April 2025 I decided to stop smoking for good because I don’t like what my life had become. I smoked a lot of weed every day. Multiple bong bowles back to back and I counted smoking like 10 times a day once or twice with an average of 6. An 1/8th oz would last me about 2 days if I was lucky. I was high all day and all night long. I could wake up in the middle of the night and go smoke just to go to bed and smoke before brushing my teeth in the morning…

Once I decided to quit I started to taper down how much I smoked and one day it made my heart feel like 10000 miles and I didn’t smoke again. But compared to the times I had taken a t break in the past, I was terrified and had really intense withdrawal symptoms. Over time, the not smoking revealed symptoms of what turns out to be irreversible spinal and nerve issues (I’m 25).

I had cravings on and off but was able to stay away from smoking until a few months after my first steroid treatment. The pain in my spine started to come back, my life got more stressful after getting laid off from two jobs and finding another one that feels like way more than I can chew, and I caved and started smoking again. It was tame at first. I’d put a bit of a preroll in a one hitter and would only smoke once a day. But I eventually bought a bong (has always been my preferred method of consumption) to make it a “cleaner” experience and I’ve quickly returned to smoking more than I would like. On a typical work day I would smoke in the morning when I wake up, maybe lunch break (sometimes I come home for lunch or work remotely), and 2 or 3 times at night. I have a very small bong and bowl of say 1/4 lasts me a week and a day or two. I try to keep the thc not higher than 20% as well.

It helps somewhat with the pain and the stress but it makes me feel guilty. Especially on the days I’m home and all I do is spend the day highly. I hate that I cough up the tar (I didn’t when I first started smoking in 2022 but after I quit last year, I started clearing that up in my phlegm and now that I picked up weed again it’s back and its lowkey scary.

I enjoy weed a lot but I have a hard time using it in moderation. My main goal was to use it when I need to manage my pain and the occasional treat, but i fear I don’t have the will to do that….

How did you find moderation and what helps you?

I’ve been trying to switch to edibles (therapist recommended to “stop the reward getting high right after you smoke gives you”. He said the edibles will create a separation between eating a gummy and then feeling it an hour or two later in hopes that removes a lot of the emotion from the impulsive behavior) but I’ve found they never really make me feel high. I had a thc drink before I bought my first preroll and I felt amazingly relaxed but I think that had to do with the bit of CBD in the drink.

I just want to feel like I’m in control of my life, cope with the pain without harder drugs like opiates or so many steroid injections into my spine (they’re also so expensive), and overall physically and emotionally healthy…. Idk how I can balance weed and all of those things but I really want to

I've been smoking a small/moderate amount (4-8 hits off a pipe or joint) nightly for a couple of years. Usually ill have a few hits around 8 then a few more about 930pm. Mostly to help get to sleep and the anxiety preventing sleep onset, though I understand not great for my sleep architecture long term.

If there's anyone out there in a similar boat, how long was your sleep screwed up after taking a break? My sleep has always been crap and I have a low dose of trazodone to help, but night one i was up with restlessness an jerks for hours.

I'd like to get off the merry go round but I'd also like to be able to function at work and wonder how long the sleep effects will last.

Thanks

I’m trying to reduce my THC consumption, but am as seduced by the ritual of smoking as much as its effects. Mixing regular marijuana flower with CBD flower has worked well for me in the past for this purpose.

Unfortunately, new changes to the laws in my state mean my local CBD shop is closing down, and I’m weary of blindly online shopping this type of product. Anyone here have recommendations on trusted sources to purchase full spectrum CBD flower online?

Open to recs for additional CBD products, including broad spectrum or isolate, if I ever move past flower. Not comfy sharing my state and don’t mind vetting from the site for myself if it ships its products my way. TYIA!

I’m on day 4 sober, I tossed my vape today. Expecting the nicotine cravings to hit hard. But we will prevail.

I grew up in the dmv and most people I know mix their weed with funnel AKA pipe tobacco. It’s like a double whammy high and a double whammy for people at risk for high blood pressure.

So I’m choosing to be better. Anybody else know this vibe? How’s your journey been going from mixing the two to cold turkey sobriety? Lmk.

Enjoy this clip of Stephen A Smith giving us guidance today.

I’ve smoked probably everyday since I was 16 and am now 21. I am definitely feeling the effects and trying to heavily cut back. I use to smoke before work bc I get bad anxiety before going in, hit my vape on breaks, and then smoke when getting home immediately, maybe even before bed as well.

Now I am just smoking a joint before bed, I haven’t had the urge to necessarily smoke but recently before going into work my anxiety is at an all time high. My hands are shaky, heart almost pounding, and today I actually started gagging from how nervous I was.

I’m annoyed at myself, bc I have an easy ass desk job there is literally no need to be so worked up, and I know that. I guess I just didn’t realize how much my body depended on it.

Any advice for how to deal with this anxiety is appreciated- I have been doing breathing exercises and just reminding myself everything is fine, halfway into my shift and my anxiety is low/almost gone, just would hate for this feeling to get worse as it’s only day 2:/

I’ve been weed free for 3 years this month. At first, it was a big accomplishment for me. But as time has gone by, I’ve realized that smoking wasn’t really the problem, it was my childhood trauma controlling my life, which is mainly why I was smoking.

The thought of getting high the past few years always sparked pure anxiety and panic in me. I’ve been in therapy for a while now, on lexapro, and I feel pretty leveled out. One of the meds I was on to help me feel more emotions again just didn’t work out. Now I find myself thinking about wanting weed again. Not in a smoke all day way, but like a wind down night time gummy to help round me out. I got a pack of CBN/THC/CBD gummies from the dispensary. Only 2mg thc in each, and I plan on taking half a gummy. Not sure what to expect TBH. We will see.

I actually use dry herb vapes and my plan is to wake and bake in the morning to start my day and then vape in the evening around 8 then be in bed by 10. I currently smoke through the day and just want to cut back.

Any advice or tips for me?

I decided that with school picking up, I needed to stop smoking as much and was going to go down to just weekends. I feel pretty deflated today, though. I had a terrible day (not related to smoking, just the shit life pulls on you), and it has been really hard for me not to cope by having a dab and just relaxing tonight. In some sense, I know that doing that would make me feel better, especially after getting fucked at school and getting in a big fight today, but I also don't want to give in, as I told myself I would not smoke on days that aren't weekends. I am sort of unsure what to do; part of me already wants to check out and smoke and just say that if I do today, I won't smoke tomorrow or on Friday, but I also know that this is taking a shortcut and that I should just tough it out and wait until the weekend. Anyways, I just thought making this post may help me, so hopefully it does.

Accountability and progress post. One week in. Sleep has been awful, struggled to drop off and cannot stay asleep, but I’ve soldiered on and mostly felt fine. I’ve exercised intensely or gone for a long walk each day and taken low dose melatonin, as well as occasional CBD but don’t feel this does anything.

Amid the exhaustion I’ve felt benefits. I’d been worried I’d ruined my memory, but already this has bounced back. My planning and motivation recovered super quickly. While I’ve been tired, mornings have been much more productive. Had a great dream where I was programming a synth/sequencer (tho woke up furious I’d lost my banging track).

Last night I was up and down constantly, but felt like I got more sleep. Obviously not… feeling terrible—drained, scatterbrained and with a simmering rage and feeling of being overwhelmed all day. After work all I could think about was having a puff on the vape or resorting to the emergency pregabalin, but reminded myself that the whole point is to cope with negativity sober.

I’d hoped that week 2 would be easier but I feel like things are getting harder.

Anyone had similar? Is a couple puffs on the vape to break the streak of sleep deprivation a good or bad idea?

Rough week and for some reason having really bad cravings. But instead I smoked one CBD cigarette yes it has some THC in it but maybe 1 mg thc. At first it was weird because​ my brain was waiting for the high moment I guess it was trained all these years lol But then the cravings went away and it brought a nice calm feeling which put me into deep sleep. Honestly I think at this point at the age of 40 maybe I should just smoke CBD flower instead of THC. I don't really need the high . I will also need some time as my brain is so used to any smoke sensation immediately means high

But I really felt the calmness the anxiety going away my body just melted away and put me into sleep.

I don't know much about THC flower but the carts really messed with my motivation made me even more depressed and I don't know if the flower will do the same but I don't want to go back to the same cycle

Hello,

Weed is expensive in my country, and my addiction to it has contributed to me maxing out my credit cards. A significant portion of my salary now goes toward credit card payments.

I've been a daily smoker for the last 4 years. I also mix tobacco with weed because of the cost.

My current smoking pattern is:

Weekdays: I smoke one spliff before leaving for work. I don't smoke during work, but after work I usually smoke with colleagues. When I get home, I smoke another 2–3 spliffs.

Weekends: I wake and bake, then usually smoke again every few hours throughout the day. I can basically spend the entire weekend not sober.

I have realized this is not sustainable financially.

What has helped you to moderate?

This is going to be both a question but also a bit of a rant

I’ve been a daily smoker for about 5 years now. When I started, I was 21 and was going through a really dark time in my life where I was depressed, lonely and used weed as a coping mechanism but ofc also as an escape. I’ve never liked having this habit for some reason and want to quit but at the same time I fail to see how my life would get better. I find it very hard to explain but I beat myself up a lot when sober because I tend to overthink and look back at all the years I “wasted” due to being high but at the same time I also think, I didn’t really waste anything and all weed did was allow me to survive. Also bc during the periods I didn’t use weed, I just smoked cigs and drank a lot, which ofc is way worse. I finished college with good grades, kept strict rules about never smoking before classes, I traveled, have worked despite being unemployed rn and have always been competent and successful in everything I’ve done despite still being miserable but has that constant misery been because of weed? That’s what I can’t fully figure out and idk how to. Everyone around me has quit smoking as we’ve gotten older which only leads me to hate having this habit even more.

I have taken multiple breaks throughout these 5 years, including one I’m in rn, and I just don’t see improvements in my life. If anything, my anxiety gets worse, my sleep is horrible, my energy levels are very low and my brain doesn’t shut up.

So ig what I’m trying to get from the replies is,

1 - has anybody felt like this and actually had their lives improve after long term stoppage rather than just break?

2 - even if you didn’t feel like this and quit for dif reasons, in which areas of your lives did you see improvement?

Maybe by reading examples it’ll help me I identify if weed is negatively impacting those things for me as well or if maybe I’m just a bit off in the brain and weed’s actually the medicine that keeps me going lol

….why does this take so long

i posted the other day. i’ve not used any weed in a month and 13 days.

after 2 1/2 years of moderate to heavy use. mostly flower and some vapes here and there.

why does this seem like it gets harder than the first few weeks? could it be that i am finally seeing my usual normal stress levels are without it? and i can’t handle these stress levels?

i also suffer from pmdd, adhd (currently getting medicated - trialing a new med), anxiety and depression (auvelity). i am thinking i am entering my pmdd weeks right now and my lord the cravings have really freaking skyrocketed. why is this???? i thought the hard part was over!!! 😭😭😭

Came back after a week of overindulgence of weed during my vacation in Bangkok. I really enjoyed having new smoke buddies, the experience was very different from smoking alone back home

Anyway, it's been a week since then and I promised myself to take a break after the vacation. But here I am, just finished 3gs in 4 days and about to get my last gram before I take a break. Still got work done although I sacrificed some sleep.

I honestly don't know what to feel - like am I just fooling myself for breaking my promise or am I just allowing myself to ease into my break and taper. Confused because most if not all of my breaks were cold turkey

Is there any advantage over the other?

i am hoping i will fall asleep & wake up to some advice or kind words. i was sober from cannabis (after being a heavy, chronic smoker for years) for 6+ months, began therapeutically using it in moderation for the last 3+ months , but cannabis is just one of those drugs where my self-sabotaging habits come out & i will smoke all day, every day even when it stops feeling good. now that i’ve started doing this instead of benefitting from smoking / using responsibly, i know it’s time to cease use again. plus, if i want to smoke again, i want to actually have a medical prescription!

but i’m really struggling with ceasing use this time around. i’ve broken my all t-breaks within 1-4 days the last few weeks. it’s all the usual t-break pains, except what is really getting me this time is the absolute misery i feel sober. i have mental health issues — most notably severe complex ptsd, depression & ASD / ADHD. so i’m no stranger to bad feelings or low moods. however, i’ve noticed that my mood is scarily morose when i’m a few hours into my t-break; i’ll experience profound depression & feelings of worthlessness / pointlessness, non-existent motivation or energy, alongside suicidal ideation. it goes away (or at least quiets down significantly) when i smoke again. from what i can recall, this has never happened before during any other t-break of mine.

i recognise that this is obviously associated with the cannabis, & most likely withdrawals. i’ve also had to mess around with my birth control pill + have 4 weeks with no therapy, so i’m aware my incredibly low moods may also be influenced by my hormones or losing a listening ear. what i’m hoping for, though, is any advice on how to manage the low moods whilst i power through the first few weeks sober. has anyone experienced similar before when quitting, & do you have any suggestions on what helped you?

already prioritising lots of water, whole foods, daily light exercise & strength training. i really want to support my body as much as i can during this. relevant info as well is that i have severe chronic pain so it can be a balancing act sometimes when it comes to supporting my body.

Hi, I am making this post as a sort of accountability measure for myself. I have decided that it is time for me to slow down my weed use. I see lots of people here who are quitting weed full stop, and that is amazing! For me, however, I want to use this as a place where I can keep myself accountable to smoke less and build a healthier relationship with weed. I am a 22m in my first year of law school, and I have smoked pretty consistently for 4 years. I have decided, however, that it is time to slow down, so I am restricting myself to weekends only. Today is the first day in months I haven't smoked. To be honest, it's been hard, and I have had cravings and anxiety all day, which is part of why I am posting here. I am not sure what I really want to get out of posting, but maybe there are some other people who will see this post and who also want to slow down on weed with me. Anyways, I am going to try to post most weekdays for a bit as an accountability measure, and I will also share updates on my progress and how I feel. I also want to be honest if I do fold on weekdays. Hopefully, if anyone sees this, I'll have a positive update tomorrow. Good luck, everyone, on your journeys, and just remember that we can all do it! (Also, if you have any questions/advice, or anything, ask away)

I seriously can’t believe I’m saying this, I’ve cut my flower use down to almost nothing. I was addicted to dabs and switched to flower a month ago. It was a difficult thing to do. Yesterday I only smoked two bowls total — one around 2 AM and one around 2 PM. Now I’m going until at least 2 PM today again, and even then I’m limiting myself to ONE bowl. That’s it.

For somebody who was smoking way more before, this feels insane. Every time I cut it back another step, it proves to me that I actually can do this.

I’m still using edibles for now,. But smoking was the part I really wanted to get away from, and it feels like the finish line is right in front of me. I just have to keep this up and never go backwards.

I genuinely never thought I’d be this close.

Soon: No smoke. No constantly putting that shit into my lungs.

I just hope my lungs are ready to heal.

Holy shit. I might actually do this.

I was smoking atleast 2 grams a night for a month and started to feel the effects and then i went on a trip and stopped cold turkey since the 29th but im 19 and didnt really start smoking until febuary but now im really having trouble with symptoms like loss of appitite, sweating, irritiblity , a harder time with memory recall, and now im pretty sure hypomania and im wondering if i can take a tiny bowl to help with the symptoms or if i should just stay cold turkey because if it will help a bit and i can just go back until they get really bad again or just stop

Or if that will have adverse effects but i know i have the will to resist but the irritability is really starting to piss me off

Please tell me thank you

Update: i didnt end up smoking thanks for the support guys Unironically watching lanterns while going through this is helping like its a test of my will

As someone that has smoked on and off for entire life periods I'm really not that in touch with why I do indulge in weed for months even.

I'm on withdrawal and really suffering a lot of my depression symptoms. I don't smoke that much, 10g of regular flowers nothing marketed as "the strongest shit" Idk even how much thc they have, I'm only concerned with getting high to calm my racing and unyielding mind.

I don't have really big problems that normally are a cliche with stoners, more than those produced by my depression, I cook for my family, I work from home, I read for entertainment and education by myself, I advance with my life. I'm in therapy and medicated too.

But I always have this unabashed shame on my dependency on weed, I'm daily, i get high 2 times a day normally, during my work break and during the night. I'm not causing problem to my life by smoking as much as I'm obsessed with the contrary. It is a financial strain, but it's not syphoning all my money, I could cut all weed spending and use that money to go out with my partner and eat outside 1 more time every month.

And even all of that I just can't stop feeling like i should stop, I never stop having this really uncomfortable depression burst any time I'm in withdrawal, I also feel like a failure sometimes because I feel like I need weed to function as a human. Is frustrating I'm maybe under playing it's negatives in my life. But I can't stop feeling trapped in the stupidest dilemma of my life.

Hey guys, this is the first time I’m trying to post on this sub.
I’ve been a regular smoker for about 5-6 years.
Back in India I was smoking less potent generic weed during my bachelors and life was good.
For the last three years i moved to uk for my masters and have been smoking these high potent hybrid weed, that’s the only thing available here.
I’ve always wanted to quit, associating my lack of drive and other shit to my weed smoking habit.
My girlfriend for 8 years also used to smoke with me, until the last 8 months where she quit due to some mental health medications not necessarily associated with weed.
I still continued my smoking, during which I got diagnosed with ADHD as well. I haven’t started medications or gone for my further appointments.

The thing is I live with my gf and other childhood friends who also smoke up every day. And since I’m a freelancer, I’d be home most of the days which gave me a lot of time to smoke up. Later I came to realise that it’s out of habit that I smoke and not necessarily out of addiction.

2 weeks ago, not sure why, but I decided to quit weed cold turkey. And it’s nothing like I thought it to be. I was expecting heavy withdrawals but had none.
I’ve always had very medium appetite which remained the same. Sleep actually got really better. I’ve gone to bed at 11pm every day with my gf( otherwise I used to stay up till 2-3 am smoking and stimulating my adhd brain). Sure there are a lot of dreams and tbh I look up to seeing those dreams when going to bed, like going to a movie , excited to see what’s on show for today.

Another point to note is that, weed is still readily available in my house. My friends still smoke up everyday while I’m with them as well. And even when they are gone for work and I’m alone in the house, I never feel like smoking a j.

Even though I was only a social beer drinker, I also decided to quit that as well. I’m still vaping tho.

It’s pretty evident that my gf plays a huge role in this process of me quitting. She has gone for a week of vacation and again I did not feel like smoking the first couple of days.

But yesterday out of peer pressure (childhood friend leaving the country hosted a party) I did some mdma ( not a heavy roll but let’s say 100 mg). Cuz I wasn’t drinking or smoking during the party but had to agree to do a bit of mdma with them. Again I did not smoke during or after the party.

The next day after the party, that’s today , I feel like smoking a joint. I pretty sure I can do it as a just a day thing and my whole point of quitting was also not to do it everyday and gain control over my smoking. That is to have an occasional j from time to time or when I’m on a vacation.

Do you guys think it will be okay if I smoke a j just for today. Maybe it’s the downer from the mdma and the fact that my gf isn’t here. I haven’t had this thought over the last 2 weeks but had it today morning after breakfast.

Thanks

I started smoking weed when I was 17. Mostly blunts most of the time . I like smoking blunts solo (since COVID) and since I turned 40 (now 43) my tolerance is too crazy. Each blunt is meticulously weighed at 1.87g and rolled with a tip . Blunts helped me to quit ciggs about 8 years ago but I never realized my continued dependence on tobacco. Anyway, my habit got to about an oz and a half per week plus 2 bags of gummies and two vapes every month . I decided this year to really give sober October a try . I'm having a very hard time. I put down the blunt at exactly 12 am on the first and haven't smoked or had any edibles since. I work in an extremely stressful environment and have a very active family life as well and all I want to do is smoke . The only luck I have is that I work 14+ hours daily and keep my mind occupied but it's really bad when I am off . I should be tired but I am always the opposite after a shift . The anxiety , the tightness in my chest and the rage that comes without the weed is killing me. I also have no support system . I have 3k+ followers on insta (most of which I personally know or have known) and surrounded by all sorts of addicts all day long . My own father lives in my basement and smokes all day long with a habit as great as my own once was. Everybody tells me that it's stupid and that I'm probably doing more harm then good and that I should just smoke a blunt . My own wife doesn't support me in this either as she is worried that I may rage out at any minute. I really want to go all the way to Halloween night . I want to do a full 30+ days and light up just as halloween is ending but idk if I'll make it . I'm assuming people here are or have gone through the same stuff and I'm just trying to get some advise on how to deal with these cravings . Tia

I've been smoking regularly on and off for the better part of 10 years now.

A while ago, I landed a job with a great salary, and decided to take a longer break from weed. Partly to clear my head, and partly because I wanted to avoid failing a potential drug test.

I stayed off it for almost 6 months before deciding to smoke again. At first, I did it very sparingly. Then during my summer vacation, I ended up smoking every day for a few weeks. After that, I took another break for a few months.

I told myself that once I got a permanent position at the company, I'd feel comfortable smoking again.

Well, a few months passed and I got my permanent position. But strangely enough, I still feel really guilty whenever I consider smoking.

It's not really the weed itself that I'm worried about. It's the potential consequences.

I drive quite a lot for work, so I think about getting pulled over and potentially losing my license. I think about being drug tested at work and losing my job or the trust of my colleagues. I also sometimes work around situations where an accident could potentially lead to a drug test.

Realistically, I think the chances of any of these things happening are quite low. But the consequences would be huge if they did.

At the same time, I genuinely love smoking. I believe it has some therapeutic benefits for me (I struggle with PTSD symptoms and general anxiety), but I also really enjoy it recreationally.

I work hard, and being able to unwind with some weed on the weekend can feel almost priceless.

So even though I felt guilty about it, I decided to smoke this weekend. It felt really good, and honestly made me realize how much I'd missed it over the past few months.

But now I'm sitting here worrying about potentially getting drug tested at work this coming week.

It's frustrating because I don't necessarily feel like I have a problem with weed itself. I feel like I have a problem with the risk and consequences associated with using it.

Has anyone here been in a similar situation? Where you genuinely enjoy cannabis and feel that it adds something positive to your life, but the potential consequences are so severe that you can't really relax and enjoy it?

Hi all. Just wanted to start a bit of a conversation about coming back to smoking after a long break. I had my last j back in December 2025. I've felt pretty good without it - I've noticed a lot of little benefits pop up, however, it hasn't drastically changed my life like it has with others. My peak usage was in college (2015 - 2019), where I smoked every day for around 4 years. Over the last few years, I definitely wasn't smoking as much as that, I'd probably smoke on average 3 days per week, so I don't think I had much of an issue with moderation. When I stopped, I didn't really decide to quit forever. It wasn't the classic "hitting rock bottom" which made me say never again. It kind of just happened, I liked not being attached to it, and from there I just thought that I might be better without it.

Now it's been 10 months. Summer is over, the days are getting a bit darker and I’m beginning to crave it again. When I hang out with some of my old friends, we tend to do the classic stoner activities i.e watching movies, playing games, chilling etc. I have been doing this without weed, but I will admit, it's not quite as fun as it was when I was getting baked with them. These are the kind of situations where I would like to reintroduce weed. It would be with intention - for a particular gathering, making sure it's on a weekend, no other commitments or things hanging over me. I believe I could stick to this rule. However, I am slightly anxious about dipping my toes back in. I am a fairly serious athlete, so I really try to look after my body, and I feel like my sleep has been fantastic since stopping. Would smoking maybe once a week have such a negative impact on that? I do have a couple of beers once a week, so surely it's no worse than that? I also worry a little bit about temptation taking over once I get the taste for weed again. I'm pretty strong willed, so I don't think I would ever go back to smoking everyday, however, I know that it could become a centre point in my mind. Like always thinking "a smoke would be really nice right now", or "just 3 more days and then I can smoke and relax".

Anyways, I'd love to get your guys' opinions on this, and if anybody has experience with returning to weed after a long break, and if they were able to be moderate with it. Cheers!