4 ms·

In my experiences, cannabis is about as addictive as coffee/caffeine. By that, I mean it's unpleasant to quit after continuous usage due to various withdrawal

In my experiences, cannabis is about as addictive as coffee/caffeine. By that, I mean it's unpleasant to quit after continuous usage due to various withdrawal side-effects but only for a relatively short period of time (3 or 4 days max).

engineer_22 3y ago
Have you returned to using cannabis?
- hirvi74 3y ago
  Yes, I have. Though, I have another scheduled break coming up soon. I didn't start using cannabis until I was in my late 20s almost 30s, and my brain was already fully developed by then (I guess?). So, perhaps that has something to do with it being easy to quit? I'll say this, cannabis is no panacea, but I do find the benefits profound. There are some negative side-effects, but they are very benign in the grand scheme of life. I am not anti-medicine by any means, but I will tell you this much. Cannabis has been better in terms of efficacy and side-effects than the one anti-anxiety medication I tried back in the day. Cannabis was far easier to quit too.
bryanlarsen 3y ago
I had symptoms for about a month after quitting caffeine. I think your analogy holds. Most people only have a couple of days of symptoms after quitting caffeine. But if you're on 4+ cups a day and/or you have a sensitive physiology, quitting can be rough.
cameronfraser 3y ago
dabbing all day and vaping oil is in no way comparable to caffeine, cannabis is way more addictive, side effects last longer than 3-4 days as well. People are extremely irritable having lost their main crutch for a month or longer. The fog doesn't lift for about a month. This article is talking about people actually addicted, not like they smoke once a day in the evenings or something.
- hirvi74 3y ago
  > dabbing all day and vaping oil is in no way comparable to caffeine That's comparing the extremes of cannabis administration. I do not utilized any of those methods of administration, so perhaps you are right on how badly it affects one. Then again, I imagine if people were snorting caffeine pills consistently, the withdrawals would be worse than a cup of green tea a day. Oddly enough, I have never really noticed the irritability as a side-effect. I usually trend towards heightened levels of anxiety. The fog you speak of tends to dissipate for me after a few days to a week.
TillE 3y ago
Yeah I've used a lot of drugs and the only one I'd classify as genuinely easy to get addicted and difficult to quit is nicotine. With weed I go through periods of using it constantly for a couple weeks, and then just getting bored with it and not using for months.
coffeebeqn 3y ago
I just took a long break (1.5 months) after smoking every night for 6 months. Going cold Turkey I basically had no withdrawal symptoms other than my pre-existing sleep issues came back.
suby 3y ago
In my experience, quitting caffeine is much harder than quitting weed. I've managed to go from daily use to no use for years with marijuana, and did not notice any withdrawal symptoms. Caffeine on the other hand I have tried numerous times to quit, and failed every time. The longest I've managed to go is 3 months, and the withdrawals are terrible.
- hirvi74 3y ago
  I do not really get that bad of withdrawals from either. I only get a headache for about a day or two if I quit caffeine, a bit of sluggishness, and that's it really. I would agree quitting cannabis might actually be easier though. However, the only side-effect I really ever get that is somewhat annoying is insomnia, but that I why I started using cannabis in the first place.
cmrdporcupine 3y ago
I can't compare cannabis and caffeine because I don't enjoy cannabis so have never become chronic with it; but caffeine is seriously insanely hard to quit. 3-4 days isn't it for me. The one time I kicked it for a chunk of time, it took about 3 weeks before I felt normal enough to feel I'd really kicked it, and lost the craving. I'm very sensitive to the stuff, and I love (good quality) coffee. After a couple months without it, I just ended up back drinking it again. In comparison, I've smoked cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, and never had a problem quitting. Few days of craving after smoking for a few days, then kicked it. Coffee... brutal brutal brutal
say_it_as_it_is 3y ago
The body metabolizes strains differently. Same with coffee. Really strong robusta coffee bean crashes hard whereas light roasted Arabica tapers very nicely.

engineer_22 3y ago

Have you returned to using cannabis?

hirvi74 3y ago
Yes, I have. Though, I have another scheduled break coming up soon. I didn't start using cannabis until I was in my late 20s almost 30s, and my brain was already fully developed by then (I guess?). So, perhaps that has something to do with it being easy to quit? I'll say this, cannabis is no panacea, but I do find the benefits profound. There are some negative side-effects, but they are very benign in the grand scheme of life. I am not anti-medicine by any means, but I will tell you this much. Cannabis has been better in terms of efficacy and side-effects than the one anti-anxiety medication I tried back in the day. Cannabis was far easier to quit too.

bryanlarsen 3y ago

I had symptoms for about a month after quitting caffeine. I think your analogy holds. Most people only have a couple of days of symptoms after quitting caffeine. But if you're on 4+ cups a day and/or you have a sensitive physiology, quitting can be rough.

cameronfraser 3y ago

dabbing all day and vaping oil is in no way comparable to caffeine, cannabis is way more addictive, side effects last longer than 3-4 days as well. People are extremely irritable having lost their main crutch for a month or longer. The fog doesn't lift for about a month. This article is talking about people actually addicted, not like they smoke once a day in the evenings or something.

hirvi74 3y ago
> dabbing all day and vaping oil is in no way comparable to caffeine That's comparing the extremes of cannabis administration. I do not utilized any of those methods of administration, so perhaps you are right on how badly it affects one. Then again, I imagine if people were snorting caffeine pills consistently, the withdrawals would be worse than a cup of green tea a day. Oddly enough, I have never really noticed the irritability as a side-effect. I usually trend towards heightened levels of anxiety. The fog you speak of tends to dissipate for me after a few days to a week.

TillE 3y ago

Yeah I've used a lot of drugs and the only one I'd classify as genuinely easy to get addicted and difficult to quit is nicotine. With weed I go through periods of using it constantly for a couple weeks, and then just getting bored with it and not using for months.

coffeebeqn 3y ago

I just took a long break (1.5 months) after smoking every night for 6 months. Going cold Turkey I basically had no withdrawal symptoms other than my pre-existing sleep issues came back.

suby 3y ago

In my experience, quitting caffeine is much harder than quitting weed. I've managed to go from daily use to no use for years with marijuana, and did not notice any withdrawal symptoms. Caffeine on the other hand I have tried numerous times to quit, and failed every time. The longest I've managed to go is 3 months, and the withdrawals are terrible.

hirvi74 3y ago
I do not really get that bad of withdrawals from either. I only get a headache for about a day or two if I quit caffeine, a bit of sluggishness, and that's it really. I would agree quitting cannabis might actually be easier though. However, the only side-effect I really ever get that is somewhat annoying is insomnia, but that I why I started using cannabis in the first place.

cmrdporcupine 3y ago

I can't compare cannabis and caffeine because I don't enjoy cannabis so have never become chronic with it; but caffeine is seriously insanely hard to quit. 3-4 days isn't it for me. The one time I kicked it for a chunk of time, it took about 3 weeks before I felt normal enough to feel I'd really kicked it, and lost the craving. I'm very sensitive to the stuff, and I love (good quality) coffee. After a couple months without it, I just ended up back drinking it again. In comparison, I've smoked cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, and never had a problem quitting. Few days of craving after smoking for a few days, then kicked it. Coffee... brutal brutal brutal

say_it_as_it_is 3y ago

The body metabolizes strains differently. Same with coffee. Really strong robusta coffee bean crashes hard whereas light roasted Arabica tapers very nicely.