Marijuana Addiction Is Real. Those Struggling Often Face Skepticism

Re:Marijuana Addiction Is Real. Those Struggling Often Face ... by tyleo on Monday July 31, 2023 @08:01PM (#36950587)

I was a heavy smoker through college living in a state where I could only buy through dealers. I was hanging out with one of my dealers once when they said, “if I drank as much as I smoked I’d be an alcoholic.” I realized I was an addict at that point but I didn’t think I had a problem. After all, I passed college with good grades and got a good job. I was generally happy and had few bad experiences on marijuana vastly outweighed by good ones.

Two things really bothered me though:

1. Any amount of smoking is bad for your lungs and I take my health seriously.

2. I don’t like the idea that a substance of any sort had power over me.

I made 2 changes after graduation to get things back under control:

1. I only do edibles except on special occasions like 04-20 or a holiday with friends. So few that I can count the number of times a year on one hand.

2. I only consume marijuana every other month.

I now consider myself a joyful consumer of the product because I prefer marijuana to alcohol on nights out with friends. I feel more in control and less tired the following day. Hitting the breaks every other month resets me. It proves to myself I’m still in control and keeps any cravings and tolerance down at a reasonable level.

I’m not sure if this will work for anyone else but thought I’d share.

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Re:Marijuana Addiction Is Real. Those Struggling Often Face ... by blackSnake on Tuesday August 01, 2023 @05:10PM (#36962993)

To share, a friend of mine has brought some edibles to his doctor and tested positive for small amounts of trace metals. This is from a legitimate dispensary but I imagine they are not really put thru their proper traces when testing for quality control. Its prolly fine once in a blue moon but if you are consuming edibles regularly, it can stack and create worse problems then smoking it. Smoking is a bit more pure in some ways as its only one ingredient VS. who knows how the edibles are made, the process they use, how much it is actually regulated, packaged, etc. Ive had edibles that get me pretty lifted and the next day I'm pretty good and not beat up too bad. Then ill try a different brand and it'll get me just as lifted, but I feel way more sluggish, like it took more out of me. The best I found in terms of taking a toll on your body, is the water-soluble edibles. Those seem to be cleaner.

At the very best, cannabis is neutral. You can have positive experiences but you pay a price with your body over time. Its unsustainable if you are looking to follow a trajectory that is positive over time for your physical, spiritual, and mental well-being. If you are looking to have transformative experiences in your life, I dont think cannabis will help. If you are looking to chill, cannabis really works

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Re:Marijuana Addiction Is Real. Those Struggling Often Face ... by hollerith on Tuesday August 01, 2023 @05:13PM (#36963049)

>a friend of mine has brought some edibles to his doctor and tested positive for small amounts of trace metals. This is from a legitimate dispensary but I imagine they are not really put thru their proper traces when testing for quality control. Its prolly fine once in a blue moon but if you are consuming edibles regularly, it can stack and create worse problems then smoking it.

Why do you think that smoking the "trace metals" (I assume you mean heavy metals--and if you are curious why there would be heavy metals like lead and mercury in marijuana, it is because the seller's income is directly proportional to the weight of the product, and adding heavy metals adds weight) is healthier than eating it?

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Re:Marijuana Addiction Is Real. Those Struggling Often Face ... by blackSnake on Friday August 04, 2023 @06:21AM (#36997897)

The flower didn't test positive for metals, just the edibles. I think my friend said the edibles tested positive for aluminum and fluorocarbons? Dont recall specifically.

My feeling is the body has an easier time breaking down smoke VS. the metals snd flurocarbons which could stay in your system a while and stack. The lesser of two evils?? lol If the edibles are "clean" then they take less of a toll than smoking but if they are not (metals, shitty ingredients) then smoking the flower might be better. I'm not too familiar how much of a toll trace metals and flurocarbons affect the body and how hard/easy it is for the body to get rid and eliminate, for example, aluminum. Seems like smoke might be less of a foreign element to the body and it knows how to break down easier. Either way, drugs are bad but fun =D

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