7 ms·

I'm Just a Middle-Aged House Dad Addicted to Pot

47 points by rm2889 8y ago

x0 8y ago
One of my coworkers just quit cannabis after having an addiction for several years. Her and her (unemployed) husband were spending upwards of $300 a week on it, more than 40% of her pay. Had never been able to save for a house or anything, they had to buy in $50/$100 lots as they had so much trouble with money. Forced herself clean on a holiday (that her parents paid for) and she's doing so well, it's great to see.
- therein 8y ago
  I wonder how much they would have saved had they switched to vaping long ago. You can get the same effects and avoid part of the lung damage while saving some money by vaping instead.
twblalock 8y ago
One of the upsides of legalization is that a lot of the false claims made about marijuana are going to come under heavy scrutiny. Some of this will be good for marijuana enthusiasts, but some will be bad. I've lost count of the times I've been told by marijuana fans that marijuana is not addictive, and that smoking it is not bad for your lungs. I expect both of those myths to be refuted in the coming years. In particular I expect to see studies demonstrate a link between marijuana smoking and lung cancer, followed by years of denial by marijuana producers and smokers, similar to what happened with cigarettes.
- jchw 8y ago
  Of course, I think the issue here is that inhaling burnt particulate into your lungs is generally not wise. I don't doubt cannabis addiction is a real issue, just like alcoholism. Still, there are safer ways to ingest it, hopefully those will become more popular.
- iliaznk 8y ago
  Of course it is addictive, otherwise people wouldn't come back to it after the first try. And as for harm to lungs – does anyone really think that combustion products (regardless of what's burning) can not be harmful for human body?
  - tomjakubowski 8y ago
    > otherwise people wouldn't come back to it after the first try. Just repeating an action a second time doesn't suggest an addiction... am I missing something here?
    - mrlatinos 8y ago
      You're missing that there are plenty of people who want a scapegoat for their lack of personal responsibility, and plenty of people who will enable them because they're already biased against the scapegoat.
  - pfisch 8y ago
    Addictive in the way any form of entertainment can be I guess. It isn’t physically addictive.
    - function_seven 8y ago
      Physical addiction (as opposed to psychological) is rarely the one that worries people. It's not what keeps a drug user dependent for years as their lives unravel. If it was, then a simple detox would "cure" the addiction. We wouldn't have rehab programs and support groups, just hospital beds and observation for a week or two. The addiction that is hardest to kick is almost always the psychological one. The one that sticks around long after any trace of the substance has gone from your system, and long after any withdrawal symptoms have subsided. Sorry if I'm picking on your comment, but that phrase "isn't physically addictive" always strikes me as missing the point.
      - iliaznk 8y ago
- StanislavPetrov 8y ago
  >In particular I expect to see studies demonstrate a link between marijuana smoking and lung cancer, followed by years of denial by marijuana producers and smokers, similar to what happened with cigarettes. Perhaps you should examine some of the extensive studies that have already been done, so you could base your beliefs on scientific evidence instead of reefer-madness-based conjecture. https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1513/AnnalsATS.201212-127FR#.V6TRWEuLTIW https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1513/AnnalsATS.201212...
- xorfish 8y ago
  Dependence is similar to alcohol, so quite a bit less than Tobacco. But it is a lot less harmful than those two because you either smoke it less than tobacco or the damage is less severe than with alcohol. But smoke is nearly universally bad, it doesn't matter much if it is from someone who heats with wood in the neighborhood, an open fire nearby, smoking marijuana or tobacco. Luckily there are other ways than smoking to take the drug.
- Gatsky 8y ago
  Marijuana is not typically physiologically addictive in the sense that you would crawl through a cesspit and inject it into the corner of your eye just to avoid the state of not having any. There are some withdrawal symptoms from (usually very) heavy marijuana use, but they do not drive people to seek out the drug like nicotine or heroin does, in fact often the user doesn't realise the symptom is related to marijuana. Alcohol is much worse in this regard, both in the harm that comes from heavy use and the severity of withdrawal symptoms.
mrlatinos 8y ago
Is a lack of self-control the same thing as addiction?
- sosborn 8y ago
  Lack of self control is absolutely a symptom of addiction.
  - mrlatinos 8y ago
    So is this a symptom of addiction, or just lack of discipline? I smoke plenty, but I know when and how to stop.
    - sosborn 8y ago
      That’s great, but that doesn’t mean other people can’t have different experiences with pot.
      - mrlatinos 8y ago
        Neglecting a child isn't something to take lightly, and it isn't something I could ever imagine doing. But sure, everyone is different so we'll give this guy a pass and attack a plant instead.
        sosborn 8y ago
        How did you get there from my comment? I’m all for legalization but that doesn’t mean that I don’t see that people can develop unhealthy relationships with it.
    - vishnugupta 8y ago
      This is a test I did on myself to check if I'm addicted to sugar, so please take it in that context. Reduce your intake by 50% for about a week. Do you see a craving developing in you that's affecting your day to day life? Such as fatigue (both physical and mental), lack of focus, interest etc.,? If the answer is yes then you are probably on the verge of getting addicted. I'm not a doctor but my guess is that next stage is the lack of awareness or the ability to know when to stop which is a clear sign of addiction.
anigbrowl 8y ago
Actually, you're an asshole who likes pot and uses it as an excuse to behave badly. My drug use history reads like War and Peace and I don't have any aggressive or obnoxious episodes that I feel terrible about because I always considered that no matter what strange thing I put in my body I was responsible for for my own behavior, inebriated or not. This person needs help, and the first thing they need to do is take responsibility for who they are.
- asveikau 8y ago
  He mentions depression. Some of those negative behaviors can also come from that. If that is a factor I think it's much more complicated than "taking responsibility". He's very publicly being honest with some flaws, I don't think it's right to call him an asshole over it.
  - anigbrowl 8y ago
    Noted, and this is also something where I have a lot of first hand experience. Mental illness can be a valid excuse when someone is suffering from delusions but that doesn't seem to be the case here.
- sdrothrock 8y ago
  > My drug use history reads like War and Peace I'm curious about unpacking this since I actually read and enjoyed the book when I was in high school. Which of the following are you saying? These choices are obviously not exclusive, but I'm curious about your original intent. :) Your drug use history is: 1. Long (I think this is the most popular way to use War and Peace) 2. Boring (Probably the second most popular) 3. Violent (This is probably ruled out since you said you don't have any aggressive episodes [that you feel terrible about]) 4. Characterized by peaks and lulls in use 5. Cryptic 6. Other?
  - vonseel 8y ago
    Probably 1,3, and 4.
  - 8y ago
fipple 8y ago
I saw multiple of my most talented high school friends lose their spark to pot. They’ve now made about 2 years of progress in 20 years’ time.
- abledon 8y ago
  Throw in world of Warcraft and it’s 0.23 years time lol
- root_axis 8y ago
  Many of the best engineers I've worked with are daily pot smokers, including my former boss who currently runs a team at Facebook.
  - exogeny 8y ago
    Agreed, super anecdotal but I'd be curious to know when your former boss started smoking - in my (also anecdotal!) experience, that is a key determinant to a lot of negative behaviors.
  - shittyadmin 8y ago
    Yeah, I think the key word in the parents post is "high school"... studies have shown people who start early have far more issues than functioning adults.
    - simonsarris 8y ago
      To back this up: http://m.pnas.org/content/109/40/E2657.abstract http://m.pnas.org/content/109/40/E2657.abstract Persistent cannabis users show neuropsychological decline from childhood to midlife
  - fipple 8y ago
    I didn’t say all pot smokers fail.
paavoova 8y ago
Marijuana is pure Soma. The people pushing, fighting for legalization are digging their own grave in one form or another, especially as far as sentiments of freedom are concerned - the government wins one way or another. You cannot argue against sobriety without appealing to inherent weaknesses of human nature. That alone speaks volumes in regards to the value of this drug.
- the_reformation 8y ago
  Love what this argument is touching upon, few questions though: 1. What is Soma? 2. How does the government win either way?
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
  - robbick 8y ago
    1. Soma is a fictional drug from A Brave New World that keeps everyone happy
  - Jaruzel 8y ago
    > 1. What is Soma? I'm guessing (from a quick trip to Wikipedia) OP means this: Soma, featured in Aldous Huxley's novels Brave New World and Island, a fictional hallucinogenic drug to keep society peaceful and happy. It's been a LONG time since I last read BNW, time to put it back on the reading list!
  - paavoova 8y ago
    Soma is a fictional drug popularized in Huxley's Brave New World, and used to ritually sedate the populace in seemingly benign but pervasive manner. It's closely associated with with consumerism, in the of form of "feelies" (also from BNW), as Huxley was alive to witness the transition from silent films to "talkies", and didn't respond to the perceived gross spectacle. In my mind, soma is a generalization for all that preys upon human weakness, and for something that is justified, even by intelligent, renowned individuals, via illogicality and appeal to human nature ("it's fun", etc). Rather than consider the value of the intoxicant itself compared to the innate conscious state, you typically see defense of it and claims of its banality and harmlessness. This is cognitive dissonance and justification, nothing more. The government wins by profiteering either way off of legalization or not. Police states enforcing the war on drugs is profit, and tax revenue from legalization is profit. The people celebrating the current trends as a win are delusional.
Nursie 8y ago
It is an addictive drug. Much less addictive than alcohol or tobacco, but still addictive. It's easy for folks like me to slip into using it every day. Never got as far as the author in this, likely because I did always have a day job to hold down, but I spent quite a bit of time baked every evening. I also don't feel it was quite as wasteful of my life as the author does, nor did I embarrass myself like that, but certainly you don't get a lot done whilst constantly stoned. It's never been too much effort to stop either, the cravings tend to pass very quickly, but if there was any left in the house I'd quickly cave. I do wonder what would happen were it to be legalised here. I'm very, very much in favour of that because the legal situation around drugs in the UK is ridiculous, counterproductive and just stupid. But if cannabis was available at every outlet that currently carries alcohol, would I still be at it every day, making excuses to myself for being tired and groggy in the morning, and in the evening having "well just one more toke before bed"?
jimmies 8y ago
I got introduced to pot when I entered grad school to do a STEM Ph.D. I was cool with it - I was never an addict. I smoked a couple of times a year at most. It had to be a quite special occasion for me to smoke marijuana, drink, or do other drugs. Like the author, drugs gave me the courage to do things I would regret later. I did things to hurt my very best girlfriend I could have when I was high. She later left me. Drugs are the demon that I thought I'm good enough to control -- I have a fucking Ph.D. after all. I know the answer for myself now, that is doing marijuana or any other drug is a losing battle. Most of the times when I am sober, I can hide the asshole person I really am. But when I'm high, all hell breaks loose.
- collyw 8y ago
  Drugs are bad M'kay. Come on, everyone is different and plenty of people (the majority?) can use them responsibly. And drugs are vastly different as well so classifying them as as such seems fairly counter productive to any discussion.
  - exogeny 8y ago
    That your response to his personal, non-generalized story is as such in very, very curious and makes me wonder why you're having such a defensive posture.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
- Simulacra 8y ago
  Had to totally ban it from our house. Too addictive for me, and easy to fall back into stoner routines.
- toomanybeersies 8y ago
  It's funny how drugs and alcohol affect people differently. I'm probably the nicest person that you could be around when I'm high or drunk. I don't get into fights or do anything to harm others (accidental self-harm on the other hand...). I've never managed to destroy a relationship due to my substance use. I've never woken up in the morning and had to worry if I've left a trail of destruction behind me. Sure I've done dumb shit, but it's never hurt anyone else. I'm actually more of an arsehole while I'm sober. I'm a nicer and more agreeable person when high, which is its own problem that I've been working through. Drugs bring out our most base traits. For some that's a good thing, for others it's not.
Gatsky 8y ago
Addict is the wrong word. He quit cold turkey after a revelation form looking in a car mirror. This is something a heroin addict or even most smokers would never say. You could replace 'smoking pot' with any number of other bad habits and not otherwise change a word of this story. Although I'm oversimplifying, there are few revelations with true physiological addiction, which is a despairingly tenacious neurological disease. Some people should just stay away from psychoactive substances. Whatever the benefits are, it isn't worth it for them. This is partly a function of what is going on in their lives, but also partly neurobiological. Unfortunately there is only one way to realise you fall into this category. Maybe one day we will be able to predict who is at risk of abusing alcohol or marijuana well enough that you can actually make an informed decision about usage patterns.
- Nursie 8y ago
  He quit three weeks later. Lots of people will have similar stories about tobacco. Whether it's physiologically addictive or 'merely' psychologically addictive is somewhat irrelevant - are you going to belittle gambling addiction as just a "bad habit"?
  - Gatsky 8y ago
    Yes it's hard to generalise of course. But the (lack of) success of quit smoking interventions should tell you that it is different to what is described here. I don't think it is irrelevant. The point is about how to help someone. Trying to get someone with a physiological addiction to realise the error of their ways is futile, like telling someone to unbreak their leg.
    - Nursie 8y ago
      > But the (lack of) success of quit smoking interventions should tell you that it is different to what is described here. It might tell you that it is quantitively different, but not necessarily that it's qualitatively different. > Trying to get someone with a physiological addiction to realise the error of their ways is futile, like telling someone to unbreak their leg. I think your understanding of addiction is probably lacking here. Many people can and do overcome physiological addictions due to some or other realisation. Conversely many people cannot overcome addictions without a physiological component, like gambling, regardless of how much they realise the error of their ways.
torpilla 8y ago
Addiction is highly correlated with depression and is a symptom of loosing connection with something important in one's life. It is a from of escape form this life because missing that connection is too painful. https://thelostconnections.com/ https://thelostconnections.com/ Here are some of the connections we need so that we are not tempted by surrogates: - connection with others, our tribe, people we can confess with when needed, who we can 'share ourselves' with - connection with meaningful work - a healthy value system that is not overly materialistic - being driven by inner purposes rather than outer ones - connection with our own subconscious fears and desires - having hope in the future - etc
screye 8y ago
I am all for legalizing marijuana, but the extent to which it appears to be infiltrating the this generations culture is a bit disturbing. I have seen all too many people who seem to find an identity in pot. All activities and games they play are centered around pot. Much like alcohol, but it is even harder to participate if you are not one of them. At least with alcohol, I can grab my cider, pretend to also be drinking 'hard liquor' and be a part of the event. Also, alcohol parties always need a couple of sober people as nannys. (This is specific to college aged people) With pot heads, even if I don't partake in smoking, I am going to come out smelling of weed and inhaling 2nd hand smoke. At least pot heads have good taste in music. In conclusion, as legal restrictions to marijuana are lifted, now would be a great time to put the role of marijuana in the societal context under scrutiny. It isn't as bad as alcohol, but it isn't as innocuous as some would like us to believe either.
hprotagonist 8y ago
If you’re looking for like-minded people and a support group, /r/leaves and /r/petioles are good subreddits to check out. (for a variety of silly reasons all major subreddits that are cannabis related are either botany or lotr puns)
pinzhed 8y ago
People really love the word addiction. It’s like a safety blanket that keeps you from having to feel responsible for your own behavior. There are sex addicts, porn addicts, and food addicts, among others. More than likely there is just an underlying mental health issue with poor impulse control and behavioral manifestations.
gamedevs_cancer 8y ago
I find video games,sugar,caffeine and sex to be a lot more addictive than pot, and I've smoked pot almost daily in 4 years of university

47 points by rm2889 8y ago

x0 8y ago

One of my coworkers just quit cannabis after having an addiction for several years. Her and her (unemployed) husband were spending upwards of $300 a week on it, more than 40% of her pay. Had never been able to save for a house or anything, they had to buy in $50/$100 lots as they had so much trouble with money. Forced herself clean on a holiday (that her parents paid for) and she's doing so well, it's great to see.

therein 8y ago
I wonder how much they would have saved had they switched to vaping long ago. You can get the same effects and avoid part of the lung damage while saving some money by vaping instead.

twblalock 8y ago

One of the upsides of legalization is that a lot of the false claims made about marijuana are going to come under heavy scrutiny. Some of this will be good for marijuana enthusiasts, but some will be bad. I've lost count of the times I've been told by marijuana fans that marijuana is not addictive, and that smoking it is not bad for your lungs. I expect both of those myths to be refuted in the coming years. In particular I expect to see studies demonstrate a link between marijuana smoking and lung cancer, followed by years of denial by marijuana producers and smokers, similar to what happened with cigarettes.

jchw 8y ago
Of course, I think the issue here is that inhaling burnt particulate into your lungs is generally not wise. I don't doubt cannabis addiction is a real issue, just like alcoholism. Still, there are safer ways to ingest it, hopefully those will become more popular.
iliaznk 8y ago
Of course it is addictive, otherwise people wouldn't come back to it after the first try. And as for harm to lungs – does anyone really think that combustion products (regardless of what's burning) can not be harmful for human body?
- tomjakubowski 8y ago
  > otherwise people wouldn't come back to it after the first try. Just repeating an action a second time doesn't suggest an addiction... am I missing something here?
  - mrlatinos 8y ago
    You're missing that there are plenty of people who want a scapegoat for their lack of personal responsibility, and plenty of people who will enable them because they're already biased against the scapegoat.
- pfisch 8y ago
  Addictive in the way any form of entertainment can be I guess. It isn’t physically addictive.
  - function_seven 8y ago
    Physical addiction (as opposed to psychological) is rarely the one that worries people. It's not what keeps a drug user dependent for years as their lives unravel. If it was, then a simple detox would "cure" the addiction. We wouldn't have rehab programs and support groups, just hospital beds and observation for a week or two. The addiction that is hardest to kick is almost always the psychological one. The one that sticks around long after any trace of the substance has gone from your system, and long after any withdrawal symptoms have subsided. Sorry if I'm picking on your comment, but that phrase "isn't physically addictive" always strikes me as missing the point.
    - iliaznk 8y ago
StanislavPetrov 8y ago
>In particular I expect to see studies demonstrate a link between marijuana smoking and lung cancer, followed by years of denial by marijuana producers and smokers, similar to what happened with cigarettes. Perhaps you should examine some of the extensive studies that have already been done, so you could base your beliefs on scientific evidence instead of reefer-madness-based conjecture. https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1513/AnnalsATS.201212-127FR#.V6TRWEuLTIW https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1513/AnnalsATS.201212...
xorfish 8y ago
Dependence is similar to alcohol, so quite a bit less than Tobacco. But it is a lot less harmful than those two because you either smoke it less than tobacco or the damage is less severe than with alcohol. But smoke is nearly universally bad, it doesn't matter much if it is from someone who heats with wood in the neighborhood, an open fire nearby, smoking marijuana or tobacco. Luckily there are other ways than smoking to take the drug.
Gatsky 8y ago
Marijuana is not typically physiologically addictive in the sense that you would crawl through a cesspit and inject it into the corner of your eye just to avoid the state of not having any. There are some withdrawal symptoms from (usually very) heavy marijuana use, but they do not drive people to seek out the drug like nicotine or heroin does, in fact often the user doesn't realise the symptom is related to marijuana. Alcohol is much worse in this regard, both in the harm that comes from heavy use and the severity of withdrawal symptoms.

mrlatinos 8y ago

Is a lack of self-control the same thing as addiction?

sosborn 8y ago
Lack of self control is absolutely a symptom of addiction.
- mrlatinos 8y ago
  So is this a symptom of addiction, or just lack of discipline? I smoke plenty, but I know when and how to stop.
  - sosborn 8y ago
    That’s great, but that doesn’t mean other people can’t have different experiences with pot.
    - mrlatinos 8y ago
      Neglecting a child isn't something to take lightly, and it isn't something I could ever imagine doing. But sure, everyone is different so we'll give this guy a pass and attack a plant instead.
      - sosborn 8y ago
        How did you get there from my comment? I’m all for legalization but that doesn’t mean that I don’t see that people can develop unhealthy relationships with it.
  - vishnugupta 8y ago
    This is a test I did on myself to check if I'm addicted to sugar, so please take it in that context. Reduce your intake by 50% for about a week. Do you see a craving developing in you that's affecting your day to day life? Such as fatigue (both physical and mental), lack of focus, interest etc.,? If the answer is yes then you are probably on the verge of getting addicted. I'm not a doctor but my guess is that next stage is the lack of awareness or the ability to know when to stop which is a clear sign of addiction.

anigbrowl 8y ago

Actually, you're an asshole who likes pot and uses it as an excuse to behave badly. My drug use history reads like War and Peace and I don't have any aggressive or obnoxious episodes that I feel terrible about because I always considered that no matter what strange thing I put in my body I was responsible for for my own behavior, inebriated or not. This person needs help, and the first thing they need to do is take responsibility for who they are.

asveikau 8y ago
He mentions depression. Some of those negative behaviors can also come from that. If that is a factor I think it's much more complicated than "taking responsibility". He's very publicly being honest with some flaws, I don't think it's right to call him an asshole over it.
- anigbrowl 8y ago
  Noted, and this is also something where I have a lot of first hand experience. Mental illness can be a valid excuse when someone is suffering from delusions but that doesn't seem to be the case here.
sdrothrock 8y ago
> My drug use history reads like War and Peace I'm curious about unpacking this since I actually read and enjoyed the book when I was in high school. Which of the following are you saying? These choices are obviously not exclusive, but I'm curious about your original intent. :) Your drug use history is: 1. Long (I think this is the most popular way to use War and Peace) 2. Boring (Probably the second most popular) 3. Violent (This is probably ruled out since you said you don't have any aggressive episodes [that you feel terrible about]) 4. Characterized by peaks and lulls in use 5. Cryptic 6. Other?
- vonseel 8y ago
  Probably 1,3, and 4.
- 8y ago

fipple 8y ago

I saw multiple of my most talented high school friends lose their spark to pot. They’ve now made about 2 years of progress in 20 years’ time.

abledon 8y ago
Throw in world of Warcraft and it’s 0.23 years time lol
root_axis 8y ago
Many of the best engineers I've worked with are daily pot smokers, including my former boss who currently runs a team at Facebook.
- exogeny 8y ago
  Agreed, super anecdotal but I'd be curious to know when your former boss started smoking - in my (also anecdotal!) experience, that is a key determinant to a lot of negative behaviors.
- shittyadmin 8y ago
  Yeah, I think the key word in the parents post is "high school"... studies have shown people who start early have far more issues than functioning adults.
  - simonsarris 8y ago
    To back this up: http://m.pnas.org/content/109/40/E2657.abstract http://m.pnas.org/content/109/40/E2657.abstract Persistent cannabis users show neuropsychological decline from childhood to midlife
- fipple 8y ago
  I didn’t say all pot smokers fail.

paavoova 8y ago

Marijuana is pure Soma. The people pushing, fighting for legalization are digging their own grave in one form or another, especially as far as sentiments of freedom are concerned - the government wins one way or another. You cannot argue against sobriety without appealing to inherent weaknesses of human nature. That alone speaks volumes in regards to the value of this drug.

the_reformation 8y ago
Love what this argument is touching upon, few questions though: 1. What is Soma? 2. How does the government win either way?
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- robbick 8y ago
  1. Soma is a fictional drug from A Brave New World that keeps everyone happy
- Jaruzel 8y ago
  > 1. What is Soma? I'm guessing (from a quick trip to Wikipedia) OP means this: Soma, featured in Aldous Huxley's novels Brave New World and Island, a fictional hallucinogenic drug to keep society peaceful and happy. It's been a LONG time since I last read BNW, time to put it back on the reading list!
- paavoova 8y ago
  Soma is a fictional drug popularized in Huxley's Brave New World, and used to ritually sedate the populace in seemingly benign but pervasive manner. It's closely associated with with consumerism, in the of form of "feelies" (also from BNW), as Huxley was alive to witness the transition from silent films to "talkies", and didn't respond to the perceived gross spectacle. In my mind, soma is a generalization for all that preys upon human weakness, and for something that is justified, even by intelligent, renowned individuals, via illogicality and appeal to human nature ("it's fun", etc). Rather than consider the value of the intoxicant itself compared to the innate conscious state, you typically see defense of it and claims of its banality and harmlessness. This is cognitive dissonance and justification, nothing more. The government wins by profiteering either way off of legalization or not. Police states enforcing the war on drugs is profit, and tax revenue from legalization is profit. The people celebrating the current trends as a win are delusional.

Nursie 8y ago

It is an addictive drug. Much less addictive than alcohol or tobacco, but still addictive. It's easy for folks like me to slip into using it every day. Never got as far as the author in this, likely because I did always have a day job to hold down, but I spent quite a bit of time baked every evening. I also don't feel it was quite as wasteful of my life as the author does, nor did I embarrass myself like that, but certainly you don't get a lot done whilst constantly stoned. It's never been too much effort to stop either, the cravings tend to pass very quickly, but if there was any left in the house I'd quickly cave. I do wonder what would happen were it to be legalised here. I'm very, very much in favour of that because the legal situation around drugs in the UK is ridiculous, counterproductive and just stupid. But if cannabis was available at every outlet that currently carries alcohol, would I still be at it every day, making excuses to myself for being tired and groggy in the morning, and in the evening having "well just one more toke before bed"?

jimmies 8y ago

I got introduced to pot when I entered grad school to do a STEM Ph.D. I was cool with it - I was never an addict. I smoked a couple of times a year at most. It had to be a quite special occasion for me to smoke marijuana, drink, or do other drugs. Like the author, drugs gave me the courage to do things I would regret later. I did things to hurt my very best girlfriend I could have when I was high. She later left me. Drugs are the demon that I thought I'm good enough to control -- I have a fucking Ph.D. after all. I know the answer for myself now, that is doing marijuana or any other drug is a losing battle. Most of the times when I am sober, I can hide the asshole person I really am. But when I'm high, all hell breaks loose.

collyw 8y ago
Drugs are bad M'kay. Come on, everyone is different and plenty of people (the majority?) can use them responsibly. And drugs are vastly different as well so classifying them as as such seems fairly counter productive to any discussion.
- exogeny 8y ago
  That your response to his personal, non-generalized story is as such in very, very curious and makes me wonder why you're having such a defensive posture.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
Simulacra 8y ago
Had to totally ban it from our house. Too addictive for me, and easy to fall back into stoner routines.
toomanybeersies 8y ago
It's funny how drugs and alcohol affect people differently. I'm probably the nicest person that you could be around when I'm high or drunk. I don't get into fights or do anything to harm others (accidental self-harm on the other hand...). I've never managed to destroy a relationship due to my substance use. I've never woken up in the morning and had to worry if I've left a trail of destruction behind me. Sure I've done dumb shit, but it's never hurt anyone else. I'm actually more of an arsehole while I'm sober. I'm a nicer and more agreeable person when high, which is its own problem that I've been working through. Drugs bring out our most base traits. For some that's a good thing, for others it's not.

Gatsky 8y ago

Addict is the wrong word. He quit cold turkey after a revelation form looking in a car mirror. This is something a heroin addict or even most smokers would never say. You could replace 'smoking pot' with any number of other bad habits and not otherwise change a word of this story. Although I'm oversimplifying, there are few revelations with true physiological addiction, which is a despairingly tenacious neurological disease. Some people should just stay away from psychoactive substances. Whatever the benefits are, it isn't worth it for them. This is partly a function of what is going on in their lives, but also partly neurobiological. Unfortunately there is only one way to realise you fall into this category. Maybe one day we will be able to predict who is at risk of abusing alcohol or marijuana well enough that you can actually make an informed decision about usage patterns.

Nursie 8y ago
He quit three weeks later. Lots of people will have similar stories about tobacco. Whether it's physiologically addictive or 'merely' psychologically addictive is somewhat irrelevant - are you going to belittle gambling addiction as just a "bad habit"?
- Gatsky 8y ago
  Yes it's hard to generalise of course. But the (lack of) success of quit smoking interventions should tell you that it is different to what is described here. I don't think it is irrelevant. The point is about how to help someone. Trying to get someone with a physiological addiction to realise the error of their ways is futile, like telling someone to unbreak their leg.
  - Nursie 8y ago
    > But the (lack of) success of quit smoking interventions should tell you that it is different to what is described here. It might tell you that it is quantitively different, but not necessarily that it's qualitatively different. > Trying to get someone with a physiological addiction to realise the error of their ways is futile, like telling someone to unbreak their leg. I think your understanding of addiction is probably lacking here. Many people can and do overcome physiological addictions due to some or other realisation. Conversely many people cannot overcome addictions without a physiological component, like gambling, regardless of how much they realise the error of their ways.

torpilla 8y ago

Addiction is highly correlated with depression and is a symptom of loosing connection with something important in one's life. It is a from of escape form this life because missing that connection is too painful. https://thelostconnections.com/ https://thelostconnections.com/ Here are some of the connections we need so that we are not tempted by surrogates: - connection with others, our tribe, people we can confess with when needed, who we can 'share ourselves' with - connection with meaningful work - a healthy value system that is not overly materialistic - being driven by inner purposes rather than outer ones - connection with our own subconscious fears and desires - having hope in the future - etc

screye 8y ago

I am all for legalizing marijuana, but the extent to which it appears to be infiltrating the this generations culture is a bit disturbing. I have seen all too many people who seem to find an identity in pot. All activities and games they play are centered around pot. Much like alcohol, but it is even harder to participate if you are not one of them. At least with alcohol, I can grab my cider, pretend to also be drinking 'hard liquor' and be a part of the event. Also, alcohol parties always need a couple of sober people as nannys. (This is specific to college aged people) With pot heads, even if I don't partake in smoking, I am going to come out smelling of weed and inhaling 2nd hand smoke. At least pot heads have good taste in music. In conclusion, as legal restrictions to marijuana are lifted, now would be a great time to put the role of marijuana in the societal context under scrutiny. It isn't as bad as alcohol, but it isn't as innocuous as some would like us to believe either.

hprotagonist 8y ago

If you’re looking for like-minded people and a support group, /r/leaves and /r/petioles are good subreddits to check out. (for a variety of silly reasons all major subreddits that are cannabis related are either botany or lotr puns)

pinzhed 8y ago

People really love the word addiction. It’s like a safety blanket that keeps you from having to feel responsible for your own behavior. There are sex addicts, porn addicts, and food addicts, among others. More than likely there is just an underlying mental health issue with poor impulse control and behavioral manifestations.

gamedevs_cancer 8y ago

I find video games,sugar,caffeine and sex to be a lot more addictive than pot, and I've smoked pot almost daily in 4 years of university