Marijuana Maintenance

[Trevylianos]

Ever heard of people in like AA meetings or anywhere really who quit drinking and use marijuana daily to maintain their sobriety from alcohol? I remember seeing a guy like this going to AA meetings when I was in this halfway house in Batavia, Atwater Mansion. It was a halfway mansion technically. Anyways lol so this older guy who lives in the town was saying he is on marijuana maintenance and I guess it helped him stay off booze.

I don't think it is for me personally but I don't think marijuana is an addictive drug as much as it is medicine. Alcohol to me is not medicine. They did used to prescribe it but some of us are allergic. I'm allergic to marijuana in the sense it triggers another addiction for me I haven't got under control and really cannot have weed triggering me like it does. It's the rare occasion I can get high and not have it triggered and social use would be the best bet to avoid the beast surfacing.

 

[NeverHaddaChance]

Heya! Everyone deserves a response, and I think I've got one for ya

So here's my background with this... I have been a pothead since highschool (now 27), but I also started drinking at a very young age. I now know that seeking to alter my consciousness was based in complex trauma-learned coping and undiagnosed inattentive ADD. I've been through CBT, DBT, and EMDR therapy... and STILL didn't really understand myself as I was never allowed a voice and didn't learn to use the agency an adult has to change their circumstance. Anywho... lol. After finding relief from the ADD, I noticed that I no longer sought to smoke nearly as much. I also felt adversively toward the thought of drinking alcohol. With my experience in mind, I could see the potential to smoke your way through just about any withdrawl that has to do with the dopamine system (weed and alcohol, and just about everything else rewarding tickles those little D1 receptors) so it's practically trading one high for another.

My advice is to proceed with caution there though. Alcohol dependence is particulary nasty withdraw and AFAIK weed doesn't interact in a gabanergic way that would ease that part of it. I would suggest avoiding sativias and sticking to the indicas to avoid increasing risks of seizures. The higher CBD probably makes the difference, so if you don't like smoking maybe trying CBD alone is a good experiement? I'm proud to see that you recognize your reaction to mary jane and have taken steps to make sure to take care of yourself. It took me losing everything to find that I could be my own advocate, and I admire your insight and strength. Don't ever stop fighting for you, and be safe!

***Meth left me with more freetime than I ever thought possible, so I began learning and growing my passion for drug pharmacology and neuroscience. I ain't no doc, yo - but I swear to crackbugs I don't actually talk like that. Please make sure to do your own research and make informed choices.

 

[Mistressofitness]

It is an interesting to ponder this- i.e. is marijuana considered a medicine more than something like than alcohol...I kinda think for people like us here that maybe have addictive tendencies, and that we tend to use most drugs somewhat medicinally..according to how it reacts in our system (as everyone has different reactions to particular substances, some good some bad)...but we use the ones that feel good to us personally to medicate our feelings, to escape....often at our own peril.... And it sounds like from what you have said, if you like a buzz from something, you are going to chase that buzz. So it doesn't really matter what a substance is considered "medicinally" speaking- only matters what adverse affects it shall have on you. Sounds like you know your self pretty well, and if you like it too much, may not be great for you to explore. CBD works quite well for some people- for mood, anxiety, pain, inflammation etc...with no buzz, like NHC said above...maybe worth trying if that's what you need....though evidence (science) is not yet strong enough yet to know for sure....ie needs more research. If you can afford it why not?

 

[NeverHaddaChance]

It is an interesting to ponder this- i.e. is marijuana considered a medicine more than something like than alcohol...I kinda think for people like us here that maybe have addictive tendencies, and that we tend to use most drugs somewhat medicinally..according to how it reacts in our system (as everyone has different reactions to particular substances, some good some bad)...but we use the ones that feel good to us personally to medicate our feelings, to escape....often at our own peril.... And it sounds like from what you have said, if you like a buzz from something, you are going to chase that buzz. So it doesn't really matter what a substance is considered "medicinally" speaking- only matters what adverse affects it shall have on you. Sounds like you know your self pretty well, and if you like it too much, may not be great for you to explore. CBD works quite well for some people- for mood, anxiety, pain, inflammation etc...with no buzz, like NHC said above...maybe worth trying if that's what you need....though evidence (science) is not yet strong enough yet to know for sure....ie needs more research. If you can afford it why not?

I totally agree with medicating for addictive tendencies with marijuana as long as the person got a good reaction and could maintain their life without spiralling into addiction's fallout. There's many different research models for why we use, and there's quite a bit of support for using substances instinctually to maintain homeostasis. Animals do it too, but there's no way to tell if they got high, lol. The problem seems to come from a combination of tolerace (which develops quickly to many drugs) and failing to acknowledge at a certain point you hit the top of the effects curve and only make it harder on yourself. I wanted to escape the boredom so badly I ignored a humiliating number of negatives for a very long time.

I've known some people who didn't have much luck with the CBD and wasted their money, others that a tiny drop totally chilled them out. Definitely research your vendor, although there seem to be a ton of legitimate companies.