Nobody wants to be on meth-lite every day because it turns you in to a tweaker asshole. Even if it helps with some of the symptoms. Weed being more mild is the entire reason people use it so much.
Weed def has some mild physical withdrawal, but nothing like opiates/benzos/or alcohol. It’s not soul crushing ftmp.
But I consider anything needed outside of myself to function as an inconvenience, so that’s pretty much life as a whole. Damned if you do damned if you don’t. Gotta consume the world to experience it. I try to limit my consumption these days.
Because I have a medical license to help with my PTSD. Hilariously the government will fully pay for weed for me but won’t pay for actual prescription medication for my mental health.
Marijuana is absolutely physically addictive as much as people want to say it isnt. Mind you im someone who smokes the minute they leave work until they go to bed. So im not here to push any kind of anti-marijuana view point, but i do think we as stoners should be honest. Everyone i know who stops smoking weed has two very common side effects.
They have a lot of trouble getting to sleep
Wild/fucked up dreams.
I understand that this is a side effect of lack of REM but you cant say these aren’t physical withdrawal symptoms. Research is needed, but just because we all want it to be legal, doesn’t mean we should ignore the facts.
I think it varies from person to person. I use it sometimes and will stop for months at a time. The main reason I use it is to help me sleep, and it’s definitely not stopping weed that makes me not sleep since I had those sleep problems for years already while not using weed. Before it was legalized I only ever smoked at parties and had zero desire to go out of my way to find a dealer so I’d only use it very rarely and sometimes went years between using. Once it was legalized I started using lightly only for sleep and stress relief. Before I took sleeping pills instead but prefer weed because it doesn’t make me as drowsy in the morning. I think it’s a non statement to say that stopping weed makes it harder to fall asleep when one of its effects is making it easier to sleep. If the status quo is not falling asleep as well, stopping a sleep aid will of course return you to the status quo
But thats under the assumption people use weed for sleep. I never had a problem sleeping as a kid. But now as an adult, if i stop smoking I struggle to sleep.
Sleep issues become more common as a person ages. It may be that you have sleep issues now simply because you have aged since using, and the weed treated it. I use it at night because it reduces the frequency and vividness of my dreams. The dreams are a symptom of the CPTSD I suffer from being in a cult most of my life. We need to just wait for an actual scientific consensus before we assume anything from sharing our anecdotes.
Marijuana is absolutely physically addictive as much as people want to say it isnt.
I mean it scientifically isn’t though. Physical addictions don’t just give you psychological withdrawals, they are physical. Your body becomes dependent on them to maintain homeostasis.
Cold turkeying drugs like opioids and benzos can kill you.
Just because the withdrawal symptoms aren’t as bad doesn’t mean they don’t exist. I said this before, research is needed. Going off of whats been said over the last 50 years of prohibition seems silly to me. And i for sure use marijuana to keep me in homeostasis. We need to stop saying psychological withdrawal doesnt have roots based in brain chemistry. I think everything we have begun to learn about mental health shows what little we actually know.
withdrawal symptoms aren’t as bad doesn’t mean they don’t exist.
And just because there are withdrawals, doesn’t mean that it’s a physical addiction. Some psychological withdrawals are physical in nature, anxiety can increase cortisol output which leads to the withdrawal symptoms people speak of.
This is not the same as a physical dependency, where a person can become dangerously ill if they don’t ween off their substances.
And i for sure use marijuana to keep me in homeostasis.
No you don’t, you may use cannabis to self medicate for psychological effects, but you aren’t doing it to make sure you don’t start vomiting and running a fever.
We need to stop saying psychological withdrawal doesnt have roots based in brain chemistry.
No one is saying that… That’s precisely why a psychologicaly addictive is considered psychological. Physical addictions effect more than just brain chemistry.
I think you are just underestimating the span and severity of psychologicaly addictive substances. Just because it is not physically addictive doesn’t mean it’s not bad, it just less likely that your body forms a physical dependency on it.
There’s withdrawal but of the four drugs i have been physically addicted to (caffeine, weed, nicotine, and SSRIs) it’s the only one I can cold turkey in under a week and feel fine.
Agreed, this isnt a lesser of two evils argument. I absolutely believe weed is easier on the body then most other happy juices we love to use. But misinformation is misinformation, and i think people who want to use weed should be informed of possible side effects. The more we understand about it, the easier it will be to get it legalized.
Current strains are a lot stronger than what I grew up with. I have no idea if that could make them physically addicting or not, or perhaps physically addicting to a greater number of people or not.
The psychological addiction though is self-evident. It can become an identity or religion or something for people. Like, any time they’re doing something fun and/or unsupervised they have to add weed to it.
I’ve gone from every day smoking to nothing multiple times. Never had trouble getting to sleep. But I did have wildy fucked up and vivid dreams.
I have no idea what the meaning behind that is. But if my only withdraw symptoms are “vivid dreams”, is it really that bad? In the grand scheme of drug withdrawals, that’s super mild.
I can only speak anecdotally, but in my experience it was about 2 weeks for the majority of strong withdrawal symptoms to go away. By that point my appetite was starting to come back, sleep was better, and cravings were subsiding.
I lost so much freaking weight after I quit. I had zero appetite and had to force myself to eat the bit I did. It was like I was going through a depression or something. But yes, 2 weeks sounds about howblong the worst of it was for me too.
Dude those “withdrawal symptoms” are a joke compared to any other drug.
That said, I don’t know a single person who identifies as a stoner that isn’t completely and utterly mentally addicted. And the drug is so subtle, stoners rarely try to stop.
Cocaine, even a 2 day bender is incredibly hard on your body. If you’re a person with any kind of responsibilities in your life, you’ll be strongly incentivized to reconsider the habit in no time.
But weed, it’s meh. Most users can restrict their use to when they’re not at work, so it’s fine.
Which makes it more dangerous.
I’ve watched so many promising futures flushed down the toilet by weed. Motivation? gone. Real hobbies? Indoors in front of a screen only. At its worst, I’ve seen friends totally withdraw from socializing almost entirely. Social anxiety combined with the escape of being high was enough to dampen and deny the very real human need to connect with others.
Every single one of these individuals went through some form of depression that was was extended and exacerbated by escapism and addiction in the form of excessive marijuana usage.
I know that’s not everyone. There are people who use it in a healthy, balanced way.
But there are also a ton of people who get heavily addicted because it dampens the pain of something they’re going through. And that pattern can make it a lot harder to make progress and work through whatever that person is dealing with.
Anyone who’s spent any time around stoners knows this is true. And yeah, for a lot of people, it’s a gateway drug. I’ve seen plenty of buddies in college jump from weed to xans to oxy. It’s ruined lives. It made my best friend drop out.
And yeah, these people clearly already had issues. But that’s how drug addiction works. It preys on people who are going through something and it makes a bad situation way worse.
Weed can do the exact same thing. Doesn’t matter if it’s not physically addicting.
This comment hit the nail on the head. It’s no big deal to spend an evening after work getting high and watching movies. But then it becomes every evening. Now you can’t deal with daily life if you don’t get to smoke between work shifts. Maybe you show up to work high to take the edge off. Now you’re high all the time and being sober feels weird. Spending all your time just sort of floating in a dream because being high is your default state now.
Everything becomes more effort so you just stop bothering. Playing an instrument? This requires too much focus. I’m gonna go lay down on the couch. Socializing? I’m too high to drive, I’ll stay home today (man I’m so freaking lonely). It really truly is a trade-off where you sacrifice a fulfilling life for an easily tolerated one. At some point you start to realize this and increase your intake to try to make those uneasy thoughts go away.
I believe the evidence points pretty clearly to alcohol and nicotine being more addictive than THC. I did state that my experience is anecdotal, but I wanted to chime in because you know, internet.
I’m my case, weed increases my appetite dangerously. I’m obese and weed makes me a food monster. I don’t use it unless it’s a social situation where I can’t just clean my fridge out.
I’m pretty sure there’s some weird stuff going on right now because of the world/blahaj hack. I’m having trouble replying to your original comment. But to clarify - I meant that when I quit THC I’ll usually feel pretty nauseous the next couple days. The flip side being if I’m feeling sick but need to force something down, a few puffs makes it much easier to do so.
Well it really isn’t addictive as opiates for example are. You wont become chemically dependant to it. The kind of addiction it causes is the same one that social media, TV, gaming, etc might cause. It becomes an habit and you get used to that. I know this is a simplification but this is how I see it.
It’s not chemically addictive. Honestly people should really pointing fingers at smokers. Majority who smoke know the risks. Sugar is far more dangerous yet and they add it to everything.
Weed on the other hand can help the majority with far less side effects then prescription pills. I’d take an edible or spray any day. Although it is far more fun to use a bong.
Good meme but honestly when do you see an angry smoker? Even if he breaks his piece, worst that happens is a bummed high.
It is physically addictive. Research has shown this already I am fairly sure. It’s not nearly as addictive as some other things like alcohol obviously. Psychological addiction also shouldn’t be dismissed.
Sugar is dangerous? Maybe refined sugars are - especially if you’re diabetic - but most sugars are actually natural and some form complex carbohydrates and fibres. It’s a lot more complex than this hot take. Sometimes even diabetic people need sugar in an emergency condition called hypoglycemia. It’s also not in any way a drug; really wish people stopped saying this. Also genetic material is partially made from sugars like ribose and deoxyribose.
There are real life consequences to smoking too much weed and this can include damage to your lungs and can negatively impact the brain. Brain problems is mostly an issue for people under 25 though so smoking after this age is less problematic. That being said it’s still much better than some other drugs like you say. Before people ask yes this includes alcohol as alcohol is quite toxic to brain and body when consumed habitually.
Weed can’t replace all prescriptions either. It’s just not as good at blocking pain as opiates even if it’s a lot safer. That being said if it helps you then that’s great - especially if it’s in edible form or spray form as this is healthier than smoking.
Not sure I’d agree with any study saying it is physically addictive, habitually I’d agree.
My point on the sugar though is it certainly does create addiction. It’s in so many things even products like jerky. I know lots of other things get broken down into sugar which is also the point. We would do far better without all the added sugar. It’s what creates future diabetics in the first place.
There is so much fake healthy foods it’s ridiculous. Like…Wheat bread!? All sugar, better off with white if your gonna bother with bread. You’re body should be running off fat not sugar.
People on keto for example can lower their cholesterol immensely vs the doctor recommend way. I’m just having trouble concerning the different between chemical ladden cigarettes vs shit that is available in stores.
Now the one thing that I see a negative for weed is that it is a stimulant. Increases in heart rates could be an issue in older folks, for a potentially greater risk of heart attacks.
Not sure I’d agree with any study saying it is physically addictive, habitually I’d agree.
So you’re willing to ignore science… that’s sounds like a river in Egypt to me mate.
Habit forming and addictive mean the same thing in medical terms. Cannabis has observed withdrawal symptoms like sleeplessness, appetite changes, and nausea that classify it as physically addictive. You’re ignoring these because it dosen’t suit your narrative and beliefs.
My point on the sugar though is it certainly does create addiction.
I agree with this provided your talking about refined sugars. The point is though it’s not a drug. Sugars are a natural part of the human diet. They literally make up your DNA. Refined sugars are not natural though.
Weed is not going to ruin your life the same way like benzos and alcohol would. If you smoke everyday then you probably aren’t very productive, but you are not actively ruining your life.
Weed is dangerous because of how safe it is. It makes you ok with being bored and not progressing/growing as a person. Alcohol addiction will straight up make you homeless.
Ive honestly stopped buying the different strains have different effects talk. No matter what I smoke I get stoned and lazy af. Not that that’s bad, it’s just what happens.
I’ve definitely noticed a slight difference but no strain is going to suddenly make you productive. Maybe you want to be productive but you feel tired and crappy because you’re too sober, and getting a fix helps. Doesn’t mean the weed is actually helping you it just means you’re addicted
Good that you know your self in that case. Not all bodies react the same way. I know folks who can’t get high from smoking but do from edibles, and vice versa.
Weed is illegal federally, but it keeps getting produced at a state level. This really worries me, si to try to rectify this situation, I have just been buying and burning as much as I can. I don’t know how much of an effect its having because I just keep seeing more pop up.
I will continue despite it seeming more and more like a fools errand.
Why is it your problem? I’m not trying to be judgemental, I just don’t see why I should care what others do? It’s not like every stoner is blowing the smoke in your face.
not really a woosh, I didn’t think that part out fully. I was talking from my perspective where I would be respectful, just as I am with vaping. I know in some parts, i’ve heard it can be really bad. Screw people who just blow it everywhere and make places stink. However there are nearly oderless ways of smoking (particularly vaping) where a smoker can be respectful about it, and just keep it in there car (leave it in your driveway, never drive high). In this case, I don’t see why someone should be upset at the respectfull stoners.
You see, I think drugs have done some good things for us. I really do. And if you don’t believe drugs have done good things for us, do me a favor. Go home tonight. Take all your albums, all your tapes and all your CDs and burn them. 'Cause you know what, the musicians that made all that great music that’s enhanced your lives throughout the years? Rrrrrrrrrrrreal fucking high on drugs. The Beatles were so fucking high they let Ringo sing a few tunes.
-Bill Hicks
There’s withdrawal but of the four drugs i have been physically addicted to (caffeine, weed, nicotine, and SSRIs) it’s the only one I can cold turkey in under a week and feel fine.
yes, I used to have the same experience. regular smoking and then stopping for a bit was fine. but it didn’t leave my mind. It’s not physically addictive, but neither is shopping or video games, or gambling, yet so many people are addicts
Depends on how bad your caffeine addiction is. I tried cold turkey when I had a tooth pulled when I was drinking a pot of coffee a day.
A week in bed on Vicodin and Percocet, didn’t touch that headache and it didn’t improve or go away until I drank coffee.
Oddly, I ate a large bag of mushrooms and got tazed by the cops one night. Ended up in the psych ward. Was able to cold turkey the coffee after that. Not sure if it was the mushrooms or the juice from the tazer.
Yeah, I’m not sure if Vicodin or perc would help a migraine, different pain killers help in different ways. I think opiods are the least helpful when it comes to migraines, if I remember correctly.
I don’t drink coffee or tea, but I usually drink caffeinated soda with food. I visited another country a few years back where soda isn’t usually drank except in special occasions like at parties. I couldn’t figure out why I had such a bad headache for the first few days. I thought the caffeine content from soda would be low enough that I wouldn’t have withdrawals. Finally on about day 5 I decided to have tea with my breakfast, and no headache that day. That was when I realized what a caffeine withdrawal headache felt like, and I finally realized why I get headaches if I don’t have lunch at my regular time (when I usually have my soda).
I really wish I could get caffeine free cola, because I don’t even want the caffeine. I just want the cola flavor. But it seems the only caffeine free cola that is sold in stores is also diet, which I don’t like the taste of. They sell caffeine free, non-diet cola online, but at absurd prices.
I’m in the US. It isn’t available in any stores here. You can get it online for $20 for a 12 pack. Regular price for coke right now is $7 for a 12 pack, which is already shockingly high. About 10-15 years ago you could get 48 cans for $11.
Caffeine isn’t addictive. Your body acclimates to long term usage, and you will experience some withdrawal symptoms but this is classified as a dependency and not an addiction as it does not trigger the reward mechanisms like weed and or methamphetamine does. It’s an important distinction and is why coffee and tea are often served at [Addiction] Anonymous meetings.
It’s both. Nicotine is also both. Note how people at AA still often smoke. And how much coffee they’ll pound even after dinner.
The only drug I misclassified is SSRIs. Which don’t trigger the dopamine reward system.
And my comment was in light of OP and common language usage. People say heroin addiction and they mean heroin dependency. It doesn’t help anyone to be pedantic about these two words. And I say that as someone who has taken college level classes on pharmacology and alcohol and drug dependence and is very aware of the technical differences used professionally.
Well when I don’t have any and can’t get any, I think “if I had a joint that would be nice.” The same way one might want a pizza they can’t afford. But it doesn’t occupy my mind all day, like if I’m out of cigarettes.
Yeah but are you sure you don’t also have a pizza addiction? /s
There’s two kinds of addiction, physical and mental. Nicotine is probably the most addictive substance in terms of physical addiction (more so than heroin, according to Imperial College London). So comparing the physical addiction to nicotine with a mental addiction to cannabis will never be equivalent. However you can have a mental addiction to anything, even without a chemical dependency - gambling addictions are probably the simplest example. As such you most definitely can have a cannabis addiction, just like you can be addicted to porn, TV, internet or whatever.
It’s a habit, and one that you want to do. You might not feel like you need to do it, but it’s a strong want. The harm comes if you pursue the habit to the detriment of other things.
It also doesn’t help that the clinical terminology is kind of the wrong way around. In clinical terms, “addiction” refers to the physical part, while “dependency” refers to the mental part. This doesn’t sit well with me, as “addiction” has negative connotations while “dependency” is more neutral (a child is a dependent of their parents, and this is fine). And yet we still have a gambling “addiction” which doesn’t really have any physical element.
But yeah, people can and often are addicted to lots of things. Any habit can potentially be considered an addiction.
Yeah, this is what I told myself for 10 years. But the fact is there were numerous situations where I would think “this would be so much better with weed”.
If I can’t enjoy life’s basic experiences without drugs, there is a problem.
Also pizza doesn’t cause mood swings, memory loss, lethargy, paranoia etc.
Everything you say is true, but weed is still psychologically addictive. Maybe the reason it doesn’t occupy your mind so much is because you have another drug to fall back on.
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I smoke weed to stop the intrusive thoughts and voices in my head.
I suspect they have more effective medication for that matter
‘More effective’ is almost always a bad thing
Nobody wants to be on meth-lite every day because it turns you in to a tweaker asshole. Even if it helps with some of the symptoms. Weed being more mild is the entire reason people use it so much.
Yeah, but for me, anecdotally, weed makes cognitive process less sharp and quick. As an IT professional I don’t appreciate that.
Weed def has some mild physical withdrawal, but nothing like opiates/benzos/or alcohol. It’s not soul crushing ftmp.
But I consider anything needed outside of myself to function as an inconvenience, so that’s pretty much life as a whole. Damned if you do damned if you don’t. Gotta consume the world to experience it. I try to limit my consumption these days.
Same with naps.
I’m addicted to naps for sure
Because I have a medical license to help with my PTSD. Hilariously the government will fully pay for weed for me but won’t pay for actual prescription medication for my mental health.
Marijuana is absolutely physically addictive as much as people want to say it isnt. Mind you im someone who smokes the minute they leave work until they go to bed. So im not here to push any kind of anti-marijuana view point, but i do think we as stoners should be honest. Everyone i know who stops smoking weed has two very common side effects.
I understand that this is a side effect of lack of REM but you cant say these aren’t physical withdrawal symptoms. Research is needed, but just because we all want it to be legal, doesn’t mean we should ignore the facts.
I think it varies from person to person. I use it sometimes and will stop for months at a time. The main reason I use it is to help me sleep, and it’s definitely not stopping weed that makes me not sleep since I had those sleep problems for years already while not using weed. Before it was legalized I only ever smoked at parties and had zero desire to go out of my way to find a dealer so I’d only use it very rarely and sometimes went years between using. Once it was legalized I started using lightly only for sleep and stress relief. Before I took sleeping pills instead but prefer weed because it doesn’t make me as drowsy in the morning. I think it’s a non statement to say that stopping weed makes it harder to fall asleep when one of its effects is making it easier to sleep. If the status quo is not falling asleep as well, stopping a sleep aid will of course return you to the status quo
But thats under the assumption people use weed for sleep. I never had a problem sleeping as a kid. But now as an adult, if i stop smoking I struggle to sleep.
Sleep issues become more common as a person ages. It may be that you have sleep issues now simply because you have aged since using, and the weed treated it. I use it at night because it reduces the frequency and vividness of my dreams. The dreams are a symptom of the CPTSD I suffer from being in a cult most of my life. We need to just wait for an actual scientific consensus before we assume anything from sharing our anecdotes.
I mean it scientifically isn’t though. Physical addictions don’t just give you psychological withdrawals, they are physical. Your body becomes dependent on them to maintain homeostasis.
Cold turkeying drugs like opioids and benzos can kill you.
Just because the withdrawal symptoms aren’t as bad doesn’t mean they don’t exist. I said this before, research is needed. Going off of whats been said over the last 50 years of prohibition seems silly to me. And i for sure use marijuana to keep me in homeostasis. We need to stop saying psychological withdrawal doesnt have roots based in brain chemistry. I think everything we have begun to learn about mental health shows what little we actually know.
And just because there are withdrawals, doesn’t mean that it’s a physical addiction. Some psychological withdrawals are physical in nature, anxiety can increase cortisol output which leads to the withdrawal symptoms people speak of.
This is not the same as a physical dependency, where a person can become dangerously ill if they don’t ween off their substances.
No you don’t, you may use cannabis to self medicate for psychological effects, but you aren’t doing it to make sure you don’t start vomiting and running a fever.
No one is saying that… That’s precisely why a psychologicaly addictive is considered psychological. Physical addictions effect more than just brain chemistry.
I think you are just underestimating the span and severity of psychologicaly addictive substances. Just because it is not physically addictive doesn’t mean it’s not bad, it just less likely that your body forms a physical dependency on it.
There’s withdrawal but of the four drugs i have been physically addicted to (caffeine, weed, nicotine, and SSRIs) it’s the only one I can cold turkey in under a week and feel fine.
Bro just copy pasted his own response
“Marijuana ist a memory loss drug, so maybe they just don’t remember.”
was that bad form on my part?
Nah I just thought it was funny
Agreed, this isnt a lesser of two evils argument. I absolutely believe weed is easier on the body then most other happy juices we love to use. But misinformation is misinformation, and i think people who want to use weed should be informed of possible side effects. The more we understand about it, the easier it will be to get it legalized.
Current strains are a lot stronger than what I grew up with. I have no idea if that could make them physically addicting or not, or perhaps physically addicting to a greater number of people or not.
The psychological addiction though is self-evident. It can become an identity or religion or something for people. Like, any time they’re doing something fun and/or unsupervised they have to add weed to it.
I’ve gone from every day smoking to nothing multiple times. Never had trouble getting to sleep. But I did have wildy fucked up and vivid dreams.
I have no idea what the meaning behind that is. But if my only withdraw symptoms are “vivid dreams”, is it really that bad? In the grand scheme of drug withdrawals, that’s super mild.
The dreams are just a parting gift from the magical plant, it’s not even a bad thing.
How long do they typically last?
I can only speak anecdotally, but in my experience it was about 2 weeks for the majority of strong withdrawal symptoms to go away. By that point my appetite was starting to come back, sleep was better, and cravings were subsiding.
I lost so much freaking weight after I quit. I had zero appetite and had to force myself to eat the bit I did. It was like I was going through a depression or something. But yes, 2 weeks sounds about howblong the worst of it was for me too.
Good point
Dude those “withdrawal symptoms” are a joke compared to any other drug.
That said, I don’t know a single person who identifies as a stoner that isn’t completely and utterly mentally addicted. And the drug is so subtle, stoners rarely try to stop.
Cocaine, even a 2 day bender is incredibly hard on your body. If you’re a person with any kind of responsibilities in your life, you’ll be strongly incentivized to reconsider the habit in no time.
But weed, it’s meh. Most users can restrict their use to when they’re not at work, so it’s fine.
Which makes it more dangerous.
I’ve watched so many promising futures flushed down the toilet by weed. Motivation? gone. Real hobbies? Indoors in front of a screen only. At its worst, I’ve seen friends totally withdraw from socializing almost entirely. Social anxiety combined with the escape of being high was enough to dampen and deny the very real human need to connect with others.
Every single one of these individuals went through some form of depression that was was extended and exacerbated by escapism and addiction in the form of excessive marijuana usage.
I know that’s not everyone. There are people who use it in a healthy, balanced way.
But there are also a ton of people who get heavily addicted because it dampens the pain of something they’re going through. And that pattern can make it a lot harder to make progress and work through whatever that person is dealing with.
Anyone who’s spent any time around stoners knows this is true. And yeah, for a lot of people, it’s a gateway drug. I’ve seen plenty of buddies in college jump from weed to xans to oxy. It’s ruined lives. It made my best friend drop out.
And yeah, these people clearly already had issues. But that’s how drug addiction works. It preys on people who are going through something and it makes a bad situation way worse.
Weed can do the exact same thing. Doesn’t matter if it’s not physically addicting.
This comment hit the nail on the head. It’s no big deal to spend an evening after work getting high and watching movies. But then it becomes every evening. Now you can’t deal with daily life if you don’t get to smoke between work shifts. Maybe you show up to work high to take the edge off. Now you’re high all the time and being sober feels weird. Spending all your time just sort of floating in a dream because being high is your default state now.
Everything becomes more effort so you just stop bothering. Playing an instrument? This requires too much focus. I’m gonna go lay down on the couch. Socializing? I’m too high to drive, I’ll stay home today (man I’m so freaking lonely). It really truly is a trade-off where you sacrifice a fulfilling life for an easily tolerated one. At some point you start to realize this and increase your intake to try to make those uneasy thoughts go away.
Does this sound anecdotal? That’s because it is.
I was hopelessly addicted to cigarettes. It took torturous willpower to quit.
I can smoke weed now and then and never crave it.
But sure, my experience is anecdotal.
So what? Some people are alcoholics, some people drink in moderation.
I believe the evidence points pretty clearly to alcohol and nicotine being more addictive than THC. I did state that my experience is anecdotal, but I wanted to chime in because you know, internet.
I did state - I can’t edit for some reason
Yes this is a widely known fact.
So you’re not addicted to weed… cool? I don’t see how your perspective on weed addiction is relevant if you haven’t even experienced that addiction
You forgot the nausea/lack of appetite.
I’m my case, weed increases my appetite dangerously. I’m obese and weed makes me a food monster. I don’t use it unless it’s a social situation where I can’t just clean my fridge out.
*food monster - fuck why can’t i edit my comments?
I’m pretty sure there’s some weird stuff going on right now because of the world/blahaj hack. I’m having trouble replying to your original comment. But to clarify - I meant that when I quit THC I’ll usually feel pretty nauseous the next couple days. The flip side being if I’m feeling sick but need to force something down, a few puffs makes it much easier to do so.
You at the demonstrabely false claims competitions:
Jokes aside, I can smoke once a day, once a week or once a month, it doesn’t change much, it’d not like your beloved alcohol
Alcohol 🤢🤮
Well it really isn’t addictive as opiates for example are. You wont become chemically dependant to it. The kind of addiction it causes is the same one that social media, TV, gaming, etc might cause. It becomes an habit and you get used to that. I know this is a simplification but this is how I see it.
It’s not chemically addictive. Honestly people should really pointing fingers at smokers. Majority who smoke know the risks. Sugar is far more dangerous yet and they add it to everything. Weed on the other hand can help the majority with far less side effects then prescription pills. I’d take an edible or spray any day. Although it is far more fun to use a bong.
Good meme but honestly when do you see an angry smoker? Even if he breaks his piece, worst that happens is a bummed high.
It is physically addictive. Research has shown this already I am fairly sure. It’s not nearly as addictive as some other things like alcohol obviously. Psychological addiction also shouldn’t be dismissed.
Sugar is dangerous? Maybe refined sugars are - especially if you’re diabetic - but most sugars are actually natural and some form complex carbohydrates and fibres. It’s a lot more complex than this hot take. Sometimes even diabetic people need sugar in an emergency condition called hypoglycemia. It’s also not in any way a drug; really wish people stopped saying this. Also genetic material is partially made from sugars like ribose and deoxyribose.
There are real life consequences to smoking too much weed and this can include damage to your lungs and can negatively impact the brain. Brain problems is mostly an issue for people under 25 though so smoking after this age is less problematic. That being said it’s still much better than some other drugs like you say. Before people ask yes this includes alcohol as alcohol is quite toxic to brain and body when consumed habitually.
Weed can’t replace all prescriptions either. It’s just not as good at blocking pain as opiates even if it’s a lot safer. That being said if it helps you then that’s great - especially if it’s in edible form or spray form as this is healthier than smoking.
Not sure I’d agree with any study saying it is physically addictive, habitually I’d agree.
My point on the sugar though is it certainly does create addiction. It’s in so many things even products like jerky. I know lots of other things get broken down into sugar which is also the point. We would do far better without all the added sugar. It’s what creates future diabetics in the first place. There is so much fake healthy foods it’s ridiculous. Like…Wheat bread!? All sugar, better off with white if your gonna bother with bread. You’re body should be running off fat not sugar. People on keto for example can lower their cholesterol immensely vs the doctor recommend way. I’m just having trouble concerning the different between chemical ladden cigarettes vs shit that is available in stores. Now the one thing that I see a negative for weed is that it is a stimulant. Increases in heart rates could be an issue in older folks, for a potentially greater risk of heart attacks.
Habit forming and addictive mean the same thing in medical terms. Cannabis has observed withdrawal symptoms like sleeplessness, appetite changes, and nausea that classify it as physically addictive. You’re ignoring these because it dosen’t suit your narrative and beliefs.
It’s a choice. I could stop any time I like!
Yeah, I just voluntarily chose to do it for 9 years every single day, even though I didn’t actually like it anymore the last 2 of those.
Weed is not going to ruin your life the same way like benzos and alcohol would. If you smoke everyday then you probably aren’t very productive, but you are not actively ruining your life.
Weed is dangerous because of how safe it is. It makes you ok with being bored and not progressing/growing as a person. Alcohol addiction will straight up make you homeless.
If you aren’t very productive you haven’t found the right strain… or you’re eating edibles.
Ive honestly stopped buying the different strains have different effects talk. No matter what I smoke I get stoned and lazy af. Not that that’s bad, it’s just what happens.
Same here. Tried indica because it “slows you down” vs sativa, and all the hybrids in between. All are the same affects
I’ve definitely noticed a slight difference but no strain is going to suddenly make you productive. Maybe you want to be productive but you feel tired and crappy because you’re too sober, and getting a fix helps. Doesn’t mean the weed is actually helping you it just means you’re addicted
Good that you know your self in that case. Not all bodies react the same way. I know folks who can’t get high from smoking but do from edibles, and vice versa.
Still get stoned from edibles unless I throw some other stuff in the mix.
Someone else said it, but I agree:
if alcohol were discovered today, it would 100% be illegal in no time
Weed is illegal federally, but it keeps getting produced at a state level. This really worries me, si to try to rectify this situation, I have just been buying and burning as much as I can. I don’t know how much of an effect its having because I just keep seeing more pop up.
I will continue despite it seeming more and more like a fools errand.
Why is it your problem? I’m not trying to be judgemental, I just don’t see why I should care what others do? It’s not like every stoner is blowing the smoke in your face.
Why is it who’s problem? Sorry I am a little confused. This damn smoke keeps getting in my eyes. Maybe I should burn this outdoors instead.
Woosh
not really a woosh, I didn’t think that part out fully. I was talking from my perspective where I would be respectful, just as I am with vaping. I know in some parts, i’ve heard it can be really bad. Screw people who just blow it everywhere and make places stink. However there are nearly oderless ways of smoking (particularly vaping) where a smoker can be respectful about it, and just keep it in there car (leave it in your driveway, never drive high). In this case, I don’t see why someone should be upset at the respectfull stoners.
Notice that this previous comment holds with certainty for the United States Of America. Your mileage may vary depending on your area.
If for instance on the other hand, you live in The Netherlands, having small amounts of cannabis to use is legal.
So glad that isn’t the case here. Burning small amounts would get me no where.
I’m with you brother. You don’t need to walk this brave path alone.
You see, I think drugs have done some good things for us. I really do. And if you don’t believe drugs have done good things for us, do me a favor. Go home tonight. Take all your albums, all your tapes and all your CDs and burn them. 'Cause you know what, the musicians that made all that great music that’s enhanced your lives throughout the years? Rrrrrrrrrrrreal fucking high on drugs. The Beatles were so fucking high they let Ringo sing a few tunes. -Bill Hicks
A Bill Hicks quote is always appreciated.
I think part of it for a lot of them is they smoke it with tobacco too so it’s just as addictive as regular smoking anyway
I recognize Jan’s eyes anytime
There’s withdrawal but of the four drugs i have been physically addicted to (caffeine, weed, nicotine, and SSRIs) it’s the only one I can cold turkey in under a week and feel fine.
yes, I used to have the same experience. regular smoking and then stopping for a bit was fine. but it didn’t leave my mind. It’s not physically addictive, but neither is shopping or video games, or gambling, yet so many people are addicts
Weed is physically addictive. Withdrawal is very mild and only lasts a few days but it can happen with heavy use.
I didn’t experience it until I got into edibles and vaping concentrates and I had used weed regularly off and on for twenty years at that point.
So it takes heavy use, but physical withdrawal is a real thing with weed. But as I said, it’s the only drug I’ve been addicted to I would cold turkey.
true it’s probably the easiest drug to quit but there is a strong psychological addiction
Yeah, caffeine cold turkey is unexpectedly tough.
It’s not so bad if you pop a Tylenol the first couple of days, just to get you through the caffeine migraine phase.
Depends on how bad your caffeine addiction is. I tried cold turkey when I had a tooth pulled when I was drinking a pot of coffee a day.
A week in bed on Vicodin and Percocet, didn’t touch that headache and it didn’t improve or go away until I drank coffee.
Oddly, I ate a large bag of mushrooms and got tazed by the cops one night. Ended up in the psych ward. Was able to cold turkey the coffee after that. Not sure if it was the mushrooms or the juice from the tazer.
Yeah, I’m not sure if Vicodin or perc would help a migraine, different pain killers help in different ways. I think opiods are the least helpful when it comes to migraines, if I remember correctly.
Vicodin has Tylenol in it
I confirm. Taking opioids against migraine gives you still a migraine, but on opioids. Not recommended.
Vicodin has Tylenol in it
but we’re not talking about migraines.
we’re talking about caffeine withdrawal headaches.
neither of which are 💯 understood but that doesn’t make them the same.
plus, Vicodin has Tylenol in it. so i was taking Tylenol.
Caffeine withdrawal can absolutely trigger migraines, easily.
Not sure about the Tylenol in Vic, but just that opioids in general don’t work well. You can easily Google it.
I don’t drink coffee or tea, but I usually drink caffeinated soda with food. I visited another country a few years back where soda isn’t usually drank except in special occasions like at parties. I couldn’t figure out why I had such a bad headache for the first few days. I thought the caffeine content from soda would be low enough that I wouldn’t have withdrawals. Finally on about day 5 I decided to have tea with my breakfast, and no headache that day. That was when I realized what a caffeine withdrawal headache felt like, and I finally realized why I get headaches if I don’t have lunch at my regular time (when I usually have my soda).
I really wish I could get caffeine free cola, because I don’t even want the caffeine. I just want the cola flavor. But it seems the only caffeine free cola that is sold in stores is also diet, which I don’t like the taste of. They sell caffeine free, non-diet cola online, but at absurd prices.
£5 for an 8 pack of coke zero decaf at the supermarket, I just checked. What and where are you looking at?
I’m in the US. It isn’t available in any stores here. You can get it online for $20 for a 12 pack. Regular price for coke right now is $7 for a 12 pack, which is already shockingly high. About 10-15 years ago you could get 48 cans for $11.
Not trying to be a dick, but “I don’t like the taste of diet soda” feels like a very minor inconvenience for fighting an addiction you want to shake
I don’t care enough to shake the addiction to caffeine. It would be nice to, but not something I care enough to put much effort into.
Aspartame likely causes cancer, probably worse for you than actual sugar. But the dosage of each makes all the difference.
Caffeine isn’t addictive. Your body acclimates to long term usage, and you will experience some withdrawal symptoms but this is classified as a dependency and not an addiction as it does not trigger the reward mechanisms like weed and or methamphetamine does. It’s an important distinction and is why coffee and tea are often served at [Addiction] Anonymous meetings.
It’s both. Nicotine is also both. Note how people at AA still often smoke. And how much coffee they’ll pound even after dinner.
The only drug I misclassified is SSRIs. Which don’t trigger the dopamine reward system.
And my comment was in light of OP and common language usage. People say heroin addiction and they mean heroin dependency. It doesn’t help anyone to be pedantic about these two words. And I say that as someone who has taken college level classes on pharmacology and alcohol and drug dependence and is very aware of the technical differences used professionally.
I don’t have to.
I want to.
If you can’t ignore the want, that’s an addiction
Yeah, like water or food.
I virtually never want food or water. My body screams “eat now or you’re going into a coma, idiot!”
oh bro then we different. some times a cool crispy glass of water is just so dang desirable. same with a fresh batch of fries man
I wonder if there’s a hydrohomies community
They’re should be.
Well when I don’t have any and can’t get any, I think “if I had a joint that would be nice.” The same way one might want a pizza they can’t afford. But it doesn’t occupy my mind all day, like if I’m out of cigarettes.
Yeah but are you sure you don’t also have a pizza addiction? /s
There’s two kinds of addiction, physical and mental. Nicotine is probably the most addictive substance in terms of physical addiction (more so than heroin, according to Imperial College London). So comparing the physical addiction to nicotine with a mental addiction to cannabis will never be equivalent. However you can have a mental addiction to anything, even without a chemical dependency - gambling addictions are probably the simplest example. As such you most definitely can have a cannabis addiction, just like you can be addicted to porn, TV, internet or whatever.
It’s a habit, and one that you want to do. You might not feel like you need to do it, but it’s a strong want. The harm comes if you pursue the habit to the detriment of other things.
It also doesn’t help that the clinical terminology is kind of the wrong way around. In clinical terms, “addiction” refers to the physical part, while “dependency” refers to the mental part. This doesn’t sit well with me, as “addiction” has negative connotations while “dependency” is more neutral (a child is a dependent of their parents, and this is fine). And yet we still have a gambling “addiction” which doesn’t really have any physical element.
But yeah, people can and often are addicted to lots of things. Any habit can potentially be considered an addiction.
Yeah, this is what I told myself for 10 years. But the fact is there were numerous situations where I would think “this would be so much better with weed”.
If I can’t enjoy life’s basic experiences without drugs, there is a problem.
Also pizza doesn’t cause mood swings, memory loss, lethargy, paranoia etc.
Acknowledging the fact that everything is better with weed doesn’t mean you’re addicted.
Everything you say is true, but weed is still psychologically addictive. Maybe the reason it doesn’t occupy your mind so much is because you have another drug to fall back on.