How to Stop Smoking Weed
How to Stop Smoking Weed
Marijuana is legal in many states across America and in some countries around the globe it has been legalized for public consumption1https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_cannabis_by_U.S._jurisdiction. Pot is a popular drug, but its potential to lead individuals into more dangerous drugs is prevalent.
Many people claim that marijuana is not an addictive drug. However, research has shown that the mind-altering state of THC is an addictive agent. In addition, pot is being grown and produced in more potent forms these days. The potency of marijuana is much stronger now than it was 30 years ago. This not only makes it more addictive, but the effects on users is more extreme. Scromiting for example, is a new issue that has been identified by experts and results from long-term pot smoking. It occurs when an individual smokes marijuana and becomes violently sick, vomiting and screaming due to the pain. Perhaps one of the reasons for scromiting is the power of marijuana today. Growers are producing marijuana strands that don’t just get you high, but make you paralytic.
Most people who consume marijuana do so for its mood-altering abilities. Pot gives people a high and allows them to relax. However, heavy consumption of marijuana can cause unwanted results. It can increase the anxiety and depression a person experiences. Research has found that anxiety is one of the leading symptoms created by marijuana in users.
Weed use in the United States is at record highs. Its continued use provides a number of risks to individuals. Mental and physical health issues can occur from regular pot smoking. If you want to stop smoking weed, but do not know how, there is help available. Rehab is the best place to start as there could be underlying issues that led to your marijuana smoking.
Weed’s impact on the brain
There are common misunderstandings about weed’s impact on the brain. Many pro-marijuana users believe the impacts the drug has on a person’s mind and body are all positive. This is far from the truth as studies have shown that both short-term and long-term exposure can impact the brain negatively.
Your brain’s areas used for memory, learning, attention, decision-making, coordination, emotions, and reaction time are all impacted by marijuana. For example, your memory can deteriorate quickly due to the use of weed over time. THC enters the body via the lungs before moving onto the bloodstream when weed is smoked. The brain can be overstimulated once the THC reaches it.
When weed is inhaled or ingested, the THC compound enters the body through the lungs and then passes into the bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream, it is carried to organs throughout the body, including the brain2https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7027431/.
Some of the short-term effects caused by weed use are:
- Altered/changed senses
- Altering the mood
- Changed sense of time and space
- Altered body movements
- Impacted and impaired memory function
- A lack of problem-solving skills
- A difficulty thinking
- Slow or impaired decision-making
- Hallucinations, delusions, and psychosis
Long-term effects of smoking weed include:
- Relationship difficulties
- Financial issues
- Depression and anxiety disorders
- Lower satisfaction with life
- Less academic and career success
- Breathing problems
- Increased risk of schizophrenia
- Increase in other substance use disorders such as alcohol or cocaine
Weed’s impact on the body
There is no question that weed does offer some health benefits. These benefits include pain relief, a decrease in inflammation, lowering of pressure in the eyes, reducing nausea, and reducing the symptoms of glaucoma.
Yet, those are medical issues weed helps to relieve and long-term smoking of the drug can actually produce negative results in the human body.
Long-term health problems include:
- Heart issues
- Coughing
- Breathing problems
- A weakened immune system
The cannabinoids found in weed may raise your resting heart rate. It can dilate the blood vessels and make the heart pump blood harder. All of this puts a strain on your heart. If you already have a cardiovascular problem, smoking weed will put your heart under more pressure. Research suggests you are more at risk of having a heart attack within the first hour following marijuana smoking.
In addition to effecting the heart, weed smoke’s potency may also irritate your lungs. Respiratory issues resulting from weed smoking are similar to the health risk of smoking cigarettes. Smoking pot may cause bronchitis, which is a consistent phlegmy cough and may raise your risk of forming lung cancer.
How to stop smoking weed
So, you want to stop smoking weed. The short-term and long-term mental and physical health risks are not worth a lifetime of pot smoking. But how do you go about stopping pot smoking? If you smoke pot daily, then you are most likely addicted to the drug. Once you make the decision to stop smoking pot, you should understand that your body will go through some changes, both physically and mentally.
The best way to stop smoking weed is to devise a plan. Your plan should include:
- Set a Date – By setting a date to quit, you mentally set a target to end your drug use. Set the date as a specific point in the future. It should coincide with your weed stash running out.
- Get Rid of Weed Paraphernalia – With the day to quit approaching, you should get rid of all your weed paraphernalia. By keeping items around, you will remind yourself of the drug and will likely be triggered to use it once more. Getting rid of the paraphernalia will reduce and/or eliminate triggers.
- Be Ready for Withdrawal – If you have been a daily weed smoker, it is likely that you will go through withdrawal. Symptoms of withdrawal include anxiety, jitters, and mood swings during the detox stage.
Marijuana Withdrawal
You will experience withdrawal from marijuana while detoxing off of the drug. Detox is the body’s way of expelling the drug from it. As the body goes through withdrawal, you are likely to experience some uncomfortable symptoms.
Weed withdrawal symptoms include:
- Irritability and mood swings
- Aggression
- Anxiety
- Cravings
- Trouble sleeping
- A lack of appetite
- Serious depression
- Nausea
- Stomach pain
- Sweating
- Tremors or shakiness
- Headaches
- Fever
- Chills
Getting help with weed addiction
It has long been said that weed smoking leads to the use of much harder, more dangerous drugs. Earlier exposure to marijuana may change the way the brain reacts to other drugs. Not all people who smoke weed advance to harder, more dangerous drugs. Some pot smokes only consume marijuana. Yet, daily smoking can led to addiction and health issues down the line.
Today, there are rehab centers around the globe that work with individuals seeking to stop weed smoking. These rehabs provide residential treatment, outpatient programs, and much more to clients. Rehab will not only help you stop your addiction to marijuana, but it will help you understand just why you are addicted to smoking pot.
References: How to Stop Smoking Weed
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National survey on drug use and health [Internet]. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality[Google Scholar]
- Freund TF, Katona I, Piomelli D. Role of endogenous cannabinoids in synaptic signaling. [Google Scholar]
- Diao X, Huestis MA. New synthetic cannabinoids metabolism and strategies to best identify optimal marker metabolites. [Google Scholar]
- Batalla A, Bhattacharyya S, Yücel M, Fusar-Poli P, Crippa JA, Nogué S, Torrens M, Pujol J, Farré M, Martin-Santos R, et al. Structural and functional imaging studies in chronic cannabis users: a systematic review of adolescent and adult findings. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Aiken LS, West SG. Multiple regression: Testing and interpreting interactions. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications; 1991. [Google Scholar]
- Beck AT, Steer RA, Garbin MG. Psychometric properties of the Beck Depression Inventory: Twenty-five years later. Clinical Psychology Review. 1988;8:77–100. [Google Scholar]
- Carey KB, Neal DJ, Collins SE. A psychometric analysis of the self-regulation questionnaire. Addictive Behaviors. 2004;29:253–260. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Farmer A, Mahmood A, Redman K, Harris T, Sadler S, McGuffin P. A sib-pair study of the Temperament and Character Inventory scales in major depression. Archives of General Psychiatry. 2003;60(5):490–496. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Jiang N, Sato T, Hara T, Takedomi Y, Ozaki I, Yamada S. Correlations between trait anxiety, personality and fatigue: Study based on the Temperament and Character Inventory. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 2003;55(6):493–500. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kessler RC, Zhao S, Blazer DG, Swartz M. Prevalence, correlates, and course of minor depression and major depression in the National Comorbidity Survey. Journal of Affective Disorders. 1997;45(1–2):19–30. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Shankman SA, Lewinsohn PM, Klein DN, Small JW, Seeley JR, Altman SE. Subthreshold conditions as precursors for full syndrome disorders: A 15-year longitudinal study of multiple diagnostic classes. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 2009;50:1485–1494. [Google Scholar]
- Sobell LC, Sobell MB. Timeline Follow-back: A technique for assessing self-reported ethanol consumption. In: Allen J, Litten RZ, editors. Measuring Alcohol Consumption: Psychosocial and Biological Methods. Totowa, NJ: Humana Press; 1992. pp. 41–72. [Google Scholar]
- 10 things to know about legal pot. CNN Money. [Accessed 14 August, 2017]. Available at: http://money.cnn.com/2017/04/19/news/legal-marijuana-420/index.html.
- Kim HS, Anderson JD, Saghafi O, et al. Cyclic vomiting presentations following marijuana liberalization in Colorado. Acad Emerg Med. 2015;22(6):694–9. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lundberg DJ, Daniel AR, Thayer SA. Delta(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinol-induced desensitization of cannabinoid-mediated inhibition of synaptic transmission between hippocampal neurons in culture. Neuropharmacology. 2005;49(8):1170–7. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Lapoint J. Capsaicin cream for treatment of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (abstract 51). Paper presented at: American College of Medical Toxicology Annual Scientific Meeting; 2014. [Google Scholar]
- Waterson Duncan R, Maguire M. Capsaicin topical in emergency department treatment of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. Am J Emerg Med. 2017 Jun 21; [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Witsil JC, Mycyk MB. Haloperidol, a novel treatment for cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. Am J Ther. 2017;24(1):e64–e67. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hickey JL, Witsil JC, Mycyk MB. Haloperidol for treatment of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. Am J Emerg Med. 2013;31(6):1003 e1005–1006. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Results from the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: summary of national findings [Internet]. 2014 [cited 27 November 2016] Available at: http://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH-FRR1-2014/NSDUH-FRR1-2014.pdf.
- Simonetto DA, Oxentenko AS, Herman ML, Szostek JH. Cannabinoid hyperemesis: a case series of 98 patients. Mayo Clin Proc. 2012;87(2):114–119. doi: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2011.10.005. [Google Scholar]
Alexander Bentley is the Chairman & CEO of Remedy Wellbeing™ as well as the creator & pioneer behind Tripnotherapy™, embracing ‘NextGen’ psychedelic bio-pharmaceuticals to treat burnout, addiction, depression, anxiety and psychological unease.
Under his leadership as CEO, Remedy Wellbeing™ received the accolade of Overall Winner: Worlds Best Rehab 2022 by Worlds Best Rehab Magazine. Because of his incredible work, the clinic is the world’s first $1 million-plus exclusive rehab center providing an escape for individuals and families requiring absolute discretion such as Celebrities, Sportspeople, Executives, Royalty, Entrepreneurs and those subject to intense media scrutiny.