Addicted to Cannabis or Nicotine?

[jenkem]

Here's one for you:
I have been a bit of an avid weed smoker for the last 1-2 years. Nothing too over-the-top or anything, about once or twice a week, with a fair few gaps of a month or so here and there. Recently I increased my intake, as my friends and I all really got into it for a period. Basically smoked every day for about 2-3 weeks.

After this period, about three weeks ago, I had to slow down, so I didn't smoke for about five days, and at the moment smoke about twice a week. I seemed to be getting cravings for weed - nothing unmanageable - at about the point where if I have weed in my house or something I'm VERY tempted to smoke a few, and if my friends are smoking, I'm for sure down there with them. I could pretty much say that yes, I do have some degree of emotional dependence on the stuff.

But then it hit me. I have literally NEVER smoked a cigarette in my life. Just never started. But I ALWAYS spin tobacco with my weed. I've pretty much convinced myself that I'm not addicted to cannabis, but rather nicotine based on these factors:

• I, almost subconsciously, much prefer my weed, and enjoy it more, when it's spun with tobacco, and have never really understood why. (always put it down to taste/burns better).
• When I smoked for a longer period of time and even more frequently at the start of this year, however rarely spun it with tobacco because I hardly ever had any for some reason, I didn't feel addicted at all, and actually voluntarily stopped on account of it "losing the magic" after about a month of daily use.
• I actually get pretty bad cravings to go and smoke weed, but since I have never smoked tobacco alone, I don't know if I'm just craving that.

Do you guys think its likely for one to become addicted to Nicotine, even though you consume a relatively small amount when spinning compared to a full on smoker, or am I more likely to be addicted to cannabis?

 

[psycosynthesis]

I would say that your addiction is both a physical dependency on the nicotine in the mix and a physiological dependency on the 'stoned' state.

Since your use of tobacco is limited to mixing it with weed, your nicotine cravings are associated with the process and action of this. Same way someone who simply smoked would think about taking a ciggie from a packet, sparking up etc...you think of rolling that phat spliff, or chopping up that phat mix,

When I used to punch cones like a trooper I would always mix, and relished the nicotine head-rush after a bong. Never smoked ciggies either.

 

[peaked]

In my experience, tobacco is far more addictive than cannabis. I've been smoking cannabis daily for many years now, and on the few occasions that I took a break, though I would be mentally craving to get high, there wouldn't really be any drastic side effects.

In more recent times however, I started mixing - something which in the past I'd been strongly opposed to (due to the additional dangers of tobacco, and the way it ruins the good flavor of cannabis). My justification for it was that it would allow the weed to go "further". Since tobacco also has a very immediate effect (usually before you've exhaled) I thought that this would probably result in smoking less cones. With cannabis, it takes a few minutes to kick in. Many people will smoke until they feel effects, even though those are the effects of the first hit and not the subsequent ones that they consumed. A strong hit of baccy added in leaves me immediately satisfied, and not desiring to smoke another. Not immediately anyhow.

The problem is that, even though I was smoking less at each "session", I was smoking more times a day - often when I didn't even need the weed hit, just because my body felt like the tobacco. For a number of months now I've been mixing about 1 cigarette worth of tobacco a day with weed, and I find that if I run out of tobacco, even if I have heaps of weed I won't be satisfied. I'll be craving the tobacco far more than I ever craved cannabis. I rarely smoke cigarettes myself either.

I can't say I'm very keen on mixing, and once this last cigarette I've got is finished, I don't plan on buying any more. It definitely seems to have increased my appetite for smoking, and side effects already seem stronger and more apparent.

 

[bustabraincell]

I was smoking weed way before I smoked tobacco. Where I grew up, ganja was ganja, and tobacco was tobacco, and never the two did meet. in fact the first time I was offered a cone in Aus, I partook and exploded in a coughing fit, and said "what the hell was that!!!?" I always did prefer a straight smoke than one with spin, and now I only smoke tobacco, (unfortunately) and it is a massive habit to shake perhaps due to its availability.

 

[krane]

Try some Magic Mull Mix. Really good tobacco replacement (or you can even use both together). Happy High Herbs sell it, google for website. I thoroughly recommend it, much better smoke, much cleaner high. And you feel better in the morning too. No horrible nicotine cravings. After quitting the baccy i realised that 90% of the craving for weed are nicotine related. It doesn't kill them completely, if you like your weed, you're gonna crave it every now and then, but the pull is a lot weaker and manageable.

 

[expothead]

Wow - this topic is ever so close to my heart!

I'm convinced it's the nicotine.

Like the OP I seldom smoke cigarettes alone, but have mixed my weed with tobacco for over 25 years... It stops the cough (I believe nicotine is a cough suppressant 8) ), and it gives a nice hit which is followed by the cannabis afterglow.

Recently (like in the last week or two), i've given the ciggies the flick (again) and have never felt better. It's almost too good to be true, but all my bad habits associated with smoking have vanished, and I feel like i'm in control once again. Any normal day, i'd be writing this post stoned at 9am - probably even slipping away for a quickie between sentences - but without the tobacco I have no cravings or desire to smoke at all.

Sure, it's early days and i'll probably get some nicotine withdrawal symptoms soon, but its a start...

When I do have a smoke, like last night, i'm quite satisfied sitting on a single cone and simply enjoying the cannabis. The stone seems much more mellow in fact it really creeps up on you whereas tobacco seems to add a manic edge to it. (I wasn't even going to have a smoke last night, but then Drawn Together almost demands it.)

Additionally, I also packed up the bong and now just use a filtered brass pipe.

 

[KompelZ]

Quitting both of them was the best drug-related decision I ever made. Fuck cigarettes--they don't get you high. The mild head spin and relaxation isn't worth the cancer and other problems--isn't worth the money either. Fuck weed as well, there are way more euphoric drugs that don't fuck your health up as bad as pot. Most pot heads are unmotivated, paranoid and usually suffer depression/anxiety (I'm convinced this is how I ended up with said conditions). Marijuana is probably the most anti-social drug in history.

Sorry for posting such a silly diatribe, but yeah, fuck both of them off.

 

[mushi mushi 88]

I use to smoke cigaretts when I was younger for maybe a year and a half max but then quit... Anyways I have never spun my weed always smoked it green I find the taste is a lot better and it feels easier on the throat IMO and is just a better sort of high.

Anyways I was meant to quit smoking green when this year started, sort of a new years revolution, but I am always around it and getting it for people so have been having trouble stopping, I still smoke it everyday but not as much as I use to I guess.

When I wake up in the mornings on the weekend I feel fine and feel like I don't need a cone but I go through the usual stages and end up having one anyways after I have it I really wish I hadn't had it and that I was straight....

 

[expothead]

... Fuck weed as well, there are way more euphoric drugs that don't fuck your health up as bad as pot. ...

like Rikodeine?

 

[ValeTudo]

when i was in high school, we spun weed with tobacco because there was 10 blokes wanting to share 1 or 2g. now im an adult with lots of money. fuck that shit. there is no reasonable non-financial basis for spinning weed especially if you dont smoke cigs.

 

[Dave82]

If you smoke without tobacco it is way too harsh, at least I find it that way. I dont think you can come to the conclusion that you are addicted to nicotine and not pot. You definitely have some degree of psychological dependence to it. I used to smoke quite regularly, probably similar to what your doing. You get bored of it after a while and just stop.

 

[the_ketaman]

Ive only smoked pot without tobacco on very few occasions when smokes were not available and usually I didnt like it, spun mull has a very different high to straight weed IMO, and I cough lots more whereas most people who smoke straight, then try a cone with tobacco cough their guts up, strange ey. Though usually hippy types over 40 smoke straight, but thats around here, like most of my mates parents smoke straight, nearly everyone under that age range smoke with 1/2 pot 1/2 tobacco, but if you smoke straight good on ya, at least your going to have a lot less people bumming cones off you. Everytime ive seen someone with straight weed get asked for a cone by someone who smokes with tobacco, as soon as they find out its straight they usually just say forget it but thanks anyway, I know I would, straght weed kills me.

Be careful to those who smoke weed and dont smoke cigs. Alot of people I know who are addicted to pot(smoke LOTS everyday) became addicted to cigs because when no weed was available they chain smoked, then over time just ended up smoking both. Ive seen this happen too many time. But If I had unlimited acess to weed id probly never smoe a cig again in my life, I just dont get the desire when im stoned, cigs by themselves ruin the weed high for me.

And yes WD's from nicotine suck, theyre almost subconscious, I just get really shitty and anxious, but I dont realise it was from nicotine till I have a cig then I feel fine. Nicotine and all the other shit in smokes are so bad...The one drug id like to see illegalised is tobacco so for all you undercovers watching this site, go tell your little men in blue that tobacco sucks ass.

 

[rainbowenergy]

dunno about you but im addicted to the beautiful feelings of relaxation and peace marihuana brings, the tobacco is in their - 1/8 of the mix - only to bring the mull to cherry and to get the non nicotine smokers in the circle sick when theirs a sesh lol. God i love weed

 

[KompelZ]

like Rikodeine?

Is that supposed to be a smart-ass comment?

Personally, I find codeine and dihydrocodeine to be far superior to marijunana/hash, but that's just me. There's absolutely no paranoia or anxiety, just relaxation and mild euphoria--no ill-health effects either. Benzos and opiates are where it's at people, just try not to get physically dependent, that's when it gets ugly. Oh, and occasional use of stimulants never hurt anyone either. I think MDMA saved my life, lol.

My anxiety and depression are bad enough when I'm sober, I don't need drugs that exacerbate the conditions further. Every time I smoke dope I get panic attacks, and I used to smoke the shit all day everyday. No other drug does that to me, even coming down from a meth binge isn't that bad. Fuck weed.

 

[Chesai]

edited because I was being a smart ass.... sorry 'bout that.

 

[expothead]

like Rikodeine?

Is that supposed to be a smart-ass comment?

Well yes actually. I just thought you were being a little hypocritical. I also felt a little insulted with the line that most pot-heads are unmotivated, paranoid and usually suffer depression/anxiety, but perhaps i'm just paranoid. 8)

For me the jury's still out to lunch on the connection between pot and depression. My current theory is that if you do anything really enjoyable often enough and have to stop then there will be some feeling of loss and depression. The fact that you can smoke lots of pot everyday and get away with relatively few side effects and even function for that matter is, I think, the key. I certainly couldn't get pissed, roll or take mushrooms daily.

Getting back on topic though, if I was to start mixing with tobacco again (which i'm determined this time to avoid) I'd lose the little control i've gained. Another perspective is when I ran out of cigarettes I could never bring myself to smoke straight and would be forced to hit the shops to get my "drug of choice". When I ran out of dope, however, I was reasonably happy to smoke a few straight tobacco cones (for a while). Sad but true.

I'm sure there's some addiction to the bong and the preparation in there as well.

 

[psycosynthesis]

^For sure. Used to love chopping up the mix/packing that first cone/sucking it down.

 

[KompelZ]

Well yes actually. I just thought you were being a little hypocritical. I also felt a little insulted with the line that most pot-heads are unmotivated, paranoid and usually suffer depression/anxiety, but perhaps i'm just paranoid. 8)

For me the jury's still out to lunch on the connection between pot and depression. My current theory is that if you do anything really enjoyable often enough and have to stop then there will be some feeling of loss and depression. The fact that you can smoke lots of pot everyday and get away with relatively few side effects and even function for that matter is, I think, the key. I certainly couldn't get pissed, roll or take mushrooms daily.

I'm sure there's some addiction to the bong and the preparation in there as well.

You have no idea what the fuck you're talking about. Are you a real pothead or what? Bongs only have 'some' addiction? Do you mean weed alone or weed mixed with tobacco? Obviously, mixed with tobacco will produce more physical dependence. Still, marijuana alone is one of the most psychologically addictive drugs I've ever come across. Come back and talk to me when you and all of your friends need the shit everyday just to feel normal. Then I'll respect your opinion on the subject. Go back and read my post properly as well; I wasn't getting depressed/anxious because I had to quit weed. I quit weed because I was getting depressed and anxious. Big fucking difference moron.

Marijuana is hazardous to your health, it has more known carcinogens than tobacco. Smoking bongs is also counter-productive. Although the water filters out some of the shit, it still pushes smoke deeper into your lungs, which fucks you up in the long-run.

How the fuck am I being hypocritical? Because I say opiates are better for your health than weed? They are, and I have the research to back me up on this. Opiates come out better than alcohol and tobacco as well. Physical harm that results from opiate use comes about from the practices used to administrate the drug, not from the drug itself. Once again, big difference. Same could be said for weed though; but how many potheads do you know that only eat the shit?

Banging dope of an unknown purity with unsterilized equipment will seriously shorten your life. However, if I took pure codeine everyday and you smoke bongs everyday, I guarantee I'd live longer and be healthier. That's a fact.

 

[the_ketaman]

I'll agree that weed is one of the most psychologically addictive drugs on the planet. Its sucks when you think you need weed to feel normal when in fact your not normal stoned or when hanging out for a bong, I never feel normal when im heavy into the weed(not now thank god) only after ive been off the stuff for about a week do I start feeling mentally healthy.

 

[ValeTudo]

smoking greenery will impact your body and banging dope will impact your professional/social. debating which is worse has fuckall to do with whether mixing tobacco will increase cannabis withdrawl. 2c