Many marijuana addicts started off on a light note to experience a high. Others got into it as a result of recommendation from a doctor. For example, patients suffering from fibromyalgia or chronic pain are given Marinol, a form of medical marijuana to alleviate their pain. I have a brother who got into the habit as result of missing a chance to go to the university. What initiated you into into abusing marijuana?
Not me, but my former best friend. He started smoking casually in high school as a way to escape from his insanely overprotective parents. Nothing too serious. He went away for college and (from what I gather) spent most of his time either high or asleep. After he failed out he came home and started begging everyone for cash/places to stay (since his parents threw him out). I moved a while back and haven't talked to him since (changed his number, doesn't have any sort of social media). He's the only person I know that's had that sort of reaction to weed. I think it was a combination of his love for it and loneliness/stress/unexpected freedom at his college. I hope he's gotten help.
Marijuana use is usually looked at as something no more harmful than a bottle of beer, where I live at least. So many people, especially users of it, have this initial perception of the plant as something "chilled" and they always resort to how healthy it is for you. Mainly because where I live everyone is illiterate and uneducated but that is what my kids in high school have to deal with - people who don't know better and end up getting addicted. I don't think many people start off any drug as anything but light, then end up wanting more and more. The difference with marijuana is that it isn't as easy to get into the latter stage, serious addiction, as it is for say, cocaine. Many people know this and that's why some get seriously addicted. @Moll gave us a perfect example of someone who got seriously addicted. From what I read he was lonely and stressed and with the whole parents thing, those factors all add up to him wanting more and more marijuana. So I guess it depends on what kind of person you are and what factors influence your decisions when it comes to using drugs. I haven't used it myself.
Marijuana never did a thing for me But what pushed me to try it was peer pressure, I tried it because my other friends were trying it. We were all sitting in a room and they all started passing the marijuana around... so I had to give it a try because back then I wanted to fit in and belong.
When I was abusing weed it was mainly to run away from my emotions, which were pretty dark (times are hard at the moment, I have to admit). But every once in a while I like having some handy in case I have trouble falling asleep, as it's extremely useful in that regard.
Everyone was doing weed so why not? Most people are encouraged by others to try it and they usually like it. I still don't think marijuana is something you get 'addicted' to. You just get addicted to how relaxed it makes you feel.
Most people I know who use marijuana started using the drug because their friends introduced them to it. Many of them already smoked cigarettes so I suppose all their friends did was ask them to try smoking something different. They did and many of them from then on never could stop smoking marijuana. I think peer pressure is what gets most people to start using marijuana.
I never tried smoking weed but a lot of my friends did. There's this one that told me that the reason why he smoked weed was to help him gain weight. He smoked weed to boost his appetite. He was a skinny guy back when we were young. And he doesn't eat that much. He told met that by smoking weed, he was able to eat more. Well, it actually worked. Matter of fact, he's not skinny anymore. But he still smokes weed. So it has already become a habit.
I started smoking because I wanted to and I had friends who were smoking it. I chose to smoke though and it was not giving into peer pressure. I liked the way it made me feel so I kept using it. I no longer use it and do not regret quitting and do not have any cravings for it. I do not think it had that strong of a hold on me and it was easy to quit.
I think the main reason for the abuse of marijuana is through peer pressure. Too many times have my friends given me a million reasons as to why I should come and smoke it with them. I also see a lot of other people falling under the influence fast.
I have tried marijuana couple of times, but I never got into the habit of marijuana. In my observation, smokers who are interested to try stronger substance begin using marijuana and hash. Some start with just curiosity and some begin usin marijuana because they want to get high. The feeling of getting on high leads to addiction.
I had never considered smoking marijuana until I became good friends with an occasional smoker. My whole life I had been told marijuana was somewhat like cocaine or crack, just the devil itself. It was a shock to me realize it was all a lie to keep me away from marijuana, this guy was completely normal and functional, I never saw him smoke, but he said he didn't smoked regularly. Of course I couldn't possibly know that guy had mastered the habit, doing it in some kind of social way only, like most people who arent alcoholic use alcohol. He was a good friend, never wanted to smoke with me, or introduced me the dealer so I found my way and smoked with other people.
Peer pressure for the most part haha! Luckily I only did it twice and I have never touched another marijuana joint since.
Bесаusе а tоlеrаnсе builds up, mаrijuаnа саn lеаd usеrs tо соnsumе strоngеr drugs tо асhiеvе thе sаmе high. Whеn thе еffесts stаrt tо wеаr оff, thе pеrsоn mаy turn tо mоrе pоtеnt drugs tо rid himsеlf оf thе unwаntеd соnditiоns thаt саusеd him tо tаkе mаrijuаnа in thе first plасе. Mаrijuаnа itsеlf dоеs nоt lеаd thе pеrsоn tо thе оthеr drugs; pеоplе tаkе drugs tо gеt rid оf unwаntеd situаtiоns оr fееlings.
I think people will have different reasons to abuse marijuana. Probably one of the main reason that people do is because they can. If they couldn't get hold of it they wouldn't.
I wouldn't say everyone that smokes marijuana is abusing it. But I know some people that started using it as a suggestion from a friend to deal with their anxiety or depression. It's quite common for people to self medicate and if it's something that you know is already working for someone else, then it's usually worth a try. I have a friend that uses it for her depression and it works wonders for her. She does it about once or twice a week and it helps her calm down and not feel so sad. Sometimes smoking is the lesser of two evils.
I quit after smoking off and on for nearly 17 years, last January (2016). I've quit before and then started again a few times. I used to smoke with my Girlfriend, then with my dude's, then mostly alone. I reached a point where I actually smoked everyday for nearly a month, I don't remember last December so don't ask me what I got for Christmas. In January(2016) I had a revelation.......So I gathered everything related to smoking, (Bowls,Pipes, strange objects I used to scrape out resin on those days when I really knew I had a problem) and I destroyed everything! It hasn't been that long, but I've achieved a mental clarity and the ability to remember what I did yesterday so I guess it all worked out. I enjoyed it for a time, but then it became the only thing I felt I could use to keep the depression at bay. When I smoked it made me feel good during a time in my life when everything was bad. For my part, You can't fix whats broken in the Deep Dark of your soul from the outside using external implements.........You have to dive into that abyss and rebuild the foundations from within.
I absolutely love this comment! I feel that a lot of people try to use it as an escape from what they have deep down and sadly, that never works. I tried the same thing for a while and came to the same conclusion. I'm glad to hear that you were able to reach that level of clarity and that you're happy with the choice that you made. I also went through a period of smoking every day and that was definitely a low point for me but I came out of that - like you did. I take breaks every now and then but my anxiety doesn't allow me to stop completely - it's the only way I can get my brain to stop freaking out about everything lol. I am currently taking a break, I am about 4 weeks in and I'm feeling pretty good about it. I figure I'll stop completely before I start having kids but until then, I enjoy my occasional puff and relaxation time. If it's not too personal of a question, can I ask what you've used to replace (for lack of a better word) the comfort/help that the high gave you? For example, my fiance has substituted any time he would use to smoke with reading a book. It's working out quite well for him but I'm not sure I have the patience to read for 2 hours a day lol. I know you mention it helped with your depression and that's somewhat comparable to anxiety so I'm hoping I could learn something from you lol.
Thanks Bella!!! It means alot to me that someone appreciates my words. For starters, it's the understanding that smoking is escapism and for me was a way to exist in a reality where my problems didn't have as much weight. Quitting was actually not a struggle, I simply decided. Then I began focusing on creating a life I would enjoy living as opposed to where I was at that time. I broke it down into categories: Spiritual Physical Financial Vocational Social Familial I used meditation to create a clear vision for what I truly desired my life to be. When I say meditation I don't mean anything based in new age or eastern religion. Basically I learned some mental training techniques for the purpose of obtaining the ability to focus, guide and direct my thoughts. The first exercise entails closing your eye's and inhibiting all thought. Check out a book by Charles Hannell "The Master Key System". Once You have the vision, you can begin to structure all of the different areas of your life around it. Spend time in meditation often, keep a continuous flow of mental energy intent on your Vision and on the things You want to see made manifest in your life. Meditation is like exercise for your consciousness, and like any muscle it becomes stronger each time. This allowed me to begin deciding what things I could do to improve my life. I began taking back control, creating goals with time frames, lifting weights again, reading, studying and building my online business. To answer your question.........I utilized the absence of everything I want and need. Everything that sitting in a room getting high alone has removed from me. I took a long piercing gaze into my own soul, drew out the things that make me who I am and started to work em again. It all begins with the though.......it begins in the silence
I think what intially got me smoking marijuana as a habit, was being surrounded by close friends that all smoked daily when I was in high school. After four or five years of daily smoking marijuana, it becomes a habit even after you move on from hanging out with your school friends daily. I know for me personally, I'm now 25, it's a huge boredom killer, and obviously seems to make everything better which has made it a difficult habit to break.