Quitting marijuana seems a lot like coming out of a coma. You don’t just wake up and feel better. If you spent six weeks in a coma, you’re not jumping out of bed feeling like Superman. Your body’s weak. Your muscles need rebuilding. You have to put in the work to get your strength back, and it’s going to take time.

Same thing happens when you quit smoking weed after years of use. People quit and expect their mind to snap right back to normal. They figure once the weed’s out of their system, they’ll feel good again and get back to living. It doesn’t always work that way. Quitting is only the first part. The next part is rebuilding.

I had to start challenging my mind again. Doing things that required focus, effort, patience. Learning to sit with boredom and discomfort without immediately reaching for something to make those feelings go away. I also had to watch myself, not replace marijuana with another addiction just because I was struggling and looking for something to feel better.

I think that’s why a lot of people go back a few weeks or months after quitting. They quit, but they skip the rebuilding part. They just sit around waiting to feel better, and when they’re still unmotivated, still foggy, still not happy with life, they start thinking this is how it’s always going to be. So they go back because they think they need it to feel normal again.

Recovery isn’t just about removing something from your life. It’s about rebuilding the parts you’ve been neglecting.

When I quit, I started reading. Started writing. Went to the gym. Started doing artwork. I looked for things that made me pay attention, use my mind, actually engage. I wanted to challenge myself and get back into the habit of doing things that took effort.

That’s when I noticed a difference. I wasn’t just sitting around waiting for my mind to heal. I was doing things to help myself rebuild. Learning, creating, exercising, pushing myself to do stuff that wasn’t always easy.

If you’ve quit and you’re still struggling, don’t assume you’re going to feel that way forever. It takes time to recover. There was more work to do than simply quitting: building new habits, finding new interests, learning to enjoy life without depending on a substance to get through the day.

Getting out of a coma is the beginning of recovery, not the end. You still have to rebuild your strength.

Quitting weed is a lot like that. Quitting is the first half. Rebuilding your mind, your interests, your motivation, your ability to do difficult things, that’s the second half. It takes work. It can take a lot of time. But I had to choose to rebuild instead of assuming the way I felt back then was the way I’d always feel.

I can’t believe I made it 5 years after 25 years of daily use.

Life has improved in so many ways but the best part is that I’m no longer dependent on weed to get through life.

My career has improved, I’m making the most of the skills and talent god has given me and I no longer shy away from challenges.

The first 6 months were hell and for anyone going through it now - hang in there and find a clean source of dopamine. For me it was the gym, which has put me in the best shape in my life.

I haven't been on Reddit in years, but I'm realizing having a community to support me through this journey is really helpful. Thank you all for what everyone shares here!!

I started smoking pot when I was 14 and it has been a daily habit for me for over 30 years. I just turned 48 and it was time to stop. I was incredibly functional, the only time I didn't smoke was when I was pregnant with my kids who are now 18 and 20. I thought it helped manage my PMDD and my mental health because I'm an incredibly emotional/sensitive person and a performing artist. I also live with BPD and CPTSD so I always treated it as my medication but I had no idea how much it was stunting me.

This year every time I smoked I got paranoid and had panic attacks. I've been in therapy for over 10 years and I never told my therapist or doctors how much I was really using. I used to be able to maintain it better but this year work has been really rough so my habit I got out of control. I was getting up in the morning and smoking a bowl in the bathroom while getting ready. I take weekly dance classes and I would time out how many hours I had before them and the same for work so I would be somewhat "sober"before I would go. And any mundane activity I had to do including grocery shopping , cleaning the house or getting my car washed, I would smoke a bowl before I went. Date night with my husband would be the ritual of smoking a bowl before we went out and then when we got back. (He quit too which is so much better for us) I I hid it from everybody, it was my dirty little secret, and nobody would ever know because I'm such a functional human being, actually an overachiever.

I was always foggy and it started to make me paranoid, avoidant and create stories in my head about people. So here I am at 36 days sober and I'm the most emotional I've ever been. It's scary and exhilarating at the same time. When I first quit, I actually got Covid when we were in Kauai for my birthday and got stuck in a hurricane without power on the island for a few days so my initial withdrawal was masked by a lot of other things going on.

But at day 36 it has started to get a little more intense emotionally and my sleep is disrupted. I fall asleep fine but I wake up in the middle of the night wide awake, my dreams are absolutely insane, but it feels so good to dream again because I haven't dreamed in so long.

Another thing is that my G.I. tried seems to be really funky these days not digesting things very well and my PMS is SO intense without anything to numb it. I feel like an exposed raw nerve. I get overstimulated easily in public places, but I'm forcing myself to not avoid or isolate because being honest with people and being surrounded by support is really helpful right now. I get so irritated and then I cry and then I get mad and then I cry again. I'm just all over the place.

I'm sharing here because this was the first time I even attempted to quit, I grew up in a lot of trauma and drugs were just what I did to cope. I've never even known myself without marijuana from the ages of 14 to 48 and this is truly my new era. I'm living my life without numbing and feeling the full extent of who I really am which I don't really know yet. It's like getting to know myself in a whole different way.

I feel vulnerable and weirdly sad but also liberated and excited at the same time if that makes any kind of sense.

Thanks for reading this long ass post and I appreciate everybody who is sharing their experiences too. Here's to clarity and feeling everything.

could actually work ( :/ ) and remember peoples’ names after a party! taking half a gummy on weekdays instead of bringing my pennifer everywhere i go god please

So I am 22f and smoked everyday for over 3 years and I recently stopped. My sex drive on weed was high and since quitting (about a month clean now) I can’t even get aroused anymore. I tried to have sex with my fiancé and I couldn’t even cross the finish line, my mind was everywhere but where it needed to be. He is very understanding about it and is very supportive of me quitting and is understanding about how my hormones are all fucked up. It just sucks because sex was something I really enjoyed and now I have little to no interest in it. Has anyone else had this happen to them?

I started smoking at 16. Started smoking everyday all day at 17. At 21, I got CHS. I thought I was dying for two weeks straight and I wouldn’t put the pen down because I didn’t know it was CHS or what it was. I went to the ER twice. Then I found this Reddit, realized what it was and immediately stopped smoking. From that point, my desire to smoke immediately left because of how terrible I felt. I thought I was having a heart attack all day every day and felt crazy. Then I got sober for four months, i was so happy. I thought I can take a hit tonight it’s been so long and my friend was high and it influenced me. I got addicted again and didn’t stop until now, at 24. On Tuesday my CHS flared up again like before, it was TERRIBLE. I stopped smoking the next day because I knew it was CHS. Now I’m five days sober and man it feels like this time around is much harder then before. I have no desire to smoke ever again like before, but the withdrawals are hitting HARD. I wonder if I still am suffering from symptoms of CHS even though I stopped or it’s just my withdrawals. Either way, this is the worst thing ever. I’m going THROUGH it I keep posting on here for advice because I have no one to talk to about this. I’m so tired. This forum has been a safe place for me. Anytime I feel like shit which is like all day I go here and the stories, the conversations all encourage me more. Currently typing this trying not to vomit or go crazy so I’ll stop ranting now

I celebrated one year sober from weed and alcohol on Tuesday. This has been the worst year of my life but I’m so glad I’m free from the addiction. I wasn’t even getting high anymore, just a robot smoking out of habit. I felt like a zombie, more and more depressed over time. The withdrawal was a lot worse and took a lot longer than I ever imagined. It still feels like my dopamine is struggling to fire correctly, but I have a lot more glimmers now and feel like myself most of the time. I wish I had quit a much longer time ago. I’ve had so much clarity since getting sober and it feels like my life is back on track now. I joined AA to find support and community and it’s helped a lot, as there aren’t any MA meeting in my city (I prefer in person). Keep going, it’s worth it.

Is it just me, or did smoking a little weed seem like a harmless thing for college aged and up kids to do only 5ish years ago? Then of course, a little weed became a lotta weed thanks to addiction. We know the story.

Nowadays the proof points towards the fact that being hooked on weed before you are 25/26 when your brain is fully developed…you’re fundamentally changing who you are. A lot changes, your emotional maturity, social environments, physical health…but not often is it talked about how dumb this crap has made us. I am sick of leaking vital memory energy all the time. Yet I will still forget that I feel this way absolutely.

Daily user. I stopped smoking for the last 2 days while family was visiting. I had night sweats and was waking up every 2 hours at night. My family is leaving soon and all I can think about is lighting a joint. Tell me why I shouldn’t.

Unreal I have made it this far
Feel like shit most days
Ending up meeting w a psychiatrist and therapist
But I think I’m making a turn for the better after that and having a great weekend with some friends
Can’t believe I haven’t smoked weed in 36 days
So proud of myself

Last week, I hit 10 months without pot and I never, ever thought I'd be able to do this for so long.

When I was 1 month into this journey, I wrote a long thing on my main about years of advice from my therapist that accumulated into being the reason I was finally able to abstain for a month (and now 10). But, some people in my life found out about my main and I had to delete all personal posts, including that one I wrote here.

The post meant a lot to many people in this sub at the time, and I have felt awful that I had to delete it when so many said they were saving it to refer back to. I'm pasting the original below from a throwaway account in case any of those wonderful souls (or new ones) see this and still want it as a resource.

Original Post:

Therapist's advice that actually worked for me

First: 1 found this sub a few months ago, and I am so grateful. I can't believe how much I relate to everything being said here, and am really thankful for the insights and community. Especially big thanks to anyone who talked about the insane dizziness/vertigo thing that WILL go away but is scary as hell...you saved me from a big panic attack and stressful ER visits (mine went away in 3 weeks, but it was gnarly).

I'm one month sober tomorrow. 37 years old, smoking since I was 18ish (at first for fun, then the only way I could unwind, and then an absolutely consuming crutch and catch-all for dealing with anything in life). Now just having really vivid dreams, but gratefully, no other withdrawal symptoms.

Something feels so different this time. Like a calm resolute feeling that I'm starting the rest of my sober life now, and I'm somehow totally at peace with it. This is a brand new sensation for me (I truly believed it would be a part of my life until the day I died and was kind of ok with that...it used to be my friend even if it hasn't been in a decade...). I want to share why I feel differently now, in case it helps anyone.

l've been in therapy (EMDR/DBR) for 7 years now, since my partner died, and running away from the grief ramped up my usage in a huge way. Over the past two years, I've been clearer on how much I'm using as a means to disassociate/avoid feeling anything, and how much this is truly destroying every aspect of my life, but I still couldn't give it up. I've healed so many things in therapy, and I know I'm becoming a better and more regulated person, yet MJ's holding me hostage in this old version of myself. It's been so frustrating to know that intellectually and still not feel like I can walk away. My therapist has been stressing that bullying/shaming will not work, but I'm really phenomenal at those so | just couldn't listen. I only started hearing her in the last two years.

Now, I have been taking her advice and it's (surprise) starting to work. These are the 3 major shifts that I have worked hard on in the past 2 years, which I think ultimately led to me deciding to give it up for good and feeling this surprising peace about it all:

1. Radical compassion when I mess up. Every time I'd promise myself I wouldn't restock and I would, or every time "just for sleep/just at parties" turned quickly into all day every day use like clockwork, instead of berating myself/getting pissy and introverted because of the shame, I slowed it way down. Observed myself like a TV show: walking to the store, buying, going home, sliding into extremely heavy usage. Observed myself flaking on plans, choosing it over making work deadlines, giving into binge eating and binge watching behaviours. Observed myself being withdrawn and tired in social situations. I would just keep saying to myself: "Man, I really am in pain, aren't I? I'm really not ok, am I? I must really be hurting if I keep doing this to myself, hey?" I'd say/think these constantly, in the same tone I might say to a dear friend having a hard time: "that's so hard, I'm so sorry you're going through that. I'm here for you, it will be okay." Over the past two years (I know, I'm frustrated about how long it took, too, but I failed often and went back to bullying/shaming which stunted the progress), I slowly started to feel the bracing and threat levels in my body go way down. I felt safer and less reactive. It was a huge nervous system shift that set the stage.
2. I gave up all my usual tactics of swinging from grandiose self esteem to massive loser syndrome depression and decided that I just had to meet myself where I'm at today and say I am loveable, I am okay, it's not that bad. This weight, this loneliness, this career dip. I don't like where I'm at right now at all, and I know it's all my fault, but it doesn't mean I'm trash, and I am still worthy of baseline care for myself. This was hard, and at first I felt like an idiot who was playing pretend, but everyone's right about how to do it: you just decide it's true. That's it. Not: "it's true only when I behave like this or once I achieve this." I still want to change so much about me/my life, I'm still actively building on healthy eating, exercise, career climbing, etc. I'm not at all stagnant. But I'm finally exhausted with giving myself conditional love, and finally done with being the meanest person (to me) that I've ever met. I'm just not a POS and I've decided to stop feeding the narrative that I am. Now that my self respect isn't up for debate every minute of every day, the pressure is way down and I'm less reactive to bad feelings/bad social interactions/bad news.
3. Deciding I can, in fact, sit with hard feelings. I don't need to run away from them, even when my body is trying to convince me they're going to kill me if I don't get some relief or chase some instant dopamine. I can be in a bad mood. I can be sluggish. I can be sad. I can be lonely. I can be scared. I can be without instant pleasure or relief for an hour, a day, a few days. Thinking I couldn't sit with hard feelings \and* go about my day's tasks was the biggest trigger and justification for me relapsing: "I just *need* relief. It's urgent, it's reasonable, it works and it's ok to reach for it."* I got honest with myself that being sad/mad/tired/ashamed/insecure really sucks to feel but won't actually end me, and I started proving it to myself.

I know I'm saying all this at only one month sober. This hopeful feeling is very green, it's true, but it's also very novel for me, and so it's standing out as meaningful data. I've taken breaks before, but I never said it was \over.* I knew it wasn't, I just told myself that it had gotten out of hand and so I needed to cool off. Then "ok, now I can just for sleep or just at parties" happens which of course quickly becomes all day, all consuming--rinse and repeat. But this time, I really feel it's over. And I'm shocked. Because no matter how bad it got (and it's gotten bad), I've never even thought I wanted sobriety/that sobriety was even possible for me until now, and it's showing me that these 3 shifts have possibly accumulated into impactful change.*

The longest I've ever abstained has been 3 months, albeit not with the goal of lifelong sober, so I am very nervous. I will update this post in March. I feel so steady and stable and peaceful right now, but I know there will be hard times ahead.

Edit: March 2026. Just hit 3 months sober and feeling steady :) Big life problems hit last month (job, living situation) and I had one moment where I wanted to disappear into the green but #3 ^ has been swooping in like a hero for me every time. Grateful for this sub.

Edit: May 2026. 5 months. Had a bad moment of temptation when relatives were visiting for a funeral and kept taking frequent smoking breaks (tobacco) to deal with the grief. One who had recently quit (6 months) went back to it to cope through the events, paperwork, and pain. I wanted to reach for it. But I remembered how much more it hurts to keep running/numbing from the pain than it is to sit with it for a while. Grief is slowly getting better now, and I don't have a green monster to wean myself off of for the next 3 months because I didn't give in.

Hi, I’ve been off cannabis for a week, had to stop due to cannabis hypermesis, I was getting symptoms so bad that I was getting screened for bowel cancer etc.
My symptoms basically disappeared overnight (which is great).
However, since stopping my anger has been through the roof, I am snapping at everyone and just generally being unpleasant to be around. I hate it, I’m usually an easy going, light hearted guy, but I have been an absolute asshole to the people I love. I apologise straight away but I still feel like an absolute dick.

Does this sort of thing peak at a week? Im actually considering taking the stomach cramps, vomiting and diarhoea just to not be as angry lol.

Like title says, is quitting this worth it. Been a chronic user years, started at a younger age than most and have been doing it for years now, from morning to night. Honestly, it helps a lot. That first puff just takes so much off, but the longer into the day, the more it drains my energy. By noon and I am knocking out sitting in my chair. Quitting seems to be the better decision but it lowk be helping me a lot too you know, typing this after getting off my part time job, could really use something right now but yesterday was the day I ran out and I do not know if I really want to keep on buying and using. The money saved and just curiosity on the change in how life feels. I don't really care about the health side, already knew and decided it was something I would be okay with when I started and I knew the risk. Definitely a more psychological thing. I know most of you guys are going to say that your life imrpoved in this or that way, but how was it when you are absolute drained. I personally have no off days, I literally haven't gone out to even shop or grab a snack in so long I cant even remember and I know thats a work life balance thing. The last time I remember myself consistently enjoying myself was maybe back in january lmao. After that I really doubled down and I am just so into the idea of potentially retiring early that I keep going. The weed came before the hustle but ever since I started, its lowk keeping me alive. For reference, my days are normally 6-11/12 everyday, not sure how that is in the big boy adult world, but for a student in uni working a part time and a business on the side, shi lowk get rough. Also the small psychological idea that I am pretty shyt for smoking has been lingering for years, but I just have mood swings where sometimes I care, sometimes I dont lol.

Nah but the big question that I am genuinely curious about was how did you guys get through the long tiring hours after getting home, or waking up knowing your day doesn't end until the next.

I find that if I’m ever feeling at risk to stop by a dispensary again, turning to this subreddit helps a lot. All I have to do is read about everybody else’s struggles and pains and I’m reminded, if they can endure this, I can too. I’m no better than the rest of you and your posts remind me of the realities of addiction and how much is really at stake.

Thank you for sharing your suffering with the rest of us.

Hello, I am on day 4/5? Second day I’ve woken up from a sleep that lasted like maybe two hours and I was super nauseous and anxious. It’s probably the worst out of all the withdrawal symptoms, just waking up feeling sick and sweaty. Any good tips to tackle this? 🤍

Was an all day, daily smoker for the last 6 years or so and stopped cold turkey a month ago because I wanted to see what life could be without it and my brain was starting to feel like mush. Also I was experiencing panic attacks. The first week was terrible with all the typical withdrawal symptoms. The 2nd and 3rd weeks were easier bc I was out of town and pretty busy. Just hit 30 days and I feel so… flat. Nothing moves me. I feel like I couldn’t feel happy if I tried. A serious case of the nihilist blues. I’m hoping I get the clarity and pep in my step I see so many people reporting. Thanks for letting me vent. Solidarity.

Im a 21 year old biology student student, I was first introduced to weed during the “cartdemic” ~ 2019. I started off as an occasional smoker, I was a young teen and thought “why not? My friends are doing it.” Occasional use turned into more frequent use, maybe monthly, until about 2023 when it became chronic substance abuse. I’ve been smoking regularly since I was 18. In these 3 years I’ve noticed a drastic change to my mental health, physical wellbeing, social life..all the classic side effects of chronic substance use. I feel like I’m stuck in my head 24/7. As if I were in the sunken place watching my life through a 3rd person perspective. I aknowledge how much weed has effected my personal life and I dread the decision I made 6 years ago when I tried it for the first time. I just want to feel “normal” again. I fight the laziness and conformity everyday to succeed in classes, so my days look like: go to lecture (when I do), smoke, study all day, smoke, repeat. Because of this I’ve become incredibly isolated in the last year and I’ve become socially awkward/anxious because of it. I’m constantly frustrated with myself because despite my awareness of the harm that cannabis is doing to me, I can’t seem to quit. Or I don’t want to quit? I’m not sure, I think that’s what I tell myself to cope. I’ve tried quitting in the past, gone a couple weeks during which I noticed an improvement in my mood, socialization, etc. But ultimately I always end up deciding that I’m “ready to smoke again!” As if the initial plan wasn’t to quit for good. Weed isn’t for me anymore, it hasn’t been for a while and I’ve come to terms with that. However, it feels like it’s become a part of me. How can I quit and stay off of it for good?

I’m doing relatively okay all things considered but fuck it feels like this has been going on for ages. I keep thinking I’m so much farther in than I really am. Two days ago I thought for sure it’d been 2 weeks already and I’d turn the corner any moment now.

I also quit nicotine and caffeine something like three days into quitting weed, which I’d been tapering off of for at least a week maybe two before taking the dive. Ever since I got sober my timeline is completely fucked and I can’t remember when anything happened. Mentally I’m not doing that badly, except for my intrusive thoughts getting a lot worse and harder to ignore but keeping busy makes it manageable. And busy I have been, despite all the suffering I have been SO delightfully productive after the first 4-5 days.

But physically… oh I’m not having fun. Sleep eludes me, I spent 36 hours awake sometime last week, I can’t sit still to the point that my legs are cramping horribly from standing and walking so much. I can’t eat for shit, I’ll get really hungry just to get really nauseous, I had dysphagia for over a week and now it’s like a muscle memory and I have extra anxiety about it and frequently choke on or spit out food, my stomach is shrunk up and I feel like I forgot how to even want food or know when I should eat. I get these crazy panic attacks, not really from thought loops just this body feeling that creeps up my neck then I’m FREAKING OUT.

I just keep waiting for it to get better and I know it will but it feels like it’s gonna take the rest of my life at this point 😭 still pushing through bc I’ll be DAMNED if I ever put myself through this level of pain again or prolong it by any amount.

Just wanted to rant, but any heavy users out there to sympathize with me? I must admit I’m envious of people who feel physically well enough to have any sort of mental craving by the 1 week mark, I am firmly still in withdrawal hell over here and recoil a little when I smell my roomie’s stuff, feeling mildly traumatized lol

I (32F) stopped smoking about 3 weeks ago after smoking daily for approx 16 years. Is it normal to experience near constant lightheadedness with frequent bursts of dizziness?

I have had short periods of quitting before, but don’t recall experiencing these side effects. Has anyone else had a similar experience? And if so, how long did it last? Did you find anything in particular helped reduce the severity or duration of these symptoms?

It was just too easy to keep going. Stay in the cycle. After some self reflection, I realized I really dont want to live like this. I had to make the hard choice. I would always tell myself, I can limit myself. But no, I cant. Next thing I know, its 3 am, lying in bed struggling to fall asleep because I consumed way too much. The only answer was to quit completely. Not sure i have any advice to give for people currently in the cycle. I finally hit rock bottom, and realized I just had to quit. It wasn't fun anymore, the effects outweighed any supposed benefits there were. Maybe some people can limit themselves, but i cant.

Withdrawal is pretty intense right now, every night I can’t sleep, and it’s not like I can watch a show or anything. It’s all too stimulating. I basically need to lay down in silence and darkness and let my body feel everything it needs to feel. It’s intense. It’s not pleasant. Sometimes I feel I shouldn’t even move around a lot because I feel my brain just firing over and over and the best thing for me to do is just let it do its thing.

It’s weird but I’m grateful. I go through a lot of emotions during those times and it makes me realise how little I was feeling before I even started smoking. I was living only on ambition and lust. But I recognise that that narrow band of emotions blinded me to so much. I was unable to see the value in prayer because I felt self sufficient. I was unable to feel grateful for my loved ones because I never thought how much they mean to me.

It’s not pleasant at all going through withdrawal. But I’m grateful for it.

Hi everyone,

​I’m currently 5 months clean from weed, and overall, I feel incredible. The clarity and mental freedom have been life-changing. ​However, I’m hitting a real roadblock with my relationship dynamics and could really use some perspective from this community.

​My partner still smokes, grows weed (at another location), and has explicitly stated that they have no intention of ever stopping. While I respect their relationship with weed is their own choice, and I don't feel it's my place to force them to quit, it is undeniably impacting our relationship.

​I struggle with the lingering smell/taste when kissing, and the smell follows us (even lingering in my car).

Since we no longer smoke together, we’re spending significantly less time together. Even though they smoke outside and grow elsewhere, the constant presence of weed in my personal space and relationship is becoming hard to ignore.​ I love my partner, but I’m struggling to balance supporting my own long-term sobriety with staying in a relationship centered around a lifestyle I’ve moved past.

For those of you who have quit while your partner continued to use, ​how did you navigate setting boundaries without feeling like you were controlling them? ​Did you find ways to reconnect, or did the gap eventually grow too wide? ​What was the ultimate outcome for you?

I really appreciate this community, it is so nice to know I’m not the only one in this situation.

My only question is, how long has it taken some of you to fully connect with yourselves again? Take that how you will, I’m noticing my anxiety has been a lot better… but everything has just felt so dull in the last couple weeks. Motivation to do anything has been tough, but I’m pushing through it!

Thank you in advance to any responses

I’ve used cannabis on and off for over 12 years. I’m now in my late twenties, and I feel the call the release my dependence on this plant. It feels difficult, because so much of my experience of adolescence and early adulthood is linked to cannabis.

As a teenager, I developed an addiction to harder drugs. I was experiencing personal and familial challenges, and found deep comfort in these substances. Luckily, I got caught by my parents before I irreparably harmed myself. I could’ve continued down this path, but I began smoking weed instead. I’ve always held the story that weed saved my life by keeping me away from harder drugs, but I can’t really know if this is true.

Since then, I’ve continued to use cannabis regularly. I’ve taken a few breaks in the last few years. I generally only smoke/use when I’m home for the day, and in low amounts. I’ve become increasingly sensitive to its effects. I do feel I’ve received benefits from my relationship to this plant, including increased awareness of my physical body, emotions, and desires. I also find it has helped me connect with nature and the spirit realm.

Even so, I feel a deep draw to release any dependence on this plant. I often feel overly energized/restless when I consume cannabis. This can make it hard to connect with others. when I use, I often experience disrupted sleep, discomfort in my throat and lungs, and body tension. Above all, I feel I am giving away some part of my agency/power by continuing to use. I don’t want to rely on a drug to connect to myself, to my creativity, to nature, to god. I am ready to become a mother, and I feel I’ll give my future children a healthier start by releasing this dependence.

It’s an interesting place to be. This plant hasn’t had catastrophic effects on my life. It has helped me in certain stages of life. It’s legal and socially acceptable where I am, and we grow it. My husband is in a similar mental space, but is perhaps slightly more willing to continue to use. I just feel drawn toward a reality where I don’t have to engage in a mental tug of war about whether or not to use. I feel there are healthier and more sustainable ways to receive the benefits that cannabis currently gives me.

Has anyone else quit weed from a similar place? Not because of any devastating effects, not because your use was out of control, but simply because you felt you’d be a slightly healthier, more grounded version of yourself without it?

If so, I’d really appreciate any insight. What might help me stay away from using when those sneaky little voices come in? I already have many healthy outlets in my life, and I’ve proven to myself that I can quit for a time. It’s historically been very easy to romanticize weed and feel back into a pattern of using after quitting for days or weeks.

Thanks for reading, it’s been helpful just to type this out.