be addicted to pot. I know people who can’t go to sleep unless they smoke right before bed. That’s addiction.

I don’t think it’s something to move out over, but if you’re moving out anyway, that should help a bit.

The best thing you can do is not have it around. Stop buying it, or if you don’t think you can manage going cold turkey, start smoking less, as @elmagico suggested.

now, if someone named ”petethepothead” can admit you can be addicted to pot, I think vegelizabeth is owed an apology or two.

Hugs to uber

petethepothead ftw!!

@petethepothead

Can the people you mention not sleep because they are addicted to pot or because they have insomnia and pot helps them sleep? A doctor will give out ambian for a problem like that. I would much rather use marijuana to help me sleep.

Remember, pot does have many medicinal effects, including fighting insomnia.

As if Ambien is any safer. :P

Weed for me too.

Yea, ive had insomnia my whole life. Pot helped that much better than lunesta. With lunesta i would sleep all night but i wasnt rested in the monring. With marijuana i sleep all night and wake up rested in the morning.

I do have to concede here that I feel like pot is safer than Ambien for sleep disturbances, because of the sleepwalking dangers. Im my 30 some years of pot use, I never got out of bed and did dangerous things like they say Ambien.

Pot does have it’s good qualities, don’t get me wrong. It’s just that it can be problematic if you aren’t careful how much you smoke, and how often.

I heard last weekend that New Jersey is now deciding whether or not to legalize it for medicinal purposes. I would assume like any other “medicine” there would be warnings on it’s use and abuse.

If I came here and said I feared I was an alcoholic; the last thing I would want to hear is people telling me it’s ok to drink. Or to listen to people defend their right to continue drinking, and tell me about how it doesn’t negatively affect them.

If I came here and said I was addicted to baking or biting my nails or mowing the grass; I would not want or need to hear people telling me it’s not possible. It was said above, if someone is asking for help – semantics is not the issue.

@essieness, you haven’t been here that long and yet you have mentioned in numerous threads your propensity for smoking weed and it’s listed in your hobbies & interests. Are you really in a position to tell @veg it’s not a real addiction issue for her when you yourself say you use it for various reasons including your Addison’s? She didn’t ask for your opinion on worrying about it or your take on the propaganda you mentioned. Your reasons for smoking are not more or less valid than hers, just different…and she wants to stop. Should it be legalized, I don’t know, but until it is…did you put regular pot smoker on your Outback job application? It’s not legal and she’s not asking for a debate on legalization. It’s not legal and she’s trying to live a life less complicated.

Does an alcoholic put heavy drinker on their resume? Does a coke user put avid drug user on their list of qualifications? @veg didn’t ask any of us if it was right or wrong, better or worse than something else, or if she should or she shouldn’t – she asked for help quitting.

Some of you gave her wonderful advice; I hope she can glean something useful to her situation. This was NOT Fluther at it’s best.

@bythebay Great post!!!

@bythebay Yes, very well put!

@bythebay Of course I didn’t put regular pot smoker on my job application, that’s just silly.

I smoke pot at home, in the evenings, responsibly. If that offends anyone, well then, it just does. I simply told the girl there is no such thing as a physical addiction. When my response was met with argumentativeness, I responded in a similar fashion. I should work on holding my tongue, I suppose.

That being said, I have read that marijuana affects teens much differently than it does adults. That could be the problem.

@vegelizabeth I wish you luck in kicking your addiction.

@all I fully own all of my responses without apology.

@essieness: No, suggesting “cool points” was silly.
Additionally, I can’t see in any of the answers above where anyone said your smoking offended them at all. Of course you own your responses, and nobody asked you for an apology.

Abythebay thank you very much!

oops i meant @bythebay

@vegelizabeth: It’s not often that someone your age is bright and bold enough to say they need a little help. I admire you for stepping up and speaking out. Just because your situation has been bleak so far, doesn’t mean that you can’t make your future better. I wish you much strength.

*edit: Please don’t be afraid to come back here to Fluther and reach out (and contribute, too) – we really are a caring group of jellies! There are some really great people here with a wealth of great information to share.

I wonder why clicking on essieness’s name produces a “this user can’t be found” response. Anyone else notice this?

??! That wasn’t true a little while ago, @scamp. Something must have happened. A thread that I thought was fairly innocuous, about celebrating Friday, is down for moderating. Don’t know if there’s any connection.

@scamp, I believe that happens someone is “not among us” anymore. As in our mods stepped in.

@vegelizabeth, how was last night and today?

@Jeruba and @AlfredaPrufrock , ahh… thanks!

[Mod says] @essieness has not been banned. Her account has been disabled, presumably by herself.

@augustlan, is that what happens when you click the ‘Delete your account’ link?

Yes.

@bythebay Well said, and I am in complete agreement.

banned or not, I’m never sorry to see an asshole leave Fluther.

I think everyone should re-read this thread. Yes there was disagreement. Yes, it got a little heated. However, I really don’t see ‘asshole’ written all over Essieness. Think of some other users we’ve had in the past (or even currently) and compare. I liked her overall, and hate to think that she quit over this.

I don’t see Essieness as an asshole either. This thread has me thinking about how easy it is to leap to the conclusion that our reality is the only reality, and the only right reality. It’s easy not to listen what a person is really saying and to jump onto the “be like me” bandwagon.

For many people, smoking pot (or a litany of other lifestyle choices) is a conscious break with their upbringing, and the arguments about why it’s okay echo with remnants of trying to convince their parents that the lifestyle choice does not make them a bad person. This is an entirely different perspective than the “smoking pot makes me anti-establishment and therefore cool” camp.

Everyone has hot buttons and issues that cloud their perspective. I’m disappointed that essieness had such a hard time understanding what vegelizabeth was really asking, which was about quitting, not justification to continue smoking.

I didn’t think she was an asshole until this. I have a really holy-crap-huge problem with her saying that vegelizabeth wanted to be addicted for cool points when she had the balls to stand up and say “I have a problem, how do I fix it?”. You know how sometimes someone can show another side of them, even for a second, and you totally lose all respect? Yeah. That comment was that side.

@poofandmook I appreciate your comment immensely!

@poofandmook: While I agree, it was ill conceived…sometimes an unsavory remark is a result of being young and writing or speaking a bit faster than your brain is processing. Without sticking our foot in our mouths and pissing people off occasionally, how are we to learn? We’ve all said things we regret, many times on Fluther. I think she acted improperly, but I was not shocked that it happened, nor would I call her an asshole for it.

We need to do things sometimes so later we can say we know better now. We don’t all grow up at the same pace, unfortunately.

awww i likeded Essieness =’ { sucks she left over something so stupid, if this thread was the reason.

Who said she left over this thread? She went on to ask & answer other questions after this. She also said above that she wasn’t apologizing for her answers, so I doubt this thread was her undoing.

Probably just changed her user name… : )

I’m pretty sure her last comment on this thread was her last comment on Fluther.

She may also still be reading this site even if not signed in. Perhaps she will come back and explain, and perhaps she’ll return under another name.

Experimentally, I just went to one of her questions and gave it a GQ to see if it increased her lurve. It did. So the counter is still active. I don’t know what that means, but I thought it was interesting.

Yeah, I’ve always liked that your lurve can continue to climb even when you’re not active, I know JackAdams still gets lurve…occasionally. ;)

Then again, he didn’t delete his account, same as deaddolly.

When JA & DD quit, you actually couldn’t delete your account. It’s a very new feature.

Oh, you know, you’re right. I knew that somewhere in my brainmeats but I guess I never considered deleting my account… :D

Lurve for ‘brainmeats’.

:D

Hey everyone. I would just like to take a moment to formally apologize to @vegelizabeth and the others of you that I offended during this thread. I allowed my strong opinions about marijuana and my hopes for its legalization get in the way of thinking rationally about @vegelizabeth‘s problem therefore I didn’t answer the question in an unbiased, encouraging way. I also let myself become angry at the negative feedback both from her and the rest of you, and in true essieness fashion, got defensive and self-righteous. My comments were not conducive to helping @vegelizabeth in fixing her problem and distracted us all from the point of the thread. Furthermore, my negative behavior set me back on my own spiritual quest for compassion and love for others. Besides disappointing well, pissing off some of you, I really disappointed myself.

To those of you who fought back at me, including @vegelizabeth, I commend you for sticking to your guns and ultimately showing me that I was being a jackass. And to those of you who took up for my views, thanks.

Ok, that’s all the grovelling I’m going to do for now. I hope this can become water under the bridge because I do love all you crazy lil’ jellies!

I really respect the fact that you said that. Not that you need my respect, but all the same, that was big of you.

@poofandmook Thanks ;) It’s not easy to swallow your pride, but it sure makes you feel better in the end.

Welcome back, @essieness. That took courage.

I agree with @Jeruba and @poofandmook, welcome back!

@essieness: Welcome back; Poof is right, very big of you to make that statement.

w00t w00t :P

Fluther warms my heart.

Way to go everyone! You all make me proud.

@essieness thank you very much!
I know that saying all of that took a lot.
I appreciate it much. :D

**group hug all my jellies** I love when everyone makes up. :D

@vegelizabeth No problem girlie! Glad we can make amends.

Aw.
warm and fuzzy.

You really have to be kidding me, right?

Marijuana is the least addictive illicit drug out there. Legal drugs have a higher addiction rating than Marijuana, including alcohol, pain killers etc. I smoke because I can afford to smoke. But during the time I have been a smoker I have had to stop 4 times to wait out and pass drug tests because of promotions or obtaining a new job, (30 days + for marijuana to leave a daily smokers body) and never once have I been mad or slamming my head against the wall because I can’t smoke. If you are addicted to marijuana its most likely because you are telling yourself that or there are people around you who are constantly wanting you to smoke. It may be hard to turn down Marijuana considering it is the safest recreational drug a person can choose to indulge in. There has never been a death due to overdosing on Marijuana. The LD50 could only be achieved if you smoked over 1500lbs of Marijuana in less than a minute, (simply not possible obviously). I suggest you just change your life style so you aren’t persuaded to want to purchase marijuana on a weekly basis.

Marijuana addiction treatment centers provide the effective therapeutic treatment to marijuana abusers in the short period of twelve moths. These treatment centers are very helpfully for those people who want to get rid of their marijuana addiction problem. The specialists and psychotherapists of the marijuana treatment centers provide the various types of programs to addicted people for fast recovery.

http://www.addiction-treatments.com/substance/Marijuana/index.html

Of course THC can lead to addiction. Like alcohol.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rational_scale_to_assess_the_harm_of_drugs_(mean_physical_harm_and_mean_dependence).svg

@mattbrowne sources on that? If i recall correctly, that chart was based solely on a poll, no actual scientific research.

@mattbrowne: No. Not like alcohol. More like gambling, or video games, or television, or ice cream.

THC is not chemically addictive. It has the potential to be psychologically addictive, the same why shopping or exercising or eating pasta can lead to addiction. Looking at it this way, everything is potentially addictive.

I will concede that pot may carry a slightly higher risk for addiction than chocolate milk, for example, since it does act directly on the brain (like gambling or exercising.) But the chemical is not addictive the same way alcohol or caffeine or heroin is addictive.

@uberbatman and @petethepothead – Try

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=thc+addiction

and you’ll get 317,000 result. For example:

“Marijuana is as addictive as alcohol. Approximately 10% of people who smoke marijuana will get addicted to it. That means 90% of people can use it recreationally. But for the other 10%, marijuana is not a harmless herb. They will have difficulty controlling their use, and they will continue to use even though it has negative consequences to their life. Every day people enter rehab programs or go to a 12 step group to deal with their marijuana addiction. One study looked at 2,446 young adults between the ages of 14–24, and followed them for a period of 4 years. Approximately 10% met the criteria for marijuana addiction. 17% experienced withdrawal when they stopped using, 14% had difficulty controlling their use, and 13% continued to use even though they had health problems due to their marijuana use.”

http://www.addictionsandrecovery.org/marijuana.htm

“Marijuana potency increased last year to the highest level in more than 30 years, posing greater health risks to people who may view the drug as harmless, according to a report released Thursday by the White House. The latest analysis from the University of Mississippi’s Potency Monitoring Project tracked the average amount of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, in samples seized by law enforcement agencies from 1975 through 2007 (...) Particularly worrisome is the possibility that the more potent THC might be more effective at triggering the changes in the brain that can lead to addiction.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25117595/

“Marijuana addiction is a phenomenon experienced by more than 150,000 individuals each year who enter treatment for their proclaimed addiction to marijuana. Marijuana addiction is characterized as compulsive, often uncontrollable marijuana craving, seeking, and use, even when the individual knows that marijuana use is not in his best interest. Marijuana addiction could be defined as chronically making the firm decision not to use marijuana followed shortly by a relapse due to experiencing overwhelming compulsive urges to use marijuana despite the firm decision not to.”

http://www.marijuanaaddiction.info

Doesn’t sound like chocolate milk to me! How many people go to chocolate milk rehab centers?

Im wiling to bet those same 10% who have “marijuana addiction” problems have an addictive personality and would replace their marijuana addiction with any other substance or thing given the chance. Marijuana isnt for everyone. Drugs arent for everyone. One must be responsible prior to making the decision to do such activities.

Im sure if chocolate were illegal like marijuana is youd see your little rehab centers as well. I mean ive never heard women talk of how they NEEEEEEEED chocolate or anything before…. where the hell is PnL at :P

I like chocolate, by the way, but I would have no trouble not eating for 6 weeks or so. Same for alcohol. But I appreciate a good glass of wine.

@mattbrowne i love weed but i could give it up for 6 weeks or so too. Whats your point?

Neither me or you have addictive personalities thus have no problem giving up these things. See what im getting at…..

@uberbatman – When was the last time during the last 10 years that you went without weed for 6 weeks?

@mattbrowne Since uber isn’t even 20 years old yet, I’m betting there were a number of pot-free years in that time period. ;)

@mattbrowne since ive been smoking weed on a daily basis, twice. Once for a girl and once for a job. So 4 and 2 years ago.

@augustlan i bes 20 now ill be 21 in oct. Oh how exciting i can finally drink that drug i have no interest in :P

Dangit… got it wrong. Sorry!

no problemo. ^_^

@uberbatman – Congratulations! You are not an addict.

@mattbrowne im well aware of that lol. The point was, its not the substance, its the user.

I think everyone is entitled to their own opinions, honestly, i think it may be the user in some instances but i also do firmly believe the substance is addictive, and had a very hard time quitting.

@vegelizabeth – Yes, certain substances like heroin, crack or meth can’t be used without becoming an addict.

I would rather not start in the first place, easiest would be not to get addicted.

If you want to either cut down or eliminate your use of marijuana completely, an inexpensive home study program is available. And it has a very high independently-documented rate of success. http://www.baldwinresearch.com/home-program.cfm