The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: mxmoney on August 07, 2018, 02:42:34 PM
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*** PLEASE NO JUDGMENT OR COMMENTS ABOUT THE NATURE OF MARIJUANA, I AM NOT LOOKING FOR THAT KIND OF ADVICE ***
I'm a self-described stoner and recent Mustachian. I currently smoke a lot, every day in fact. I spend $300/month on weed and smoke about a quarter ounce a week. I use a pipe and a bong mainly but I do have a nice vape that I don't use as often.
I just read the post about being frugal with alcohol, but I'm wondering what some good ground rules on marijuana use could be. Should it be about the same - consume an amount of weed that will get me good and baked once a week? Only smoke before bed? (I've come to depend on it to go to sleep). Smoke one day a week? I'd love to hear your tips about being frugal with weed and even tips on how to smoke less! No tips on how to stop smoking, please, I'm not there yet :P
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Our strategy has been to use a pipe we found in the park (probably ditched by some teenager), and have use infrequent enough that a quarter ounce lasts us multiple months until my sister-in-law visits and consumes it all herself in a weekend (she'll "share" it but her brand of sharing is smoke multiple times a day with no regard for how much she's consuming but offer us some every time).
When we use it, it's always a planned "event" and not just for the hell of it. It's actually been quite a while now. Yearly cost is probably low three digits. Alcohol spending is around $50/yr for us, and we use a similar philosophy for that I suppose.
No judgement here, but relying on anything to fall asleep is surely problematic long-term. Maybe start there.
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The trick is to not smoke every day, so you don't build/keep a tolerance. There's no way to be high every day and have it not be increasingly expensive, because it's going to keep taking more and more to get high. You can switch to stronger methods of smoking (vaping, dabs), but it's still eventually going to take more again. Only way to avoid this is to smoke seldom enough that your tolerance doesn't build. Everyone will be different in this regard, but I can smoke a couple times a week and have an 1/8th last me a month. Once what used to get you high doesn't anymore, you're starting down the spiral and you need to scale back.
People make fun of me for being a lightweight with smoking weed, and I say 'good, that means it's cheap', meanwhile they're spending hundreds or thousands (yes thousands) a month on weed.
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I'm a self-described stoner and recent Mustachian. I currently smoke a lot, every day in fact. I spend $300/month on weed and smoke about a quarter ounce a week. I use a pipe and a bong mainly but I do have a nice vape that I don't use as often.
... what's your income? Imagine if one of your friends was asking you the same question, saying they were spending $300/mo on alcohol. Almost everyone would say, "Yeah, that's a problem." Or the same on cigarettes.
If you're making $300k/yr, well, $300/mo probably isn't a big problem. If you're making $30k/yr, you're literally spending over 10% of your takehome on something that goes up in smoke. And, if you self describe as a "stoner," I'd wager you're not at the $300k/yr mark.
Set a budget, and then stick to it. If that means smoking less, great. If it means finding cheaper ways, fine. But, seriously, that's a lot of pot to the head. That can't be good for you.
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Take a pot-free break at least one day a week, it will help reset your tolerance.
A small cigarette sized chillum should be adequate, if not, then lengthen your pot-free breaks.
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I'm a self-described stoner and recent Mustachian. I currently smoke a lot, every day in fact. I spend $300/month on weed and smoke about a quarter ounce a week. I use a pipe and a bong mainly but I do have a nice vape that I don't use as often.
... what's your income? Imagine if one of your friends was asking you the same question, saying they were spending $300/mo on alcohol. Almost everyone would say, "Yeah, that's a problem." Or the same on cigarettes.
If you're making $300k/yr, well, $300/mo probably isn't a big problem. If you're making $30k/yr, you're literally spending over 10% of your takehome on something that goes up in smoke. And, if you self describe as a "stoner," I'd wager you're not at the $300k/yr mark.
Set a budget, and then stick to it. If that means smoking less, great. If it means finding cheaper ways, fine. But, seriously, that's a lot of pot to the head. That can't be good for you.
4k per year in pot is too much pot, regardless of income. And this is coming from a high income earner who enjoys smoking pot!
OP needs to make deep cuts to his consumption, maybe shoot for twice a week max.
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Where do you live when I lived in CO I was able to get $88 ounces if I went to one particular dispensary before noon.
If it’s illegal where you are, you probably have less of a chance to get deals tho.
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I would definitely suggest taking a tolerance break or at least lowering the usage to where you don't need it to sleep. I've built up a tolerance like that before but with a week or two of minimal smoking I can fall asleep again normally and then 2 more weeks of nothing at all gives my body a full reset. Then I can go to space on 2 hits like my first time ;) If I was in your shoes I would try to back off the habitual style of smoking until you've reset your tolerance.
I do smoke almost everyday but I also drink coffee almost everyday. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ You're an adult so it's up to you to decide what usage is appropriate. I think if you reset your tolerance you should be able to pull your weed spending down to around $100 a month. Definitely vape more to conserve. I have an Arizer Air and 0.1 grams can get me buzzed-high 2 times.
My ground rules with any mind altering substance are to try and stay objective about the real impact it's having on my health and habits. If you're getting stoned to play video games for 5 hours every evening instead of working out then weed might be negatively impacting your life. If you smoke a little before the gym and while you cook a delicious dinner then weed is likely improving your life. Sometimes I'm the productive stoner and sometimes I'm not. As long as you don't go full cant-get-off-the-couch-stoner you're probably fine!
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If you're in a legal state, grow it. An outdoor garden each year with your three plant quota will net you pounds for very little effort and cost.
Also, use the vape. It's much more efficient, and you can use the vaped material for edibles.
And as others have said, if you smoke less, you need less. Take a 't-break' for a week or two from time to time.
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I've been gradually smoking less over time and have almost quit now that I live with my partner. I used to smoke joints basically every day and more when I chilled with friends. Probably about an eighth a week. Then I switched to bowls, one or two a day, and I was down to about an eighth a month. Now I've only smoked twice in the past month and a half and only a little bit got me high. I think by gradually decreasing the amount and frequency and replacing the high activities with not high activities its possible to spend and smoke way less but enjoy it more when I do it. My thing was getting high, eating and watching tv. It was a waste of time and money and made me gain weight. Now I have more activities to do that don't involve weed and it's been a good change. Tracking how much you smoke, setting limits and not buying more than budgeted even if you run out early might help. You should also pinpoint why you want to slow down (money, health, etc) as that could help motivate you. Good luck!
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Replace the smoking for sleep with masturbation.
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... what's your income? Imagine if one of your friends was asking you the same question, saying they were spending $300/mo on alcohol. Almost everyone would say, "Yeah, that's a problem." Or the same on cigarettes.
If you're making $300k/yr, well, $300/mo probably isn't a big problem. If you're making $30k/yr, you're literally spending over 10% of your takehome on something that goes up in smoke. And, if you self describe as a "stoner," I'd wager you're not at the $300k/yr mark.
Set a budget, and then stick to it. If that means smoking less, great. If it means finding cheaper ways, fine. But, seriously, that's a lot of pot to the head. That can't be good for you.
I'm aware it's a lot, which is why I'm asking for advice! I make $72k currently and live in Cleveland, so I do have a lot of disposable income. I dream of what I could save if I could stash that money away instead of burning it (literally) on weed.
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4k per year in pot is too much pot, regardless of income. And this is coming from a high income earner who enjoys smoking pot!
OP needs to make deep cuts to his consumption, maybe shoot for twice a week max.
I'm well aware it's too much pot, thanks. That's why I made this post. If you don't have any actual advice I'm not sure why you bothered replying. And I'm not a he.
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Where do you live when I lived in CO I was able to get $88 ounces if I went to one particular dispensary before noon.
If it’s illegal where you are, you probably have less of a chance to get deals tho.
Unfortunately I live in Cleveland and it is not yet legal, so I am spending $300/ounce
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Weed is a time thief, a motivation killer and a waste. $300 a month!
Heres motivation for you.... take that $300 a month and invest it for 20 years, assuming 8% growth you'll have a little under $200,000.
I used to like smoking it though!
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If you're in a legal state, grow it. An outdoor garden each year with your three plant quota will net you pounds for very little effort and cost.
Also, use the vape. It's much more efficient, and you can use the vaped material for edibles.
And as others have said, if you smoke less, you need less. Take a 't-break' for a week or two from time to time.
This this and this. I'm not suggesting limiting your consumption for puritanical reasons; taking a t-break will help you save money and will make your highs better. El Cheapo is right about the vape too, a lot of weed is wasted when you apply fire to it directly. If you smoke before bed, don't try to get as high as you might during the day--you probably don't need as much as you think to get the sleep aid effects.
If you're used to sparking up whenever you feel like it, you might want to try appointing specific times of the day you do it. There's a diminishing return in how much you smoke, so try riding out the high instead of frequently reupping.
I know a very frequent smoker who spends about $60 a month using the above methods, and he doesn't feel like he's being overly restricted from his devil's lettuce. Hope this helps!
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Weed is a time thief, a motivation killer and a waste. $300 a month!
Heres motivation for you.... take that $300 a month and invest it for 20 years, assuming 8% growth you'll have a little under $200,000.
I used to like smoking it though!
Weed actually enriched my quality of life in many ways, just not enough to justify spending so much on it. I’m not quite at the point where far future gains are enough to motivate me to reduce my current consumption but I like seeing the math! That’s a lot of “green”! ;)
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Replace the smoking for sleep with masturbation.
Now THIS idea I can get behind!
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I'm aware it's a lot, which is why I'm asking for advice! I make $72k currently and live in Cleveland, so I do have a lot of disposable income. I dream of what I could save if I could stash that money away instead of burning it (literally) on weed.
Your phrasing there makes me concerned that you have a problem. And that's not because it's weed - I'd have the same concern if it was cigarettes, or booze, or anything. If you find that you "need" weed - for any reason, that's not good. The key with any of these substances is that it's something you enjoy, but if for whatever reason it wasn't available, you'd shrug and move on with your day.
I recommend that you try not using weed in any form for a month. One full month. At the end of the month, sit down and reflect on how it went. How do you feel? How are you sleeping, hows your work, family, and social lives? Really honestly reflect. More than that, figure out the person who cares for you, wants the best for you, and will give you brutal truth when necessary. Ask them if they've noticed anything different about you over that month.
Once you've done that, then decide what level of consumption you're ok with, both personally and budget wise. Then stick to it.
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During the week, maybe try replacing the pot with CBD oil for sleep? May or may not work, but it is commonly used for insomnia. I see two potential benefits:
1 - It's legal, so you benefit from price competition. It's still going to cost money, but quite possibly less than the pot you are currently buying.
2 - Because it doesn't have the THC, you'll be taking a break from that during the week, so you'll need less pot to get high when you are actually trying to do so.
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4k per year in pot is too much pot, regardless of income. And this is coming from a high income earner who enjoys smoking pot!
OP needs to make deep cuts to his consumption, maybe shoot for twice a week max.
I'm well aware it's too much pot, thanks. That's why I made this post. If you don't have any actual advice I'm not sure why you bothered replying. And I'm not a he.
"Smoke less pot" is literally the only advice worth listening to when you burn $300/month on pot! The details of when and where and why and how don't matter, just smoke less of it. If you can do that without any addiction psychological tricks, great, if not, that's fine too, whatever gets you to less. Try for twice a week, say, Sunday and Wednesday afternoon, and see what happens.
Good luck.
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Pot can be kinda emotionally charged, so I've mentally replaced 'pot' with 'coffee'. But the same conclusion keeps popping up.
If you're drinking too much coffee, stop drinking so much coffee. It can get expensive. If you feel like it's necessary to drink coffee to get through life, really re-examine what's going on that is causing this dependence on caffeine.
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4k per year in pot is too much pot, regardless of income. And this is coming from a high income earner who enjoys smoking pot!
OP needs to make deep cuts to his consumption, maybe shoot for twice a week max.
I'm well aware it's too much pot, thanks. That's why I made this post. If you don't have any actual advice I'm not sure why you bothered replying. And I'm not a he.
What 'actual advice' are you expecting, making a daily sacrifice to the sun god to grant you willpower or for someone to hypnotize you office space style? If you want to smoke less pot, then smoke less pot. It's real simple.
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4k per year in pot is too much pot, regardless of income. And this is coming from a high income earner who enjoys smoking pot!
OP needs to make deep cuts to his consumption, maybe shoot for twice a week max.
I'm well aware it's too much pot, thanks. That's why I made this post. If you don't have any actual advice I'm not sure why you bothered replying. And I'm not a he.
What 'actual advice' are you expecting, making a daily sacrifice to the sun god to grant you willpower or for someone to hypnotize you office space style? If you want to smoke less pot, then smoke less pot. It's real simple.
If you read some of the responses, you'll see that there are strategies to help cut down. It's sort of like how this website isn't just a plaintext page that says "spend less money," even though that's ultimately what it boils down to.
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Where do you live when I lived in CO I was able to get $88 ounces if I went to one particular dispensary before noon.
If it’s illegal where you are, you probably have less of a chance to get deals tho.
Unfortunately I live in Cleveland and it is not yet legal, so I am spending $300/ounce
So it's illegal, but you are still buying/smoking it. You should still grow your own. Even if you grew just 1 plant indoors in a closet it would cut back the amount you have to buy. Combine that with the strategies already added around cutting back/reducing tolerance and you will be in much better shape.
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4k per year in pot is too much pot, regardless of income. And this is coming from a high income earner who enjoys smoking pot!
OP needs to make deep cuts to his consumption, maybe shoot for twice a week max.
I'm well aware it's too much pot, thanks. That's why I made this post. If you don't have any actual advice I'm not sure why you bothered replying. And I'm not a he.
What 'actual advice' are you expecting, making a daily sacrifice to the sun god to grant you willpower or for someone to hypnotize you office space style? If you want to smoke less pot, then smoke less pot. It's real simple.
There's plenty of actual advice on this thread. Do you smoke pot regularly? If not, then this post isn't for you. It's obviously not as simple as "smoke less pot" or I would just do that. Take your sanctimony elsewhere.
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I'm aware it's a lot, which is why I'm asking for advice! I make $72k currently and live in Cleveland, so I do have a lot of disposable income. I dream of what I could save if I could stash that money away instead of burning it (literally) on weed.
Your phrasing there makes me concerned that you have a problem. And that's not because it's weed - I'd have the same concern if it was cigarettes, or booze, or anything. If you find that you "need" weed - for any reason, that's not good. The key with any of these substances is that it's something you enjoy, but if for whatever reason it wasn't available, you'd shrug and move on with your day.
I recommend that you try not using weed in any form for a month. One full month. At the end of the month, sit down and reflect on how it went. How do you feel? How are you sleeping, hows your work, family, and social lives? Really honestly reflect. More than that, figure out the person who cares for you, wants the best for you, and will give you brutal truth when necessary. Ask them if they've noticed anything different about you over that month.
Once you've done that, then decide what level of consumption you're ok with, both personally and budget wise. Then stick to it.
Oh I'm well aware that I have a problem. I'm physically and psychologically dependent on it, I've admitted that. It's not quite as simple as "just stop smoking" for a month, and you'll notice I specified that I didn't want that kind of advice. I am looking for ways to be more frugal with my weed usage, like using economical vapes or using a pill case to track how much you use.
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During the week, maybe try replacing the pot with CBD oil for sleep? May or may not work, but it is commonly used for insomnia. I see two potential benefits:
1 - It's legal, so you benefit from price competition. It's still going to cost money, but quite possibly less than the pot you are currently buying.
2 - Because it doesn't have the THC, you'll be taking a break from that during the week, so you'll need less pot to get high when you are actually trying to do so.
Very good idea! I've heard a lot about CBD but haven't ventured into it yet. I should try that on weekdays.
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Pot can be kinda emotionally charged, so I've mentally replaced 'pot' with 'coffee'. But the same conclusion keeps popping up.
If you're drinking too much coffee, stop drinking so much coffee. It can get expensive. If you feel like it's necessary to drink coffee to get through life, really re-examine what's going on that is causing this dependence on caffeine.
Of course the solution is "stop smoking as much pot". I already know that. Just like the solution to having more money is "stop spending as much money". I'm looking for implementable ways to do so.
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I'm aware it's a lot, which is why I'm asking for advice! I make $72k currently and live in Cleveland, so I do have a lot of disposable income. I dream of what I could save if I could stash that money away instead of burning it (literally) on weed.
Your phrasing there makes me concerned that you have a problem. And that's not because it's weed - I'd have the same concern if it was cigarettes, or booze, or anything. If you find that you "need" weed - for any reason, that's not good. The key with any of these substances is that it's something you enjoy, but if for whatever reason it wasn't available, you'd shrug and move on with your day.
I recommend that you try not using weed in any form for a month. One full month. At the end of the month, sit down and reflect on how it went. How do you feel? How are you sleeping, hows your work, family, and social lives? Really honestly reflect. More than that, figure out the person who cares for you, wants the best for you, and will give you brutal truth when necessary. Ask them if they've noticed anything different about you over that month.
Once you've done that, then decide what level of consumption you're ok with, both personally and budget wise. Then stick to it.
Oh I'm well aware that I have a problem. I'm physically and psychologically dependent on it, I've admitted that. It's not quite as simple as "just stop smoking" for a month, and you'll notice I specified that I didn't want that kind of advice. I am looking for ways to be more frugal with my weed usage, like using economical vapes or using a pill case to track how much you use.
Ok, then. The first step is recognizing there's a problem. So, please, for your sake (health, finances, maintaining friends and family relationships, good job, legally, whatever!), get help. There is help available for people with dependency issues. Please get help, before something in your life blows up. This is not about the money. This is about you, and your future, more broadly. The money is just a symptom.
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Honestly, given that you already know that you're dependent on it, I would suggest that just cutting back isn't going to help that much. You'll be spending less, but also not getting the effects you need. I honestly thing that resetting, not smoking at all for a 2 weeks or 1 month, and then seeing how you feel, is your best bet. Yes, it'll be very hard, and you'll need a lot of willpower to get through. But we wouldn't be telling an alcoholic to just keep it to one glass of wine with dinner and a few beers on the weekend, we'd be telling them to get help, support groups, therapy, etc.
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Since you mentioned depending on it to sleep, I think investing some time in learning how to sleep without it will help you cut down. It can be as simple as proper sleep hygeine (avoiding devices before bed, setting a relaxing routine, avoiding caffeine after noon, etc.) or as complicated as a new diet and exercise routine or even therapy. Once you find something that works (and, as a fellow insomniac, I can tell you this takes time and perseverence), you'll be able to skip days, even several days in a row. This will result in spending less money on weed and probably getting a better high when you use it (that I can't vouch for, but should be true of anything you can build a tolerance to).
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Since I don't smoke, I've mentally replaced "marijuana" with "alcohol", since that's my vice I struggle to moderate on. (No moral issues with it though, just don't handle it well- I live in Oregon though, where's its legal and common, so I well and truly don't care if someone does use!) First, try not to get so defensive- this forum literally brags about giving "facepunches" to people. So, some people will be harsh and direct and may not give the type of advice you prefer. That's just part of this community, like it or not. =\
As for my advice: maybe start a thread on "Throw Down the Gauntlet"? There's currently one on giving up booze that a bunch of us are participating in. I think you'd find more people trying to cut back then you might expect! I always find the community and 'creative solutions' aspects to help me stick to my guns.
Since you mentioned depending on it to sleep, I think investing some time in learning how to sleep without it will help you cut down. It can be as simple as proper sleep hygeine (avoiding devices before bed, setting a relaxing routine, avoiding caffeine after noon, etc.) or as complicated as a new diet and exercise routine or even therapy. Once you find something that works (and, as a fellow insomniac, I can tell you this takes time and perseverence), you'll be able to skip days, even several days in a row. This will result in spending less money on weed and probably getting a better high when you use it (that I can't vouch for, but should be true of anything you can build a tolerance to).
This is also a great idea. I had severe insomnia for a long time, and good sleep hygiene is KEY. I do the whole shebang- avoiding blue light before bed, dark room, cool room, strict routines, etc.
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I am looking for ways to be more frugal with my weed usage, like using economical vapes or using a pill case to track how much you use.
First set a budget for the month, and when you've spent that much and are out of weed, you make yourself go the rest of the month sober. It'll suck, but it will make you a) find better ways to stretch it next month, and b) the forced break will help your tolerance a bit so the next month you'll need less.
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Honestly, given that you already know that you're dependent on it, I would suggest that just cutting back isn't going to help that much. You'll be spending less, but also not getting the effects you need. I honestly thing that resetting, not smoking at all for a 2 weeks or 1 month, and then seeing how you feel, is your best bet. Yes, it'll be very hard, and you'll need a lot of willpower to get through. But we wouldn't be telling an alcoholic to just keep it to one glass of wine with dinner and a few beers on the weekend, we'd be telling them to get help, support groups, therapy, etc.
Alcohol is a very different drug than weed, so I do believe the advice differs. However, you are correct - stopping would be the best course of action. Unfortunately I am not ready to make that big of a change in my lifestyle. I will try to take a tolerance break for a week and see how I feel.
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I am looking for ways to be more frugal with my weed usage, like using economical vapes or using a pill case to track how much you use.
First set a budget for the month, and when you've spent that much and are out of weed, you make yourself go the rest of the month sober. It'll suck, but it will make you a) find better ways to stretch it next month, and b) the forced break will help your tolerance a bit so the next month you'll need less.
I think that's what I'm going to do for the rest of the month. Thank you!
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Since you mentioned depending on it to sleep, I think investing some time in learning how to sleep without it will help you cut down. It can be as simple as proper sleep hygeine (avoiding devices before bed, setting a relaxing routine, avoiding caffeine after noon, etc.) or as complicated as a new diet and exercise routine or even therapy. Once you find something that works (and, as a fellow insomniac, I can tell you this takes time and perseverence), you'll be able to skip days, even several days in a row. This will result in spending less money on weed and probably getting a better high when you use it (that I can't vouch for, but should be true of anything you can build a tolerance to).
Very good advice. I've recently started exercising again so this might be the perfect time to also work on my sleep.
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I am looking for ways to be more frugal with my weed usage, like using economical vapes or using a pill case to track how much you use.
First set a budget for the month, and when you've spent that much and are out of weed, you make yourself go the rest of the month sober. It'll suck, but it will make you a) find better ways to stretch it next month, and b) the forced break will help your tolerance a bit so the next month you'll need less.
Yeah, you could easily apply "grocery budget" principals here.
-Find a way to get it cheaper
-If you can't get it cheaper, get less
-When you're out of money in the budget category, get creative instead. Trades, grow it yourself, make the last bits last, or failing that-
-Go without until the budget category resets.
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I'm aware it's a lot, which is why I'm asking for advice! I make $72k currently and live in Cleveland, so I do have a lot of disposable income. I dream of what I could save if I could stash that money away instead of burning it (literally) on weed.
Your phrasing there makes me concerned that you have a problem. And that's not because it's weed - I'd have the same concern if it was cigarettes, or booze, or anything. If you find that you "need" weed - for any reason, that's not good. The key with any of these substances is that it's something you enjoy, but if for whatever reason it wasn't available, you'd shrug and move on with your day.
I recommend that you try not using weed in any form for a month. One full month. At the end of the month, sit down and reflect on how it went. How do you feel? How are you sleeping, hows your work, family, and social lives? Really honestly reflect. More than that, figure out the person who cares for you, wants the best for you, and will give you brutal truth when necessary. Ask them if they've noticed anything different about you over that month.
Once you've done that, then decide what level of consumption you're ok with, both personally and budget wise. Then stick to it.
Oh I'm well aware that I have a problem. I'm physically and psychologically dependent on it, I've admitted that. It's not quite as simple as "just stop smoking" for a month, and you'll notice I specified that I didn't want that kind of advice. I am looking for ways to be more frugal with my weed usage, like using economical vapes or using a pill case to track how much you use.
Ok, then. The first step is recognizing there's a problem. So, please, for your sake (health, finances, maintaining friends and family relationships, good job, legally, whatever!), get help. There is help available for people with dependency issues. Please get help, before something in your life blows up. This is not about the money. This is about you, and your future, more broadly. The money is just a symptom.
I am getting help. I am in therapy and I'm researching ways to cut back on my usage. This post is part of my getting help.
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Since I don't smoke, I've mentally replaced "marijuana" with "alcohol", since that's my vice I struggle to moderate on. (No moral issues with it though, just don't handle it well- I live in Oregon though, where's its legal and common, so I well and truly don't care if someone does use!) First, try not to get so defensive- this forum literally brags about giving "facepunches" to people. So, some people will be harsh and direct and may not give the type of advice you prefer. That's just part of this community, like it or not. =\
As for my advice: maybe start a thread on "Throw Down the Gauntlet"? There's currently one on giving up booze that a bunch of us are participating in. I think you'd find more people trying to cut back then you might expect! I always find the community and 'creative solutions' aspects to help me stick to my guns.
Since you mentioned depending on it to sleep, I think investing some time in learning how to sleep without it will help you cut down. It can be as simple as proper sleep hygeine (avoiding devices before bed, setting a relaxing routine, avoiding caffeine after noon, etc.) or as complicated as a new diet and exercise routine or even therapy. Once you find something that works (and, as a fellow insomniac, I can tell you this takes time and perseverence), you'll be able to skip days, even several days in a row. This will result in spending less money on weed and probably getting a better high when you use it (that I can't vouch for, but should be true of anything you can build a tolerance to).
This is also a great idea. I had severe insomnia for a long time, and good sleep hygiene is KEY. I do the whole shebang- avoiding blue light before bed, dark room, cool room, strict routines, etc.
I'm new to the forums and will definitely have to develop a thicker skin. I respond best to compassion, not judgment, as I'm sure is true for most of us, but I'll have to adjust.
My sleep hygiene is terrible and is definitely a good place to start. Will definitely check out the other thread! Thank you.
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I honestly thing that resetting, not smoking at all for a 2 weeks or 1 month, and then seeing how you feel, is your best bet. Yes, it'll be very hard, and you'll need a lot of willpower to get through.
I was a multiple-times-a-day user for several years and just stopped. No real withdrawal symptoms although I did have some wacky dreams for about a month after. The only "willpower" I had to use was for the first week or so I would think, "normally I would smoke right about now because I'm about to do X" (where X is... write, go to gym, hang with friends, etc) and then I would just not smoke, and do X anyway. After about a week it became the new normal. I never experienced cravings or anything, just habituation. I stopped because I realized I was just getting slightly high all the time and living my life normally, and I can just live my life normally and not be high all the time. Also I noticed it was taking more weed to get high. I also noticed I was starting to use it as a method of escapism which I didn't like either.
To OP, IDK about you but my use was multiple very small hits per day and that seemed to do it. Didn't really get me super-stoned but enough to get the creative juices flowing or make vacuuming the house more interesting. Even smoking up 1-4x per day an 8th would last me over a month. It would be like a very small pack on a small spoon-style bowl or a vaporgenie (similar size). Vaping is much more efficient and better for you. I would go with others and recommend a tolerance break. When you go back, try using a much smaller amount than you are probably used to. I guess it depends what effect you are after, and that everyone is a bit different in their response to it, but I like the creative stimulation side of things rather than the couch-lock side of things so a small bowl pretty much only half-packed does the trick for me.
I learned that while it can help you FALL asleep, marijuana use actually messes with your sleep cycles which, from what I've learned, basically reduces the deep, restorative sleep phase. This is part of the reason I took a break, I was having a lot of other sleep related problems and wanted to take that out of the equation. Have you tried melatonin for a few days? If you dose it correctly (a very small amount) and actually get into bed when you take it I've found it works pretty well.
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Pot can be kinda emotionally charged, so I've mentally replaced 'pot' with 'coffee'. But the same conclusion keeps popping up.
If you're drinking too much coffee, stop drinking so much coffee. It can get expensive. If you feel like it's necessary to drink coffee to get through life, really re-examine what's going on that is causing this dependence on caffeine.
Of course the solution is "stop smoking as much pot". I already know that. Just like the solution to having more money is "stop spending as much money". I'm looking for implementable ways to do so.
Sure!
Try a tapering approach where you gradually reduce consumption over a month or two until you're barely smoking any at all.
Try to figure out the triggers in your life that are leading to over-consumption of the drug and eliminate them. This could mean you don't hang out with certain people, that you figure out ways to reduce stress in your life, change sleeping habits, etc.
Try to find new hobbies or changes to routine to shake things up a little bit . . . people are creatures of habit, and your current habits lead to lots of pot consumption. You need to do different things (for a while at least).
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Pot can be kinda emotionally charged, so I've mentally replaced 'pot' with 'coffee'. But the same conclusion keeps popping up.
If you're drinking too much coffee, stop drinking so much coffee. It can get expensive. If you feel like it's necessary to drink coffee to get through life, really re-examine what's going on that is causing this dependence on caffeine.
Of course the solution is "stop smoking as much pot". I already know that. Just like the solution to having more money is "stop spending as much money". I'm looking for implementable ways to do so.
Sure!
Try a tapering approach where you gradually reduce consumption over a month or two until you're barely smoking any at all.
Try to figure out the triggers in your life that are leading to over-consumption of the drug and eliminate them. This could mean you don't hang out with certain people, that you figure out ways to reduce stress in your life, change sleeping habits, etc.
Try to find new hobbies or changes to routine to shake things up a little bit . . . people are creatures of habit, and your current habits lead to lots of pot consumption. You need to do different things (for a while at least).
Part of it is that my partner also smokes as much as I do so it's difficult to not smoke with him. I've recently started a new job and going to the gym and that has reduced my consumption considerably already. Gotta make some changes to my evening routine, though, because after a long day of work all I really wanna do is veg out on the couch with Netflix and my bowl. Thanks!
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Pot can be kinda emotionally charged, so I've mentally replaced 'pot' with 'coffee'. But the same conclusion keeps popping up.
If you're drinking too much coffee, stop drinking so much coffee. It can get expensive. If you feel like it's necessary to drink coffee to get through life, really re-examine what's going on that is causing this dependence on caffeine.
Of course the solution is "stop smoking as much pot". I already know that. Just like the solution to having more money is "stop spending as much money". I'm looking for implementable ways to do so.
Sure!
Try a tapering approach where you gradually reduce consumption over a month or two until you're barely smoking any at all.
Try to figure out the triggers in your life that are leading to over-consumption of the drug and eliminate them. This could mean you don't hang out with certain people, that you figure out ways to reduce stress in your life, change sleeping habits, etc.
Try to find new hobbies or changes to routine to shake things up a little bit . . . people are creatures of habit, and your current habits lead to lots of pot consumption. You need to do different things (for a while at least).
Changes in routine is a strong one. I know the key times I've been able to radically overhaul habits has been when I've moved.
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4k per year in pot is too much pot, regardless of income. And this is coming from a high income earner who enjoys smoking pot!
OP needs to make deep cuts to his consumption, maybe shoot for twice a week max.
I'm well aware it's too much pot, thanks. That's why I made this post. If you don't have any actual advice I'm not sure why you bothered replying. And I'm not a he.
What 'actual advice' are you expecting, making a daily sacrifice to the sun god to grant you willpower or for someone to hypnotize you office space style? If you want to smoke less pot, then smoke less pot. It's real simple.
There's plenty of actual advice on this thread. Do you smoke pot regularly? If not, then this post isn't for you. It's obviously not as simple as "smoke less pot" or I would just do that. Take your sanctimony elsewhere.
I used to. I also used to drink a lot of beer, and smoked cigarettes.
I quit cigarettes by not smoking them, cut down on beer by drinking once a week at most, and cut down on pot by smoking less and saying no thanks if someone else offered. Currently I have 2 beers in my fridge and probably two or three joints worth of pot on my coffee table, but since I realize that partaking in these things all the time is costly and doesn't align with my life goals I just don't do it constantly.
Most people I've seen who quit things or cut down on them by replacing the activity with a strategy or new activity just go back to it in a few months. The only real way is to develop willpower.
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Gotta make some changes to my evening routine, though, because after a long day of work all I really wanna do is veg out on the couch with Netflix and my bowl.
So, the thing I had to do when I wanted to start being more productive after work was not sit down when I got home. I mean that literally, like not even to take off my shoes. If I sat down to take my shoes off, I'd sit there 'just for a couple minutes' or my roommate's watching tv and 'oh I like this episode' then I'm done for. Walk in the door and immediately start doing something. Put dishes away, anything. Even better is to not go home. If you have things you want to do (gym, errands, hike), don't go home first, the chances of getting back out of the house are <100%.
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No tips on how to stop smoking, please, I'm not there yet :P
Sorry, but I would quit. Get outside and take a walk, bike, or get some other form of exercise. Feel the warm sun on your face. Start today. A little exercise does wonders.
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No tips on how to stop smoking, please, I'm not there yet :P
Sorry, but I would quit. Get outside and take a walk, bike, or get some other form of exercise. Feel the warm sun on your face. Start today. A little exercise does wonders.
Smoking a bowl of killer indica right before heading out to surf the big sets rolling in here does WONDERS for me. The key here is "a" bowl, not 15. In pharmacology, we target the MINIMUM dose required to achieve the desired outcome (pharmacodynamic effect; whether that be topical, oral, systemic dose administration) for virtually any and every disease/disorder/maladie. I apply this principle in my profession as well as for my own medicinal needs, whether that be aspirin, pain meds, etc, but especially for cannabis. If 1 bowl gets me there, then no need for 2 or 3 or 4.....
I'm a chronic cannabis consumer, but due to titrating my dose all the way down to the minimum required, my total monthly consumption is well below 1/8 of an oz (varies between 2-3 gm / month).
Going through most of the day/week "un-high" makes those judicious KGB moments all the more enjoyable. And my yearly cannabis costs are trivial at 2g/month. ymmv
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No tips on how to stop smoking, please, I'm not there yet :P
Sorry, but I would quit. Get outside and take a walk, bike, or get some other form of exercise. Feel the warm sun on your face. Start today. A little exercise does wonders.
Do you know how addiction works? It's not as simple as "just quit".
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I thought that pot was less addictive than caffeine?
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Replace the smoking for sleep with masturbation.
Now THIS idea I can get behind!
The problem with this is that it's way more fun to jill off high lololololol
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I thought that pot was less addictive than caffeine?
For me, it isn't. It's more of a psychological thing but I do have physiological effects when I stop entirely. I could quit caffeine easily and have done so in the past - it's been far more difficult for me to change my pot habits.
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I tend to treat anything that gets to the "I need XYZ..." stage as a problem to address. Caffeine, alcohol, pipe tobacco, etc.
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this thread is now making me feel real guilty over needing my morning cup of coffee to "get things moving." Sure I can quit, but I LOVE it! I'll quit when I retire, I promise!
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Yeah I’m working from home today and really wanna bust out the vaporizer. Must resist...
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Do you know how addiction works? It's not as simple as "just quit".
It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy when you think of it that way. Baby steps can work, but you have to accurately measure your progress. And it's all too easy to deceive yourself that you are making progress towards your goal if you continue to smoke even a little. The person inside who craves the smoke is not going to give it up so easily and will do anything to deceive the rational mind. It's like the fox guarding the hen house. The fox must be confronted head-on and you can't underestimate the intelligence of the fox. I'm not judging here, that's just the way it is with us humans.
Smoking is going to interfere with an exercise routine, so the more exercise you do and the more you enjoy it, the greater power you will have to quit.
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this thread is now making me feel real guilty over needing my morning cup of coffee to "get things moving." Sure I can quit, but I LOVE it! I'll quit when I retire, I promise!
I quit caffeine but I really do miss the morning cup. my problem is moderation. I seem to build a tolerance very quickly and before I know it im sucking down a whole pot in the morning... when it got to the point of me getting a headache if I don't get my cup in the morning, I realized I needed to stop.
Caffeine had far worse withdrawal symptoms than pot. Nasty headache for several days and feeling really slow/sluggish in the mornings before I got used to not having a constant drip of caffeine. Pot for me was just the decision to stop, some weird dreams for a few weeks and thats about it.
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I thought that pot was less addictive than caffeine?
For me, it isn't. It's more of a psychological thing but I do have physiological effects when I stop entirely. I could quit caffeine easily and have done so in the past - it's been far more difficult for me to change my pot habits.
Kudos to you for at least trying to work on the problem.
Youll have to experiment to find what works best for you. As you say, this isnt really a physical addiction, it is more of a habit that you have to break.
If you have a routine for your consumption try breaking that routine by skipping a couple of iterations.
Ironically, due the the illicit nature of this habit ( in most of the country it's still illegal and frowned upon by most polite society ) most of us that use have also developed routines around that use. Things related to where we hide our stash (hehe not how we normally use that term around here) or where we smoke.
The nature of those routines, the cycles, create something of a ritualization which makes it even more psychologically habit forming. You have to consciously take control of you brain to intervene and stop some of those cycles. So maybe dont think of it as not using per se but rather as breaking more behavioral cycles that lead to that use. Adjust the circumstances that coincide with your habitual use and see if it helps reduce the reflexive use.
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No tips on how to stop smoking, please, I'm not there yet :P
Sorry, but I would quit. Get outside and take a walk, bike, or get some other form of exercise. Feel the warm sun on your face. Start today. A little exercise does wonders.
Do you know how addiction works? It's not as simple as "just quit".
I found a 12 step program very helpful. I tried quitting lots of times before that with no luck. And I identify as an athiest, for what it's worth.
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I'm aware it's a lot, which is why I'm asking for advice! I make $72k currently and live in Cleveland, so I do have a lot of disposable income. I dream of what I could save if I could stash that money away instead of burning it (literally) on weed.
Your phrasing there makes me concerned that you have a problem. And that's not because it's weed - I'd have the same concern if it was cigarettes, or booze, or anything. If you find that you "need" weed - for any reason, that's not good. The key with any of these substances is that it's something you enjoy, but if for whatever reason it wasn't available, you'd shrug and move on with your day.
I recommend that you try not using weed in any form for a month. One full month. At the end of the month, sit down and reflect on how it went. How do you feel? How are you sleeping, hows your work, family, and social lives? Really honestly reflect. More than that, figure out the person who cares for you, wants the best for you, and will give you brutal truth when necessary. Ask them if they've noticed anything different about you over that month.
Once you've done that, then decide what level of consumption you're ok with, both personally and budget wise. Then stick to it.
Oh I'm well aware that I have a problem. I'm physically and psychologically dependent on it, I've admitted that. It's not quite as simple as "just stop smoking" for a month, and you'll notice I specified that I didn't want that kind of advice. I am looking for ways to be more frugal with my weed usage, like using economical vapes or using a pill case to track how much you use.
I have smoked in the past, but I never inhaled.
According to my PSY100 textbook, it's not possible to be physically dependent on marijuana. However, it's very possible to be psychologically dependent. Your behavior seems to be consistent with psychologically dependence. Marijuana is very unique because it has reverse tolerance properties. It stays in your system for 30 days. The more is in your system, the easier it is to get high. This is why many people do not get high their first time smoking pot.
To eventually stop being psychologically dependent, I would first try to go smoke free at least one day/week. I would replace the smoking in front of the television with exercise. You will need to avoid the physical environment that is associated with smoking pot. When you get home from exercise, do not sit on the couch. Go directly to your bedroom.
I think one month of being smoke free would be the best, but you are not there yet. Start with one day/week and try to get some momentum. You might need to avoid hanging with your friends for one month. It's doable. After the one month, you can go back to smoking, but there is a good chance you will no longer be psychologically dependent.
For frugal consumption, I would stick with a bong.
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No tips on how to stop smoking, please, I'm not there yet :P
Sorry, but I would quit. Get outside and take a walk, bike, or get some other form of exercise. Feel the warm sun on your face. Start today. A little exercise does wonders.
Do you know how addiction works? It's not as simple as "just quit".
Actually some people can "just quit" though I won't argue that everyone can do such things. Whether you can or can't is something only you can know (or find out!).
That being said, I am not saying you should quit. We all have our "sins" after all, and it seems like you are taking advice to at least tapper use, and replace it with healthier activities (The gym is a GREAT start!). Here is hoping you succeed in cutting cost and use!
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I spend between $50-100/month, and it seems to last forever. 1g ground up = ~10 small bowl packs.....if you're burning through 7g a week then I would cut consumption by 50%.....you will enjoy it more when you do smoke.
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OP ck your messages.
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Honestly it sounds like there's a dependency and you should get help with that. I recommend talking to a counselor who specializes in addictions. Marijuana might not be organically addicting, but it can turn into a dependency for sleeping, eating or social situations.
Another actionable tip I recommend: invest in a vaporizer. I bought the original model of the PAX for $200. It's paid itself back at least twice just in efficiency. Not to mention it doesn't involve taking a bunch of smoke into your lungs. The PAX has gone through two more iterations since and the newer ones are even better. Smoking once a week for me and my S/O, I go through 1/4 in about 6 months. Half an ounce for an entire year is pretty good.
I also recommend growing it if you're interested in the botany/science (so long as it's legal). The minute it becomes legal in my state, I'm growing. I've been fascinated by growing and would really like to take it on as a hobby. Problem is, I don't actually smoke a whole lot so I guess I'd have to give away a lot of it to friends!
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I also recommend growing it if you're interested in the botany/science (so long as it's legal). The minute it becomes legal in my state, I'm growing. I've been fascinated by growing and would really like to take it on as a hobby. Problem is, I don't actually smoke a whole lot so I guess I'd have to give away a lot of it to friends!
Hi it's me ur friend please send
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How much time do you spend watching TV on average?
If it's several hours every night, that might be more of a concern than the smoking. It's been discussed that it's not a physical addiction so much as a psychological habit and TV can be the same way. When I lived with smoking roommates, the smoking wasn't as much of an issue as the time wasted watching a TV. I remember nights where I couldn't get the TV fix in and I had this nagging feeling like I had missed out on something but of course I hadn't missed anything.
As for the cost, others have made good suggestions but even just rationing would be a good start. You really can bring your tolerance down but TV and smoking are a bad combo, it's too passive. Even if it's good TV, you're going to get bored and reach for the bowl. Maybe try rationing your TV time first?
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I also recommend growing it if you're interested in the botany/science (so long as it's legal). The minute it becomes legal in my state, I'm growing. I've been fascinated by growing and would really like to take it on as a hobby. Problem is, I don't actually smoke a whole lot so I guess I'd have to give away a lot of it to friends!
Hi it's me ur friend please send
+1
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CBD oil is a good alternative. $300 dollars on pot is way too much for me. I hope you find what you're looking for. All the best.
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No tips on how to stop smoking, please, I'm not there yet :P
Sorry, but I would quit. Get outside and take a walk, bike, or get some other form of exercise. Feel the warm sun on your face. Start today. A little exercise does wonders.
Do you know how addiction works? It's not as simple as "just quit".
Judges have "encouraged" plenty of people to "just quit". It's amazing how the serious actions a judge can take will get you to quit immediately. Might not be "fun", but it works!! lol
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During the week, maybe try replacing the pot with CBD oil for sleep? May or may not work, but it is commonly used for insomnia. I see two potential benefits:
1 - It's legal, so you benefit from price competition. It's still going to cost money, but quite possibly less than the pot you are currently buying.
2 - Because it doesn't have the THC, you'll be taking a break from that during the week, so you'll need less pot to get high when you are actually trying to do so.
Very good idea! I've heard a lot about CBD but haven't ventured into it yet. I should try that on weekdays.
If interested, here is a posting I made on the subject:
https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/making-cheap-cbd-oil/msg2087316/#msg2087316
Also, you CAN get high from industrial hemp... It's just a matter of knowing the chemistry. Industrial hemp must be under .3% THC by dry weight to be sold in all 50 states. But as with regular cannabis, there may be little to no THC in the buds, but there is THC-A. So what does this mean??? Well, after decarboxylation (basically toasting the plant material for 40-50 mins @220 degrees or so), the THC-A, converts into THC. I have bought lab tested industrial hemp with ZERO % THC, yet after the heating step wind up with a product of about .5% THC. It just takes a little bit of time to read the lab report for the hemp you want to buy, to see which ones will convert to the most THC, if desired.
Sure, it may take 5-7 grams of this hemp material to work, but when put through just a bit of mortar and pestle time, you have a product that looks just like ground cumin. Mix it in some coconut oil to extract the THC, and you now have a mix containing 25mg or so of THC. Buying a 1/2b of very good quality hemp for about $70 makes A LOT of very good CBD oil, and other medicine. Good luck.
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No tips on how to stop smoking, please, I'm not there yet :P
Sorry, but I would quit. Get outside and take a walk, bike, or get some other form of exercise. Feel the warm sun on your face. Start today. A little exercise does wonders.
Do you know how addiction works? It's not as simple as "just quit".
Judges have "encouraged" plenty of people to "just quit". It's amazing how the serious actions a judge can take will get you to quit immediately. Might not be "fun", but it works!! lol
It doesn't work for everyone, even for judges. Yes, some people can 'just quit', but that doesn't mean everyone can. Everyone's addiction is different.
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I am a smoker too. Nut I don't smoke marijuana. Just weed and I use bong as you do.
lol wut?
Marijuana isn't addictive on the level of tobacco or opiates, but it's definitely addictive for some, including physical withdrawal symptoms.
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I am a smoker too. Nut I don't smoke marijuana. Just weed and I use bong as you do.
lol wut?
Marijuana isn't addictive on the level of tobacco or opiates, but it's definitely addictive for some, including physical withdrawal symptoms.
Pretty sure this was written while stoned
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The obvious answer is just to grow your own. It's super simple, it's literally a weed. Even if it's not legal to grow, who cares? Just be smart and don't get caught. If you'd have started when you started this thread you'd have a near endless stash by now. You will be able to sell off enough to completely cover all of your expenses as well making the entire hobby profitable (although if you include your time spent you'll probably find you are working for below minimum wage, but with the benefit of a free supply).
If you can get access to vape cartridges I highly recommend them. The value of vaping cartridges is many, many times the value of smoking the actual flower. Dollar for dollar a vape cartridge will last about 5 times as long as flower in my experience. So instead of $300/mo on weed you could be spending about $60/mo on cartridges. I recommend platinum vape brand. Vape cartridges also have the added benefit of not being nearly as smelly so you can be super discreet about it, going so far as to vape right in the house without people being able to smell it/you. Or if you really love the experience of smoking flower (who doesn't?) then you can just supplement with the vape cartridges to still bring your overall budget way down.
If you're unable or unwilling to grow, and you can't get access to vape cartridges, then you should probably scale back consumption. Taking a day off each week instantly reduces your consumption by 1/7, plus it will actually lower it more because you'll need less the remaining 6 days. Also you already seem to be smoking bowls, so this may go without saying, but joints are super wasteful. Bowls are more efficient, and one hitters are even more efficient.
If you're getting it from the same source all the time try to switch up to another source, or at least another strain from the same source. You'll develop a tolerance to a specific strain, and it would be much more effective for you to be constantly switching so you aren't consuming the exact same weed every day.
I also find pairing smoking with vigorous physical exercise increases the high and reduces the quantity needed. I don't know exactly what is going on, but vigorous exercise synergizes with the effects of getting high. You will get more exercise, use less weed, feel higher, and sleep better.
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Thread is over a year old, folks.
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Thread is over a year old, folks.
And the poster that drug it up out of the depths deleted their post
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Thread is over a year old, folks.
And the poster that drug it up out of the depths deleted their post
Probably removed by mods, they were spamming other threads with links too.
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Thread is over a year old, folks.
And the poster that drug it up out of the depths deleted their post
And the OP was last active over a year ago.
LOL. Damn necroposts.
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Oh damn, I didn't even notice it was from 2018. I thought it was only a few months old. Shame. Shame.
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Still there are some valuable lessons here.
1) Pot is addictive no matter what anyone says. People are blowing thousands of dollars per year and risking prison to get the intoxication. They’re ruining their financial and professional futures for the sake of it. The term “addictive” does not mean 100% of people who try it will become addicts, just as most people who’ve tried tobacco or alcohol don’t become chain smokers or alcoholics, but if you are one of the unlucky ones like the OP, it is a habit that could grow and fuck up a lot of things in your life. This would be true if pot were legal.
2) Asking how to be a more frugal addict is like asking how to save money on gas while driving a poorly tuned Tahoe XL with the tires half flat. At some point the solution is to somehow change the lifestyle. If one has an addiction, even if it is to goddamn coffee, the only rational solution is to find a way out of it. No need to FIRE being a wage slave only to become a slave to a substance.
3) In the OP’s position, the rational thing to do would be to drop a couple thousand on addiction treatment. That investment would pay for itself even if it only reduced one’s consumption. No need to gamble even a dollar on stocks and bonds until the addiction is controlled.
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1) Pot is addictive no matter what anyone says. People are blowing thousands of dollars per year and risking prison to get the intoxication. They’re ruining their financial and professional futures for the sake of it. The term “addictive” does not mean 100% of people who try it will become addicts, just as most people who’ve tried tobacco or alcohol don’t become chain smokers or alcoholics, but if you are one of the unlucky ones like the OP, it is a habit that could grow and fuck up a lot of things in your life. This would be true if pot were legal.
The bolded claim tells me you don't know what you're talking about with regards to addiction. It is an accurate statement, but anyone who knows anything about drug addiction would realize it goes without saying.
When people make the claim that pot is not addictive, what they're generally referring to is physical addiction. Even this isn't entirely accurate as RyanAtTanagra mentioned above, but it's true that the physical addiction and withdrawal symptoms only effect a small portion of users and are far less serious than the physical addiction one can have with drugs like alcohol, tobacco, opiates, and caffeine. Pot "addiction" is more comparable to the excess use of junk food, television, or anything else that would be more often referred to as a bad habit or a mental addiction.
If your stance is, you'd be better off not smoking pot, that's fair. Especially for someone who's prone to excess and bad habits. But it's not that different than saying you'd be better off not eating junk food or watching TV. Lot's of people consume chocolate, television, and pot occasionally and it doesn't fuck up their life. A few develop bad habits and overuse these pleasurable things and it does negatively affect them.
And I'm not saying all of this to defend pot use, really my concern is that when people take the stance that you're taking, it's counterproductive to your goal. If you're giving that kind of advice to the uninitiated, like say your kids, they might believe you and stay away from the stuff... until they realize you're full of crap. Then they're going to question other advice you've given with regard to drugs as well. I think it's best to give honest and accurate information.
Also, I suspect you unfairly judge pot users based on your tone. I hope you'll reconsider your position.
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It's important to remember that pot is less physically addictive than caffeine . . . and that caffeine addiction is considered a normal state of affairs for the majority of adults in North America. Most people who start drinking coffee become addicts. It's just that it's cheap enough and socially acceptable enough that we don't see it as a big problem.
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It's also important to remember that there are far more deaths caused by caffeine than by marijuana. Even if you account for the fact that caffeine is consumed more than marijuana, caffeine is still more dangerous. That is also true for almost all drugs, including ones most people consider exceedingly safe like caffeine or aspirin. Toxicologically marijuana is one of the safest substances known.
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It's important to remember that pot is less physically addictive than caffeine . . . and that caffeine addiction is considered a normal state of affairs for the majority of adults in North America. Most people who start drinking coffee become addicts. It's just that it's cheap enough and socially acceptable enough that we don't see it as a big problem.
And promotes the kind of productivity that our society values.
Although to be fair, there are some people who derive motivation and energy from pot use as opposed to the common belief that it makes users lazy. Those people are probably more the exception than the rule, but it's worth noting.
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1) Pot is addictive no matter what anyone says. People are blowing thousands of dollars per year and risking prison to get the intoxication. They’re ruining their financial and professional futures for the sake of it. The term “addictive” does not mean 100% of people who try it will become addicts, just as most people who’ve tried tobacco or alcohol don’t become chain smokers or alcoholics, but if you are one of the unlucky ones like the OP, it is a habit that could grow and fuck up a lot of things in your life. This would be true if pot were legal.
The bolded claim tells me you don't know what you're talking about with regards to addiction. It is an accurate statement, but anyone who knows anything about drug addiction would realize it goes without saying.
When people make the claim that pot is not addictive, what they're generally referring to is physical addiction. Even this isn't entirely accurate as RyanAtTanagra mentioned above, but it's true that the physical addiction and withdrawal symptoms only effect a small portion of users and are far less serious than the physical addiction one can have with drugs like alcohol, tobacco, opiates, and caffeine. Pot "addiction" is more comparable to the excess use of junk food, television, or anything else that would be more often referred to as a bad habit or a mental addiction.
If your stance is, you'd be better off not smoking pot, that's fair. Especially for someone who's prone to excess and bad habits. But it's not that different than saying you'd be better off not eating junk food or watching TV. Lot's of people consume chocolate, television, and pot occasionally and it doesn't fuck up their life. A few develop bad habits and overuse these pleasurable things and it does negatively affect them.
And I'm not saying all of this to defend pot use, really my concern is that when people take the stance that you're taking, it's counterproductive to your goal. If you're giving that kind of advice to the uninitiated, like say your kids, they might believe you and stay away from the stuff... until they realize you're full of crap. Then they're going to question other advice you've given with regard to drugs as well. I think it's best to give honest and accurate information.
Also, I suspect you unfairly judge pot users based on your tone. I hope you'll reconsider your position.
Here’s a good definition of addiction from the NIH:
Addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug seeking, continued use despite harmful consequences, and long-lasting changes in the brain. It is considered both a complex brain disorder and a mental illness. Addiction is the most severe form of a full spectrum of substance use disorders, and is a medical illness caused by repeated misuse of a substance or substances.
Note the emphasis on behavior and consequences. It’s not a pharmaceutical thing.
Chronic, relapsing, compulsive - check. OP is using every day and can’t stop.
Harmful consequences- check, even if we limit our scope to the $4k per year up in smoke, and don’t factor in legal risks, professional risks, physical health risks, etc.
Long-lasting changes in the brain - OP suffers withdrawal symptoms and cannot stop using.
Am I “judging” addiction as a problem people ought to immediately address? Absolutely!
I feel the same about the people with brown teeth spending $1k per year on caffeine at Starbucks, who would suffer debilitating headaches and insomnia if they ever skipped a dose.
Nicotine addicts need to make quitting priority #1 or they will die.
Similarly the best thing an alcoholic can do is accept their diagnosis and get help.
The worst possible way to deal with the topic of addiction is to present it as a valid lifestyle option. It ruins lives and ends lives.
I know an alcoholic who thinks he’s living the good life on his own terms, when I’m fact all his disposable income goes to the liquor store, he’s marginally employable, he’ll need a transplant some day, and his entire family is estranged. He’ll swear he’s not addicted, and can make excuses all day. I “judge” him differently: as a person who needs to prioritize getting help before he can succeed in any aspect of his life. To tell him it’s OK to live that way would be beyond wrong.
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OP is more than a year old and that user hasn't posted for almost as long. I'm not concerned with the advice we're giving them because they're not going to read it. My response had nothing to do with them.
I'm aware of how addiction is defined but also that the terms physical addiction and mental addiction are used colloquially to mean something more specific.
That you're using an alcoholic as an example tells me you do not acknowledge how very different alcohol and pot are in terms of addictiveness.
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I also recommend growing it if you're interested in the botany/science (so long as it's legal). The minute it becomes legal in my state, I'm growing. I've been fascinated by growing and would really like to take it on as a hobby. Problem is, I don't actually smoke a whole lot so I guess I'd have to give away a lot of it to friends!
Cwadda, I'm also very interested in growing it. As a gardener it seems like a very interesting plant with some cool specialized needs. But similar problem, I don't smoke at all. My neighbors seem to smoke, but how do you offer people marijuana, without sounding like a weirdo?? As soon as I have a friend that smokes, I'm definitely going to grow a plant.
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I also recommend growing it if you're interested in the botany/science (so long as it's legal). The minute it becomes legal in my state, I'm growing. I've been fascinated by growing and would really like to take it on as a hobby. Problem is, I don't actually smoke a whole lot so I guess I'd have to give away a lot of it to friends!
Cwadda, I'm also very interested in growing it. As a gardener it seems like a very interesting plant with some cool specialized needs. But similar problem, I don't smoke at all. My neighbors seem to smoke, but how do you offer people marijuana, without sounding like a weirdo?? As soon as I have a friend that smokes, I'm definitely going to grow a plant.
It you grow it they will appear. ;)
Seriously, it is a very special plant. It's worth growing even if you don't consume it. The fragrance of it in bloom is wonderful.
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The fragrance of it in bloom is wonderful.
YMMV on that. Many of us find it's fragrance in bloom pretty disgusting.
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It's also important to remember that there are far more deaths caused by caffeine than by marijuana. Even if you account for the fact that caffeine is consumed more than marijuana, caffeine is still more dangerous. That is also true for almost all drugs, including ones most people consider exceedingly safe like caffeine or aspirin. Toxicologically marijuana is one of the safest substances known.
What numbers/causes are you using as deaths from caffeine?
I've certainly see this claim about pot when compared to alcohol and cigarettes and understand where the numbers come from.
Direct death of caffeine overdose takes some pretty extremely heroics to achieve, so I'm assuming you're linking some other cause(s) to caffeine?
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The fragrance of it in bloom is wonderful.
YMMV on that. Many of us find it's fragrance in bloom pretty disgusting.
Different strokes....
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The fragrance of it in bloom is wonderful.
YMMV on that. Many of us find it's fragrance in bloom pretty disgusting.
Different strokes....
Different tokes......
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It's also important to remember that there are far more deaths caused by caffeine than by marijuana. Even if you account for the fact that caffeine is consumed more than marijuana, caffeine is still more dangerous. That is also true for almost all drugs, including ones most people consider exceedingly safe like caffeine or aspirin. Toxicologically marijuana is one of the safest substances known.
What numbers/causes are you using as deaths from caffeine?
I've certainly see this claim about pot when compared to alcohol and cigarettes and understand where the numbers come from.
Direct death of caffeine overdose takes some pretty extremely heroics to achieve, so I'm assuming you're linking some other cause(s) to caffeine?
I found some poison control numbers on caffeine from 2014 - some "major" calls but zero deaths. Since then I know I heard of a kid who died from heart arrhythmia after drinking a coffee, a coke, and an energy drink within like an hour.
https://piper.filecamp.com/uniq/s84oJcmn4i4T93VC.pdf (https://piper.filecamp.com/uniq/s84oJcmn4i4T93VC.pdf)
The same study showed zero marijuana deaths. This probably omits some deaths due to driving while intoxicated. Marijuanna has a documented effect of impairing driving ability, but I don't think it's routinely tested for at accidents.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2722956/ (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2722956/)
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It's also important to remember that there are far more deaths caused by caffeine than by marijuana. Even if you account for the fact that caffeine is consumed more than marijuana, caffeine is still more dangerous. That is also true for almost all drugs, including ones most people consider exceedingly safe like caffeine or aspirin. Toxicologically marijuana is one of the safest substances known.
What numbers/causes are you using as deaths from caffeine?
I've certainly see this claim about pot when compared to alcohol and cigarettes and understand where the numbers come from.
Direct death of caffeine overdose takes some pretty extremely heroics to achieve, so I'm assuming you're linking some other cause(s) to caffeine?
Direct deaths due to caffeine. Most of the cases I've read about, the caffeine caused arrhythmia and/or cardiac arrest. I don't have any statistics on hand but I know I've read of multiple accounts of people overdosing on caffeine, although it is pretty rare. I would think trying to OD by drinking coffee or soda would be exceedingly difficult because you'd have a hard time consuming enough in a short enough time frame, but an entire bottle of no-doz would likely be lethal and easy to consume if you were motivated. Last time I checked there were 0 deaths directly attributable to marijuana.
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I found some poison control numbers on caffeine from 2014 - some "major" calls but zero deaths. Since then I know I heard of a kid who died from heart arrhythmia after drinking a coffee, a coke, and an energy drink within like an hour.
https://piper.filecamp.com/uniq/s84oJcmn4i4T93VC.pdf (https://piper.filecamp.com/uniq/s84oJcmn4i4T93VC.pdf)
There have been at least 92 deaths caused by caffeine:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5986491/
The same study showed zero marijuana deaths. This probably omits some deaths due to driving while intoxicated. Marijuanna has a documented effect of impairing driving ability, but I don't think it's routinely tested for at accidents.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2722956/ (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2722956/)
There's a single (disputed) case of a woman who died with high levels of THC in her system . . . that one coroner has claimed is an overdose death:
https://consequenceofsound.net/2019/06/marijuana-overdose/ (https://consequenceofsound.net/2019/06/marijuana-overdose/)
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Thanks folks!
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if you are smoking that much you should grow your own pot! Also in my experience a vaporizer is much more efficient at transferring thc from the flowers to your bloodstream than a bong. Use your existing vape or get a volcano! Also to echo what other people have said since this is a mustachian forum perhaps consider a T break or smoking less. Happy smoking:)
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if you are smoking that much you should grow your own pot!
We don't have exact experience with this (don't smoke weed), but:
We have an Aerogarden because my husband likes to start plants for the garden in early spring and also raise herbs in the winter. As such, he has spent a fair amount of time watching Youtube videos on growing plants in the Aerogarden. And there are videos out there that show an absolutely amazing growth of high-producing pot plants using them. Like, serious, shocking growth with fantastic production, in a very small space.
I know the OP isn't here anymore, but hey, I'm an equal opportunity frugalista concerning knowledge exchange, so I thought I'd pass on that tip to any other people who might be interested.
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Going to jail is one way to FIRE I suppose.
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I think we can all agree that the real killer is dihydrogen monoxide. And you probably have it in your house right now!
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Going to jail is one way to FIRE I suppose.
California highway patrol pulled me over recently for an abrupt lane change on the highway which he interpreted as "erratic behavior." When he came up to my window and asked me about the lane change he looked down and saw a fresh bag of green bud sitting on my passenger seat. He proceeded to ask me if I had been smoking, to which I replied, I had not. He then warned me about my "erratic driving" and I proceeded on my way.
Exactly what prison and what century are we talking about here?
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Thanks! As soon as its legal in my state I plan on learning how to "garden".
if you are smoking that much you should grow your own pot!
We don't have exact experience with this (don't smoke weed), but:
We have an Aerogarden because my husband likes to start plants for the garden in early spring and also raise herbs in the winter. As such, he has spent a fair amount of time watching Youtube videos on growing plants in the Aerogarden. And there are videos out there that show an absolutely amazing growth of high-producing pot plants using them. Like, serious, shocking growth with fantastic production, in a very small space.
I know the OP isn't here anymore, but hey, I'm an equal opportunity frugalista concerning knowledge exchange, so I thought I'd pass on that tip to any other people who might be interested.
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Thanks! As soon as its legal in my state I plan on learning how to "garden".
if you are smoking that much you should grow your own pot!
We don't have exact experience with this (don't smoke weed), but:
We have an Aerogarden because my husband likes to start plants for the garden in early spring and also raise herbs in the winter. As such, he has spent a fair amount of time watching Youtube videos on growing plants in the Aerogarden. And there are videos out there that show an absolutely amazing growth of high-producing pot plants using them. Like, serious, shocking growth with fantastic production, in a very small space.
I know the OP isn't here anymore, but hey, I'm an equal opportunity frugalista concerning knowledge exchange, so I thought I'd pass on that tip to any other people who might be interested.
Hope you don't live in Illinois. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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Thanks! As soon as its legal in my state I plan on learning how to "garden".
if you are smoking that much you should grow your own pot!
We don't have exact experience with this (don't smoke weed), but:
We have an Aerogarden because my husband likes to start plants for the garden in early spring and also raise herbs in the winter. As such, he has spent a fair amount of time watching Youtube videos on growing plants in the Aerogarden. And there are videos out there that show an absolutely amazing growth of high-producing pot plants using them. Like, serious, shocking growth with fantastic production, in a very small space.
I know the OP isn't here anymore, but hey, I'm an equal opportunity frugalista concerning knowledge exchange, so I thought I'd pass on that tip to any other people who might be interested.
Hope you don't live in Illinois. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Looks like maybe a $200 dollar fine if you are caught growing 5 or fewer plants after Jan.1 2020. Might still be economical to risk the fine.