Ways of quitting cannabis

[ethos_and_logic]

Needless suffering

Marijuana is a terrible drug that needs to never be used. SO many people have lost their live over this dangerous addictive drug. Millions of addicts around the world only live to experience that next use. Killing and stealing become like eating and breathing, nothing can stop someone once they are addicted. This drug needs to carry a penalty of death. We can only depend on them to keep us safe from ourselves. We need protection from ourselves, we need one to police us. Stop this drug from proliferating farther, before you have to watch your children fall to his dangerous substance. I have watched to many of my friends die from this, it needs to stop.

 

[BiG StroOnZ]

^lmao

I didn't say that all you where doing is flaming. You seem to be ignoring all my points. Did you even read my post? Why don't you actually respond to some of what I said above? I don't really think it was a rant. I was discussing the mechanics of addiction and made several new points. A long post is not a rant.

You did. I read your post, you brought up the same arguments as every single other person in this thread; except jumbled into one post. The opening was a rant, against myself and Winner...

I was only pointing out my experience of reading your posts. I didn't say all your posts where bad. I was just pointing out how SOME of you comments have no place in a debate.

Read the above reply.

Only opinions? I mean someone did post medical studies. That is the closest we are going to get to facts here. I don't think you have posted any facts either. It is all about personal experience. I think what I posted above shows how WD severity can vary fairly well. How am I an oxymoron? What have I said that is contradictory? I don't even think a person can be an oxymoron, it is used to refer to a phrase that contradicts itself no?

The medical studies, imo, are inaccurate. My reasons were stated in a previous post. They don't hold up. The scientific explanation, doesn't justify the people who don't experience the w/d at all and the fact that the amount of people who do experience are a small group.

Oxymoron is a noun... 8)

I think you meant to call me an hypocrite by saying that my posts are inappropriate themselves but that isn't really true because I responded to quite a few of your points and made some new ones. Either that or you where just calling me a moron at which point this debate has really degenerated.

I didn't mean hypocrite, or moron, I meant you yourself are a combination of contradictory or incongruous words by pointing out everything you considered a flame on my part; then replying by flaming back... in second sentence alone

Also, Could you elaborate a bit more on how these things are imagined? How come some imagine these symptoms and others don't? What are the causes of these false sensations? Can you please respond particularly to how I experienced feelings of hot/sweating and cold/shivering. (This was when I quit after prolonged oral THC intake which is even more powerful than smoked IMO. At high doses it has an almost opiate like effect).

I elaborated plenty of times on my understanding of them being imagined. They're psychological symptoms. That's why some experience them and others don't. People forget Cannabis Marijuana is a powerful psychedelic, it's only after you get used to it that you consider it a minor hallucinogenic substance. What would happen if someone ate .4-.8 grams (at this dosage, you may only experience some euphoria, color enhancement, body buzz and a sense of well-being) of Psilocybin cubensis mushrooms daily, multiple times throughout the day, for a long period of time and then suddenly stopped? Your body and mind are not going to know what the hell is going on. It's been taking a psychedelic substance, repeatably over the course of a day, for months and then one day you just take it away. Psilocybin cubensis is not addictive, as are most psychedelics. When you abuse them, and become a habitual user. They then begin to play tricks on your body and mind. Now just replace the word Psilocybin cubensis, with Cannabis and maybe you can see what I'm saying.

This is the best example I could come up with, but people forget what Cannabis really is. They also forget what it was like smoking the first or second time. Once they get used to it, and they lose touch with how strong THC (not to mention all the other Cannabinoids) actually is. You were consuming THC orally, which is known to be much more psychedelic than smoking it. "Edibles" could be compared to my Psilocybe scenario, because orally for some reason. THC metabolizes differently in the body, and the effects of THC are more pronounced; if not entirely different, taking on new aspects altogether (for most users).

 

[The Winner!!]

The opening was a rant, against myself and Winner...

THE winner :>

 

[swilow]

I elaborated plenty of times on my understanding of them being imagined. They're psychological symptoms.

Big Stroonz, you seem to think theres something seperate between body and mind. Consider that the mind is probably part of the brain, which, in turn, is part of the body- psychological symptoms have to be physical if they are produced by the brain organ we have.

Which pretty much says they are "better" at handling life, and therefore opinion worth more (using the same sick moral that the people are trying to prove them wrong are.)

Aha! Okay

 

[Delta-9-THC]

Big Stroonz: Atleast 2 new arguments that I introduced at the bottom of my post that you have ignored. The comparison of cannabis to tobacco. And the potential for anxiety rebound to play a part in determining WD severity. I also nullified your chocolate cake comparison. The only thing I really repeated was how everyone is different and your experience isn't the only correct one.

Here is another study that says cannabis WD is as strong as tobacco:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-01/jhmi-mwa012408.php

You mushrooms comparison also doesn't work because if you took .5g mushrooms everyday, by the 4th day it wouldn't do anything to you and you would feel absolutely nothing and when you quit you would have NO problems at all. Shrooms have basically 0 addiction potential for most people. Cannabis on the other hand has been shown to have a certain amount of pull because it can be used more hedonistically than mushrooms. Mushrooms forces you to confront your problems IMO and is not recreational (for me). Cannabis on the other hand can be quite pleasurable and hedonistic. Even if mushrooms where used everyday for a month you wouldn't experience physical withdrawal and I doubt you would have any mental cravings.

Again, I never claimed ALL of your posts where inflammatory/inappropriate in a debate. I said SOME. Here is the quote: "Some of your posts(both The Winner and Big Stroonz) reek of arrogance." True, I could have toned my language down a bit but the sentiment still stands. Just because I called you out on the air of superiority that permeates some of your posts doesn't make it a rant. That was the least important part of my post and the only part you seemed to read and focus on. The only reason I opened with that is so I could get commenting on the BS going on in this thread out of the way before making my real argument.

Again, all your argument adds up to is "it's all in your head". Your explanation for how makes no sense.

Edit: also, your right, oxymoron is a noun but not in the way you used it. It is a phrase that contradicts itself, not a person. You meant to say hypocrite which can mean: " a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings"

This argument has degenerated into a pathetic mess.

 

[BiG StroOnZ]

Big Stroonz, you seem to think theres something seperate between body and mind. Consider that the mind is probably part of the brain, which, in turn, is part of the body- psychological symptoms have to be physical if they are produced by the brain organ we have.

I do. The body has a mind of its own

You meant to say hypocrite...

› No, I didn't. I was using the word in the context that I wanted to... as a title.

› cannabis is not as strong as nicotine.

› my mushroom comparison doesn't work because you don't want it to

 

[me0307]

 

[Delta-9-THC]

Big Stroonz:

LOL alright I think you just ended the argument right there.

Thanks for responding in a mature way instead of skirting by everything I said and pulling facts out of your ass.

Cannabis is actually a bit more powerful than tobacco overall IME so it is not surprising that they have comparable WD symptoms. That study confirms this. So I at least have some data backing me. Just like tobacco, some people have more trouble quitting than others.

 

[The Winner!!]

no shit huh?

 

[BiG StroOnZ]

Big Stroonz:
LOL alright I think you just ended the argument right there.

Thanks for responding in a mature way instead of skirting by everything I said and pulling facts out of your ass.

Cannabis is actually a bit more powerful than tobacco overall IME so it is not surprising that they have comparable WD symptoms. That study confirms this. So I at least have some data backing me. Just like tobacco, some people have more trouble quitting than others.

If you believe Cannabis is more powerful than tobacco, and even worse, you believe in a study that confirms that; then I feel sorry for you

The argument was ended a long time ago.

The side that says Cannabis is hardly addictive and depends on the user; stressed that point and nothing more.

The side that wants to claim, no it indefinitely has addicting properties (the plant itself). Keeps trying to exclaim this point, using hardly factual evidence that doesn't add up and/or biased propagandized studies...

Like the people who try to refute, saying that one Cannabis Joint has more tar and toxins than a whole pack of cigarettes. Then they say look at the experiment, " it was based off of a scientific study" lol sure it was...

I tried to respond in a mature way, but some of you are plain ridiculous. Get off of Bluelight.ru and join the DEA already... If not I'm sure you can settle with a nice career, working for "AboveTheInfluence" 8)

 

[Delta-9-THC]

No one tried to claim anything indefinitely except you. You are the one who is saying that these symptoms are imagined and that cannabis has absolutely no potential to cause unpleasant physical symptoms upon cessation of heavy use. You deny that cannabis has any possibility of being physically addictive. So actually, you are the only one trying to make blanket claims.

I am ridiculous because I am trying to paint a realistic picture of the cannabis addiction and expressing my experiences. No one is trying to demonize you special plant buddy. Stop taking it so personally. You are being very childish.

 

[expothead]

Id be happier if the organisation changed their name to:

National Cannabis Moderation and Information Centre

 

[BiG StroOnZ]

No one tried to claim anything indefinitely except you. You are the one who is saying that these symptoms are imagined and that cannabis has absolutely no potential to cause unpleasant physical symptoms upon cessation of heavy use. You deny that cannabis has any possibility of being physically addictive. So actually, you are the only one trying to make blanket claims.

I am ridiculous because I am trying to paint a realistic picture of the cannabis addiction and expressing my experiences. No one is trying to demonize you special plant buddy. Stop taking it so personally. You are being very childish.

Maybe you should read through the whole thread again, before you start making such statements.

I am making those claims, not denying that, but only because the symptoms have nothing to do with the plant itself. People get addicted all the time to things (excluding drugs) that have no addictive properties. It's user error. I say it's imagined, because it is. People force themselves into thinking they're sick; it happens all the time.

Your painting, is coming out like shit, to put it bluntly. You're spreading misinformation because of your personal problems with the substance; as some people do with Psychedelics, who don't have the mental capacity or strength to endure the experience (then they run around telling everybody "Acid" sucks and "Shroomz" suck... then they snort a 10 foot line of coke 8)). It's not my special plant, I don't even smoke anymore. There's plenty of misinformed people, already running around spewing absolute senselessness on Cannabis. I'm just saying we really don't need anymore...

Trust me, assumption man. I'm not taking it personally. I find this all quite entertaining, actually. If I didn't I wouldn't still be posting in this thread

 

[static_mind]

So you wont listen to government and/or medical studies. Exactly what research will you listen to?

Sounds like your mind is already closed on this one.

 

[jsnake]

How do you quit a Marijuana addiction? Indeed.
Well I've been a daily user since the start of last year, so I've been smoking for a year and a half. The biggest factor that prevents most people from quitting, well from my experience, is that people need weed to get to sleep. So non-prescription sleeping pills could help, although I've never tried them.
Some people have the willpower to quit cold-turkey, others don't. Personally I just stay up all night and try to do something constructive. I can always sleep if I didn't sleep the night before and I'm now so used to all-nighters I don't feel sleepy without sleep.
And I also read somewhere on this thread that you can't get addicted to weed apparently. You can get addicted to any drug fuckhead, you can get addicted to caffeine if you have it enough. Drugs are all in your head, they're just a substance that makes you perceive things differently. You don't get addicted until you treat drugs like an addiction. And until you understand that completely, you will always be a fiend. People become fiends because they use drugs the wrong way. They abuse it. Use drugs, don't abuse them. Use them to reward yourself.

 

[Inso]

You know how I quit Sally? I stopped smoking.

Cannabis is non-addictive...

You are wrong. I know many people, including myself for quite a while in the past, who cannot sleep/eat/wake up etc without it and if forced to go without have very harsh side effects. Just because its non-addictive for YOU, doesn't mean the same applies to others. I don't find coffee addictive yet other people cannot function without it. The first few posts in this thread are rather too hostile for my liking, its a fact that a lot of people get psychologically hooked on weed and while it might not ruin their life it can be VERY difficult to stop, there is nothing wrong with pursuing information that may help these people.

There's no withdrawal what-so-ever and anything that you experience that may feel like w/d is mental.

wrong again

There are withdrawal effects. Again, you haven't had them but others do. The mind and body are intrinsically connected, anything that affects the mind affects the body somewhat too. Stop being so simple minded and think outside your own experience.

In my experience, the best way to quit a heavy habit is slowly tapering down so there is less and less thc in the body; this takes some discipline but is the most stress free way to do it. Start by having the odd day without and slowly phase it down to weekends etc. Going cold turkey can be a bit of shock to the system after years on it all the time.

Also, the OP should be looking for people who were heavy daily users rather than those who 'smoked more than once a week'. Smoking once a week is not going to cause any psychological dependency whatsoever.

 

[Inso]

The person is trying to prevent cannabis use without infromation..

I'm not about to support something like that. As far as I'm concerned stopping smoking weed should be no trouble if your a responsible user in the first place, and if somebody isn't they shouldn't have access to this plant.

The OP is just asking for experiences from anyone who has used cannabis heavily, considers themselves hooked and has managed to stop. Also, anyone who drinks alcohol responsibly is able to stop for any length of time, however a small minority use very irresponsibly and consequently develop an addiction to it. Should we not help them stop because they are irresponsible?

 

[The Trickster]

Fascinating thread ...... how quickly it became so polarised regarding the issue of dependence or not, ......... is cannabis addictive?? It really highlights one of the basic problems with the issue of cannabis and drug law reform, the argument is too polarized, the grey areas are all too frequently disregarded. I personally believe that the cannabis debate, more than any other drug debate, suffers because we don’t want to explore this grey area regarding problematic use.
The reality is that some people have very real issues with cannabis and regardless of definitions of addiction; some find it extremely difficult to give up when the benefits of using are outweighed by the negatives. Fortunately this is not the case for most cannabis users, but for those who do experience problems it can be extremely disabling, and for some, life threatening, culminating in self harm and suicide. Yes, we can all speculate on why this is so, but for these individuals it is very real, regardless of why. And yes, before I’m completely fried and burnt on the stake for my assumptions, I’m the king of speculation. This is just my opinion.

If I’m reading the original post of Sally’s from NCPIC correctly, she was asking for people to get involved in some research regarding problematic cannabis use and giving up. Just to give you some background on NCPIC and its sister organisation NDARC. They are a key component of Australia’s harm reduction strategy and yes, they are funded by the government. And yes, NCPIC was established under the regime of the former, small man syndrome, fascist, conservative, johnny howard (deliberate lower case, disrespect intended).

If you have issues with this, just google NDARC and read. They have done some really interesting research that isn’t based on refer madness and the redneck moral right. If anything the slow movement for drug law reform in Australia will benefit from the evidence generated from organisations like this. Evidenced based research is exactly that, based on evidence.

In this case, NCPIC are seeking the assistance of individuals who have given up despite their problems and are trying to gather this evidence to further assist individuals who may have problems. I can’t see a problem with that.

For what it’s worth I’ve never had problems in my nearly 40 year history of smoking; personally I think cannabis is the fruit of the gods, I know, cliché’. Cannabis agrees with me, at least I think it does.
Interesting side note; all of my elderly friends are grappling with new technologies, DVDs, IPods, Blue Ray etc. There’s only one piece of technology they need and it’s called a vaporizer. Go Harm Reduction!!!!

 

[ranunky]

i'M NOT ADDICTED! I'M NOT I'M NOT I'M NOT! DON'T SAY I AM OR I'LL GET VERY ANGRY RAAAAAAARR WHERE'S MY JOINT

 

[BiG StroOnZ]

So you wont listen to government and/or medical studies. Exactly what research will you listen to?

Non-biased research conducted by neutral institutes... (aka. very few exist) 8)

You are wrong. I know many people, including myself for quite a while in the past, who cannot sleep/eat/wake up etc without it and if forced to go without have very harsh side effects. Just because its non-addictive for YOU, doesn't mean the same applies to others. I don't find coffee addictive yet other people cannot function without it. The first few posts in this thread are rather too hostile for my liking, its a fact that a lot of people get psychologically hooked on weed and while it might not ruin their life it can be VERY difficult to stop, there is nothing wrong with pursuing information that may help these people.

...and I know many people who don't. 8) You seem to be missing the fundamental point of my argument. That it has everything to do with the user and not with the plant.

wrong again

There are withdrawal effects. Again, you haven't had them but others do. The mind and body are intrinsically connected, anything that affects the mind affects the body somewhat too. Stop being so simple minded and think outside your own experience.

In my experience, the best way to quit a heavy habit is slowly tapering down so there is less and less thc in the body; this takes some discipline but is the most stress free way to do it. Start by having the odd day without and slowly phase it down to weekends etc. Going cold turkey can be a bit of shock to the system after years on it all the time.

Also, the OP should be looking for people who were heavy daily users rather than those who 'smoked more than once a week'. Smoking once a week is not going to cause any psychological dependency whatsoever.

No, my understanding is based on more than my experience alone, but by comparing many others (THE MAJORITY) on this issue. The body and mind are connected, but the body also has a mind of its own.

I'm being simple minded? I find that interesting because of your simpleton-like views. Yet, you seem to be so sure you're right and that's the laughable part of your rebuttal.

Another person on the addiction side who can't just agree it has to do with the person and not the Cannabis. The Grey area is that people don't want to set the bar higher for themselves and rather blame something for their problems, because it's easier...