Seriously, enough with the “peaceful pothead” stuff.
Lots of marijuana users actually have a quiet, simmering
anger.
Because of their drug use, not
despite it.
Unless you’ve either a) spent a lot of time with a heavy stoner,
or b) smoked a ton yourself… it’s hard to understand what I’m saying here.
Yes, on a very short time scale, a bowl or two could feel good.
(Though as I’ve been preaching, the “good” feeling is part of the
grand illusion that keeps you stuck.)
But it’s only a matter of minutes before that feeling starts to
fade.
What happens next?
The short, acute high becomes a longer-lasting period of lethargy.
You lack energy, both mentally and physically.
Not only do you lack energy, but you actually feel uncomfortable.
The cannabis starts to leave your body, and that’s not a good feeling.
After a couple hours, any “good” feeling you had pretty much fades
away (if you even felt it to begin with).
Now you’re left feeling tired, groggy, uninterested… and tense
because your THC receptors want more.
“Just Go Away”
When you start to come down it is very difficult to be engaging or
loving. Spending time with other people starts to feel like a drag. (Unless
they have more herb.)
But the rest of the people in your life – the people who aren’t
getting high with you – well, they become sort of annoying.
They want to talk with you. Hang out with you. Do activities that
don’t involve passing a joint in front of the TV.
And you want no part of that. Because after a smoke session, all
you really want is to smoke again. Or gorge on junk food.
Those people – your family, your (sober) friends, your partner –
they just want you to do things you don’t feel like doing. How annoying!
You sort of resent them for this. Yes, you love them, but you just
don’t want to be around them right now.
Dwelling On Negativity
Your thoughts color your life. Unfortunately, the mary jane often
makes you dwell on unpleasant thoughts.
And you don’t really have a say in it.
Once upon a time I was dating an awesome woman. Funny, beautiful,
brilliant. I was a lucky man indeed.
But I was also a
heavy marijuana smoker. And in
my haze after smoking, my thoughts almost always seemed to turn to her faults.
And by “faults” I mean extremely minor things about her that
didn’t really matter. Still, I would fixate on those faults and ignore all the
wonderful things about her.
Even if I had just come home from an amazing date with her and was
feeling elated about our relationship… it all vanished after I finished my
joint.
After a few months of this I stopped appreciating her altogether.
All we did was argue. Usually I started it.
We broke up.
Only after she was gone for good did I realize what I had done. I
ruined a potentially great relationship because marijuana made me angry.
How We Treat Our Loved Ones
Maybe it seems like no big deal to be grumpy with your loved ones.
But they could be gone any second.
What if your last interaction with your mom is you snapping at her
because you crave more herb?
Would that regret ever go away?
What if you let the love of your life go because they were getting
in the way of your drug habit?
How will you feel when you’re old and
lonely?
Look, nobody is perfect. We all get annoyed at times.
But marijuana addiction practically
guarantees you
will treat those closest to you with less love and respect than they deserve.
Anger and Marijuana Withdrawal
You might point here out that withdrawal
also makes
you irritable.
Fair point. Some aspects of the withdrawal phase are unpleasant
and make you feel irritable.
This is not a good reason to keep up your habit, though.
For one thing, withdrawal is temporary. The acute phase lasts only
a few days, maybe up to two weeks or so.
Second of all, irritability during withdrawal is a much different
thing than the low-grade anger you feel when you’re stoned all the time. You
can still be pleasant with others, even if you feel “off” because you quit
smoking pot.
Thirdly, you will actually want other people’s company when you’re
sober. The solitary activities you did when you got high won’t appeal to you as
much. You will appreciate having other people around, and they will sense your
appreciation.
Conclusion
Quitting cannabis means freeing yourself from petty, irrational
anger towards others.
You can decide with a clear head who you want to
have in your life and who you don’t. And that decision will no longer be based
on who has weed to smoke.
