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QUITTING WEED

Skip DrinkwaterSkip Drinkwater 1,694 Posts
edited September 2008 in Strut Central
Aside from all the who smokes who doesn't threads, I haven't really seen (or found while searching) any threads about heads who've quit after years and years of smoking. I've been smoking for just under 10 years, every day, multiple times a day. I'm not one of those people who's going to knock it, but it just isn't working for me physically anymore. All it does nowadays is provoke anxiety. I've been running regularly for a couple of years now, and I'm definitely going to keep that going, but to those who've been through it -- I'd appreciate some tips on how to get over the psychological cravings for that shit, as well as any other. A real head would like to know the deal. b,121b,121
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  Comments

  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    Have some coke w/ a smile
  • subsub 311 Posts
    have sum youtube lsdb,121b,121 b,121b,121 b,121b,121in the truest sense....
  • subsub 311 Posts
    but seriously. i'd get some prefessional help. ain't easy at all to stop i assume. dunno what the situation is like in the states but in germany there are different options to get profesional help to quit weed....
  • UnconSciUnconSci 824 Posts
    You gotta just rise above it... I know it sounds weird... but the times where i've quit for like a year or so.... I've just KNOWN that smoking wasn't for me.... and it felt right not to smoke.b,121b,121b,121I need to quit too... shit is just dragging me down. I love the idea of weed... it just doesn't make things funnier anymore.... doesn't make me happier... just makes me feel socially anxious... costs lots of money... and Im honestly addicted to it... I feel nervous when I don't have pot and that I wont be able to sleep without it...b,121b,121b,121Ima quit for a week or so until I get some new DJ gigs and a Job... b,121b,121Exercise, LOW sugar diet, no caffeine, stay busy, read books... I donno... I've been smoking for like 10 years straight too... all day errrery day... shit is just not fun on such a regular basis... and Im horrible at moderating... maybe i should quit
  • kalakala 3,361 Posts
    i quit with no helpb,121just work out moreb,121i uppped the kung fu/cardio and started doing more music/playing guitar and buying dvdsb,121after the first couple of weeks its nothing
  • kalakala 3,361 Posts
    ps good luckb,121if i can do it anyone canb,121i smoked more than a rasta
  • soulcitizensoulcitizen 304 Posts
    you'll stop when you want to, take it one day at a time. after a few days when your head and sinuses clear up, you'll need to be doing something. give yourself a purpose and you can stop, don't allow yourself to sit around doing nothing or the temptation will be there. be prepared for music to sound different.
  • Skip DrinkwaterSkip Drinkwater 1,694 Posts
    Yeah, I'm definitely not about to check into rehab for fusking weed smoke... I've dropped some pounds while running regularly the last couple of years, and I think I might benefit from a gym membership to take it to the next level. This is the first time I'm attempting quitting in the ten years or so I've smoked, but I feel like I'm ready now more than ever. Almost 30, no time to waste... Moves to make...
  • Lucious_FoxLucious_Fox 2,479 Posts
    This is the next step towards Gerald Albright Smoove Jazz records.
  • LokoOneLokoOne 1,823 Posts
    1. Keep yourself BUSY... sriously eve if you got to walk around the backyard in circles...for the first few days your body will fill like your on amphetamines and shit. Try not to stay stainary too long, cus I found thats when Id get into 'smoko mode'b,121b,1212. You can try the cut back slowly tip... like dont smoke till night time for the first week, then dont smoke till after dinner the next, etc etc until you've cut back your intake as low as possible (this worked for some of my mates) then do the last bit cold turkey..b,121b,1213. Go overseas! I was off the weed for 3 months last time I went to Argentina. But I smoked like a pig when I got back...so maybe thats a temporary solution.b,121b,1214. Go to a doctor. My cousin got given tablets to help him sleep at night, and to keep him chilled during the day when he quit (and some bullshit counselling). He was off it for about 6 months...but we had a chuff last night so that might not work in long run..b,121b,1215. Get yourself a HOT chick that fucks like a nympho but is anti weed... sort off carrot and stick approach... b,121b,1216. Exersise is suppose to release some of the THC trapped in your body fat and is like a mild high afterwoods... but if your a chronic weed head like me, Im assuming your physical abilities are very low.b,121b,1217. Drink lots more beer. I stopped smoking for 4 months once, but I was polishing off half a case of beer a night.b,121b,1218. Cut back from hydro to bush (natural)... some ppl swear there is a huge difference, and since the natural stuff has not chemicals used, its less addictive.b,121b,1219. Move from Bongs to pipes to joints... it softens the hit and hence the level of intake starts dropping (or so my old flatemate swears)b,121b,12110. Keep smoking...b,121b,121b,121These are some of the 'solutions' me or my mates have tried over the years. That said I been smoking since I was 13...turning 30 tomorrow... and I have never stopped smoking for more than a couple of months. b,121So my honest answer is I havent found a nything that helps stop smoking weed expect for the person to just decide they are over it. The rest is just logistics.b,121b,121Good luck man..... I know where your at.....
  • LoopDreamsLoopDreams 1,195 Posts
    I HIGHLY recommend not quitting cold turkey. Get yourself some shwaggy weed and start mixing it in with your primo. Then smoke less and less of the shwag...Regardless what people say, pot's got a hook for sure... expecially if it's helping you sleep. b,121 Good Luck man, absolutely.b,121b,121ps my girl, now wife, started mixing sage into her joints, that stuff smokes like SHIT and made her quit ina hurry
  • SelinaKyle83SelinaKyle83 1,042 Posts
    if you start feeling real nqr mentally once getting off (i'm not talking bout cravings) but if you start feeling extra paranoid/anxious and it starts toying with you quite bad then maybe just speak to someone to ease it and calm you down. unfortunately i had an old friend who did not cope with the cold turkey process so well and he ended up in a psych ward (meanwhile he later was diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic)....the pot didn't do this but he was one of the rare cases who probably needed some help with coming off it as they think that his method of quitting (after couple times a day for about 5years or so) and not talking to anyone and being predisposed to schizophrenia didn't help his attempts.b,121b,121That being said, i have other frineds in your situation (same useage) who got off it just fine and the KEEP BUSY mantra was the best thing for them!!b,121Good luck kiddo!!
  • phongonephongone 1,652 Posts
    Good luck dude.
  • DjArcadianDjArcadian 3,630 Posts
    Quote:h,121b,121I've been smoking for just under 10 years, every day, multiple times a day. b,121b,121h,121
    b,121b,121Damn. How can you function smoking that much? I haven't smoked in years.
  • PABLOPABLO 1,921 Posts
    You could spend time changing your avatar.
  • kalakala 3,361 Posts
    Quote:h,121b,121
    Quote:h,121b,121I've been smoking for just under 10 years, every day, multiple times a day. b,121b,121h,121
    b,121b,121Damn. How can you function smoking that much? I haven't smoked in years. b,121b,121h,121
    b,121b,121b,121b,121its like a handicap -it makes things more challenging and the tedium of life vaporizesb,121that said my body said b,121"Fusk you stoner boy"b,121 after years of serious abuse and i listenedb,121b,121i look at my pals who are stoned all the time and its kinda uglyb,121b,121not to judge but sometimes its good to take a breakb,121b,121i will smoke again but never on the 3-5 joints a day /wake and bake routine I was observingb,121b,121I was spending 3-500 a month on the regular and flying to holland/jamaica just to get high b,121b,121also airfare has gotten so expensive and the dollar to euro choked in the last year which made it easier for meb,121b,121i won't lie -i do miss it b,121but i started getting mad PHYSICAL anxiety attacks which never happened beforeb,121i spoke with older stoner dudes who also apexed after decades of abuse and they had similar reactionsb,121b,121the "fear" was a gnarly feelingb,121it was more physical than psychological for meb,121i would get massive ringing in my earsb,121my heartbeat would literally double for no reason at all and i would start sweatingb,121all for no reasonb,121i was like WTF is this shit about?b,121NAGL b,121so I quit and felt better immediately and the attacks stoppedb,121they say the THC stays in your brain for years
  • djkingottodjkingotto 1,704 Posts
    Quote:h,121b,121
    Quote:h,121b,121I've been smoking for just under 10 years, every day, multiple times a day. b,121b,121h,121
    b,121b,121Damn. How can you function smoking that much? I haven't smoked in years. b,121b,121h,121
    b,121b,121i'm going on 16 years of smoking pretty much every day after work and all day on weekends. most jobs i've had i puffed before work and during breaks. now that i don't have a regular square job, i puff all day. i don't even really get high any more. its just a waste of money, brain cells and lung capacity and induces social anxiety, which is great as i am out all the time and i don't talk much even when i'm not smoked out. i don't want to quit, but i'd love to make it an occasional thing instead of a constant.... better just to quit though. if i have it, i smoke it. i've stopped a couple times, once for a month and once for like 3-4 months.... cold turkey worked for me, but then i was just trying to get a job.... i just need to be more responsible about it. i think. i don't know. i've never done any other drugs, i just abuse the hell out of this one...
  • funky16cornersfunky16corners 7,175 Posts
    Quote:h,121b,121Aside from all the who smokes who doesn't threads, I haven't really seen (or found while searching) any threads about heads who've quit after years and years of smoking. I've been smoking for just under 10 years, every day, multiple times a day. I'm not one of those people who's going to knock it, but it just isn't working for me physically anymore. All it does nowadays is provoke anxiety. I've been running regularly for a couple of years now, and I'm definitely going to keep that going, but to those who've been through it -- I'd appreciate some tips on how to get over the psychological cravings for that shit, as well as any other. A real head would like to know the deal. b,121b,121 b,121b,121h,121
    b,121b,121b,121When the anxiety hit, I gave it up after probably 20 years. Don't miss it.
  • jaysusjaysus 787 Posts
    Quote:h,121b,121b,121they say the THC stays in your brain for years b,121b,121h,121
    b,121b,121wait, isn't thc fat soluble, not water soluble?b,121b,121Oh and valerian root tea and smoke rosehips.
  • selperfugeselperfuge 1,165 Posts
  • kalakala 3,361 Posts
    One of the safest qualities of THC, delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, the primary psychoactive substance in marijuana, is the natural limit the body places on the drug's effects.b,121b,121It has long mystified scientists how most individuals can consume enormous quantities of marijuana with few or no obvious ill effects. But the explanation will not surprise regular marijuana users.b,121b,121Early researchers were often alarmed by this, believing that this tolerance was a warning sign of dependence or addiction. Tolerance generally describes the condition of requiring larger doses of a drug to attain consistent effects. While tolerance to marijuana has never exactly fit the classic definition, some form of tolerance to pot does develop.b,121b,121Regular users of marijuana frequently claim that this tolerance reduces troublesome side effects, such as loss of coordination. They also claim that tolerance to marijuana develops without risk of dependence.b,121b,121Cynics have argued that tolerance to marijuana is proof of dependence, and proof that the drug is too dangerous to be used safely and responsibly.b,121b,121Science has finally proven otherwise. The cynics have been wrong, the pot-smokers have been right. Tolerance to marijuana is not an indication of danger or dependence.b,121b,121This conclusion also adds credence to anecdotal accounts of marijuana's therapeutic benefits by patients suffering from serious illnesses.b,121b,121b,121YOUR BRAIN IS PROGRAMMED TO PROCESS POTb,121b,121The recent discovery of a cannabinoid receptor system in the human brain has revolutionized research on marijuana and cannabinoids, and definitively proven that marijuana use does not have a dependence or addiction liability ("Marijuana and the Human Brain," March 1995 High Times). Marijuana, it turns out, affects brain chemistry in a qualitatively different way than addictive drugs.b,121b,121Drugs of abuse such as heroin, cocaine, amphetamines, alcohol and nicotine affect the production of dopamine, an important neurotransmitter which chemically activates switches in the brain that produce extremely pleasurable feelings. Drugs that affect dopamine production produce addiction because the human brain is genetically conditioned to adjust behavior to maximize dopamine production. This chemical process occurs in the middle-brain, in an area called the striatum, which also controls various aspects of motor control and coordination.b,121b,121Dr. Miles Herkenham of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and his research teams have made the fundamental discoveries behind these findings, and finally contradicted well-known marijuana cynic Gabriel Nahas of Columbia University. Supported in the 1980s by the antidrug group Parents Research Institute for Drug Education (PRIDE), Nahas has long argued that marijuana affects the middle-brain, justifying its prohibition.b,121b,121Now Herkenham and his associates have proven that marijuana has no direct effect on dopamine production in the striatum, and that most of the drug's effects occur in the relatively "new" (in evolutionary terms) region of the brain - the frontal cerebral cortex. There is now biological evidence that far from being the "gateway" to abusive drugs, marijuana is instead the other way to get high - the safe way.b,121b,121b,121THC: DOSE AND EFFECTb,121b,121The effects of marijuana share certain properties with all the other psychoactive drugs - stimulants, sedatives, tranquilizers and hallucinogens. Scientists are just now figuring out how marijuana users manipulate dosage and tolerance to manage those effects.b,121b,121Small doses of THC provide stimulation, followed by sedation. Large doses of THC produce a mild hallucinogenic effect, followed by sedation and/or sleep. The effects of mild "hypnogogic" states produced by THC are often undetected, contributing to mood variations from gregariousness to introspection.b,121b,121The effects of marijuana can be sorted into four categories. First, there are modest physical effects, such as a slight change in heart rate or blood pressure and changes in body temperature. Tolerance develops to these effects with familiarity and/or regular use.b,121b,121Tolerance next develops to the depressant effects of marijuana, particularly to its effects on motor coordination. However, tolerance to these effects depends on the quality of the marijuana consumed as well as the frequency of use. THC is one of several cannabinoids in marijuana. While it is the only cannabinoid to produce the psychoactive or stimulative effects, another cannabinoid, named cannabinol (CBN), produces only the depressant effects. CBN is generally present in low-potency marijuana, or very old marijuana in which the THC has decayed; it accounts for the generally undesirable effects of bad pot. While cannabinol gets someone "stoned," THC gets them "high."b,121b,121After a while, tolerance develops to even the stimulative effects of marijuana. Experienced users learn that there is an outer limit to how high they can get. Paradoxically, this limit can only be exceeded by lower consumption.b,121b,121Patients who require marijuana for medical purposes generally discover what dose provides steady maintenance of therapeutic benefits and tolerance to the side effects, both depressant and stimulative.b,121b,121b,121MARIJUANA TOLERANCE: EQUILIBRIUM, NOT ADDICTIONb,121b,121Research into drug tolerance is in its infancy. There are actually three forms of tolerance. Dispositional tolerance is produced by changes in the way the body absorbs a drug. Dynamic tolerance is produced by changes in the brain caused by an adaptive response to the drug's continued presence, specifically in the receptor sites affected by the drug. Behavioral tolerance is produced by familiarity with the environment in which the drug is administered. "Familiarity" and "environment" are two alternative terms for what Timothy Leary called "set" and "setting" - the subjective emotional/mental factors that the user brings to the drug experience and the objective external factors imposed by their surroundings. Tolerance to any drug can be produced by a combination of these and other mechanisms.b,121b,121Brain receptor sites act as switches in the brain. The brain's neurotransmitters, or drugs which mimic them, throw the switches. The basic theory of tolerance is that repeated use of a drug wears out the receptors, and makes it difficult for them to function in the drug's absence. Worn-out receptors were supposed to explain the connection of tolerance to addiction. This phenomenon has been associated with chronic use of benzodiazepines (Valium, Prozac, etc.), for example, but not with cannabinoids.b,121b,121An alternative hypothesis about how dynamic tolerance to marijuana operates involves receptor "down-regulation," in which the body adjusts to chronic exposure to a drug by reducing the number of receptor sites available for binding. A 1993 paper published in Brain Research by Angelica Oviedo, John Glowa and Herkenham indicates that tolerance to cannabinoids results from receptor down-regulation. This, as we shall see, is good news. It means that marijuana tolerance is actually the brain's mechanism to maintain equilibrium.b,121b,121b,121THE N.I.M.H. TOLERANCE STUDYb,121b,121Herkenham's team studied six groups of rats. They compared changes in behavioral responses with changes in the density of receptor sites in six areas of the brain. One group of rats was the control group, which were given the "vehicle" solution the other five rat groups received, but without any cannabinoids. In other words, the control rats got a placebo; the other rats got high. A second group was given cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive cannabinoid. The third group was given delta-9 THC. Three other groups were given different doses of a synthetic cannabinoid called CP-55,940, with a far greater ability to inhibit movement than delta-9 THC. CP-55-940, a synthetic isomer of THC, was developed as an experimental analgesic.b,121b,121First, the study determined the effects of a single do se of each compound compared to the undrugged control group. Rats receiving the placebo and the CBD displayed no sign of effects. The animals receiving the psychoactive cannabinoids, THC and CP-55,940, "exhibited splayed hind limbs and immobility."b,121b,121Anyone who has eaten too many pot brownies should have some idea of the condition of the rats after their initial doses. The human equivalency of the doses of THC used in this study would be in excess of a huge brownie overdose.b,121b,121A single 10-milligram dose of nonpsychoactive CBD for a one-kg rat actually increased the density of receptor sites by 13% and 19% in two key areas of the brain: the medial septum/diagonal band region and the lateral caudate/putamen - both motor-control areas.b,121b,121A single 10-mg dose of delta-9 THC had no change on receptor-site density. A single 10-mg dose of CP-55,940 produced a drop in the density of receptor sites, to 46% and 60% of the control group's levels.b,121b,121The effect the drugs had on motor behavior was observed daily, and at the end of the study the rats were "sacrificed" (killed) and the density of the receptor sites in various areas of their brains was determined.b,121b,121What effect did the daily injections have on the various rats' behavior? According to the researchers, "The animals receiving the highest dose of CP-55,940 tended to show more rapid return to control levels of activity than did the animals receiving the lowest dose, with the middle-dose animals in between."b,121b,121The groups receiving CBD showed no changes in receptor-site density after 14 days. All the other groups exhibited receptor down-regulation of significant magnitudes.b,121b,121The changes consistently followed a dose-response relationship, especially in regard to CP-55,940. The high-dose animals had the greatest decrease (up to 80%), the low-dose animals had the lowest reduction (up to 50%), and the middle-dose group exhibited an intermediate reduction (up to 72%). The delta-9 THC group exhibited receptor reductions of up to 48%, comparable to the lowest dose of CP-55,940.b,121b,121Einsteinb,121The conclusions of the researchers: "It would seem paradoxical that animals receiving the highest doses of cannabinoids would show the greatest and fastest return to normal levels [of behavior]; however, the receptor down-regulation in these animals was so profound that the behavioral correlate may be due to the great loss of functional binding sites." In other words, when the rats had had "enough," their receptors simply switched off.b,121b,121b,121HOW TO STAY HIGH: LESS IS MOREb,121b,121The NIMH tolerance study confirms what most marijuana smokers have already discovered for themselves: The more often you smoke, the less high you get.b,121b,121The dose of THC used in the study was 10 mg per kilogram of body weight, a dose frequently used in clinical research. What is the equivalent of 10 mg/kg of THC in terms of human consumption?b,121b,121While most users are familiar with varying potencies of marijuana, many are only vaguely aware of differences in the efficiency of various ways to smoke it. Clinical studies indicate that only 10 to 20% of the available THC is transferred from a joint cigarette to the body. A pipe is better, allowing for 45% of the available THC to be consumed. A bong is a very efficient delivery system for marijuana; in ideal conditions the only THC lost is in the exhaled smoke.b,121b,121The minimum dose of THC required to get a person high is 10 micrograms per kilogram of body weight. For a 165-pound person, this would be 750 micrograms of THC, about what is delivered by one bong hit.b,121b,121The THC doses used on the NIMH rats were proportionately ten times greater than what a heavy human marijuana user would consume in a day. Assuming use of good-quality, 7.5% THC sinsemilla, it would take something like 670 bong hits or 100 joints to give a 165-pound person a 10 mg-per-kg dose of THC.b,121b,121Obviously, the doses used are excessive. But the study indicates that the body itself imposes an unbeatable equilibrium on cannabis use, a ceiling to every high.b,121b,121According to Herkenham's team: "The result [of the study] has implications for the consequences of chronic high levels of drug use in humans, suggesting diminishing effects with greater levels of consumption."b,121b,121Tolerance and the quality of the marijuana both affect the balance between the two tiers of effects: the coordination problems, short-term memory loss and disorientation associated with the term "stoned" and the pleasurable sensations and cognitive stimulation associated with the word "high."b,121b,121The distinction between the two states is nothing unique. Alcohol, nicotine and heroin can all produce nausea when first used; this symptom also disappears as tolerance to the drug develops. To conclude that marijuana users consume the drug to get "stoned" would be as accurate as asserting that alcohol drinkers drink in order to vomit.b,121b,121One result of the NIMH study is that there is now a clinical basis for characterizing the differences between these two tiers of effects. In clinical terms, the effects of one-time (or occasional) exposure are referred to as the acute effects of marijuana. Repeated use or exposure is referred to as chronic use.b,121b,121In addition to the now-disproved claims of dependence, opponents of marijuana-law reform always refer to the acute effects of the drug as proof of its dangers. Prohibitionists believe that tolerance is evidence that marijuana users have to increase their consumption to maintain the acute effects of the drug. No wonder they think marijuana is dangerous!b,121b,121Marijuana-law reform advocates, more familiar with actual use patterns and effects, always consider the effects of chronic use as their baseline for describing the drug. "Chronic use" is just regular use, and there is nothing sinister about regular marijuana use.b,121b,121Most marijuana users regulate their use to achieve specific effects. The main technique for regulating the effects of marijuana is manipulating tolerance. Some people who like to get "stoned" on pot, which (unlike the initial side effects of other drugs) can be enjoyable. These people smoke only occasionally.b,121b,121People who like to get "high" tend to smoke more often, and maintain modest tolerance to the depressant effects. But this is not an indefinite continuum. Just as joggers encounter limits, regular users of marijuana eventually confront the wall of receptor down-regulation. Smoking more pot doesn't increase the effects of the drug; it diminishes them.b,121b,121The ideal state is right between the two tiers of effects. One of the great ironies of prohibition is that most marijuana users are left to figure this out for themselves. Most do, and strive for the middle ground. Some just don't figure it out, and this explains two behaviors which are identified as marijuana abuse.b,121b,121First is binge smoking, often but not exclusively exhibited by young or inexperienced users who mistakenly believe that they can compensate for tolerance with excessive consumption. The second behavior these new findings on tolerance explain is the stereotype of the stoned, confused hippie. According to this NIMH study, tolerance develops faster with high-potency cannabinoids. People who have irregular access to marijuana, and to low-quality marijuana at that, do not have the opportunity to develop sufficient tolerance to overcome the acute effects of the drug.b,121b,121Another popular misconception this study contradicts is that higher-potency marijuana is more dangerous. In fact, the use of higher-potency marijuana allows for the rapid development of tolerance. Earlier research by Herkenham established why large doses of THC are not life-threatening. Marijuana's minimal effects on heart rate are still mysterious, but there are no cannabinoid receptors in the areas of the brain which control heart function and breathing. This research further establishes that the brain can safely handle large, potent doses of THC.b,121b,121Like respons ible alcohol drinkers, most marijuana users adjust the amount of marijuana they consume - they "titrate" it - according to its potency. In the course of a single day, for example, the equilibrium is between the amount consumed and the potency of the herb. Tolerance achieves the same equilibrium; over time the body compensates for prolonged exposure to THC by reducing the number of receptors available for binding. The body itself titrates the THC dose.b,121b,121b,121TOLERANCE, DEPENDENCE AND DENIALb,121b,121Herkenham's earlier research mapping the locations of the cannabinoid brain-receptor system helped establish scientific evidence that marijuana is nonaddictive. This new tolerance study builds on that foundation by explaining how cannabinoid tolerance supports rather than contradicts that finding.b,121b,121"It is ironic that the magnitude of both tolerance (complete disappearance of the inhibitory motor effects) and receptor down-regulation (78% loss with high-dose CP-55,940) is so large, whereas cannabinoid dependence and withdrawal phenomena are minimal. This supports the claim that tolerance and dependence are independently mediated in the brain."b,121b,121In other words, tolerance to marijuana is not an indication that the drug is addictive.b,121b,121Norman Zinberg, in 'Drug, Set and Setting' (Yale, New Haven, CT, 1984), explained that the key to understanding the use of any drug is to realize that three variables affect the situation: drug, set and setting. It is now a scientific finding that the pharmacological effects of marijuana do not produce dependency. The use and abuse of marijuana is a function of behavior - interrelated psychological and environmental factors.b,121b,121Addictive drugs affect behavior through their effects on the brain "reward system" - the production of dopamine, linked to the pleasure sensation. This brain "reward system" has a powerful influence over behavior. Dependence-producing drugs - drugs that, unlike marijuana, affect dopamine production - eventually exert more influence on the user's behavior than any other factor. The effect of addiction on behavior is so profound as to create a condition called denial, in which someone will say or do anything to continue access to the drug.b,121b,121Denial is a characteristic of drug abuse, and it is largely cultivated by the effects of various drugs on the brain reward system. Herkenham's research provides a clinical basis for claims that denial is not a characteristic of marijuana use.b,121b,121b,121THE POLICY IMPLICATIONSb,121b,121This is devastating to opposition to the medical use of marijuana, which is solely based on challenges to the credibility of personal observations by patients exploiting marijuana's therapeutic benefits.b,121b,121John Lawn, then-administrator of the DEA, had this to say in 1989 about the credibility of marijuana's medicinal users when he rejected the recommendation of Administrative Law Judge Francis Young that marijuana be made available for medical use: "These stories of individuals who treat themselves with a mind-altering drug, such as marijuana, must be viewed with great skepticism...These individuals' desire to rationalize their marijuana use removes any scientific value from their accounts of marijuana use."b,121b,121As a result of this new research at the National Institute of Mental Health, there is no scientific basis for that sort of prejudice on the part of our public servants. Just as marijuana users have been accurate in describing the tolerance and dependence liabilities of marijuana for over 20 years, patients who use marijuana medicinally are accurate in describing the therapeutic benefits they achieve with their marijuana use.b,121b,121Constant therapeutic use of marijuana represents a third tier of effects from the drug, a tier once thought unimaginable because of the now-discredited fear of addiction. At this level, tolerance compensates for virtually all marijuana-related impairment of motor coordination and cognitive functions. The result is a therapeutic drug with wide applications and few debilitating side effects.b,121b,121The outer limits of being high are reached when natural systems decide that the needs of the body supersede the wants of the mind. The third tier represents the most noble effects of marijuana: comfort, care and treatment for people with genuine needs.b,121b,121The discovery of the cannabinoid receptor system was a revolutionary event of profound significance. These new findings on tolerance may presage further revolutionary developments from the laboratories of NIMH in the next few years - such as the natural role of the cannabinoid receptor system and the brain chemical which activates it.b,121b,121Meanwhile, advocates of marijuana-law reform must learn to use the latest research as a tool to demonstrate that marijuana users have been right for a long, long time. The remaining challenge is to confront the irrationality of America's current public policy.
  • DeegreezDeegreez 804 Posts
    My wife has a good outlook on it, she smokes when she really feels she wants to but just not 'whenever' or 'if it's there'. This ends up being once a week or sometimes not for several months. The key is not being attached to it for her. And it doesn't sound like you are there yet.b,121You need a break from it, your body needs a break. Just like with everything else you eventually hit a wall/threshold/saturation point and it's almost like an allergy. So initially it may be weird or difficult but just remind yourself that you are 'cleansing' your system. And then maybe if it's right for you down the line many months a year, it depends, you can be moderate with it. Or maybe that won't work for you.b,121I don't smoke much these days but when I do it's occasional. But it has been a long time since I smoked on the daily.b,121Have you ever seen old stoners who have been heavily smoking that shit erry day? They look like they have been surpressing anxiety for all time and are about to explode like Lou Ferigno at a moments notice. Except the ones who are stoned.b,121Replacement therapy works well! i.e. replace the weed with something else that is productive. You'd be surprised how quickly you will chip away at something new.
  • Skip DrinkwaterSkip Drinkwater 1,694 Posts
    Quote:h,121b,121This is the next step towards Gerald Albright Smoove Jazz records. b,121b,121h,121
    I'M READY.
  • Skip DrinkwaterSkip Drinkwater 1,694 Posts
    Quote:h,121b,121You could spend time changing your avatar. b,121b,121h,121
    Ha! Thanks for the tips, y'all.
  • Skip DrinkwaterSkip Drinkwater 1,694 Posts
    Quote:h,121b,121
    Quote:h,121b,121I've been smoking for just under 10 years, every day, multiple times a day. b,121b,121h,121
    b,121b,121Damn. How can you function smoking that much? I haven't smoked in years. b,121b,121h,121
    You'd be surprised. But fu$k all that. Many more moves to make...
  • kalakala 3,361 Posts
    think of all the loot you will save
  • Lucious_FoxLucious_Fox 2,479 Posts
    Quote:h,121b,121
    Quote:h,121b,121This is the next step towards Gerald Albright Smoove Jazz records. b,121b,121h,121
    I'M READY. b,121b,121h,121
    b,121b,121 b,121b,121u sure?
  • Skip DrinkwaterSkip Drinkwater 1,694 Posts
    Absolutely. Grown and sexy, baby.
  • BrianBrian 7,618 Posts
    if you guys didn't do illegal drugs, quitting wouldn't be a problem
  • tripledoubletripledouble 7,636 Posts
    "if it dont turn you on, you better leave it alone"b,121b,121you already know you need to stop.b,121b,121maybe it doesnt have to be cold turkey, though.b,121i rarely smoke blunts/bong hits/joints. i'll take a small sip off a pipe or small water pipe a couple times a week and it treats me well...actually energizes. i can also go weeks/months without (although, like sex, i can but i prefer not to)b,121b,121get that shit under control and treat with respect and moderation.b,121b,121good luck!
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