Giving Up Weed

[Prubangboy]

I'm not saying to do it. 

 

I'm saying that for me, it def became addictive and de-railing to have cheap and powerful weed around me all of the time. 

 

95% of people who smoke weed are fine with it and should keep on doing it. It's great as a money spinner in tourist zones.

 

Some questions:

 

-Have you met people like me for whom it is a negative habit?

 

-Do you ever take tolerance breaks?

 

-Has weed impacted your health or cognition?

[scubascuba3]

Most people don't admit to the negative effects

[Everyman]

I smoked weed on and off from 18 to about 40. 

 

I quit because I stopped enjoying it. In hindsight, I made some dumb decisions in my life when I was on it, that made things harder than they needed to be. 

 

I’m glad to be on zero substances at the moment, no cigarettes, no caffeine, no weed no alcohol. 

[flyingtlger]

 

[ChaiyaTH]

As with anything it is about using or abusing it. I just buy weed bulk, quality indoor from 70 baht a gram, always have 50-100 grams of various types stored properly laying around. It's a bit like a wine collection in that way. 

So cost wise it is not really a subject, at least to me, it's practically the same as the cost of small beers. Then to drink 10 beers daily or not, I want as little as smoking 5 grams of weed daily. 

For me it is just to relax / meet with people, same as it is with drinking, when I drink i drink a lot. I do not really crave any substances itself, it is more that I simply becomes a very dull life, at the end socializing and networking takes places in venues. Sure one could make a few sober friends at some 'hobby places' but I rather have the fun moments, meeting strangers, tourists, see funny things happen + business networking instead.

 

To then come back to the weed, I would see no harm in it, as little as casual wines / beers X times a week.

 

Smoke weed every day!

[ChaiyaTH]

In my 17 years smoker experience / history I can tell that usually the people who get fked by weed, first of all smoke some strains that really mess you up hard AND/OR do absolutely nothing in life aside from that. This is not a good combo.

Weed is like this magnifier glass, if you have a productive stable life and smoke on the side, no issues. If you have a lazy life, you likely get even more lazy. If you are slightly paranoid, you get more paranoid. Etc etc.

 

Same weed does not make you more creative, it can just positively influence/strengthen your own creative thoughts.

[bamnutsak]

Recent thread here...

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1340038-how-often-do-you-take-tolerance-break-is-it-even-worth-it-lol/

 

[scubascuba3]

8 hours ago, Everyman said:

I smoked weed on and off from 18 to about 40. 

 

I quit because I stopped enjoying it. In hindsight, I made some dumb decisions in my life when I was on it, that made things harder than they needed to be. 

 

I’m glad to be on zero substances at the moment, no cigarettes, no caffeine, no weed no alcohol. 

Can't you do moderation? all or nothing?

[HugoFastor]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

Can't you do moderation? all or nothing?

 

I think moderation is definitely possible. It all comes down to personality type. If somebody has an addictive personality then they typically abuse everything. I'm not acutely addicted to anything. So it doesn't have that effect on me. If anything, I view it as something of a medicinal aid rather than a troubling recreational drug habit.

 

I've been using weed for about a year, and I started ramping up the quantity a bit recently as my tolerance has increased. I pretty much use it daily and mostly in the evenings. Sometimes midday when I'm really tired and if I want to take a nap. But the last week or so, I haven't been hardly using it at all, which is a bit unusual for me, but that demonstrates that it is a switch that I can flip on and off when I want to. 

 

Normally, when I'm high, I can only focus on one task at a time, but there are times when I need to be more productive, such as in the last couple of weeks when I've had a number of things that I had to take care of. So that's why I backed off it during that time so that I could stay more focused and sleep and wake up at the times necessary to carry out those needed tasks. I actually prefer using it the most when I really have nothing to do and then I can just lounge around getting as high as I want for as long as I want. 

 

Perhaps I'll ramp it up again soon now that most of those things I had to sort out have been taken care of. Or maybe I won’t; it just depends on how I feel. I like having the option though. I keep plenty of stock on hand for both vaping and also the edible cannabis oil that I make, so it's always there whenever I want it. 

 

As to the OP, I don't see any real downsides to it, nor do I see any reason to want to stop at this point. No cognitive issues, hangovers, or latent brain fogginess from it for me. But if I do at some point in the future, then I might reconsider. I also don't ever smoke it, so I don't have any throat or lung issues, nor any other health issues from it that I'm aware of. I also just had a chest x-ray last week to see if vaping has had any negative effects, and everything was normal on the chest exam as it was last year before I started vaping cannabis. 

 

As opposed to some people who find it to be destructive, I feel like it enhances my pleasure and relaxation when I use it. I also think it's fantastic for sex and don't enjoy sex as much anymore without it.

 

For me, I don't find it to be a very good sleep aid; sometimes it even has the opposite effect if I'm feeling restless. I find it best used for sleeping when I'm really exhausted, like when I need a nap, and then it seems to help me and prevent me from having any disruptive dreams.

 

If you do consume it in very large quantities, there is the possibility of becoming schizophrenic or delusional from it, or having bouts of heavy paranoia, but again I think that comes down to an individual and their own constitution and set of personal circumstances. People in those situations often have other underlying mental health issues as well I believe. 

 

As usual, all the old clichés apply: everyone is different, everyone's results are different, one size doesn't fit all, to each his own, and there is no right or wrong on it. 

[Thingamabob]

Only ever been a part time user which was enjoyable and harmless, and nothing Iike as addictive as sedatives such as Lorazepam. 

[scubascuba3]

1 hour ago, HugoFastor said:

 

I think moderation is definitely possible. It all comes down to personality type. If somebody has an addictive personality then they typically abuse everything. I'm not acutely addicted to anything. So it doesn't have that effect on me. If anything, I view it as something of a medicinal aid rather than a troubling recreational drug habit.

 

I've been using weed for about a year, and I started ramping up the quantity a bit recently as my tolerance has increased. I pretty much use it daily and mostly in the evenings. Sometimes midday when I'm really tired and if I want to take a nap. But the last week or so, I haven't been hardly using it at all, which is a bit unusual for me, but that demonstrates that it is a switch that I can flip on and off when I want to. 

 

Normally, when I'm high, I can only focus on one task at a time, but there are times when I need to be more productive, such as in the last couple of weeks when I've had a number of things that I had to take care of. So that's why I backed off it during that time so that I could stay more focused and sleep and wake up at the times necessary to carry out those needed tasks. I actually prefer using it the most when I really have nothing to do and then I can just lounge around getting as high as I want for as long as I want. 

 

Perhaps I'll ramp it up again soon now that most of those things I had to sort out have been taken care of. Or maybe I won’t; it just depends on how I feel. I like having the option though. I keep plenty of stock on hand for both vaping and also the edible cannabis oil that I make, so it's always there whenever I want it. 

 

As to the OP, I don't see any real downsides to it, nor do I see any reason to want to stop at this point. No cognitive issues, hangovers, or latent brain fogginess from it for me. But if I do at some point in the future, then I might reconsider. I also don't ever smoke it, so I don't have any throat or lung issues, nor any other health issues from it that I'm aware of. I also just had a chest x-ray last week to see if vaping has had any negative effects, and everything was normal on the chest exam as it was last year before I started vaping cannabis. 

 

As opposed to some people who find it to be destructive, I feel like it enhances my pleasure and relaxation when I use it. I also think it's fantastic for sex and don't enjoy sex as much anymore without it.

 

For me, I don't find it to be a very good sleep aid; sometimes it even has the opposite effect if I'm feeling restless. I find it best used for sleeping when I'm really exhausted, like when I need a nap, and then it seems to help me and prevent me from having any disruptive dreams.

 

If you do consume it in very large quantities, there is the possibility of becoming schizophrenic or delusional from it, or having bouts of heavy paranoia, but again I think that comes down to an individual and their own constitution and set of personal circumstances. People in those situations often have other underlying mental health issues as well I believe. 

 

As usual, all the old clichés apply: everyone is different, everyone's results are different, one size doesn't fit all, to each his own, and there is no right or wrong on it. 

Would be interesting to hear what the partners think of the impact of weed

[LukKrueng]

16 hours ago, Prubangboy said:

I'm not saying to do it. 

 

I'm saying that for me, it def became addictive and de-railing to have cheap and powerful weed around me all of the time. 

 

95% of people who smoke weed are fine with it and should keep on doing it. It's great as a money spinner in tourist zones.

 

Some questions:

 

-Have you met people like me for whom it is a negative habit?

 

-Do you ever take tolerance breaks?

 

-Has weed impacted your health or cognition?

 

I know of some people that overindolge yet they're still fully functional, working and all.

The first time I tried was when I was around 20. One joint. After that time I hardly touched weed at all. There were some occasions I was offered and accepted, and many other occasions I declined.

I started using the official oil from cannabis clinics when it became legal here in Thailand and to my surprise it helped me with sleeping problems. During the peak of COVID I didn't want to go to the clinic which is located inside a very big government hospital, and also they didn't always have stock of oil, so I got some weed from a friend and have been smoking since then. I must admit that using the clinic's oil, although help with sleeping, didn't have any buzz at all. Smoking (or vaping) gives a good buzz which I can control by smoking more, or less, and also helps with sleeping issues. I only smoke in the evenings when I watch TV and relax before going to bed.

For a while I used to grow my own, but now I find it easier to buy. I use about 10g\month. I always buy 30-40g of different varieties so I switch between them all the time.

No bed effects, especially after I learnt the when and how much to smoke.

[HugoFastor]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

Would be interesting to hear what the partners think of the impact of weed

You mean using it for sex or just when spending time with a partner in general? 
 

I don't have a regular partner. So I'm usually only with them for a couple of hours. But some of them have vaped with me before having sex. Not sure how it affects them in that way, but it's a good question. I'm also not sure if it enhances sex for women the same way that it does for men, but perhaps it does.

 

Do you use cannabis too? And if so, do you have any experience with that?

[Prubangboy]

It ultimately messed up my dopamine. I experienced some scary numbness and flat affect after smoking some crazy potency weed in a vape. I was depressed for a week.

 

That made me attempt to stop, which I found difficult. I booked a yoga retreat to get over the hump. I doubt I will ever smoke it again. 

 

These post-weed days, I feel a sense of general well being and emotional balance that I have never felt. It doesn't erase anxiety, it just postpones it. That will probably keep on improving up until around the six months mark.

 

My lungs are much better. My energy is up by a third. This has been very self-reinforcing in not smoking again. The thought makes me a little nauseous.

 

I def smoked way too much of it, about 3-4 grams a day. I'd be interested in hearing from other heavy users about their amounts and time length. In my experience, occaisonal users become frequent users over time. No judgement on that; that was my trajectory. Hopefully not your's.

 

Research says that it affects REM sleep. That def was my experience. Def enjoyed it with sex. Have yet to have non-weed sex, but I think I will like it better, the same way I enjoy food more now.

 

Short version: Weed was a long, fun party for me. And every party is a bore if you stay too long.

[NativeBob]

it is impossible to find that weed which can be called that name.

what thais grow and sell here is pure garbage. Overpriced garbage

[HugoFastor]

I've tried 50 to 60 strains over the last year.  None of them really affect me any differently, some are a bit stronger than others and that's about it. To me, high is high. But nothing compares to the strength of the edible cannabis oil. It's really potent. If I take enough of it, it definitely exceeds the intensity of the high from any weed that I've vaporized. I also don't see how the effects of vaping cannabis could last a week like you mentioned. In my non-expert opinion, the depression seems unrelated to that particular vaping event you had and possibly more to do with your overall state at the time. 

 

Anyway, I can definitely understand how you would feel better after getting off of the weed. I wouldn't say you were a heavy user, but an abuser. I had a friend, also in Thailand, who was also consuming those amounts for a few months and ended up needing some psychiatric treatment. Delusions, schizophrenia, paranoia, the works. I spoke with the doctor who treated my friend, using that amount in a day is definitely the path to nowhere.

 

I think there is a point with cannabis where if you really go beyond a certain amount of it daily, and for a sustained period of time, then it's not going to have a positive outcome. Like everything else in this world, including the most healthy foods, everything needs to be in moderation.
 

Chicken eggs are a perfect example. There is a great amount of nutritional value in the yolk, but when I consume too many per day, and for a sustained period of time, my LDL levels go through the roof. Too much of a good thing.

 

Also, I would be surprised if you're going to find anyone here also smoking 3 to 4 g a day who's going to be able to provide you with any kind objective opinion about their own experiences. In my view, that amount is just way over the top and anyone using that much per day is in denial if they think that that's a good thing.
 

At most, I vape .75 to 1.25 g in a day, on the heaviest of days, often less. A quarter gram in the vape, couple hours later, another quarter gram and it goes on, but never more than say five loads in a night, and I never use any more than that amount unless I'm sharing with somebody else.

 

I can also understand why everything is more enjoyable to you now that you stopped smoking. You were in such a state that it seems like your other sensories shut down. Inhaling that much cannabis smoke every day probably also killed your taste buds too. When I first started using cannabis, I did smoke it, before I discovered vaping, and smoking it was awful. The aftertaste in my mouth lasted for hours. And back then I was also using such minuscule amounts because I was a new user. I can't imagine what my mouth would be like after smoking 3 to 4 g a day. My tongue would probably fall off.

 

I often vape a bit now before I eat something and it enhances that too, just the way it enhances sex. But the reason my experiences are different I assume is because this comes back to the whole theme of moderation.

 

Anyway, my suggestion to you would be to never start it up again, period, or perhaps you could end up back in the same dark place you were before.
 

But on a positive note, it sounds like you are already aware of the fact that it's not a good thing for you anymore. Best just to forget about it and look for other things in life for fulfillment and best wishes to you with the way forward.

[gargamon]

13 hours ago, Everyman said:

I’m glad to be on zero substances at the moment, no cigarettes, no caffeine, no weed no alcohol

Yeah, me too. I usually wait until 9 PM to start.

[khunJam]

I gave up smoking pakalolo decades ago when I realized it was making my pals stupid and figured it was probably affecting me the same way. Tried it a couple times since, no thanks. It really fogged up my head. 

[bkk6060]

Places like California rehabs are full of people addicted to weed.  Rots the brain and very addictive. 

[Elkski]

5 g a day is a lot.  It was 350 -800 baht/ g on the ships in Dec 22 when I was there.  I did locate a guy who shipped my 7 g for 1000 baht for my 21 day stay in isaan.   But a 1 gram blunt was enough for 2 days.  And I never really finished one before buying some other variety to try.    Especially with this higher THC stuff a person who puffs 5 grams starts and ends puffing in bed. 

9 hours ago, ChaiyaTH said:

I want as little as smoking 5 grams of weed daily. 

 

[Prubangboy]

A lot of people go off weed and drink more. For me, my weed binging killed all sin. I might have 2 alcohol units a week these days, only with food. And def never at home.

 

I'm on green tea over coffee. Sugar, almost never. Bad habits beget bad habits.

 

Also, I was buying retail at Soi 11 prices, so call it 1,000 baht a day. It was like paying a second rent.

[BritManToo]

7 minutes ago, Elkski said:

5 g a day is a lot.  It was 350 -800 baht/ g on the ships in Dec 22 when I was there.  I did locate a guy who shipped my 7 g for 1000 baht for my 21 day stay in isaan.   But a 1 gram blunt was enough for 2 days.  And I never really finished one before buying some other variety to try.    Especially with this higher THC stuff a person who puffs 5 grams starts and ends puffing in bed. 

 

5g a day is 25bht, less than a bag of crisps!

[RSD1]

6 minutes ago, Prubangboy said:

Also, I was buying retail at Soi 11 prices, so call it 1,000 baht a day. It was like paying a second rent.

You should have been going short-time every day instead. More "bang" for the buck. 😊

[RSD1]

32 minutes ago, gargamon said:

Yeah, me too. I usually wait until 9 PM to start.

Late bloomers. 🙄

[RSD1]

16 minutes ago, Elkski said:

a person who puffs 5 grams starts and ends puffing in bed. 

Like a puff daddy?

[scubascuba3]

2 hours ago, HugoFastor said:

You mean using it for sex or just when spending time with a partner in general? 
 

I don't have a regular partner. So I'm usually only with them for a couple of hours. But some of them have vaped with me before having sex. Not sure how it affects them in that way, but it's a good question. I'm also not sure if it enhances sex for women the same way that it does for men, but perhaps it does.

 

Do you use cannabis too? And if so, do you have any experience with that?

I don't use cannabis, users say how great it is, i was interested if the partners thought it was great with someone on cannabis daily, mood swings perhaps?

[Elkski]

29 minutes ago, HugoFastor said:

At most, I vape .75 to 1.25 g in a day

Can you vape the flowers? Or is this rosin or oil your vaping.  I only know about edibles and smoking flowers. 

When I was in BKK I was on vacation but one time I ate an edible before taking the BTS to the mall with the electronics and it got me on the BTS and I must have looked like a stoner.  

They say this can be a sleep aid but I need to use 4-6 hours before I plan to sleep or I can't sleep.  My mind is in full gear. I tried some Colorado sleep gummy at 10 pm and didn't sleep until 4 am.  That is a bad time when to have to drive 840 km the next day.  Think I delayed that departure a day.  

Also for me driving under the influence would be worse than drink driving.  So I only do it when I don't need to drive 

[Prubangboy]

Just now, RSD1 said:

You should have been going short-time every day instead. More "bang" for the buck. 😊

If I could get hard for hookers instead, I'd still have a mass of grey matter left. Oh, well...... I'm still trying to talk myself into pay for play, but it seems more boring than the weed.

 

The vaped weed that put me over the edge was supposedly 45% THC. And I smoked it all day. I have heard since that 45% weed is impossible. 'Can't say if that's true, 'don't want that level of weed knowledge.

 

It wasn't all bad. I experienced a deep interior silence akin to a 10 day meditation retreat for a while. But then my thoughts came back all shmushed together, really unpleasantly. Then I just sort of went blank, but knew enough to cross Soi 11 super-carefully.

 

 

[Elkski]

39 minutes ago, gargamon said:

Yeah, me too. I usually wait until 9 PM to start.

I think he meant he waits until 9 pm to be free of substances.  😂 

[HugoFastor]

4 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

I don't use cannabis, users say how great it is, i was interested if the partners thought it was great with someone on cannabis daily, mood swings perhaps?

I can't answer the question about being stoned on a daily basis with a partner because I don't know, but I don't get any mood swings. And if I'm with a woman, I only get a stronger sexual feeling.