Another of our user stories. If you would like to share you story, email me: john@quitmarijuana.org
How did you start smoking weed?
I started smoking pot in eighth grade. A friend’s older brother gave us some of his. We smoked it by our grammar school at night in a doorway. I came from a lower middle-class family, so I did not have an allowance or spending money. When I realized that I could buy a bag for $35 and roll 35 joints for $1 each and still have plenty of extra weed to smoke and make a little spending money, I was hooked. Looking back, I guess I liked how it made me feel, because I started smoking all the time. Stupid kid! I had no idea that this drug would become such an intricate part of my life for the next several decades.
When did you realize smoking weed was a problem and what problems did it cause?
Unfortunately, in high school I was quickly identified as a dealer. A search of my locker in high school got me suspended from high school the second half of my freshman year. I ended up working at a gas station during the day and a restaurant at night. I had to take one semester of summer school and I returned to high school a tarnished young man. I graduated from high school on time with my class and went to a college hundreds of miles from home. I wanted and needed a fresh start.
Yes, I kept smoking pot throughout high school and my undergraduate degree and graduate school.
I have spent a lot of money on pot! I have no idea how much. At this time, with Medical Marijuana so readily available, I would estimate that I spend $200 per month on weed. That has added up over the many years!
John’s Note: There is no need to guess how much, check out the “How Much Have I Spent on Weed” calculator.
What was the trigger that made you want to stop smoking weed?
Several triggers have caused me to try to stop in the past. I have tried to quit smoking pot many times during the decades that I have smoked pot. I realize it has to be hurting me, but at this time I am still smoking. I am older now and realize that I need to stop this
What has been the hardest part about quitting, or even getting started to quit?
I am ALWAYS getting high or wanting to get high! I have been doing this for decades! This is something that I have been hiding from just about everyone for decades. I am not proud of it and I realize that no one would say I am doing a good thing, but at this time, I cannot quit.
If you have quit smoking marijuana, how has your life changed?
I quit for one year when I was an undergraduate in college. I was on a Study Abroad trip and there was no access to drugs. That gave me a four month head start to keeping straight for a year. When I got back to the states I should have found all new friends. Instead, I went on a ski trip with a friend and he was smoking in the van while we were driving to the ski resort. Stupid, I know, but we did stuff like that back then.
I stopped for another 12 month stretch when I moved out of state did not have access to weed. I was able to find a source and started up again.
I know I am MUCH better off when I am not smoking marijuana. The challenge is getting away from it! It is a demon!