Don’t Smoke Weed Every Day

Studies tell us that chronic THC use lowers your life satisfaction!

I’ve been a daily weed smoker for a couple of years, a while back. Here’s what I learned…

Hangover

If You would listen for the signals Your body sends you — it wouldn't take long to notice… After heavy (or medium) THC use Your skull feels dry in the morning. It just feels like your thoughts are slow and low in quality, to say the least. Before you jump back to me with — no it isn’t…

If you are a smoker, You might argue back with me. Try not to smoke for 2 weeks and smoke a lot at night. And then journal how you feel in the morning. And then tell me how fresh the morning actually feels for you.

Let’s focus on what weed actually is.

Weed is a depressant

There are 3 main types of drugs — hallucinogens, stimulants, and depressants. Well, there is one more, opioid — but they can sometimes be classified as depressants. Oh and in classifications that involve 5–7 or more drug types, weed usually get its own unique classification spot. For a simple reason.

Weed can have effects on all three main categories. This means, that it can have very mild hallucinogenic effects (mild, when compared to actual hallucinogens), some Sativa-feeling strains can even give You energy… Making weed a stimulant at times. Both of these categories can be used to classify weed, but…

If cannabis is a stimulant or hallucinogen, it’s a very soft one when compared to other drugs in the same category. Very very very soft.

But — when talking about cannabis depressant qualities… Weed is not a soft depressant. Before we dig deeper, let’s learn what depressants actually do and what the most depressants are!

What are depressants?

Depressants (or downers) are a certain type of drug that lowers neurotransmission levels in both Your brain and other neural networks (central nervous system). This means, that depressants will slow You down significantly and will make You feel relaxed. While at the same time, most of Your body functions will work much slower.

Can You think of any depressants you use in your life?

Well, alcohol is one of the most commonly used depressants in the world. Mostly due to the fact, that is legal in most places You know.

Some other depressants that you might know include names like… Benzodiazepines (tranquilizers), heroin, and ketamine — just to name a few.

And also, without a doubt — the one and only cannabis.

Cannabis legalisation

Most of you are thinking now… So why the legalization surge around the world? Why sudden such a hype on this marvelous plant?

Because CBD, mates

If you wonder, why the world suddenly got so interested in legalizing cannabis — the answer is cannabidiol. It’s one of the 2 most popular cannabinoids that work in sync with Your body (more like Your endocannabinoid system). CBD (cannabidiol) is one of 115 different cannabinoids that can be found in cannabis and it is believed to have multiple health benefits.

It relaxes You and Your muscles, but CBD is not psychoactive. Meaning, You will not get high from it. Common effects include — feeling like Your worries got washed away, less anxious, just to name a few.

Back in the day, while cannabis plants were growing without any human interaction — CBD and THC levels in plants were more in sync. Furthermore, we loved plants that had as equal THC and CBD levels in them. CBD mellowed THC kick, making the whole getting high experience less paranoid and more pleasant.

But for a couple of decades, this is not that case. CBD levels in plants recreationally smoked today are usually not higher than 0.1–2%, while average confiscated cannabis THC levels doubled in the last 2 decades.

What does that mean?

This means today’s smokers are smoking stronger weed than old-timers did. Waaaaay stronger. Some medical studies are starting to show worrying evidence, that higher THC levels start making this “hard to get physically addicted” recreational drug — more addictive.

Furthermore, long term recreational cannabis use studies show evidence that continuous use of cannabis has a couple of unwanted long term effects that nobody wants.

Lower life satisfaction

It seems that the longer You smoke weed on a daily basis, the less You start thinking about Yourself and the quality of Your life. This is just my personal thoughts on top of this data but…

Doesn’t this just sound like a mild depression? Low self-worth. Not excited and not interested in life. And believing that life is shit. Sounds like most long term stoners I know, don’t You agree?

Harder to find jobs

This part is quite interesting, to say the least, but it somehow matches the depressive effects of cannabis. Some studies suggest, that long term cannabis use clearly correlates with one's ability to find and maintain a job.

Which would mean that on top of low life satisfaction, chronic cannabis users also have shittier lives? Thus spinning this whole thing in a neverending cycle that just gets stronger with time.

What are stoners?

Now, all the science aside — close Your eyes and imagine a die-hard stoner You know. Stop and think about what personality traits he or she might have… After You have done identifying as many personal qualities as You can — try finding another stoner You might know (if You do know more than one stoner).

Some of the qualities start matching among them, don’t they? You might think slow, dumb, not trustworthy, laggy, half-ass job doer that complains a lot and has zero to none tangible life goals. Maybe Your perspective gave You different traits, but I live in Amsterdam and I know many many stoners. In my experience, they all — to some extent share these qualities.

Good thing that I have been a heavy stoner while I was still living somewhere where weed is illegal. It took me long to start analyzing myself under the influence of cannabis. You become lazy and greedy. You become untrustworthy. Your days become gray blobs that You don’t remember.

And I couldn’t notice that on my own. I sure as hell couldn't fight my addiction alone, either.

You need someone to help You

I am thankful for this day to my wife, that help me realize that I was slowly turning in to a low-life douchebag… Furthermore, she was very supportive during the whole time I was trying to quit smoking weed every day.

It’s very hard to do so. Those who smoke every day and say it’s easy — I want them to see stop it now if it’s so easy. Just like alcoholics find excuses to drink, stoners always find an excuse for a joint. I know I always did.

If You know someone who might be a heavy stoner, share this article with them. This article has been written both from personal experience and with a lot of research behind it (my main 9–5 job is writing about cannabis and psychedelics 8 hours a day). I intentionally left all sources away from it, because if You never looked at cannabis with this perspective…

Well, it will take some time and serious content to start to change how You perceive Yourself and Your relationships with cannabis.

And only You can fight it! But in order to stand a chance, somebody has to be there to support Your journey down from the constant high. Pun intended.

Blaze it responsibly!