Hey Fellow Quitters,
This comes from JS in New Jersey. He’s quit smoking weed and already feeling the benefits.
How I Started Smoking Weed
I first smoked weed with a group of teen friends I was already drinking with. All the weed did then was irritate my throat, so I only toked a little bit a few times. A few years later, when I was 15 or so, I guess, somebody offered some, and this time it did do something. I felt a heaviness, like I had to lie down. It was actually kind of scary. I wish I had used that as a basis for rejecting the stuff, but no, it started me on the path to more.
Quitting School
In college, I smoked quite a bit in my fraternity. I got lax in my studies and dropped out after two years, saying I was concerned about the rising amount of costs and debt and having a stupid notion of “joining the educated working class”.
Another problem was when I was working at a gas station in my 20s, and a customer offered me a joint of angel dust. It looked like a joint, so I casually accepted and ended up getting one of the wildest buzzes ever, such that I had to go home.
My boss threatened to fire me if I didn’t join a 12-Step program, which I did, and that kept me off weed for 2 years until I met the woman who would become my wife. She smoked and still does. I joined her habit.
Living My Christian Values
What got me concerned was a general concern about health, I guess. I can’t really pin it down to one factor. It was also my increasing desire to live a more virtuous life according to my Christian faith. It was also the apathy and lack of ambition that weed induces.
The fact that I quit smoking cigarettes in 2009 certainly contributed: I got rid of one smoke, and the desire to breathe clean air led to a desire to get rid of the toke. So for many months now, I’ve tried to make it a habit to read about marijuana’s effects and how to quit. QuitMarijuana.org has been a part of that.
The Hardest Part about Quitting Weed
The hardest part about quitting was the fact that I live with someone who tokes. If it were just me, the desire to smoke has never been strong enough for me to go to any great lengths to buy the stuff. So, when I’ve been on my own, I smoke when I have it and forget about it when I don’t. This is not to blame my wife, not at all, but it has been the most obvious difficulty.
The Benefits of Being Clean
I quit four weeks ago because I have to get a job and don’t want to fail a drug test. I’m glad that unemployment gave me such a powerful additional reason to stop, so hopefully, I’ll continue the quit even after I get a job.
I love having more energy now. I’m very glad to be getting more done with my days. I’m relieved that when I get picked up for church on Sunday mornings, I’m not hungover from weed. I look forward to a negative drug test soon. My lungs feel clearer. I’m certainly perkier and more clear-headed. I went on a retreat this weekend, where I couldn’t smoke, and the fact that I couldn’t smoke didn’t matter at all.
The time I would have spent smoking was used instead to enjoy my surroundings. I’m getting a kick out of the fact that when I play the brain-training games on my phone, I’m getting higher scores now. Finally, I’m glad I’m not “polluting the temple” of my body and thus hindering my spiritual growth.
Johns Note: I want to hear from you. If you would like to share your story, please email me: john@quitmarijuana.org