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In the past I was addicted to pot. I was addicted in the sense that pretty much everything felt better when I was high. I was more relaxed and had less anxiety.

In the past I was addicted to pot. I was addicted in the sense that pretty much everything felt better when I was high. I was more relaxed and had less anxiety. Sex was better. Food tasted better. I was more creative. I thought about much deeper things. I spent less time online and in front of screens. The biggest downside for me--and the reason I ended up quitting--was that my sober life just sucked in comparison. I was just waiting until the end of the day when I could go home and light up. The other downsides were that I wasn't as sharp mentally when I was sober. I wasn't as ambitious. I was less social. In other words, it made me feel fine just hanging out in my apartment doing nothing. On the balance that made pot a negative for me. Quitting wasn't that hard. And I still think about how great I felt when I smoked. I may smoke again in the future but for now, I appreciate operating in the real world without any crutches.

dgzl 8y ago
> In other words, it made me feel fine just hanging out in my apartment doing nothing. I've experienced this as well, but I don't consider it an inherit downside. To me, this is just my personal self being satisfied and at peace with not needing more than I have. Frequently I like to smoke alone in nature, just so I can rest peacefully.
- magic_beans 8y ago
  If I had zero obligations or goals in life, I would smoke pot all day every day. But since, like OP, it makes me want to sit at home and do nothing (not inherently a bad thing), it impedes my goals of producing creative work. There is a fine line, I think, between people who can smoke pot responsibly (every few days or only once a week) and people who cannot go a single day (or even a few hours) without smoking.
  - dgzl 8y ago
    As I've said in another post, I smoke about everyday, but I don't have any problem pursuing my goals, producing creative works, or excelling in my career. The fine line you're talking about does exist, but it doesn't have anything to do with the frequency of usage. Responsibility can be achieved with or without pot.
    - scarecrowbob 8y ago
      I'm always glad to hear that people find a balance. One thing that is difficult for me, however, is to understand how things affect me without long periods of abstinence. Like, I'm an alcoholic, though I've become more and more functional. I pretty much only drink on the weekends and around other humans, now. But I went through about 6 months of total abstinence from drinking and I can say with a great deal of certainty that I didn't realize the various subtle ways that substance abuse was impacting my life. It's a relavent epistemic problem, and so when I hear people saying what you're saying, I am not at all skeptical-- I believe that it is true that "Responsibility can be achieved with or without pot". I also believe that I personally was unable to fully understand my position when I was drinking every day.
      - dgzl 8y ago
        Thanks for the words, and I'm excited to have this conversation in such a productive lense. I would agree with your statement about not being able to fully understand the situation if the observer is constantly under the influence, in fact I would think it's an understatement. I myself am guilty of assuming a situation to be all fine, when a sober and detoxified version of myself wouldn't agree. With no offense to you, I'm glad my crutch is marijuana and not alcohol. I grew up with addicts as parents, one with alcohol and the other with pot, and I've witnessed first hand the dramatic and disastrous effects of long-term alcohol abuse. I'm very happy for your ability to keep the addiction at bay, and wish you the best of encouragement.
      - BaronVonSteuben 8y ago
        It's always interesting to hear about people that can scale the alcohol back. I can't do it. I can (usually) get through work sober, but the second I get home I'm grabbing a beer, or downing a shot. The only thing that worked for me was complete sobriety. Been sober 10 years now. Still think about drinking all the time tho.
        scarecrowbob 8y ago
        I'm glad you found a thing that works. My feeling is that we have dysfunctional behaviors and that alcohol is a tool we use to deal with that. Its easier to not drink now, because I don't want to drink. I think that I know why I drink most of the times (and is scares me when I drink and don't know why); even when I don't know why, I can usually figure out why. I did not want to quit drinking before my wife left me. She certainly did not make me drink. It was a way of coping with her demanding personality that I chose. It's good if you can make not drinking work for you. I may be way off base, but if you can figure out why you are wanting to drink and if you can change that thing in your life, then that situation is far better. If I could choose, I would still be married and have developed a different coping mechanism and just be completely sober, but that's not my choice... the fact that I don't want to drink and only do it for social expediency is cold comfort.
- dustingetz 8y ago
  social interaction is how we cooperate as a species so from the species’ perspective this is a downside
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
  - dgzl 8y ago
    Would you really apply this to any deviation from people interacting with each other, for any length of time? Spending time alone in mediation hardly seems to qualify.
coldtea 8y ago
>In other words, it made me feel fine just hanging out in my apartment doing nothing. That should be the natural state of man, though, I'd extend it to meeting with friends, cooking, playing, etc -- that is, being "non-productive". It took a lot of advertising and protestant ethic working hand in hand through opposing ends to move the needle towards full on consumption and full on productivity. "All human evil comes from a single cause, man's inability to sit still in a room." - Blaise Pascal
- andrenth 8y ago
  If that were true, humanity wouldn't even have reached the point where that advertising and protestant ethic were even possible.
  - erikpukinskis 8y ago
    I don’t get your logic? I assumed protestant ethic came from all the non-anal families literally dying in an unforgiving and unfamiliar land.
    - andrenth 8y ago
      My point was simply that if doing nothing was men’s natural state, we wouldn’t have progressed to the point where Protestantism (or advertising) was even a thing. What’s a non-anal family? Most families are non-anal if you consider how human reproduction works by I’m not sure that’s what you’re talking about :P
      - erikpukinskis 8y ago
        I meant anal, short for "anal retentive" i.e. paranoid about doing things "properly". Your logic makes sense if the Earth were the same everywhere. It breaks down if you understand that New England is fundamentally different from England or Africa. The fact that puritanism thrived says something about New England's natural state in the 1600s. It says nothing about humankind's natural state. Really, the fact that it emerged so late in human history, and was dominant so briefly, in such an unusual place suggests it's somewhat unnatural at a species scale.
nate_robo 8y ago
I was always curious about the mental sharpness / memory portion. I know the short-term memory impairment is well documented but in regards to mental sharpness, that's a bit more nebulous and hard to hone in on. Is there any evidence that the use of cannabis effects cognitive ability while not under the effects or "high" of the drug?
- zolthrowaway 8y ago
  I'm a former daily smoker. I carry a water bottle with me everywhere. When I was a daily smoker, I would pretty frequently forget where I had just set my water bottle down. My partner still gives me shit for it. Since stopping, this is a very rare occurrence. As far as the mental sharpness thing goes,I didn't notice any major changes. Some people I know would have some fogginess the day after. This never affected me personally. I think brain fog is definitely a real thing for _some_ users. I totally understand this is anecdotal. I'm just trying to share my experiences. I hate how defensive people can be about cannabis. I am sympathetic to this because giving proponents of cannabis prohibition anything to latch onto delays progress. It should be legal. People should also have honest discussions about it. It's a fairly low risk drug IMO, but it is a drug.
- magic_beans 8y ago
  Any daily pot-smoker will tell you that their short-term memory declines after a few weeks of daily/hourly use. It's extremely well known, though perhaps not well documented.
  - nate_robo 8y ago
    Right, I acknowledge that in my previous comment. I was more referring to the mental sharpness or cognitive ability. I was curious if there was a noticeable difference in critical thinking/problem solving for users while they are not under the effects of the drug itself
    - thatcat 8y ago
      The effects on memory are related to the time since you smoked and are most noticeable after 1-3 hours. Basically, you get stimulated at first (during which time you may actually have increased creative problem solving) and eventually you get tired or "burned out". It feels a lot like low blood sugar which is why some people over eat. If you smoke a lot these effects can linger as a sort of hang over. If you smoke every day for years, it might last a few days.
minism 8y ago
I'll never stop being fascinated by how radically different the experiences of cannabis users are. The idea of weed reducing anxiety and making you feel "fine doing nothing" are the polar opposites of how it makes me feel. Overall it sounds like your experiences were much more positive than mine, though.
- gowld 8y ago
  One folk wisdom is that pot (and alcohol too) unblock some inner mental states that the rest of your brain inhibits. So some people get high and forget their troubles, but some people get high and forget their coping mechanisms.
- lowhangingnuts 8y ago
  > I'll never stop being fascinated by how radically different the experiences of cannabis users are Nothing to be fascinated about. The experience is different primarily from the type of strain they have inhaled or ingested. Sativa only strain - High, euphoria, very social Indica only strain - Sleepy, lethargic, somewhat anti-social Sativa dominant Sativa-Indica hybrid - Not so high, still little euphoric, smooth come down after few hours. Indica dominant Indica-Sativa hybrid - Not so sleepy / lethargic, little euphoric... And then there's the CBD dominant ones which don't get you high, and supposedly cure you of various illnesses. Not FDA approved.
  - minism 8y ago
    Yeah, different strains is the most common explanation i've heard. But in my own self experimentation I notice relatively little difference between Sativa and Indica.
  - BaronVonSteuben 8y ago
    I experimented extensively with sativas, indicas, and all sorts of hybrids. I never ever got a euphoria. Indicas (and sativas in sufficient quantity) would give me couch lock, and clouded my mind to where I couldn't code. It never felt good, even tho I really wanted it to. I wanted to replace opioids with it. Sadly I just don't think my body works with it. Maybe that's why I come from a family of alcoholics rather than potheads :shrug:
slowandlow 8y ago
> The other downsides were that I wasn't as sharp mentally when I was sober. I wasn't as ambitious. I was less social. In other words, it made me feel fine just hanging out in my apartment doing nothing. On the balance that made pot a negative for me. This is exactly why I quit. I found myself not comprehending technical conversations as well as I used to while sober. Hanging out at home doing nothing when you REALLY do want to go out do something eventually got me to quit. For me ambition is what has guided me for so long and not having that created an emptiness. I too felt less anxiety but in the long run I was actively watching the days go by and no progress in my life. I don't believe these things are talked about enough. Its just the stereotypical "pothead".
- deleted 8y ago
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- justaj 8y ago
  > This is exactly why I quit. I found myself not comprehending technical conversations as well as I used to while sober. This has not been my experience at all. In fact, total opposite entirely. If I smoke up I simply can not absorb any new technical information that is above my current knowledge and skill level. I am however more creative in coming up with solutions or new ideas with the information that I already might have.
  - loblollyboy 8y ago
    You’re saying the same thing
    - ibrault 8y ago
      It's confusing wording but I think the person he was responding to was saying that he had a harder time comprehending while sober, whereas he has a harder time comprehending while high.
      - joseluis 8y ago
        As I understand it, the first person had a harder time comprehending while sober, because of his regular pot consumption. Compared to how well he comprehended sober when he didn't regularly smoke. So both think pot affected their comprehension, although one feels more affected when high and the other one when sober.
umvi 8y ago
Another downside you might not have considered is that you may have also adversely affected your neighbors if you live in shared housing. Not everyone enjoys the smell of pot, and I've had neighbors that made me miserable from the constant pot stench seeping through our shared wall.
- Omnius 8y ago
  This is why i don't use pot. The smell destroyed my house. I had pancretitus and quit drinking and thought i would just smoke once in a while (smoked in high school but that was decades ago). Bought some, put it in a zip lock bag, in a zip lock bag, in a zip lock bag, in a glass container, inside a gun safe. By the way i didn't start with this configuration by when i reached it and still could smell it everywhere i knew it had to go. No thanks. Not opposed to using when out and someone has some but the smell was just to much to keep any in my house (this was an 8th).
  - eric_h 8y ago
    Are you sure your neighbor wasn't running a grow op? I've never had a strain that wasn't tamed by two Ziploc bags, and the packaging that comes from the legal recreational shops are effectively odor-proof.
  - ModernMech 8y ago
    This sounds very wrong. I've kept plenty of pot hidden in my parent's house growing up and they never ever smelled it. They would have busted me hard for that.
    - BaronVonSteuben 8y ago
      Really fresh flower (from my grow tent, all perfectly legal in Alaska) was that aromatic. It's also so sticky that it can get on your fingers and other things, and you are actually smelling that and not the flower in the bag.
  - int_19h 8y ago
    That's a valid point against smoking. But there are also edibles.
pgt 8y ago
Drugs like pot and alcohol seem to lower our standard for happiness. Sitting alone on the couch at home with no friends, you may not feel so great; drink a bottle of wine, or smoke a fat blunt and suddenly that couch feels pretty comfortable. The gnawing feeling of discomfort is not a bug, but a feature designed to force you to act. The main reason I avoid marijuana is the effect on my short-term memory, though. In PiHKAL, Alexander Shulgin, wrote: "I personally have chosen some drugs to be of sufficient value to be worth the risks; others, I deem not to be of sufficient value. For instance, I used a moderate amount of alcohol, generally in the form of wine, and -- at the present time -- my liver function tests are completely normal. I do not smoke tobacco. I used to, quite heavily, then gave it up. It was not the health risk that swayed me, but rather the fact that I had become completely dependent upon it. That was, in my view, a case of the price being unacceptably high. Each decision is my own, based on what I know of the drug and what I know about myself. Among the drugs that are currently illegal, I have chosen not to use marijuana, as I feel the light-headed intoxication and benign alteration of consciousness does not adequately compensate for an uncomfortable feeling that I am wasting time. I have tried heroin. This drug, of course, is one of the major concerns in our society, at the present time. In me, it produces a dreamy peacefulness, with no rough edges of worry, stress or concern. But there is also a loss of motivation, of alertness, and of the urge to get things done it is not any fear of addiction that causes me to decide against heroin; it is the fact that, under its influence, nothing seems to be particularly important to me. I have also tried cocaine. This drug, particularly in its notorioous "crack" form, is the cause celebre of today. To me, cocaine is an aggressive pusher, a stimulant which gives me a sense of power and of being completely with it, on top of the world. But there is also the inescapable knowlege, underneath, that it is not true power, that I am not really on top of the world, and that, when the drug's effects have disappeared, I will have gained nothing. There is a strange sense of falseness about the state. There is no insight. There is no learning. In its own distinctive way, I find cocaine to be as much an escape drug as heroin. With either one, you escape from who you are, or -- even more to the point -- from who you are not. In either case, you are relieved for a short time from awareness of your inadequacies. I frankly would rather address mine than escape them; there is, ultimately, far greater satisfaction that way. With the psychedelic drugs, I believe that, for me, the modest risks (an occasional difficult experince or perhaps some body malaise) are more than balanced by the potential for learning. And that is why I have chosen to explore this particular area of pharmacology. What do I mean when I say there is a potential for learning? It is a potential, not a certainty. I can learn, but I'm not forced to do so; I can gain insight into possible ways of improving the quality of my life, but only my own efforts will bring about the desired changes." - Alexander Shulgin
jorgec 8y ago
The boost in the creativity is only an illusion. It is only of the reason why Cannabis is not used for "cheating". It doesn't work as expected.
Rumperuu 8y ago
>I wasn't as ambitious. I was less social. In other words, it made me feel fine just hanging out in my apartment doing nothing. Incidentally, this echoes my experience with romantic relationships. Have you considered that you may have started dating the pot and not noticed?
- module0000 8y ago
  The pot doesn't nag you, just sayin.
- toomanybeersies 8y ago
  As Marilyn Manson sang: "There's a hole in our soul, and we fill it with dope / and we're feeling fine".
lowhangingnuts 8y ago
> I wasn't as ambitious. I was less social. Would that be perhaps because you were smoking or eating an Indica strain? I'm sure you know that the experience can vary drastically depending on the strain. I used to be laser-focussed and ambitious when on a Sativa, and completely shut down and slump over on the couch when on an Indica. Lot of people relating their personal experiences haven't mentioned what strain they were on, or tried, so it's difficult to get any meaningful insight from their experience IMO. Only thing common across all strain, I've noticed, is the short term and long term memory loss, like someone else had mentioned about not comprehending tech conversations and such. That was a deal breaker for me also.
mettamage 8y ago
I just wanted to give a quick note that I do not have this experience at all. Food doesn't taste better. I am less creative. I lose my English and my Dutch. I am more stupid and everyone else who's high seems so intelligent! I think about pretty much nothing. I'm like a little cupcake on a couch. I am doing as much as a little cupcake on a couch as well :) I do have less anxiety and better sex. So for me it really just is a tool to use for those two things. I mostly use it as a tool for relaxation or psychological experimentation on myself (especially my working memory behaves differently).
bongo662 8y ago
I feel about the same. From the time I was 14 I was smoking pot nearly everyday until about 3 months ago when I decided to cut it out of my life completely. I really dont have an exact 'why' but I came home after work one day looked at a bowl that I had packed the previous night and decided to flush my weed down the toilet and throw all my paraphernalia and accessories (grinder, papers, wraps, bowls) down the trash chute. I haven't missed it once honestly. Maybe I just came to a realization that I didn't enjoy it in the first place. Edit: I'd like to add that around the same time I gave up/quit using all drugs (except a beer or two on the weekends) unless they were prescribed to me by my doctor. Even then I refused pain medication when I broke my hand because I think I have a tendency for substance abuse.
stronglikedan 8y ago
I'm glad you quit, because that's what you needed to do for you, and that's always the right thing to do. However, even though your comment is anecdotal, I do feel the need to point out that your concerns weren't because of the pot, but rather because of your decisions. If you smoke in moderation and learn your strains (sativa dominant for social situations, indica dominant for Netflix and chill), then it's a highly enjoyable plant with little to no downsides. From your comment, it looks like you overdid the indica, and you wouldn't enjoy sativa if you have anxiety to begin with. That being said, were I you, I certainly would stay quit, especially since sativa may be out of the equation for you.
- droopyEyelids 8y ago
  Have there been any double blind tests of the difference between Sativa and Indica? As someone who doesn't smoke, it sure sounds like sommelier's talk. Even though it's almost legal now, the world of cannabis is full of so much mystical mumbo jumbo and outright fabrication. Take the whole CBD thing, for example. The only consensus seems to be that people who sell it say it does whatever the customer wants. And how much CBD oil is actually being produced? Enough to stock every vape shop and every head shop in every strip mall in the entire USA with a few liters? Seems hard to imagine an industry that size.
  - pennaMan 8y ago
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5576603/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5576603/
    - smittywerben 8y ago
      Does this look like a double-blind placebo-controlled study to you? It looks like an interview to me
      - feynmanistheman 8y ago
        The interview seems to support the "sommelier's talk" hypothesis, considering the doctor explicitly says that "the sativa/indica distinction as commonly applied in the lay literature is total nonsense and an exercise in futility."
voidlogic 8y ago
>In the past I was addicted to pot. Pretty much anything that lights up reward or adrenaline/reaction parts of the Brian can be addictive. I think its important to qualify if we are talking about innate physiological addiction (as seen in opioids or alcohol) or the kind we can get from anything. After all there are people with food addictions and yes, they need help, but that isn't about to change the legal status of food. I respect people making their own choices to use or not use as they see fit and be warned of the experiences of others, but we need to be clear when the substance we are talking about causes innate physiological dependence, cannabis for example does not.
- bjourne 8y ago
  But cannabis does cause physical dependence: "Marijuana (Cannabis sativa) is the most commonly used illicit drug worldwide as well as in the Unites States. Prolonged use of marijuana or repeated administration of its primary psychoactive constituent, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), can lead to physical dependence in humans and laboratory animals. The changes that occur with repeated cannabis use include alterations in behavioral, physiological, and biochemical responses. A variety of withdrawal responses occur in cannabis-dependent individuals: anger, aggression, irritability, anxiety and nervousness, decreased appetite or weight loss, restlessness, and sleep difficulties with strange dreams. But the long half-life and other pharmacokinetic properties of THC result in delayed expression of withdrawal symptoms, and because of the lack of contiguity between drug cessation and withdrawal responses the latter are not readily recognized as a clinically relevant syndrome. Over the past 30 years, a substantial body of clinical and laboratory animal research has emerged supporting the assertion that chronic exposure to cannabinoids produces physical dependence and may contribute to drug maintenance in cannabis-dependent individuals." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3606907/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3606907/ Also there is no clear distinction between physical and psychological dependence, just like the lines between physical and psychological trauma is equally blurred.
  - voidlogic 8y ago
    I stand corrected, it looks like my view was about 16 years out of date. However, the work I am reading indicates that caffeine is a much more addictive substance than cannabis...
ams6110 8y ago
Don't forget that smoking (whether tobacco, or any other leaf) is doing physical, partially irreversible damage to your lungs.
TheForumTroll 8y ago
Most likely you thought you were better. Funny thing: That is exactly how drunks see themselves when drinking too.
01100011 8y ago
I went back after nearly 2 years clean. I don't recommend it. Once again I'm lacking in mental energy. I'm all for MJ if you need it, but I think a lot of us are fooling ourselves into thinking it's benign. Sure, it's better than alcohol, but I don't think that's a useful benchmark. Sobriety can be boring, but until someone invents a better drug I think it's my only option until I retire.
- psychedelic 8y ago
  As someone who has never smoked, I feel like this is the argument I always had with my friends who all have/do. Ultimately, their argument for smoking basically boiled down to the lack of scientific evidence that there are lasting consequences and that it was nowhere near as bad as alcohol. My argument was that there was a lack in scientific evidence, and that comparing the utility to alcohol was stupid.
  - bihnkim 8y ago
    then that's a pretty ironic username for ya!
    - tk75x 8y ago
      MJ != the only psychedelic out there...
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
  - cpncrunch 8y ago
    It seems unlikely that a drug that affects neurotransmitters wouldn't result in tolerance, and the scientific evidence and anecdotal reports seem to confirm this. Anything that gives you a 'high' will ultimately have the opposite effect when you're sober. So in the end you'll just wind up wasting money smoking to feel normal, and you'll feel like shit when you've been sober for a while.
    - 8y ago
another-cuppa 8y ago
I had a very similar experience except I was a student at the time. I had no job and therefore gradually my sober life became less and less. I'd stay up later into the night, wake up later, and light up earlier. Eventually I got to the point where I was high all the time, but not happy. I had to move house and ran out of weed so I just decided not to get any more. The next couple of weeks were weird. I couldn't sleep properly. But things got better. I've smoked a couple of times since but have no desire to do it again now even though I know it does feel good.
hcnews 8y ago
I am fine with doing nothing even as a non-user. Recently things have been getting boring but I find it pretty hard to take the initiative and get to know more people. Its the same process all over again (meeting a new person; finding common interests etc.) which bores me to death. Not sure what to do in life at this point. I see some sense in just participating in the circus and wait till death comes.
qwerty456127 8y ago
The "downsides" are still much better than those of alcoholism. I just hope (and believe this may happen this way) more people are going to give up booze and drugs and switch to the weed. As soon as I've tried (for a number of times, the first experiences may be confusing and even scary) the weed I've forgotten vodka as a nightmare, now I just smoke some weed about 2 evenings a month in average. I still highly recommend to stay away from the weed if it's not legal at your location however - messing with criminals and cops can really ruin your life. If it's legal for medical use only - don't hesitate to ask the doctor (but don't be pushy or play an expert, doctors hate this), some progressive doctors at some locations may actually prescribe it for addictions, depressions and eating disorders treatment, not only for cancer/aids.
kenshen 8y ago
> I wasn't as ambitious. I was less social. In other words, it made me feel fine just hanging out in my apartment doing nothing. Wow. I just realized that's been my life for the past few years and I don't smoke. I might need to change something...
alexjray 8y ago
Spot on
acchow 8y ago
Ever try doing it just one night a week? Instead of every night?
code_duck 8y ago
I have used cannabis a long time and while I had similar ideas in my 20s, none of this is similar to my current experience - mainly the verbiage and ideas that seem to be derived from drug treatment literature. I’ve tried not consuming cannabis for long periods and it doesn’t improve my life overall. I did find it necessary to abstain when I has a programming/sysadmin startup job and was trying to learn and manage a huge load. However, I’ve realized that I’ve largely smoked to cope with my significant growing medical issues over time, and my experience with life in general is not similar to that of others. Most people haven’t spent 1/3 of each day feeling much like they’re dying following meals, but I sure have. For me, it alleviates my insomnia, anxiety, helps me relax, reduces minor aches and pains (of which I have many), and helps me work through my endless food settling/belching/chest pain/vomiting complex. It also has a huge community around the cultivation, artistic accessories and (less engagingly) consumption. I was an artistic pipe blower for about 18 years and have a lot of other friends who have devoted their lives to making glass smoking accessories. Overall it fills a role somewhere around coffee, tobacco and wine.
- jknightco 8y ago
  Have you investigated that GI issue in depth? You could have Celiac, Crohn's, or a number of other issues. Covering up the symptoms with cannabis sounds like a surefire way to risk some sort of GI cancer down the road. My family has a long history of GI issues that went unidentified and untreated for several years. They're extremely damaging over time. If you're constantly uncomfortable you should really diagnose the root cause ASAP.
  - code_duck 8y ago
    Yes, I almost certainly have celiac and food allergies. I’m currently at a leading hospital being evaluated by a widely cited expert who has written books about celiac and specializes in people who don’t get better following at GFD, such as me. I agree that covering up symptoms with any drug can cause problems. It’s very common for swallowing disorders and celiac to exist for years before being diagnosed. I have celiac with the less typical presentation with fewer lower GI symptoms.
  - 8y ago
drvdevd 8y ago
> Quitting wasn't that hard. And I still think about how great I felt when I smoked. I may smoke again in the future but for now, I appreciate operating in the real world without any crutches. I think cannabis is an amazingly useful and versatile drug, but there was a time in my life where I was high pretty much constantly and although I wouldn't want to do that today, I actually think it is more useful - as a practical tool - when you have a high tolerance. I find that when I don't have a tolerance to it, the feeling is pretty close in resemblance to how I feel when I've had way too much coffee - at that point I can't really do anything requiring complex thought. I have to do something pretty repetitive, so I find myself cleaning or just walking, maybe working out. Still useful for something, but that's about the extent of it. At any rate, I find that the best part of being high is when I'm on the downward slope of the experience. Then I find I am more relaxed, productive, etc. I feel that I have gotten something of physical benefit from the effects. So ... I really don't usually enjoy being stoned anymore. But I think cannabis is a more versatile tool than people give it credit for, and should be thought of that way. I'm not saying it shouldn't be used recreationally, but rather one should consider the right way to use it in context of the desired effect. Because the range of possible uses is actually pretty large. I guess what I'm trying to say is - I think it still deserves a place in your medicine cabinet :)
agumonkey 8y ago
i'm still under ssri, mainly to avoid withdrawal effects, I don't really need them, and I do get the 'no crutches' thing, I'll be happy when I won't take them anymore.

dgzl 8y ago

> In other words, it made me feel fine just hanging out in my apartment doing nothing. I've experienced this as well, but I don't consider it an inherit downside. To me, this is just my personal self being satisfied and at peace with not needing more than I have. Frequently I like to smoke alone in nature, just so I can rest peacefully.

magic_beans 8y ago
If I had zero obligations or goals in life, I would smoke pot all day every day. But since, like OP, it makes me want to sit at home and do nothing (not inherently a bad thing), it impedes my goals of producing creative work. There is a fine line, I think, between people who can smoke pot responsibly (every few days or only once a week) and people who cannot go a single day (or even a few hours) without smoking.
- dgzl 8y ago
  As I've said in another post, I smoke about everyday, but I don't have any problem pursuing my goals, producing creative works, or excelling in my career. The fine line you're talking about does exist, but it doesn't have anything to do with the frequency of usage. Responsibility can be achieved with or without pot.
  - scarecrowbob 8y ago
    I'm always glad to hear that people find a balance. One thing that is difficult for me, however, is to understand how things affect me without long periods of abstinence. Like, I'm an alcoholic, though I've become more and more functional. I pretty much only drink on the weekends and around other humans, now. But I went through about 6 months of total abstinence from drinking and I can say with a great deal of certainty that I didn't realize the various subtle ways that substance abuse was impacting my life. It's a relavent epistemic problem, and so when I hear people saying what you're saying, I am not at all skeptical-- I believe that it is true that "Responsibility can be achieved with or without pot". I also believe that I personally was unable to fully understand my position when I was drinking every day.
    - dgzl 8y ago
      Thanks for the words, and I'm excited to have this conversation in such a productive lense. I would agree with your statement about not being able to fully understand the situation if the observer is constantly under the influence, in fact I would think it's an understatement. I myself am guilty of assuming a situation to be all fine, when a sober and detoxified version of myself wouldn't agree. With no offense to you, I'm glad my crutch is marijuana and not alcohol. I grew up with addicts as parents, one with alcohol and the other with pot, and I've witnessed first hand the dramatic and disastrous effects of long-term alcohol abuse. I'm very happy for your ability to keep the addiction at bay, and wish you the best of encouragement.
    - BaronVonSteuben 8y ago
      It's always interesting to hear about people that can scale the alcohol back. I can't do it. I can (usually) get through work sober, but the second I get home I'm grabbing a beer, or downing a shot. The only thing that worked for me was complete sobriety. Been sober 10 years now. Still think about drinking all the time tho.
      - scarecrowbob 8y ago
        I'm glad you found a thing that works. My feeling is that we have dysfunctional behaviors and that alcohol is a tool we use to deal with that. Its easier to not drink now, because I don't want to drink. I think that I know why I drink most of the times (and is scares me when I drink and don't know why); even when I don't know why, I can usually figure out why. I did not want to quit drinking before my wife left me. She certainly did not make me drink. It was a way of coping with her demanding personality that I chose. It's good if you can make not drinking work for you. I may be way off base, but if you can figure out why you are wanting to drink and if you can change that thing in your life, then that situation is far better. If I could choose, I would still be married and have developed a different coping mechanism and just be completely sober, but that's not my choice... the fact that I don't want to drink and only do it for social expediency is cold comfort.
dustingetz 8y ago
social interaction is how we cooperate as a species so from the species’ perspective this is a downside
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- dgzl 8y ago
  Would you really apply this to any deviation from people interacting with each other, for any length of time? Spending time alone in mediation hardly seems to qualify.

coldtea 8y ago

>In other words, it made me feel fine just hanging out in my apartment doing nothing. That should be the natural state of man, though, I'd extend it to meeting with friends, cooking, playing, etc -- that is, being "non-productive". It took a lot of advertising and protestant ethic working hand in hand through opposing ends to move the needle towards full on consumption and full on productivity. "All human evil comes from a single cause, man's inability to sit still in a room." - Blaise Pascal

andrenth 8y ago
If that were true, humanity wouldn't even have reached the point where that advertising and protestant ethic were even possible.
- erikpukinskis 8y ago
  I don’t get your logic? I assumed protestant ethic came from all the non-anal families literally dying in an unforgiving and unfamiliar land.
  - andrenth 8y ago
    My point was simply that if doing nothing was men’s natural state, we wouldn’t have progressed to the point where Protestantism (or advertising) was even a thing. What’s a non-anal family? Most families are non-anal if you consider how human reproduction works by I’m not sure that’s what you’re talking about :P
    - erikpukinskis 8y ago
      I meant anal, short for "anal retentive" i.e. paranoid about doing things "properly". Your logic makes sense if the Earth were the same everywhere. It breaks down if you understand that New England is fundamentally different from England or Africa. The fact that puritanism thrived says something about New England's natural state in the 1600s. It says nothing about humankind's natural state. Really, the fact that it emerged so late in human history, and was dominant so briefly, in such an unusual place suggests it's somewhat unnatural at a species scale.

nate_robo 8y ago

I was always curious about the mental sharpness / memory portion. I know the short-term memory impairment is well documented but in regards to mental sharpness, that's a bit more nebulous and hard to hone in on. Is there any evidence that the use of cannabis effects cognitive ability while not under the effects or "high" of the drug?

zolthrowaway 8y ago
I'm a former daily smoker. I carry a water bottle with me everywhere. When I was a daily smoker, I would pretty frequently forget where I had just set my water bottle down. My partner still gives me shit for it. Since stopping, this is a very rare occurrence. As far as the mental sharpness thing goes,I didn't notice any major changes. Some people I know would have some fogginess the day after. This never affected me personally. I think brain fog is definitely a real thing for _some_ users. I totally understand this is anecdotal. I'm just trying to share my experiences. I hate how defensive people can be about cannabis. I am sympathetic to this because giving proponents of cannabis prohibition anything to latch onto delays progress. It should be legal. People should also have honest discussions about it. It's a fairly low risk drug IMO, but it is a drug.
magic_beans 8y ago
Any daily pot-smoker will tell you that their short-term memory declines after a few weeks of daily/hourly use. It's extremely well known, though perhaps not well documented.
- nate_robo 8y ago
  Right, I acknowledge that in my previous comment. I was more referring to the mental sharpness or cognitive ability. I was curious if there was a noticeable difference in critical thinking/problem solving for users while they are not under the effects of the drug itself
  - thatcat 8y ago
    The effects on memory are related to the time since you smoked and are most noticeable after 1-3 hours. Basically, you get stimulated at first (during which time you may actually have increased creative problem solving) and eventually you get tired or "burned out". It feels a lot like low blood sugar which is why some people over eat. If you smoke a lot these effects can linger as a sort of hang over. If you smoke every day for years, it might last a few days.

minism 8y ago

I'll never stop being fascinated by how radically different the experiences of cannabis users are. The idea of weed reducing anxiety and making you feel "fine doing nothing" are the polar opposites of how it makes me feel. Overall it sounds like your experiences were much more positive than mine, though.

gowld 8y ago
One folk wisdom is that pot (and alcohol too) unblock some inner mental states that the rest of your brain inhibits. So some people get high and forget their troubles, but some people get high and forget their coping mechanisms.
lowhangingnuts 8y ago
> I'll never stop being fascinated by how radically different the experiences of cannabis users are Nothing to be fascinated about. The experience is different primarily from the type of strain they have inhaled or ingested. Sativa only strain - High, euphoria, very social Indica only strain - Sleepy, lethargic, somewhat anti-social Sativa dominant Sativa-Indica hybrid - Not so high, still little euphoric, smooth come down after few hours. Indica dominant Indica-Sativa hybrid - Not so sleepy / lethargic, little euphoric... And then there's the CBD dominant ones which don't get you high, and supposedly cure you of various illnesses. Not FDA approved.
- minism 8y ago
  Yeah, different strains is the most common explanation i've heard. But in my own self experimentation I notice relatively little difference between Sativa and Indica.
- BaronVonSteuben 8y ago
  I experimented extensively with sativas, indicas, and all sorts of hybrids. I never ever got a euphoria. Indicas (and sativas in sufficient quantity) would give me couch lock, and clouded my mind to where I couldn't code. It never felt good, even tho I really wanted it to. I wanted to replace opioids with it. Sadly I just don't think my body works with it. Maybe that's why I come from a family of alcoholics rather than potheads :shrug:

slowandlow 8y ago

> The other downsides were that I wasn't as sharp mentally when I was sober. I wasn't as ambitious. I was less social. In other words, it made me feel fine just hanging out in my apartment doing nothing. On the balance that made pot a negative for me. This is exactly why I quit. I found myself not comprehending technical conversations as well as I used to while sober. Hanging out at home doing nothing when you REALLY do want to go out do something eventually got me to quit. For me ambition is what has guided me for so long and not having that created an emptiness. I too felt less anxiety but in the long run I was actively watching the days go by and no progress in my life. I don't believe these things are talked about enough. Its just the stereotypical "pothead".

deleted 8y ago
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justaj 8y ago
> This is exactly why I quit. I found myself not comprehending technical conversations as well as I used to while sober. This has not been my experience at all. In fact, total opposite entirely. If I smoke up I simply can not absorb any new technical information that is above my current knowledge and skill level. I am however more creative in coming up with solutions or new ideas with the information that I already might have.
- loblollyboy 8y ago
  You’re saying the same thing
  - ibrault 8y ago
    It's confusing wording but I think the person he was responding to was saying that he had a harder time comprehending while sober, whereas he has a harder time comprehending while high.
    - joseluis 8y ago
      As I understand it, the first person had a harder time comprehending while sober, because of his regular pot consumption. Compared to how well he comprehended sober when he didn't regularly smoke. So both think pot affected their comprehension, although one feels more affected when high and the other one when sober.

umvi 8y ago

Another downside you might not have considered is that you may have also adversely affected your neighbors if you live in shared housing. Not everyone enjoys the smell of pot, and I've had neighbors that made me miserable from the constant pot stench seeping through our shared wall.

Omnius 8y ago
This is why i don't use pot. The smell destroyed my house. I had pancretitus and quit drinking and thought i would just smoke once in a while (smoked in high school but that was decades ago). Bought some, put it in a zip lock bag, in a zip lock bag, in a zip lock bag, in a glass container, inside a gun safe. By the way i didn't start with this configuration by when i reached it and still could smell it everywhere i knew it had to go. No thanks. Not opposed to using when out and someone has some but the smell was just to much to keep any in my house (this was an 8th).
- eric_h 8y ago
  Are you sure your neighbor wasn't running a grow op? I've never had a strain that wasn't tamed by two Ziploc bags, and the packaging that comes from the legal recreational shops are effectively odor-proof.
- ModernMech 8y ago
  This sounds very wrong. I've kept plenty of pot hidden in my parent's house growing up and they never ever smelled it. They would have busted me hard for that.
  - BaronVonSteuben 8y ago
    Really fresh flower (from my grow tent, all perfectly legal in Alaska) was that aromatic. It's also so sticky that it can get on your fingers and other things, and you are actually smelling that and not the flower in the bag.
- int_19h 8y ago
  That's a valid point against smoking. But there are also edibles.

pgt 8y ago

Drugs like pot and alcohol seem to lower our standard for happiness. Sitting alone on the couch at home with no friends, you may not feel so great; drink a bottle of wine, or smoke a fat blunt and suddenly that couch feels pretty comfortable. The gnawing feeling of discomfort is not a bug, but a feature designed to force you to act. The main reason I avoid marijuana is the effect on my short-term memory, though. In PiHKAL, Alexander Shulgin, wrote: "I personally have chosen some drugs to be of sufficient value to be worth the risks; others, I deem not to be of sufficient value. For instance, I used a moderate amount of alcohol, generally in the form of wine, and -- at the present time -- my liver function tests are completely normal. I do not smoke tobacco. I used to, quite heavily, then gave it up. It was not the health risk that swayed me, but rather the fact that I had become completely dependent upon it. That was, in my view, a case of the price being unacceptably high. Each decision is my own, based on what I know of the drug and what I know about myself. Among the drugs that are currently illegal, I have chosen not to use marijuana, as I feel the light-headed intoxication and benign alteration of consciousness does not adequately compensate for an uncomfortable feeling that I am wasting time. I have tried heroin. This drug, of course, is one of the major concerns in our society, at the present time. In me, it produces a dreamy peacefulness, with no rough edges of worry, stress or concern. But there is also a loss of motivation, of alertness, and of the urge to get things done it is not any fear of addiction that causes me to decide against heroin; it is the fact that, under its influence, nothing seems to be particularly important to me. I have also tried cocaine. This drug, particularly in its notorioous "crack" form, is the cause celebre of today. To me, cocaine is an aggressive pusher, a stimulant which gives me a sense of power and of being completely with it, on top of the world. But there is also the inescapable knowlege, underneath, that it is not true power, that I am not really on top of the world, and that, when the drug's effects have disappeared, I will have gained nothing. There is a strange sense of falseness about the state. There is no insight. There is no learning. In its own distinctive way, I find cocaine to be as much an escape drug as heroin. With either one, you escape from who you are, or -- even more to the point -- from who you are not. In either case, you are relieved for a short time from awareness of your inadequacies. I frankly would rather address mine than escape them; there is, ultimately, far greater satisfaction that way. With the psychedelic drugs, I believe that, for me, the modest risks (an occasional difficult experince or perhaps some body malaise) are more than balanced by the potential for learning. And that is why I have chosen to explore this particular area of pharmacology. What do I mean when I say there is a potential for learning? It is a potential, not a certainty. I can learn, but I'm not forced to do so; I can gain insight into possible ways of improving the quality of my life, but only my own efforts will bring about the desired changes." - Alexander Shulgin

jorgec 8y ago

The boost in the creativity is only an illusion. It is only of the reason why Cannabis is not used for "cheating". It doesn't work as expected.

Rumperuu 8y ago

>I wasn't as ambitious. I was less social. In other words, it made me feel fine just hanging out in my apartment doing nothing. Incidentally, this echoes my experience with romantic relationships. Have you considered that you may have started dating the pot and not noticed?

module0000 8y ago
The pot doesn't nag you, just sayin.
toomanybeersies 8y ago
As Marilyn Manson sang: "There's a hole in our soul, and we fill it with dope / and we're feeling fine".

lowhangingnuts 8y ago

> I wasn't as ambitious. I was less social. Would that be perhaps because you were smoking or eating an Indica strain? I'm sure you know that the experience can vary drastically depending on the strain. I used to be laser-focussed and ambitious when on a Sativa, and completely shut down and slump over on the couch when on an Indica. Lot of people relating their personal experiences haven't mentioned what strain they were on, or tried, so it's difficult to get any meaningful insight from their experience IMO. Only thing common across all strain, I've noticed, is the short term and long term memory loss, like someone else had mentioned about not comprehending tech conversations and such. That was a deal breaker for me also.

mettamage 8y ago

I just wanted to give a quick note that I do not have this experience at all. Food doesn't taste better. I am less creative. I lose my English and my Dutch. I am more stupid and everyone else who's high seems so intelligent! I think about pretty much nothing. I'm like a little cupcake on a couch. I am doing as much as a little cupcake on a couch as well :) I do have less anxiety and better sex. So for me it really just is a tool to use for those two things. I mostly use it as a tool for relaxation or psychological experimentation on myself (especially my working memory behaves differently).

bongo662 8y ago

I feel about the same. From the time I was 14 I was smoking pot nearly everyday until about 3 months ago when I decided to cut it out of my life completely. I really dont have an exact 'why' but I came home after work one day looked at a bowl that I had packed the previous night and decided to flush my weed down the toilet and throw all my paraphernalia and accessories (grinder, papers, wraps, bowls) down the trash chute. I haven't missed it once honestly. Maybe I just came to a realization that I didn't enjoy it in the first place. Edit: I'd like to add that around the same time I gave up/quit using all drugs (except a beer or two on the weekends) unless they were prescribed to me by my doctor. Even then I refused pain medication when I broke my hand because I think I have a tendency for substance abuse.

stronglikedan 8y ago

I'm glad you quit, because that's what you needed to do for you, and that's always the right thing to do. However, even though your comment is anecdotal, I do feel the need to point out that your concerns weren't because of the pot, but rather because of your decisions. If you smoke in moderation and learn your strains (sativa dominant for social situations, indica dominant for Netflix and chill), then it's a highly enjoyable plant with little to no downsides. From your comment, it looks like you overdid the indica, and you wouldn't enjoy sativa if you have anxiety to begin with. That being said, were I you, I certainly would stay quit, especially since sativa may be out of the equation for you.

droopyEyelids 8y ago
Have there been any double blind tests of the difference between Sativa and Indica? As someone who doesn't smoke, it sure sounds like sommelier's talk. Even though it's almost legal now, the world of cannabis is full of so much mystical mumbo jumbo and outright fabrication. Take the whole CBD thing, for example. The only consensus seems to be that people who sell it say it does whatever the customer wants. And how much CBD oil is actually being produced? Enough to stock every vape shop and every head shop in every strip mall in the entire USA with a few liters? Seems hard to imagine an industry that size.
- pennaMan 8y ago
  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5576603/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5576603/
  - smittywerben 8y ago
    Does this look like a double-blind placebo-controlled study to you? It looks like an interview to me
    - feynmanistheman 8y ago
      The interview seems to support the "sommelier's talk" hypothesis, considering the doctor explicitly says that "the sativa/indica distinction as commonly applied in the lay literature is total nonsense and an exercise in futility."

voidlogic 8y ago

>In the past I was addicted to pot. Pretty much anything that lights up reward or adrenaline/reaction parts of the Brian can be addictive. I think its important to qualify if we are talking about innate physiological addiction (as seen in opioids or alcohol) or the kind we can get from anything. After all there are people with food addictions and yes, they need help, but that isn't about to change the legal status of food. I respect people making their own choices to use or not use as they see fit and be warned of the experiences of others, but we need to be clear when the substance we are talking about causes innate physiological dependence, cannabis for example does not.

bjourne 8y ago
But cannabis does cause physical dependence: "Marijuana (Cannabis sativa) is the most commonly used illicit drug worldwide as well as in the Unites States. Prolonged use of marijuana or repeated administration of its primary psychoactive constituent, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), can lead to physical dependence in humans and laboratory animals. The changes that occur with repeated cannabis use include alterations in behavioral, physiological, and biochemical responses. A variety of withdrawal responses occur in cannabis-dependent individuals: anger, aggression, irritability, anxiety and nervousness, decreased appetite or weight loss, restlessness, and sleep difficulties with strange dreams. But the long half-life and other pharmacokinetic properties of THC result in delayed expression of withdrawal symptoms, and because of the lack of contiguity between drug cessation and withdrawal responses the latter are not readily recognized as a clinically relevant syndrome. Over the past 30 years, a substantial body of clinical and laboratory animal research has emerged supporting the assertion that chronic exposure to cannabinoids produces physical dependence and may contribute to drug maintenance in cannabis-dependent individuals." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3606907/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3606907/ Also there is no clear distinction between physical and psychological dependence, just like the lines between physical and psychological trauma is equally blurred.
- voidlogic 8y ago
  I stand corrected, it looks like my view was about 16 years out of date. However, the work I am reading indicates that caffeine is a much more addictive substance than cannabis...

ams6110 8y ago

Don't forget that smoking (whether tobacco, or any other leaf) is doing physical, partially irreversible damage to your lungs.

TheForumTroll 8y ago

Most likely you thought you were better. Funny thing: That is exactly how drunks see themselves when drinking too.

01100011 8y ago

I went back after nearly 2 years clean. I don't recommend it. Once again I'm lacking in mental energy. I'm all for MJ if you need it, but I think a lot of us are fooling ourselves into thinking it's benign. Sure, it's better than alcohol, but I don't think that's a useful benchmark. Sobriety can be boring, but until someone invents a better drug I think it's my only option until I retire.

psychedelic 8y ago
As someone who has never smoked, I feel like this is the argument I always had with my friends who all have/do. Ultimately, their argument for smoking basically boiled down to the lack of scientific evidence that there are lasting consequences and that it was nowhere near as bad as alcohol. My argument was that there was a lack in scientific evidence, and that comparing the utility to alcohol was stupid.
- bihnkim 8y ago
  then that's a pretty ironic username for ya!
  - tk75x 8y ago
    MJ != the only psychedelic out there...
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- cpncrunch 8y ago
  It seems unlikely that a drug that affects neurotransmitters wouldn't result in tolerance, and the scientific evidence and anecdotal reports seem to confirm this. Anything that gives you a 'high' will ultimately have the opposite effect when you're sober. So in the end you'll just wind up wasting money smoking to feel normal, and you'll feel like shit when you've been sober for a while.
  - 8y ago

another-cuppa 8y ago

I had a very similar experience except I was a student at the time. I had no job and therefore gradually my sober life became less and less. I'd stay up later into the night, wake up later, and light up earlier. Eventually I got to the point where I was high all the time, but not happy. I had to move house and ran out of weed so I just decided not to get any more. The next couple of weeks were weird. I couldn't sleep properly. But things got better. I've smoked a couple of times since but have no desire to do it again now even though I know it does feel good.

hcnews 8y ago

I am fine with doing nothing even as a non-user. Recently things have been getting boring but I find it pretty hard to take the initiative and get to know more people. Its the same process all over again (meeting a new person; finding common interests etc.) which bores me to death. Not sure what to do in life at this point. I see some sense in just participating in the circus and wait till death comes.

qwerty456127 8y ago

The "downsides" are still much better than those of alcoholism. I just hope (and believe this may happen this way) more people are going to give up booze and drugs and switch to the weed. As soon as I've tried (for a number of times, the first experiences may be confusing and even scary) the weed I've forgotten vodka as a nightmare, now I just smoke some weed about 2 evenings a month in average. I still highly recommend to stay away from the weed if it's not legal at your location however - messing with criminals and cops can really ruin your life. If it's legal for medical use only - don't hesitate to ask the doctor (but don't be pushy or play an expert, doctors hate this), some progressive doctors at some locations may actually prescribe it for addictions, depressions and eating disorders treatment, not only for cancer/aids.

kenshen 8y ago

> I wasn't as ambitious. I was less social. In other words, it made me feel fine just hanging out in my apartment doing nothing. Wow. I just realized that's been my life for the past few years and I don't smoke. I might need to change something...

alexjray 8y ago

Spot on

acchow 8y ago

Ever try doing it just one night a week? Instead of every night?

code_duck 8y ago

I have used cannabis a long time and while I had similar ideas in my 20s, none of this is similar to my current experience - mainly the verbiage and ideas that seem to be derived from drug treatment literature. I’ve tried not consuming cannabis for long periods and it doesn’t improve my life overall. I did find it necessary to abstain when I has a programming/sysadmin startup job and was trying to learn and manage a huge load. However, I’ve realized that I’ve largely smoked to cope with my significant growing medical issues over time, and my experience with life in general is not similar to that of others. Most people haven’t spent 1/3 of each day feeling much like they’re dying following meals, but I sure have. For me, it alleviates my insomnia, anxiety, helps me relax, reduces minor aches and pains (of which I have many), and helps me work through my endless food settling/belching/chest pain/vomiting complex. It also has a huge community around the cultivation, artistic accessories and (less engagingly) consumption. I was an artistic pipe blower for about 18 years and have a lot of other friends who have devoted their lives to making glass smoking accessories. Overall it fills a role somewhere around coffee, tobacco and wine.

jknightco 8y ago
Have you investigated that GI issue in depth? You could have Celiac, Crohn's, or a number of other issues. Covering up the symptoms with cannabis sounds like a surefire way to risk some sort of GI cancer down the road. My family has a long history of GI issues that went unidentified and untreated for several years. They're extremely damaging over time. If you're constantly uncomfortable you should really diagnose the root cause ASAP.
- code_duck 8y ago
  Yes, I almost certainly have celiac and food allergies. I’m currently at a leading hospital being evaluated by a widely cited expert who has written books about celiac and specializes in people who don’t get better following at GFD, such as me. I agree that covering up symptoms with any drug can cause problems. It’s very common for swallowing disorders and celiac to exist for years before being diagnosed. I have celiac with the less typical presentation with fewer lower GI symptoms.
- 8y ago

drvdevd 8y ago

> Quitting wasn't that hard. And I still think about how great I felt when I smoked. I may smoke again in the future but for now, I appreciate operating in the real world without any crutches. I think cannabis is an amazingly useful and versatile drug, but there was a time in my life where I was high pretty much constantly and although I wouldn't want to do that today, I actually think it is more useful - as a practical tool - when you have a high tolerance. I find that when I don't have a tolerance to it, the feeling is pretty close in resemblance to how I feel when I've had way too much coffee - at that point I can't really do anything requiring complex thought. I have to do something pretty repetitive, so I find myself cleaning or just walking, maybe working out. Still useful for something, but that's about the extent of it. At any rate, I find that the best part of being high is when I'm on the downward slope of the experience. Then I find I am more relaxed, productive, etc. I feel that I have gotten something of physical benefit from the effects. So ... I really don't usually enjoy being stoned anymore. But I think cannabis is a more versatile tool than people give it credit for, and should be thought of that way. I'm not saying it shouldn't be used recreationally, but rather one should consider the right way to use it in context of the desired effect. Because the range of possible uses is actually pretty large. I guess what I'm trying to say is - I think it still deserves a place in your medicine cabinet :)

agumonkey 8y ago

i'm still under ssri, mainly to avoid withdrawal effects, I don't really need them, and I do get the 'no crutches' thing, I'll be happy when I won't take them anymore.