I had known these words for years. The feeling of knowing that you used to know what, say, "superannuated" or "collusion" or "hegemony" meant, but right now you

I had known these words for years. The feeling of knowing that you used to know what, say, "superannuated" or "collusion" or "hegemony" meant, but right now you haven't a clue, is distressing. These words were in long-term memory. My memory was slowly restored after I quit. Smokers will readily admit that their short-term memory is damaged by marijuana use, but not much is said about damage to long-term memory.