09 Mar Does Weed Have Control Over You?
Let’s talk about weed.
I’ve had two stints of smoking weed in my life. The latter phase was less dependency-based and more recreational use.
I first started smoking weed consistently when I was around 17 or 18. I quickly became dependent.
Smoking every day, even at work sometimes. On the days when I didn’t go to work, I would often sit in my dressing gown. Playing Playstation, filling bongs, rolling joints, eating pizzas, and generally not interacting with the world.
Crazy Hazy times!
I wasn’t exactly delighted with how my life was going but certainly wasn’t motivated to do anything about it. A drug-related incident that nearly killed me at 21 gave me pause and perspective. I have written about it here.
My dependency on weed lasted until around 22 or 23. Those were wild days, and it didn’t help that I was in a band where everyone was a smoker. I didn’t even know anyone who wasn’t into it – or maybe I did, but back then I probably thought they were just weird.
At 23, I decided to ditch the green stuff and focus on getting my body back in shape while pursuing a degree to improve my life and boost my self-esteem. It was fantastic!
Weed Comeback
But then, after a series of failed relationships, I started smoking again on occasion around 25. I realized that my job and the people I hung around with were enablers, and I needed to change my surroundings. So, I made a career change and left behind the cushy government job with all the safety nets. It was tough, but I did it in 2013.
I eventually kicked the habit for good at around 31. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with weed in moderation, and people should be free to consume it if they want.
For me, weed was alluring because it helped me with anxiety and stress. Being sober around new people made me uncomfortable, but weed allowed me to relax and not care about what others thought. I know this is a common fear, and weed can help with that to a certain extent. But when consumption becomes prolonged and habitual, there are costs.
The Costs Of Being Wasted All The Time?
Weed can be a huge drain on our ability to accomplish long-term projects. This is a hot topic, and I’ve had my fair share of arguments with people who support everyday consumption. That’s why I like to differentiate between weed dependents (constant buyers) and casual weed consumers (occasional buyers).
For those who, like me, were weed dependents in their late teens and early 20s, there wasn’t much else going on besides smoking, playing video games, and jamming with the band. At first, it was fun to experiment with it because it felt so good. As a casual smoker, however, I was able to study for my degree and work on other projects simultaneously.
So, what do you think a healthy weed habit looks like? I’d love to hear from both my fellow weed enthusiasts and those who prefer to abstain. I always get some pretty interesting answers when I ask this question.
Why Giving Up Weed Is Worth Aiming For?
In my opinion, people would be better off abstaining altogether if possible, because weed can be a powerful negative force in many people’s lives, draining our potential to get things done. It messes with our sleep patterns, exercise routines, and healthy habits, and it gives us a false sense of reality that prevents us from addressing any underlying anxiety issues. Weed can block our ability to overcome adversity and develop the resilience needed to tackle challenges. The mantra becomes, “I’ll deal with it tomorrow.”
Another huge reason people use cannabis is that their peers are doing it. To be accepted into the group, there is an implicit expectation that you will engage with them in return for peer acceptance and approval. Going to parties and being in the company of others using, there is a point where being offered a joint becomes inevitable.
In my world, I am all for facing reality head-on and diving into pain, examining it where it exists with courage and bravery. Weed too often becomes an excuse maker for people to quit doing personal development and leads back to habits and trends that are unhealthy and unhelpful for our long-term future. I believe that it is foundationally important to help people get to know themselves on a deeper level so they can learn to create other ways of coping with what they are experiencing emotionally or psychologically.
I have now helped countless people through my coaching programs to kick the habit of smoking weed. Some find it harder than others to give up but with the right tools, techniques, and commitment, anyone can give it up and achieve their goals in their lives.
Weed Is A Dream Killer!
in my experience, daily or frequent weed consumption keeps people living small. In many cases, it fills people with guilt because they feel they have to keep their habits secret from many people. Consequently, many also feel guilty about putting off their dreams and bigger life goals because they have not achieved a level of confidence to step into the bigger vision they have for their life.
Not only does it kill our life dreams but there is evidence that weed disrupts REM sleep when dreaming occurs. This can cause dreaming to stop or for dreams to become hard to remember. When taking a break from using weed products, the dreaming can return and our ability to regenerate at night normalises.
With a few adjustments and awareness building, I help people take the necessary steps to break the habit of repeated daily or frequent weed consumption. Ironically, we can learn ways to produce similar feelings that trigger the millions of cannabis receptors in our own brains. We can achieve sensations similar to feel stoned. I can teach these blissful feelings that many weed users artificially seek. We can induce them naturally with some healthy and safe practices.
This lifts people out of the cycle of procrastination, guilt, and demotivation. It starts the growth journey towards achieving the potential we all know we have untapped inside.
Take The First Step
Taking the first step towards ending the mental suppression that comes from frequent cannabis consumption is to admit that we [want to change] have a problem (I have written about this here). This can be a merry-go-round that many people fight with themselves internally. Depending on the moral framework in their lives some people struggle to admit they have a problem. They often judge themselves as bad or immoral people.
South Park has been really great over the years at highlighting cannabis usage and this quote by the great philosopher 😁 Randy Marsh is quite apt. In a comedic way, the point and warnings being made are accurate.
Well, Stan, the truth is marijuana probably isn’t gonna make you kill people, and …it most likely isn’t gonna fund terrorism, but… Well son, pot makes you feel fine with being bored and… It’s when you’re bored that you should be learning some new skill or discovering some new science or… being creative. If you smoke pot you may grow up to find out that you aren’t good at anything.
That’s my take and experience. I’d love to hear your opinions on this or if you’ve known someone with any related experiences. Perhaps pass this on to anyone you know who is thinking about making a change to drop this habit. I love helping people move on to bigger things in their lives.
I am a Freedom Coach and Mentor – I help freedom-loving people in their early/mid-career create a Successful Mindset. If you would like to explore some of these themes and move towards achieving more freedom this year, let’s connect and set up a call.