Quote Originally Posted by FindingTim
I would like to add one more important note to this post: The negative effects that I perceived were somewhat subtle. It wasn't like, "wow, my social skills are a complete mess after tons of smoking." It was something that I had to pay close attention to, and I've been paying attention to it very closely for some time now. The key word here is subtle, because the negative effects of pot are not obvious. In fact, if one is obsessed with pot (like I was), it is easy to dismiss the negative aspects. Before I began to notice all the negatives, I had to come to terms with the fact that marijuana isn't the perfect, god-sent miracle that I once thought it to be (I am actually agnostic, but that's besides the point). Based on observations of myself and my close weed-smoking friends, marijuana slowly creeps up on you, and before you know it, you aren't who you thought you were or who you want to be. I really think huge potheads would be doing themselves a favor by asking themselves, "Is this truly the person I want to be?"

Luckily, I have found that the heavy smoking seems to have little long-term effects, if any. Having not smoked for some time now, my mind is in its original state of clarity, and thankfully, I am once again who I truly want to be...

If any of you are at all questioning your pot habit, I strongly recommend not smoking for a week or two. You will be blown away at the improvement in mental clarity and overall life quality.

Of course, everything I've mentioned is based on marijuana abuse. I have never experimented with just taking a couple of rips off a joint every now and then. In my situation, it was either get way faded, or don't smoke.
I am that I am and that is who i want to be. I don't think what you're saying there necessarily holds, the effects are different with everyone in some subtle ways like you say. I know that if i continue to smoke i'll know exactly who i am and who i want to be and who i have already become. To know oneself one must assert oneself.