Stages of Marijuana Smoking

[FindingTim]

These are the stages of smoking that I went through up until now, starting in my sophomore year of high school. I am now a freshmen at Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles, and I spent about 1/2 of the first semester completely baked. However, I hope this time my abstinence will be permanent. I am posting this in order to both promote my own decision to quit smoking, and to assist anyone who may be blind to their own similar experiences.

Stages:
1. Began pot experimentation around age 15, yet did not use habitually. Found experience to be life-changing . Even began to appreciate nature.

2. Began to smoke on weekends with friends. Created countless priceless memories.
3. Bought first sack, smoked alone for first time.
4. Continued to buy, began to listen to classic rock, and spent many hours on cannabis.com message boards.
5. Began to question marijuana use only because of potential cancer link, but began to smoke even more after reading numerous studies disproving the marijuana/cancer connection.
6. Hardcore marijuana abuse over summer, sometimes going a week at a time without sobering up. In a brainwashed stupor, attempted to persuade many peers to try smoking.
7. Lots of personal marijuana abuse over next two years, with several month long breaks in between.
8. Began to recognize own smoking as an addiction and a problem, yet began to incorporate smoking into almost any type of activity.
9. Began to realize that marijuana use was negatively affecting almost every aspect of life. Quit for a month several times, vowing to not smoke again for years. Continuously relapsed after a months time with justifications such as: â??itâ??s been long enough,â?� and â??Iâ??ll only use occasionally.â?�
10. Each month long break resulted in a mildly skeptical â??welcome backâ?? smoke, which always led to hardcore, 24/7 pot smoking. Despite realizing that pot no longer provided the epic mental journey of sophomore year, continued to use and abuse.
11. Began to pay close attention to levels of happiness and overall emotions while both stoned and sober. Found that happiness, intellect, and even enjoyment of music all were increased during days that followed pot binges, rather than during.
12. Decided that social abilities, intelligence, and emotions are far too precious to waste by smoking pot.


More personal observations:

Positives of Marijuana Abuse:
Get high
Social involvement
Negatives of Marijuana Abuse:
Weight gain (munchies)
Apathy (loss of emotions/feelings/motivation)
Worse physical appearance (droopy eyes, not just while stoned)
Memory loss
Greatly weakened social ability
No sex drive
Increased estrogen (less muscle mass potential)
Learning difficulty
Loss of confidence
Completely different personality
No R.E.M. sleep or dreams
Withdrawal Symptoms:
Sleep disturbance
Wrestlessness
Irritability
Complete appetite loss
Loss in confidence
Mild depression

So, after four years and thousands of bowls (literally), I am done. Oh, and please excuse my signature; I made it a long time ago.

Final 10 cents:
---Dennis Kucinich 08'!--- (He happens to be the most reasonable and peace-minded candidate. Watch him in debates and you too may realize that he is the one candidate capable of making huge, positive change in this country.) :thumbsup:

FindingTim Reviewed by FindingTim on 12-24-2007. Stages of Marijuana Smoking These are the stages of smoking that I went through up until now, starting in my sophomore year of high school. I am now a freshmen at Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles, and I spent about 1/2 of the first semester completely baked. However, I hope this time my abstinence will be permanent. I am posting this in order to both promote my own decision to quit smoking, and to assist anyone who may be blind to their own similar experiences. Stages: 1. Began pot experimentation around age 15, yet Rating: 5

[LIP]

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'm Alex. I smoke roughly 14 grams of cannabis a day, be it hash or weed, or both. Im 6'2", i drive a van, i have 2 properties. I have an advanced driving licence, and im a miserable person. I'm a marine engineer/boatbuilder. I have a girlfriend who has a similar name to me. I was born in East London, and lived there ever since. I'm a cockney. I have 3 vehicles. I have brown hair. I have 2 rings and a necklace that i wear. 10 of my front teeth are crooked. I'm a VERY angry person. I'm a VERY violent person. I do drink, but not excessively. I love my beer. I used to bare knuckle box, and was into organised fighting. From a legal standpoint, im an ex hooligan. I play snooker. I cant stand ANYTHING the Government say or do, and i believe that deserve public execution. I left school at 14. I have a twin diesel 600HP speedboat, and im looking into buying another bigger boat. My favourite aftershave is D&G. I like fishing.

I know exactly who i am. THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD CHANGE, IS THE FACT I WOULDNT BE SMOKING WEED.

Although, something i didnt mention is, i smoke weed medicinally as well as recreationally because of back trouble, knee trouble and headaches. I broke my back, i have something wrong with the cartilidge in my knee. So i smoke to surpress the pain. If i was to stop smoking, i wouldnt be able to drive, and i wouldnt be able to work. So really, if i didnt smoke weed, i'd be poor.

The point is, weed makes my life better in everyway, and couldnt make anything worse if it tried. Weed is just that, it's weed. It's not heroin.

Cannabis, if it has changed me AT ALL, has only changed me for the better.


If you dont like weed, just stop smoking it. But REALLY, stop trying to get people to feel bad for smoking it, or trying to trick them into thinking it's having negative effects on them. If it WAS having negative effects on them, they'll see it themselves. This is a pro cannabis website. Bear that in mind..:thumbsup:

[Reefer Rogue]

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.

[8182KSKUSH]

Wow, good luck to you I hope the best for you. If smoking is not in some way enriching your life then why do it? From what you have said the bad far out weighed the good and it sounds like you are doing the right thing.

[farmgirl]

buddy your smoking the wrong stuff if you have no sex drive,i fing my sex performance becomes somewhat enhanced!but then again us farm chicks smoke some wierd shit!

[LIP]

These are the stages of smoking that I went through up until now, starting in my sophomore year of high school. I am now a freshmen at Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles, and I spent about 1/2 of the first semester completely baked. However, I hope this time my abstinence will be permanent. I am posting this in order to both promote my own decision to quit smoking, and to assist anyone who may be blind to their own similar experiences.

Stages:
1. Began pot experimentation around age 15, yet did not use habitually. Found experience to be life-changing . Even began to appreciate nature.

2. Began to smoke on weekends with friends. Created countless priceless memories.
3. Bought first sack, smoked alone for first time.
4. Continued to buy, began to listen to classic rock, and spent many hours on cannabis.com message boards.
5. Began to question marijuana use only because of potential cancer link, but began to smoke even more after reading numerous studies disproving the marijuana/cancer connection.
6. Hardcore marijuana abuse over summer, sometimes going a week at a time without sobering up. In a brainwashed stupor, attempted to persuade many peers to try smoking.
7. Lots of personal marijuana abuse over next two years, with several month long breaks in between.
8. Began to recognize own smoking as an addiction and a problem, yet began to incorporate smoking into almost any type of activity.
9. Began to realize that marijuana use was negatively affecting almost every aspect of life. Quit for a month several times, vowing to not smoke again for years. Continuously relapsed after a months time with justifications such as: â??itâ??s been long enough,â?� and â??Iâ??ll only use occasionally.â?�
10. Each month long break resulted in a mildly skeptical â??welcome backâ?? smoke, which always led to hardcore, 24/7 pot smoking. Despite realizing that pot no longer provided the epic mental journey of sophomore year, continued to use and abuse.
11. Began to pay close attention to levels of happiness and overall emotions while both stoned and sober. Found that happiness, intellect, and even enjoyment of music all were increased during days that followed pot binges, rather than during.
12. Decided that social abilities, intelligence, and emotions are far too precious to waste by smoking pot.


More personal observations:

Positives of Marijuana Abuse:
Get high
Social involvement
Negatives of Marijuana Abuse:
Weight gain (munchies)
Apathy (loss of emotions/feelings/motivation)
Worse physical appearance (droopy eyes, not just while stoned)
Memory loss
Greatly weakened social ability
No sex drive
Increased estrogen (less muscle mass potential)
Learning difficulty
Loss of confidence
Completely different personality
No R.E.M. sleep or dreams
Withdrawal Symptoms:
Sleep disturbance
Wrestlessness
Irritability
Complete appetite loss
Loss in confidence
Mild depression

So, after four years and thousands of bowls (literally), I am done. Oh, and please excuse my signature; I made it a long time ago.

Final 10 cents:
---Dennis Kucinich 08'!--- (He happens to be the most reasonable and peace-minded candidate. Watch him in debates and you too may realize that he is the one candidate capable of making huge, positive change in this country.) :thumbsup:

The weight gain is your problem, nothing to do with the weed.
Cannabis doesnt rob you of your emotions and motivation. Your just lazy.
I dont get droopy eyes unless im stoned - i REALLY fail to see how cannabis can change the way you look when sober.
How did cannabis weaken your social ability? Cannabis didnt, you did.
Cannabis DOES NOT lower sex drive.
Learning difficulty? Thats nothing to do with cannabis, maybe your just not the bright spark you thought you were.
How did smoking cannabis make you less confident? It's YOU, not the weed.
I dont see how cannabis can completely change you, it gets you stoned, and thats it. I dont see how/why it'd change your personality. [for the worse]
And cannabis doesnt stop you dreaming, you dream everynight - you just cant always remember them.


Moving onto withdrawl symptoms:


Complete appetite loss - so your not eating ANYTHING? You havnt lost your appetite - your eating the amounts a normal person would. You just think you've lost your appetite because your not eating tons and tons of food when you have the munchies.

Loss in condience? So, you've got none when your stoned, and when you quit, you've got none? Strange....



Have you EVER thought to stop and look at yourself!? Maybe it's not the weed, but YOU.

[FindingTim]

The weight gain is your problem, nothing to do with the weed.
Cannabis doesnt rob you of your emotions and motivation. Your just lazy.
I dont get droopy eyes unless im stoned - i REALLY fail to see how cannabis can change the way you look when sober.
How did cannabis weaken your social ability? Cannabis didnt, you did.
Cannabis DOES NOT lower sex drive.
Learning difficulty? Thats nothing to do with cannabis, maybe your just not the bright spark you thought you were.
How did smoking cannabis make you less confident? It's YOU, not the weed.
I dont see how cannabis can completely change you, it gets you stoned, and thats it. I dont see how/why it'd change your personality. [for the worse]
And cannabis doesnt stop you dreaming, you dream everynight - you just cant always remember them.


Moving onto withdrawl symptoms:


Complete appetite loss - so your not eating ANYTHING? You havnt lost your appetite - your eating the amounts a normal person would. You just think you've lost your appetite because your not eating tons and tons of food when you have the munchies.

Loss in condience? So, you've got none when your stoned, and when you quit, you've got none? Strange....



Have you EVER thought you stop, and look at yourself!? Maybe it's not the weed, but YOU.

Your only counter-argument that I even find slightly realistic is about my weight gain. But keep in mind, cannabis does increase appettite, so I'm not entirely to blame. I'm 6'0 165 though, which isn't overly large by any means.

So what I've gathered is that you think cannabis can do nothing beyond get you stoned, and that it cannot have any direct effect on mental functioning... honestly, it sounds like you are in COMPLETE denial. A year ago I likely would have completely agreed with you... but I suspect that your thoughts will change with time.

And as for marijuana, it contains chemicals that alter the way your brain works. How could you be so ignorant as to think that it cannot change your behavior, sleep, and appetite etc?

Also, what inspired you to take my initial post so damn personally? Your all-cap words and obvious disgust seem a bit dramatic...




The one statement I'd like to retract is that "(Weed) completely changed my personality." This is simply not true. It would be more accurate to say that it only allowed little flashes of my overall character to show through.

I'm also curious if there are any studies that support any of what I have observed. Google here I come...

[LIP]

Your only counter-argument that I even find slightly realistic is about my weight gain. But keep in mind, cannabis does increase appettite, so I'm not entirely to blame. I'm 6'0 165 though, which isn't overly large by any means.

So what I've gathered is that you think cannabis can do nothing beyond get you stoned, and that it cannot have any direct effect on mental functioning... honestly, it sounds like you are in COMPLETE denial. A year ago I likely would have completely agreed with you... but I suspect that your thoughts will change with time.

And as for marijuana, it contains chemicals that alter the way your brain works. How could you be so ignorant as to think that it cannot change your behavior, sleep, and appetite etc?

Lastly, what inspired you to take my initial post so damn personally? Your all-cap words and obvious disgust seem a bit dramatic...

Denial? You're how old? I've been smoking longer than you, more than you, and probably know more about it than you.

And yes, your right. It disgusts me that people would be as ignorant as YOU.

Your trying to blame your problems on weed, and THAT is pathetic.

Weed doesnt do half the things you seem to think it does.

Cannabis does increase your appetite - but it's YOUR choice to eat.

The same goes for pretty much the rest of your post. Cannabis isnt doing these things to you, YOUR doing them to yourself.

If cannabis caused all these problems, wouldnt everyone [ok, not everyone, but the majority] feel the same? Wouldn't the older smokers such as myself know ALL about this?

Weed doesnt make you lazy - it doesnt nail your feet to the floor. You make yourself lazy.

I dont think i mentioned anything about sleep, apart from dreaming - and what i said was 100% right.

So, you carry on blaming all your failings as a human on weed, and have fun while you do it! :thumbsup: hahahahaa

And if your going to try and prove me wrong, just make sure you stay away from the government sponcered/influenced websites, otherwise it's automatically void.

[FindingTim]

I'd also like to clarify one final thing: the section "Negatives of Marijuana abuse" does not mean the negatives perceived while stoned. It more accurately reflects the sober gaps of time in between smoke sessions.

[Da1One1]

I love it, you tokers love it, and we scream for ________ !

PEACE,

Da 01