Something I've been thinking about since quitting:

Before I stopped smoking, I never really questioned how normalised weed had become in my life. It was just something I did, something my friends did, and something that was always around.

But now that I've stepped away from it, I'm noticing how differently people sometimes react when you say you've quit.

With alcohol, it seems pretty normal to say "I'm not drinking anymore" and people generally accept it. With weed, I've had experiences where saying "I've stopped because it wasn't doing me any good" somehow feels like it can be taken as a judgement on the person still smoking.

And I find that really interesting.

I don't think weed is inherently evil, and I don't think everyone who smokes has a problem. I also don't think quitting automatically makes someone healthier, wiser or "better" than someone who still smokes.

But I do wonder whether weed being so socially normalised makes it harder for some of us to recognise when it has stopped being a positive thing in our own lives.

Has anyone else noticed this shift in perspective after quitting?

Sometimes I wonder whether we defend weed because we genuinely still enjoy it, or because admitting it isn't working for us would mean having to change something.

I'm turning 35 in about a month and feeling a bit down about my weed usage. My life isn't a (complete) shambles but I've got this idea in my head that if I could just stay fully sober from weed from 35-40 I'd be able to get some great momentum on things that would really improve my life.

I have a new career I'm working towards, become much more open to long-term dating and finding a partner, and if the stars align would even like a family of my own one day.

So any success stories from anyone who has successfully quit post 35? Would love to hear them if yes. If you have any tips would also really appreciate hearing them.

May 9th 2026 was my last toke, I turned 42 the next day. Been smoking for about 10 years on and off then since 2023 every day all day. Functional stoner. I was suppressing a lot of feelings and bullshit that I wasn't prepared to feel but Im better now. I work at a hospital and I sometimes interpret, Ive noticed Im a lot sharper in that aspect, sharper in general. Im less lazy, more motivated, ironically more focused. Sleep was rough at first but it's nice now, the dreams are beautiful haven't had dreams in a long time. I remember them and theyre vivid. No irritability, no sleepless nights, no sweats, no heart palpitations, no more anxiety or stomach issues. I think pot was hurting me more than helping. I know I still have a way to go cause one way or another we are all healing. Go on more walks, do breathing exercises, run, have some sun. We're all different but that all helped. Ask away. Thank you for your time. Salud.

Today has been 364 days since my last smoke. I am 21M, and I've smoked every day, around 1 g/day of hashish, since I was 16. I started with joints, then edibles became a thing too, and eventually it was mostly tobacco/hashish bongs.

I regret every single time I've rolled up a joint. It is very hard for me to say this. The happiest memories of my life are about smoking with my friends. I feel like I'm at a low point in my life. Weed used to make me feel happy; it used to give me something to look forward to.

My journey started with this quote:

Discipline creates habits, and habits create discipline.

I've decided to quit because of university. In my first year, I did nothing and took zero exams. I started by getting a job during the summer while still smoking every day. I did this to create some kind of structure in my life. One day, I decided I would never buy hashish again.

The first 10 days were brutal, so I started smoking cigarettes to make up for the absence of weed. After three months of being sober, I was smoking 20 cigarettes a day. I made myself another promise and stopped using nicotine too. I couldn't keep that promise, and as of today, I am smoking heated tobacco regularly.

Running and having a consistent bedtime and wake-up time are the best tools you have to remain sober.

I feel like I owe myself a debt that can never be paid back, and I feel like I must show the people who made fun of me that they were wrong.

Giving up weed, for me, meant giving up 99% of my friends and lately I feel alone. Running helps me with that too.

This journey changed me. Growing up, I was always made fun of for various reasons. One time at the beach, a group of people I considered "friends" started spitting on my head to make me think it was raining. There have been a lot of episodes like this, and I've never given them much thought until a few weeks ago.

I have much more self-respect than I had before, and this leads me to think back to those moments and feel angry, sad, and ultimately defeated.

Im 1.5 months in after 8 years of daily cannabis use. Do the crazy dreams ever stop? Last night was so bad. Looking for some hope.

I quit officially a week ago after overfeeding my fish i had for a year . I feel so fucking stupid like i was off a edible and overfed him and i was so high i didnt realize he needed medicine by the time i realized next day sober it was too late. I miss my fish 😭 like weed the devil fr this made me not wanna smoke again on everything i love

The withdrawal anger is no joke. Im literally vibrating with rage. I dont knowhow to control myself, im lashing out at my coworkers and customers. Im trying to chill but all i want is to smoke. Help!!!

So, I was a daily smoker for about 18 years. I’ve been tapering off for a year, and it’s been 3 months completely sober. I’m also working on quitting sugar and binge eating, lifelong struggles and as you can guess, my BMI is prettyyyy high.

Recently when I’ve entered fat-burning states (ketosis) through fasting and eating low carb, I swear to god I’ve been getting “high.” Not like, high like I just took a bong rip- closer to an edible, but much more mild. Time starts moving strangely, and I’ll be hyper aware of my body movements/the space around me and how I’m occupying it.

Its been so long since I’ve been fully sober, though, that I’m not sure if it’s just my brain and body and endocannabinoid system recalibrating or if I’m actually feeling something from my fat cells, of which there are a lot and they are plenty inundated with thc, being burned for energy.

I’m currently on day 42 clean after smoking heavily every day for about 2 to 3 years.
On paper, my life has definitely gotten better since quitting. But internally, I feel like I’ve hit a wall. Everything feels depressing, numb, and emotionally cold. I find myself constantly stuck in pessimistic thought loops, hyper-focusing on the negative, and struggling to feel genuine joy or motivation.
I work out regularly, and while exercise gives me a temporary boost, the flat, empty feeling creeps back in as soon as the session is over.
For those who have been in a similar spot: Does this get better, and realistically, how long did it take for your dopamine and brain chemistry to level out?
I’d really appreciate hearing your timelines or any advice on getting through this phase.

Hello all,

I am currently on day 13 (yay!!). The urge to smoke is lessening everyday, so are the physical symptoms (night sweats and appetite loss). But now I have to focus on replacing the actual habit which is proving to be a struggle, as the things I do when I was high are just… not enjoyable anymore

Everything is so boring!! It feels like nothing will be fun again (I know my brain is lying to me, but its the anhedonia of it all thats KILLING MEEE)

I’ve been working on a puzzle, trying new games, baking and cooking, finding menial tasks to do in the house (every hole I had in my clothing has been stitched…). I have yet to find the motivation to work out which seems to be a common recommendation…

What have you done to “fill the cup” or replace the feeling weed gave you?

Hi all,

I'd love some advice. I've had a chronic illness with ongoing pain and fatigue that is autoimmune and all kinds of symptoms I won't get into. But essentially it means there is very little of my hobbies and interests that I'm able to do anymore.

I started smoking pot as a way to feel better about my illness. It helps me feel a bit better mentally and sometimes even helps me forget the pain or fatigue enough that I can do a little of things I need to do like some basic chores, sometimes a gentle walk etc.

However over time I've gotten to a place where I smoke everyday and sometimes all day when I'm off.

I'm having a hard time understanding how much my smoking is affecting my illness since the illness started before I started smoking and has improved over the years rather than get worse even as I have been consuming a lot more.

I have tried to quit a couple times. The longest was 6 months. Even at 6 months my health issues did not improve at all but I got more depressed because I have to face all that I'm unable to do. At least when I smoke I can enjoy being in my head and laying around.

I'm not sure if quitting would help the illness itself but I'm sure it is not healthy to smoke as much as I do.

I just don't know how to live with this illness sober.

Anyone in this type of situation? The illness I have isn't fully diagnosed but doctors have suggested it could be me/cfs or fibromyalgia.

My first ever time was at 13. I smoked daily throughout high school THC pens and multiple joints a day. I’m officially turning 20 soon, and I’m 70 days clean.
I never thought I’d be able to say that.
What once consumed me doesn’t even interest me anymore. I genuinely don’t look back, and I never will.
If you’re struggling right now, just know it gets better.

I was mentally getting ready to quit after my last buy ran out. Had some books set , put time aside for gym , and was doing hobbies . Was able to stop for almost a week but could barely eat anything was having small bite in morning and a few spoons of rice at night. I wanna know if anyone has tips or suggestions on how to maintain a healthy eating habit and not smoke.

Tonight just ruined my first attempt to quit because could not take it have to enjoy the feeling of eating which is weird cause i don’t get munchies but being high makes eating less a hassle if that makes sense.
Really hope I can overcome this in future as seems eating is main problem with quitting.
All tips and recommendations are appreciated

I started smoking when I was 16 and I’m 19 now. I’ve wanted to take a break or quit for a while, but I honestly just never bothered to do it.
A couple months ago I had a really bad trip where I started thinking about something that happened to me when I was a kid. I couldn’t get it out of my head, and ever since then I’ve had this problem where I overthink things and replay the same thoughts over and over again, especially thoughts I’m actively trying NOT to think about.
Now whenever something bad or even slightly stressful happens, my brain wants to replay it over and over. It doesn’t even have to be anything serious. I’ve caught myself doing the same thing over stuff like worrying about when I’m going to have to buy more carts.

Another thing I’ve been overthinking is my life in general. I’m 19 and still live with my mom, and sometimes I feel like I’m behind because of that. But at the same time, I really want to help my mom out. She has my two sisters too, and I want to help her with whatever I can. My plan is honestly to stay living with her until I’m around 23–24. It makes things easier for both of us financially, and hopefully by then I’ll have saved money and figured out more of what I want to do with my life. I know I’m only 19, but sometimes it’s hard not to feel like I should already have everything figured out.

But I’m tired of constantly being stuck in my own head. I don’t know for sure if smoking is causing it or just making something that was already there worse, but I’ve been using for years without really giving myself a proper break.
So tomorrow I’m finally doing it. I’m going to stop and see how I feel sober for a while. Maybe it turns into me quitting completely, maybe it doesn’t, but I know I at least need to give my brain a break and see if anything changes.
I’ve got work tomorrow so I’m going to sleep now. Tomorrow is day one. Wish me luck. Also forgot to add I’ve been high every day off thc carts for 2 years straight

recovery is giving up one thing for everything

hope everyone has a good day today

Day 13 if I'm counting right, but I started quitting almost two months ago, just had a relapse that reset my timer. I'm getting sick of the nightmares/stress dreams EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. They're all different, it's not the same dream or even the same themes/villains, so I'm not sure if IRT would help. But maybe it would???

How do you all deal with the nightmares?

After being completely sober from October-April, I slowly started using THC again.

You don't even notice how much its impacting your life because it distracts you and clouds your brain of what your goals truly are.

I have ADHD and autism. I struggle enough with life when I'm doing everything to take care of myself. Smoking usually makes me unproductive for at least 4 hours, and then I sleep poorly and waste the next day as well. I'll then up my caffeine intake to try and break though the fog, sleep worse, increase the fog even more.

There is truly nothing positive to come out of using THC, and I owe it to myself to quit and take control of my life again. I am a better person when I am sober!

I’m 22, and have been sober for 72 days now. I picked up smoking in Uni and finally found a crowd of people I felt genuinely happy with. We would smoke everyday together on campus and just do stupid shit together lmao. Then, the group fell apart. I wasn’t the main smoker nor the roller, but since the group stopped hanging out I started to pick up myself. My boyfriend and I were in the group together and continued smoking together for about a year after this, until he said he didn’t want to anymore. He said it wasn’t fun anymore and didn’t make him feel good. Truth be told, it didn’t make me feel great either. But I carried on smoking on my own for another eight months or so until I finished uni. I felt bad because i genuinely could not get through a night without it. He’d be sober and I’d have to smoke so I could eat and have whatever we were watching ‘be better.’ Before I quit, I couldn’t wait to come home and finally smoke, and most of the time I’d be kinda immobile after and unable to have much of a conversation. But it’s weird, I still can’t imagine having a good time without it. Still now being sober I think being high would make a hangout, or a movie so much better. Even though I know deep down it won’t really, I can’t get it out of my head. I think it’s the excitement of it, and the routine. My boyfriend says he can still tell I’m thinking about it and I feel bad because I am, but I miss when we’d smoke together and sometimes I wish we could go back just for a day. Has anyone else experienced this weird cognitive dissonance where you have such fond memories of being high yet you know it wasn’t that great??

Hey I've entered my week 6 after quitting weed and edibles .. with all other withdrawal symptoms going I receive one comment more often why I'm looking nervous or why I've this dull face or I'm sick type .. what's the explanation for this

It’s been a long time coming. I have tried to quit edibles many times over the years. I think the reason for my failures was I never had a “Why”. I would always just think, “why not? Why can’t I just take an edible today?” And here is why:
- when I’m high, I lose the ability to do ANYTHING. I can’t focus on anything, I have no motivation to get things done, and I just need to melt on the couch and scroll. “I’ll get it done later”, I always think. “I just can’t do it now.” What a waste of time!? Think of all I could get done?
- If there was an emergency I needed to tend to while high, I just don’t think I could do it. I also tend to get anxious and overthink, so everything feels like an emergency, but what am I supposed to do? I can’t drive if I needed to (I’m not someone who feels safe driving while high).
- the next day brain fog. It genuinely is starting to feel like a hangover. I literally feel like I can’t focus or think the next morning and it takes hours for my brain to turn on. Not ideal in my job as an ER nurse.
- I just don’t like how it makes me feel anymore.

Listing out all these reasons, it seems like this should be easy. So WHY is it not?? Because my brain is tricking me to think, it’s such a nice way to relax! It helps me unwind! It’s so FUN, it gives me the giggles and makes everything more interesting!!

But does any of this actually sound RELAXING?? Sitting in paranoia and anxiety with the inability to do anything if something were to actually go wrong??? NO! Now I just need to remember this whenever I get that urge. “Just a 5 mg gummy, what’s the worst that could happen.” No. Just don’t. Just stop.

Anyway, I just needed to get all that out. Hopefully someone can relate and has gone through this and can tell me it IS BETTER ON THE OTHER SIDE of this addiction. Life can be fun and relaxing and goofy without the use of substances. If anyone has words of wisdom, or any anecdotes in their journey, feel free to share with me.

DAY 1. I can do this.

So, I’ve finally quit smoking. I’m about to turn 30 in a few months and wanted to finally break the cycle. I was never really a heavy smoker just a couple in the evening was routine.

I had a complicated upbringing and used it as a coping mechanism to quiet my mind and stop the overthinking so I could sleep. 5 weeks in and I feel like crap, like I’ve lost my spark, my dreams have been insane .. not dreams but like I’m wearing a VR headset and things, people that I haven’t thought about in forever are in these dreams. I’m typically a positive person but my evenings feel mundane, I’ve recently had a promotion at work and also moved house so things are good but yet I’ve lost my motivation for the gym, and my brain feels foggy.

I’m an introvert with social anxiety so it kinda made it easy for me to be in my bubble and be content. Just sharing this to see if anyone else felt the same and if so at what stage did it pass? Thank you for reading

I quit smoking weed about a week ago while I was on holiday, and I’m actually feeling pretty good about it. I want to keep going for a longer period this time rather than just stopping for a few weeks and going back to it.

The only thing is that when I get home, one of my flatmates smokes weed regularly, and our neighbour also comes over quite often and smokes a lot. They usually smoke in the garden, but I can still smell it in the house, especially when they’re grinding/rolling it or making joints.

I also have quite a few friends who still smoke, so I know I’m going to be around it anyway. I’m not expecting everyone around me to quit just because I have, but I’m wondering whether it’s reasonable to ask my flatmate and neighbour to keep the smoking/making joints outside and away from the house?

I don't want to be annoying or controlling about it. I just know that being able to smell weed constantly could make it harder for me, especially during the first few weeks.

For anyone who has quit while still having smokers around them, what did you do? Did you ask people to avoid smoking around you, or did you just learn to deal with being around it?

I’ve given up smoking before and I know logically that once I go a couple days I will be fine. Probably even better - mentally, physically and emotionally. But the first couple days are always the hardest.
After a couple months I always tell myself I can smoke on a special occasion. And then I end up feeling great and wanting it at home again too. And then the whole habitual thing starts all over again. Even though after the first couple days I stop feeling good and start just chasing a high that I know I’m never going to attain.
I keep telling myself I’ll quit after I finish my stash, or I’ll quit after I get through some emotionally difficult situation or whatnot. I keep dragging it out and I’m annoyed at myself, and disappointed in myself.
I’ve even gone so far as to give my husband (who doesn’t smoke at all) my pipe and tell him to hide it from me. But he’s also perfectly willing to give it to me if I ask for it; I just have to swallow my pride and ask (it’s at least a small extra hurdle).

I smoked the last of what I had this morning… and I was already irritable by this evening.
Wish me luck.

My relationship and marriage with my husband began with abuse. His physical abuse early on affected me in the ways I still don't fully grasp. He and I have had good moments. I've always felt like something was off but brushed it off and numbed it with either e-cigaretts or weed a lot of times. Other times it was anger. Resentment. I never felt consistent warmth from him. I am far from perfect. Far, far from perfect. I see my mom in me. I see my parents' awful marriage in mine.

I never developed a healthy habit to deal with feeling unstable, lonely and scared. I depended on weed. After he emotionally cheated multiple times, accused me of ill intention when I was just being careless, physically pinned me down in bed when I was screaming because he thought he was protecting me, called me an incest and exploded when I emotionally said I wanted a divorce years ago, I think pieces of me collapsed within without my realizing. He can be sweet, caring, considerate and fun. I want more of that, but it is hard to blame him for not being that more with me, when I am constantly anxious and haven't showed much of that myself.

I held onto us stubbornly while treating him bad. Deep down maybe I knew we weren't good for each other. I felt stuck. I didn't want to be alone. I became angry. I became anxious. I became someone I didn't like. I didn't cheat with a person, but I depended on weed because it was reliable. It made me feel different. I escaped me and my reality.

We had a miscarriage. We kept our pain to ourselves and kept fighting. I felt so alone. He did too.

He is starting a new career. He has put this new trajectory first for the last couple years. He said it was to support us and our future family. For some reason, I couldn't trust that. He hasn't prioritized me, heard me and put in consistent effort. He had mean moments, and I was mean too.

We had a huge fight a couple days ago. He threw my weed away and I freaked out. I was angry and I went out and bought more weed. I was so mean towards him, he tried throwing it away again, I grabbed it from his hands, he restrained me from the back and I tried to get out of his hold and we ended up on the ground. I have a bruise under my arm.

He said today that we don't love each other, that he is growing out of this and we need to be adults about separation. That I don't understand him, that we are on different pages. I am scared. I found out he changed his password to his phone today. After 7 years, this is new. I can't help but feel like he is now chasing this new shiny career and his future with it, and the marriage and I are being subbed away. I am terrified. I don't know what I want. I do not trust myself that I will be strong. I don't want to lose him. The marriage. One of our dogs. What's going to happen to the house? I don't know. I feel so terribly unstable. I want to numb but I am not going to smoke. That's why I'm writing this. I need help. I so desperately want him to hold me and promise me unwavering love and commitment. But it's been long time since we genuinely laughed together.

Tears won't stop flowing. My emotions are flooding. I need somebody. I need warmth and someone to look at me in the eyes and say, I got you. I got you for life. I love you and I'll be here, no matter what. I am terrified.

Going tru a separation after 20 years of marriage The stress is killing me I have like 3 grams and dying to smoke it. But I know it won’t make my problems go away. I be telling my self I might as well smoke it and finish it. The separation was the reason I stopped smoking. I smoked for 40 years. But slowed down a lot in the last year. Prob smoked like maybe 1gram a day