Benefits of being off weed

Who wants to wake up in the morning feeling burnt out?

Anyone?

Anyone?

What a joy it is to feel rested after a good night's sleep. It is also a plus not to have tar and mucus coating all of my airways when I take that first conscious breath of the day.

I personally thank everyone who puts their true experiences onto these boards for helping to remind me why I no longer smoke cannabis! My body thanks you, my brain thanks you, and especially my spirit thanks you!

I was chatting with my chronic neighbor yesterday evening and I was glad to have my wit back. The conversation was far more entertaining than the usual stunned banter we have exchanged in the past. This was in part due to the fact that I could keep the conversation going, and amuse him.

The same thing has been happening at work. In the photocopy room I now strike up conversations with people I had formerly ignored. They tell me what's up, and I share a truer glimpse of myself to them. Things have a deeper resonance of true connection. I actually fully hear what they are saying, so my responses are more appropriate.

Communications are improving!

It's my theory that if all we talk about is how crappy we feel, we might be more tempted to slip. For me it helps to see results in order to maintain my progress.

Yes, the list of benefits is getting huge. Don't be overwhelmed by it, but share with the forum the first (or major) benefit that you noticed since you have stopped smoking cannabis.

Did you first start feeling better physically, mentally, or emotionally? How long did it take for you to start seeing the positive results of quitting?

Been over 3 weeks for me and everything has been going great for me. You guys have been so much help. I do have the withdrawal symptoms, mainly lack of sleep and inconsistent appetite but those struggles pale in comparison to all the benefits I'm experiencing. Just recently my dreams have gotten vivid. I thought maybe I'd share it because it was just so weird.

So me and my brother have this place, looks like a college place. Crappy furniture, small tv, dirty. This is odd cuz we are both far removed from college9he has a family and I've been working a while). so he leaves for some dentists appt. Our neighbors are total rednecks but we get along with them great. So i go back inside and there's a couple guys that just pop up and we watch some football(american). But one of the blokes(i love this word) starts actin really stupid and messes with our stuff. We tell him to stop but he keeps on doin it so I'm startin to get annoyed. But then all of a sudden all these hot girls appear. There's so many that I dont even have the time to do a quick inventory check cuz they're sitting all around us. The one next to me is in a bikini with like 10 coats of sweet smelling baby oil all over her. I try to talk to her but she disregards me at first. But then all of a sudden she's all kissin on my neck and sitting on top of me, rubbing the excess baby oil off on me which I don't mind. I'm just about to take her upstairs(at least I think there's an upstairs) but then that annoying guy acts up. The girls disappear and we end up beating that guy down to teach him a lesson. But then he's on the ground whimpering so I feel really bad and I help him up. Then I give him some cookies and we proceed to watch football(the season just started here in the states).

This was just weird and the fact that i remembered every single detail made it even more odd. I hate strip clubs and I'm not a violent guy at all. I would like to hear some of your dreams if you guys don't mind.

Yes, weird dreams (many too bizzare to tell) are a 'benfit' of getting off the pipe. Perhaps there is a weird dreams thread in the psychology section of this site.

A major benefit that I am realizing: there is now way less stress in my life. I do a better job at work, so I have less to take home with me. I am getting along with my girlfriend way better (she's never smoked) and all of my relationships seem more vibrant. If I have a bad day, the negative thought spin cycle that used to occur and only be stopped by pot is no more. I seem to have stronger mental control over my own moods and thought processes. If there is a crisis, I have the presence of mind to do what needs to be done. The end result of this is that my life is less stressful now than it was when I was smoking weed every day. And here I thought I used pot to relieve stress.

It's like cannabis creates an environment of stress that perpetuates its chronic use. I swear that I am way happier now that I have been off it for over 7 weeks.

I would have called bullsh*t on this if I hadn't experienced it for myself. Since I have stopped smoking weed I have had a couple of moments of ecstatic bliss that were far beyond anything that cannabis ever brought me.

I went to a 4-day electronic music festival called Shambhala in this sweet wooded valley in August. I vowed to take no drugs (stuck to Red Bulls) and succeeded. The weirdest part was when I danced my way into (onto) this high plane of sheer transcendent bliss that I had never formerly been to. It could have been the surroundings, the beats, the prolonged dancing . . .

Anyhow, today I was at the gym working out on a cross-trainer (arms and legs moving) listening to my MP3 player. The same wave of joy passed over me. This has been happening every week or two (sometimes more) since I quit. Has anyone else experienced natural highs? I always thought they were some sort of urban legend.

i dont know why people seem to list this as a "ngative" side effect, but i find the vividness of dreams refreshing. i've been working on lucid dreaming on and off this summer, and the vived dreams are a def prerequisite to that, so yeah, VIVID dreams are one benefit for me. although i guess this varies for each person, some enjoy the vividness, some dont, depends on the content of the dream too i suppose. ive been lucky so far

It would also be nice to have my short term mem back, but to be honest, even when i quit for almost 3 yrs, my mind never felt as unclouded as it did before i started everyday in college (17-19). perhaps quitting should be coupled with memory puzzles to develop it?

waking life, i read with interest the benefit "new doors opening to spirit world (somewhere I only used to get to via cannabis)", as this is what i used it for this time. however when i first quit 4yrs ago, that 1st summer, i did had diff doors open for me, but i didnt really go through them until i started weed again 3yrs later,lol. i hope i fare better this time, and take advantage of it. Ive realised that i did perhaps blame weed for too much of my probs since not much has changed in the last 5yrs considering i spend 3/5ths of it clean!

did the previous doors when on weed stay open for you? or did you lose the ability to tap into those once you quit?
p.s. i dont mean to be rude, but i would much rather go back to weed ofr one night (and hope i have the willpower to keep it as one night) then put toxinous red bull in my body! lol. caffeine is def an under-rated drug

oiu guess that applies to all drugs, inc alcohol which i have used in the past to replace weed (as others have mentioned in this forum too), thus reflecting the addictive aspect of my personality/mindset.

lp_ultra wrote:My opinions of weed now are that it is exactly the same as any other drug, it's a chemical that produces a high, a feeling that we are not naturally supposed to have. I've got to say that people REALLY annoy me when they say "weed is my drug of choice because it is natural", weed being natural makes ABSOLUTELY no difference whatsoever. Poisonous mushrooms are natural, opium is natural, having a sh!te is natural... get my point???

actually, we do have cannaboid receptors in our brains, lol. but not "poisonous muchroom" receptors, so i think you will find that it is natural, its just that we overmedicate the brain till it starts functioning incorrently. read the following:

"Workers distracted by email and phone calls suffer a fall in IQ more than twice that found in marijuana smokers, new research has claimed":
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4471607.stm



and what about this:
Results: Current marijuana use was significantly correlated (p < 0.05) in a dose- related fashion with a decline in IQ over the ages studied. The comparison of the IQ difference scores showed an average decrease of 4.1 points in current heavy users (p < 0.05) compared to gains in IQ points for light current users (5., former users (3.5) and non-users (2.6).
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/abstract/166/7/887


i dont mean to seem rude, but i did the quitting thing for 3 yrs, and remember the way i would badmouth weed and weed smokers, almost like i needed to do that to keep motivating myself. if works, but it's ignorance. after 2 yrs of being angry, i started reading unbiased research instead, and its only now i see there is only one person to blame for any negative effects its had on me...ME!

when i was doing it once every 2 weeks, my uni marks were higher than they had ever been in 3yrs. maybe because it was nice to have a treat, and i take no other drugs such as caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, fast food(cheese hits the opiate receptors too!), TV! etc. there were times before i quit (yesterday,lol) when i would agian get angry at weed, mainly when high, but i was just projecting. at the same time, i think i see the trap of being to judgemental with oneself, so maybe i shouldnt say anymore. keep the objective reaons coming


this is from the later link saying how long term users who quit improved:


Interpretation: Current marijuana use had a negative effect on global IQ score only in subjects who smoked 5 or more joints per week. A negative effect was not observed among subjects who had previously been heavy users but were no longer using the substance. We conclude that marijuana does not have a long-term negative impact on global intelligence. Whether the absence of a residual marijuana effect would also be evident in more specific cognitive domains such as memory and attention remains to be ascertained.

Here's a couple i would like to add....

1. Have money to do the things i have complaining about - ie. new kitchen floor, couch (both casualties of a new puppy, THREE FREAKIN YEARS AGO.

2. Energy - have a part time job to help with these DREAMS of mine that i have been putting off cuz i was too high to have any dreams for myself and/or my hubby.

3. Ditto on the housecleaning comments ladies. Soooo true. All I ever wanted to do when i got home was get high.I Work during the week at a very, very heartbreaking, stressful job and i just wanted to escape from all I witinessed. NOT GOOD.

4. NO longer living for today - i look into my future and although its an old cliche...damned if i don't have to put my shades on. So many opportunities now that the fog is clearing. If only I can keep my job. Thats my big concern. I can't stop thinking about it.


DENIAL IS NOT JUST A RIVER IN EGYPT!!! TAKE GOOD CARE OF ONE ANOTHER. AS ALWAYS - THANX FOR THE INSIGHT.

ill_i_bus wrote:i did the quitting thing for 3 yrs, and remember the way i would badmouth weed and weed smokers, almost like i needed to do that to keep motivating myself. it works, but it's ignorance. after 2 yrs of being angry, i started reading unbiased research instead, and its only now i see there is only one person to blame for any negative effects its had on me...ME!

I agree wholeheartedly! This particular thread is not intended to focus on how bad weed is. Very few things in this world are inherently "bad". I see little point in vilifying cannabis, unless that is what you need to do to help yourself.

The whole "Drugs are Bad" argument falls short. Drugs are whatever you make of them. Unfortunately, many of us on this forum were not able to maintain "moderate use of drugs" and strayed into the realm of "abusing drugs". Moderate weed use is probably not a big deal. The question is this: "Can I use this substance in moderation in the long term?" For me, personally, I continually turn chronic (daily smoking) after a few weeks or months of moderate use. I have documented this pattern repeating itself for over the last decade.

Lastly, there are different stages of quitting. At first there are withdrawals, followed by improvements. Hearing the horror stories of withdrawal helped me through my several-week-long detox. Once I started feeling the benefits, I started this thread.

I am loving hearing about the positive transformations that people are experiencing. I guarantee they are helping others through their rough patches. Keep them coming!

ill_i_bus, waking life,

Time for a bit of controversy. Firstly ill_i_bus, a couple of comments from you:

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YOU SAID:

1)
actually, we do have cannaboid receptors in our brains, lol. but not "poisonous muchroom" receptors, so i think you will find that it is natural, its just that we overmedicate the brain till it starts functioning incorrently. read the following:

2)
when i was doing it once every 2 weeks, my uni marks were higher than they had ever been in 3yrs. maybe because it was nice to have a treat, and i take no other drugs such as caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, fast food(cheese hits the opiate receptors too!), TV! etc.

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I SAY:

1) Did I actually (at any point in my post) state that we do not have any cannabanoid receptors in our brains, or that cannabis isn't natural? I think that you've misinterpreted my post!

2) This is exactly what I am talking about, you mention that your university marks were the highest that they've been in the past three years, I agree that this is due to the association that you have created with cannabis, that it is a treat! Cannabis contains a chemical called THC and this chemical is a CNS Depressant and produces (in many individuals) euphoria, relaxation, enhanced appreciation of sensory stimuli and increased philosophical thought. It also makes you delusional. By saying that you didn't eat burgers, watch tv or take legal drugs such as alcohol and nicotine clearly indicates to me that you were / are heavily dependent on cannabis and willing to sacrifice other enjoyments in your life just to get that high from cannabis (thus justifying your usage) - just because you did it once every two weeks doesn't mean you are not dependent, by the way.

Also, you call cheese and television a drug, WTF??? I suppose you think going to bed is also a drug??? I think this is a perceptual problem that you have. Television is an entertainment system and cheese is a type of food of which contains calcium which is useful for our bodies. Cannabis doesn't contain anything of any purpose to our body and mind (apart from getting us stoned). All it does cause is damage, period! I used to think the same as you but it's just non-sense. If you were to think on this level, then absolutely everything in life that we enjoy could be considered to be a drug.

waking life, your comments:

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YOU SAID:

1)
I agree wholeheartedly! This particular thread is not intended to focus on how bad weed is. Very few things in this world are inherently "bad". I see little point in vilifying cannabis, unless that is what you need to do to help yourself.

2)
The whole "Drugs are Bad" argument falls short. Drugs are whatever you make of them. Unfortunately, many of us on this forum were not able to maintain "moderate use of drugs" and strayed into the realm of "abusing drugs". Moderate weed use is probably not a big deal. The question is this: "Can I use this substance in moderation in the long term?" For me, personally, I continually turn chronic (daily smoking) after a few weeks or months of moderate use. I have documented this pattern repeating itself for over the last decade.

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I SAY:

1) I kind of agree with you that cannabis is not at fault itself, but rather the user. Cannabis is afterall only a a genus of flowering plant, therefore it is pretty neutral unless THC is extracted and smoked. The reason that I demonise cannabis is because it all-but destroyed my life and have realised that nothing positive has ever come from smoking, initially it is like a god-send, then slowly begins to puncture the soul. Initially it gave me creative inspiration to write music and think weird things but I believe that I may have acheived this anyway, without drugs, it would just have taken longer, through the natural course of time. Rather than learning 10,000 years of education in one day as it were.

2) I completely disagree with this one, if you trust government statistics, they will show that use of soft drugs such as cannabis, lsd, mushrooms etc generally leads to use of more toxic substances such as speed, ecstasy and cocaine. I know that this was not what you were trying to say, but my point is, is that all drugs (I will encapsulate them) make you (in the majority of cases), whether you believe it or not, into a hedonistic and selfish person. Drugs are not bad or good, these terms are too simplistic to explain a complicated issue. Cannabis is a drug, it makes you high, it will not give you any deeper insight into reality, god, the universe or whatever. All that it does is alter your perception of reality and creates a false sense of security. If smoked, it damages your lungs. Which ever form of ingestion, it kills many a brain cell and does dampen your personality. It is also frowned up by society and is (lets not forget) still illegal. I respect good, law abiding citizens, granted, some are boring and lifeless but they are do gooders, and I like that. I know for certain (from past experience) that if people know you use cannabis, they lose repect for you. I personally like being respected. Taking drugs is plain and simply a selfish act, that's why I have no inclination to do it anymore! Nothing to do with battling against the dependency, I have just grown out of it and I'm sure most people will one day.

lp_ultra,

I respect your straightforward approach in speaking your mind. You are obviously a well-read and articulate individual. As I said, it is not my agenda to vilify pot. If you choose to do so, so be it. I don't think that animosity towards a plant serves anybody's mental state.

With regards to your retort of my claim that drugs aren't inherently bad, I must stick with my original position. It is impossible to claim that the drug itself is to blame; it is the people that abuse them that I take issue with. This may be a point of semantics: How do you define what is "bad"? As for the government statistics that "show" that cannabis is a "gateway drug", they are not worth the paper they are printed on. Not one has shown a causal link between cannabis use and other drugs. They suggest a link, but it is not sound science. How many drug addicts have also consumed coffee? Would not that be deemed a gateway drug? the reason that most people start with cannabis (or alcohol, nicotine, or caffeine) is that it is readily available in most areas and more culturally acceptable than most "hard" drugs.

Using drugs may be a selfish act in most cases, as is eating. People take drugs for a variety of reasons, one of which is to gain self-insights. Would meditation be deemed a selfish act? What about if someone prays that they recover from an illness? Is it selfish to work out at the gym? Obviously the last three examples may seem superior to drug use, but they are still "selfish". The only way we can truly be of help to anyone else is if we first help ourselves. To paraphrase the flight attendants: "Put on your own oxygen mask first. You cannot help anyone else if you are not breathing." That's not to say that smoking cannabis will help you. In the long run, you might get dependant on it (as many of us did). However, I am not going to say that it is wrong for any other person to use drugs in moderation. We each choose our own path, which is our right as human beings.

Cheers to the return of intellectual debate!

wakinglife,

Thank you very much for your kind words with reference to my articulation of language. There are a couple of points in your latest post that I would like to discuss:

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YOU SAID:

1)
As for the government statistics that "show" that cannabis is a "gateway drug", they are not worth the paper they are printed on. Not one has shown a causal link between cannabis use and other drugs. They suggest a link, but it is not sound science. How many drug addicts have also consumed coffee? Would not that be deemed a gateway drug? the reason that most people start with cannabis (or alcohol, nicotine, or caffeine) is that it is readily available in most areas and more culturally acceptable than most "hard" drugs.

2)
Using drugs may be a selfish act in most cases, as is eating. People take drugs for a variety of reasons, one of which is to gain self-insights. Would meditation be deemed a selfish act? What about if someone prays that they recover from an illness? Is it selfish to work out at the gym? Obviously the last three examples may seem superior to drug use, but they are still "selfish".

3)
The only way we can truly be of help to anyone else is if we first help ourselves.

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I SAY:

1)
To be honest, this notion came from my own personal experience. Cannabis led me to believe that illegal drugs were actually fine and this led to being heavily self-indulgent with Class A narcotics. So for me, cannabis is definitely a gateway drug because it creates the false perception that drugs are, in actual fact, harmless. Ecstacy even seemed harmless to me, it's the long-term effects that get you. I'm sure even heroin seems innocent when first used. So, I do actually agree with these statistics, but each to their own as they say.

With all due respect, I think your reference to coffee is a bit ridiculous. Coffee is a very mild stimulant that doesn't even produce euphoria, therefore doesn't create compulsive use from the user. The user may become dependent on it but only due to staying awake, rather than getting a high from it. Coffee, don't forget, is legal and is a massive part of western culture and is completely socially acceptable. I'm sure even in your heart of hearts, using coffee as an example is a bit pointless. I don't drink it by the way (or tea).

2)
You are correct, eating is selfish, but only when used to the extreme. Binge eaters or obese people are selfish because they may be risking their life if they are eating huge quantities. However, if you are eating normal portions of food, I don't see this as selfish because you are only following your bodily needs. I am 25 years old, and for 25 years, I have been conditioned to eating 3 meals per day.

My point is, is that you cannot compare 'normal' eating to taking illegal drugs because eating, like coffee, is completely socially acceptable and is a normal part of everybody's daily routine. Taking cannabis is not and people who do so are frowned upon by society. I used to have the attitude of "well, f**k them (people in society), they don't understand, cannabis is great". I now have the opinion that you should respect society.

I agree with you that certain people want/need to take drugs for self-insight, but I don't think this actually needs to be done. Being sober, you will be a more well adjusted person than if you discover who you are on LSD or Mushrooms for instance.

3)
Couldn't agree more, well said!

Take care wakinglife.

edited for fairness

Here are a couple more benefits I have discovered during my sober times:

1. The ability to inspire other people. When I quit smoking I found out how much influence I really have on people. This inspiration isn't limited just to weed smoking, but a couple of my friends had a weed reality check after they saw how much better I seemed to feel while on cessation. Quitting weed definately makes you a more genuine preson. Therefore, you are more of an inspiration.

2. The development of healthy habits. We pot quitters know that giving up the herb involves the manifesting of a new lifestyle. For example, I always wanted to be more acitve, but the herb made me too damn lazy. I noticed that after I put the bong down for a while, I could think more clearly and had more motivation. This made it all the more natural to socialize, set goals, attend school, eat right, quit tobacco, lay off alcohol, read, help others, sleep healthier, build relationships, and plan for the future. I think that these good habits along with many others start developing exponentially as you stay steadfast in your approach to quitting.

3. A sharper mental game. I have noticed all of the following: improved communication skils, a quicker learning curve, more energy, less anxiety, less depression, less stress, more patience, more wit, and most of all more faith and hope.

Right now I'm not interested in counting days or getting down on myself when I slip up. Do to the fact that I have tried to quit cold turkey and failed so many times, I have decided to give myself a timeframe to quit. I know I want to quit so now I've got to find a way to get it done. If I can continue to diligently cut-down, I believe one of these days I can look back and not miss any part of the illusion weed created within me. Keep in mind I would count quitting for a month then smoking once as cutting down. I have given myself until the end of the year to get this done. Then, once the book closes, I will never smoke weed again. However, that dosn't mean I can't accomplish it before then, but it does take off alot of the pressure of quiting at least in my case.