• Cannabis Discussion Welcome Guest
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules

I don’t know if I can smoke weed anymore

AngelsandFairiesarereal

AngelsandFairiesarereal

Bluelighter
Joined
Dec 17, 2022
Messages
1,276
I didn’t know where to post this. I’ve been smoking weed for years, I started at like age 11 & I’m 39 now, & it’s always been my go to. Between everything else, drug use, medications, me quitting drinking 6 years ago bla bla. Anyways smoking weed has always relaxed me, helped me eat when I can’t, helped migraines ect. I mean I’ve been a regular smoker with MJ in the same way maybe people smoke cigarettes or whatever.
However in the last couple years I sometimes get anxiety when I smoke it sometimes & no clue why as it’s always helped relax a little.

I take other meds & have had some stressful life occurrences so I’ve wondered if that has anything to do with it (like if the mj is just emphasizing how I’m feeling or something) but at the same time I’ve definitely gone through many crazy stressful life circumstances in the past & it didn’t cause anxiety so I don’t know.

I’m confused, have I just smoked so much in my life that … I don’t even know, I’m really not sure what changed. I still haven’t stopped smoking just less. In the last couple years I have noticed when I don’t smoke it I really want to & when I finally do I’m able to eat & sometimes sleep a little later that night. But still have been having the initial anxiety spikes when I first smoke it for a little until the benefits of me being able to eat & stuff kick in.

It’s always been part of my morning, have a coffee or tea & smoke a little. But the last couple mornings I’ve definitely felt some anxiety spikes after. I mean I guess I should try to cut it out a little more, it’s just a shame because I love weed.

*even last month I ran out of clonazepam early & when I tried to smoke to help it actually made me feel more anxiety?

I don’t know, I figured I’d reach out & ask if anyone’s been through something like this
 
This is fluctuating by me. Undeniably associated to life circumstances, but I don't want to glamourize it, weed is dumb lol and I don't always know what is happening about it.
You can smoke weed obviously but do you want to?
Just ask next time from yourself if you'd rather be sober.
 
Yes definitely connected with lifes trials past and present for me also. I was always under the impression that I functioned with more clarity and it helped my creativity though this I have proved many times to myself is a fallacy. It makes me focus on the things that arent important while putting aside things that are. When an important issue arises that stresses me I get stoned and move on to something I enjoy. Nothing like circular reasoning.
 
Moved to Cannabis Discussion :)

I've known lots of people to describe similar feelings. I've been smoking daily since my teens. I don't believe I've experienced exactly what you're going through @AngelsandFairiesarereal but I will say that Cannabis use has its ups and downs for sure. Cannabis has always been a little different than other substances for me. I was an Opiate addict and an Alcoholic for years. Those substances were things I took to completely numb myself. Feel good, feel great, feel nothing, whatever, that's what I was getting from those substances; an ability to check out completely.

Cannabis for me can make me feel anxious and kind of dysphoric or it can make me feel totally at peace and joyful. I think the primary factor in how I feel after smoking is influenced by actual things in my life. I think things that I manage to push down or compartmentalize often come to the surface when I smoke. When I'm doing the right things in my life, not ashamed of my actions, I rarely have this experience from Cannabis. I could call this valuable catharsis or just a bad time depending upon how I look at it.

I know everyone talks about how different strains are so radically different from one another like "this one will make you go fucking apeshit, crazy, saucer-plate-pupils, clean the house and scrub the baseboards" "This one will completely anesthetize you" "This one is just great for conversation really, great for parties". After experiencing so much different weed in my life, I don't put a lot of stock into this. I definitely agree that there are differences from strain to strain, but I still believe that the general experience follows a similar trajectory regardless of the bud.

I really do think that how I experience Cannabis is mostly influenced by my own life and thoughts prior to smoking. It's possible that after living life for a while, you just outgrow it like how we outgrow other things. I know, I'm sitting here right now thinking it would be insane for me to ever stop smoking, but who knows. There could also be an innate chemical thing going on based upon changes in our bodies as a result of aging or "man-o-pause" or whatever. It's an interesting subject.
 
If you are no longer enjoying the high or benefits of cannabis maybe its time for a break whether that lasts days, weeks, months or even years or maybe you wont try it ever again. The THC levels are always rising so this is a factor to consider , i would recomend though trying a lower dose and see how you feel i see a pattern (not for everyone) that older, regular users seem to prefer cutting down and having smaller amounts and no longer have a big amount in a small space of time. It can also be what is going on in your life changing too. The fact you are taking clonazepam leads me to say perhaps you should consider 'weaker' strains or doses for sure to see if you improve
 
I've never been a chronic user but whenever i've touched on that lifestyle, i've had those same emotional alerts.

For me, smoking every day after my daily tasks is okay while smoking all day long is an impermissible waste of life. Could be the same for you, only that you're a bit less sensitive to this particular thing and could tolerate chronic smoking for a while. Or maybe you need to put it down altogether for a while like you suggest.
 
Wow thank you guys so much for the great feedback & food for thought. I would normally write more but I’m super tired, just wanted to thank you. I will come back on here later & reread what you all wrote it’s definitely helpful
 
I always felt it very strongly, and in my late 30's stopped it more or less, and any time I did smoke at a soiree or something, I got a bit paranoid.
I started again at 68 and at first was a bit anxious, but now it is a lovely dreamy thing with great visuals etc.
I never really stopped lsd shrooms etc.
 
Salutations AngelsandFairiesarereal,

Please just promise you won't fall for the temptation to distribute blame onto cannabis, us the consumers or even yourself actually. The failure is collective, not only individual and the imbalance is huge since most cannabis enthousiasts start at an early age when our "Z-elite$" are armed with the resources put in place since practically the victorian age, e.g. unsuspecting vulnerable youth being denied health-wise cannabis emancipation by $elf-$erving predator$ much more preoccupied with their own image in front of cameras if you ask me!

Good day, have fun!! ☮️
 
There have been many, many posts on this site describing the situation you just outlined, i.e. I used to love smoking herb in my youth, now I'm in my 30s or something and smoking weed gives me anxiety.

For example, here's another one I commented in:

Extreme anxiety when smoking weed

Hi , I have smoked weed my whole life , when i was 22 i was on a ssri called paxil . I had problems with that shitty aids ssri so i CT the paxil . Ever since then i get anxiety from weed . Continued to smoke with anxiety cause i was such a podhead. Now i am 32 and still smoke some weed but...
bluelight.org bluelight.org

The things I suggested in my post there are relevant in this thread too.

TBH I think that cannabis is always at least POTENTIALLY anxiety-provoking...even hardened potheads will sometimes still get periodic times when they'll get "noided", and if you regularly use a drug like clonazepam I imagine that could get even more magnified if you smoke chronic and don't have any tranquilizers to tone it down

Maybe try some of the simple solutions in my post and others, then if you still aren't having a good time, write it off and find something that you do like. You can always revisit it at some future day if you feel like it.
 
So I've been in this situation a handful of times and every time it's a no-brainer.

Weed is important to you. It's your pass-time, your medicine, your drug, your escape, your crutch... but you've reached a point where the negatives of use/abuse are outweighing the positives and once you make that realization, my brother, you need to stop. Cool down a little, take a break.

There will always be a bit of ganja waiting for you with open arms upon your return. Keep playing games with your mental state, however, and you might find that you don't recognize yourself when you finally reach your own personal breaking point/rock bottom... and again, I just gotta say that it's never fun feeling like a stranger in your own head.

Best of luck to you, AngelsandFairiesarereal
 
Hey @AngelsandFairiesarereal, just wanted to drop my .02 here.

Are you still smoking flower or have you transitioned to concentrates like wax? The reason I ask is someone came here a few months ago reporting similar issues and the conclusion was that they were taking monster dab hits. Shit like that is way more powerful than traditional flower, especially the variety you were probably smoking as a youngster.

Also, I suspect due to modern technology and breeding practices, the weed you are smoking simply has a higher THC content than what you used to smoke. Yes we are older but also what comes with age is coping with the fact that flower is getting more and more potent. Less is more.

One thing I started doing when cannabis-induced paranoia and anxiety began creeping into my life was simply to take smaller hits fewer times throughout the day. When I was in my teens and twenties I could take giant lung-filling bong rips and get blazed for shits and giggles then go straight to my job and drive a forklift. Now that I'm older, I don't even touch bongs anymore. In fact I keep a small glass spoon pipe at my friend's house because he always uses a bong. I can't do that now without risking a panic attack. These days I prefer a long-ish lasting light buzz as opposed to the instant gratification of getting blitzed all at once. ymmv
 
Only smoke when you are in a non-stressful state. With me, I only smoke around the people in my life I am most comfortable with.

I have a "weed friend" who I smoke with sparingly only. Since I have to drive home after smoking with him, I generally get anxious about the drive. So, I have a visit and chat a while straight and then smoke just a bit before I hit the road (if I'm even gonna smoke). I might just not know him well enough yet to be uber comfortable as well.

I'm honest with him. He kids and calls me a "light weight" sometimes. I laugh. It's all good.

Having a crisis or two in your life can make the smoking less comfortable as well. Take a break and take care of business.


Also, smoke less... or a whole lot more. ;)
 
I find pathetic the slopiness in confusing everything just to miss the spot trying to distribute blame while every word counts. For example did one make contact with cannabis via systemic abuse only to fail assuming responsability later...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top