Surgeon General Issues Marijuana Advisory

That's from when you quit.

Usually only lasts a couple of days, though.

Who the fuck quits?

Well, let's just call it a hiatus.

Not me.

I’ve heard of people taking breaks etc... I just couldn’t imagine a world without cannabis

More BS scare tactics.......the big pharma lobby in action.

Reagan era nostalgia - some nasally square telling people if you smoke pot, you will go crazy and your dick will fall off.  Cue up the theme from Miami Vice.

Seriously, its silly how they focus on how much stronger the weed is today than in years past.   Doesn't that mean people actually smoke less (for the people who still "smoke" pot)?   Maybe the old timers can correct me if I am wrong, but didn't people used to have to inhale a lot more smoke to achieve the same effect with old school shitty weed than with modern, high THC stuff where a hit or two will do the same trick as a couple of 70s brick weed era joints?

I'll weigh in on my experiences with MJ.  I've been a daily smoker for about 15 years and, the last couple of years, have challenged myself to take 2 separate 1 month breaks throughout the year.  The idea for me is to test my willpower and compare how I feel sober versus stoned all day.  The difference is pretty remarkable- for me, at least.  Pot exacerbates my anxiety and clearly has a major impact on how I feel throughout the day.  Granted, I suffer from depression/anxiety so that underlying factor IS a factor for me... I generally feel happier and less anxious when I'm not smoking.  I also think the surgeon general's concern over the potency of marijuana products is valid.  The stuff is just so strong- I can buy a 90% THC vape pen for 20 bucks and take that with me on all my flights and get high AF all day under everyones radar.  It's so easy to over do it with those things.. I'll take several rips in a row and just be out of my tree stoned.  I also fully realize I'm psychologically addicted to weed.  In short, I do think some of the concerns raised are valid but, compared to many alternative recreational substances, pot is fairly benign and I'm grateful that I'm not addicted to anything more serious.

1 month without!  Probably gonna keep it going.  I tripped a few times this month and felt much more "present".  Another motivation for me to not smoke is I'm trying to be more mindful throughout the day.  I know that my sound a little new-agey or whatever but I'm someone who smokes pot all day and- more than ever- I'm conscious of just how often it removes me from the present moment.  I offer an example:  Listening to music and a particular song/jam settles in and my immediate default thought is "Nice!  I'm gonna pack a bowl now!"  I hit pause, smoke a bowl, go back to listen to the music in my "enhanced" state and sometimes I'm just over it and the excited feeling passed.  To be as objective as possible, I have a tendency to over do things... there's something in me that is just never satisfied and I'm always pushing the envelope, so-to-speak.  February will make 7 years without alcohol!

Obviously YMMV and shit but that's my experience with it lately.

I still "smoke" pot. Pineapple upside down cake. One hit from a pipe. Good to go for a while. 

i get all of these symptoms and more when i quit cannabis. dont attribute your own personal reactions to drugs to the rest of the population...just cause you dont experience it does not mean nobody does and its just anti drug scare tactics.

i have to take time off work if i quit weed. i cant eat, cant sleep, and i spend about 3 days in a constant jittery cold sweat. its no heroin w/d but its pretty unpleasant. its also pretty hard for me to quit in the first place. luckily my job and lifestyle allows for it, but id say i am addicted to cannabis.

I have to agree with Jay on this. Psychological addiction to MJ is very real and I would guess that most habitual smokers experience this to some degree. Certainly, for me, with a history of depression and anxiety in my family and my personal history, I feel that this is true. I regulate my anxiety and emotions with ganja, and when I don't smoke I have to be very aware of my emotions. I get irritable, jumpy and reactionary. Now, I keep on smoking anyways, because I know what my base-line mental state is. At one point I quit smoking for a year to see if pills, meditation, acupuncture, whatever, would help me to be a stable human being but instead I just sank into deep depression and decided I would never make that mistake again. So now I puff on the regular and when I can't I usually have some anxiety pills with me just in case...

It's easy to discredit the information about pot that's out there because so much of it is and so much of it always has been bullshit. However, there are some interesting morsels in the research, IMO. For example, I think it's hard to deny the link (correlation is shown, causation is not) between teen mj consumption and an inhibited ability to regulate emotions later on in life. 

Just saw Daylight's post after I posted and I agree 100%. I get all those symptoms as well when I don't smoke.

Jay - do you take medication for your depression/anxiety? 

Over consumption is definitely an issue these days.  Kids doing 1/2 gram dabs 4 times a day w/a pen constantly hanging out of their mouths. 

Another big issue is cocktailing pharmies (legally prescribed) and cannabis.  Give one up. If you cant give up the poison that your dr prescribes you then give up cannabis. Your brain and body can't process both. 

Jonas-  No I don't take any prescriptions or anything.. my parents have suggested it over the years and my therapist has as well but, I dunno, I'm afraid I'd abuse the medication or not take it consistently as directed.  I find I'm happiest when I'm clearheaded, alert and my brain is available for learning and being receptive- being alert to express my opinions and prepared to engage in meaningful discussion at any point.  I've been growing mushrooms for personal use and find that the occassional trip (maybe once a month, sometimes twice) really helps me in a number of ways.  They seem to have an incredibly therapeutic effect on me in a number of ways.  I feel like by this point in my life I've gotten pretty good at mitigating the effects of my mental issues and these breaks from weed reinforce that I know fullwell what works and I shouldn't ignore it.  I'm thankful for my hobbies and those who can help me with and share in them as well.. taking care of my body (I enjoy powerlifting and skateboarding in terms of physical activities) and eating well goes far for me as well. 

Daily smoker since 1968, except for a few "hiatuses" over the years. At some point I realized I was self-medicating to cope with my (high functioning) autism. It works well for me for that, without any severe side effects. Personally, I've never had anxiety from any dose of THC - I know others do get anxiety from it. It keeps me calm and aids in concentration. YMMV. Different strokes and all that. 

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/marijuana-concentrate-what-is-it#...

daily pretty much since '85.

i can go a day/week and luckily don't get those withdrawal symptoms. nor do i get caffine withdrawals.

So is anyone ditching their vape pen after the recent accounts of lung disease, particularly in teens ? Thoughts on what’s causing this phenomenon. Reports are that the issue is not just limited to tobacco.  

Don't even get me started on caffeine. You want nothing to do with me until I've had some coffee and ganj in the mornings....

Jay, mushrooms are really good for treating depression, you just have to be careful of the setting. Personally, once a year I like to take a heroic dose by myself and some meditation music. I find it helps me rewire the brain and keeps me on track for the next year. Historically it's always been with mushies, but I've felt distant from that spirit recently. I'm wanting to move into a sefl-sustaining psychedelic pattern, which for me means cutting down a San Pedro once a year and cooking it up. Next trip is planned for mid-September. Can't wait. :)

That's what it's all about Jay.  Glad to hear that you're healthy and happy.   And thanks for answering honestly.   Blowing out the pipes is definitely therapeutic in many ways as well as a very easy garden to keep tabs on. 

the most interesting side effect of taking a break is my dreams are soooooo much more vivid than when i'm puffing.

does anyone else experience this?

^^uh that i get, bigly.

it almost (almost) makes me consider stopping all together.

Someone I know had to quit cold turkey after finding out that his employer would be drug testing - he was actually much nicer and calmer after giving up the bud, but it could also be attributed to a major increase in exercise - trying to brin away any fat stored before the test. Good news is that after 3 weeks, he passed the test. Bad news is they are doing spot hair tests which go back way longer. 

What kind of work does he do?

Not at liberty to discuss his work, but I can tell you that he doesn’t clean pools.

From what I have read the vape pens associated with the  problem were all black market. I get mine at the CA dispensary so no plan on giving it up for now. Plus if they caused a problem I would be dead by now. 

As for the withdrawals listed I don't see that as any different from caffeine withdrawals. That said my use is at most once a day and I go in frequent business trips where I don't bring anything and I'm fine. Mostly use it to get through my stretching routine which sadly is no longer optional. 

Makes sense that it’s a black market vape issue since kids seem to be the most affected. There was a radio program on today about the topic - 

https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/vaping-illness-death/

>>thanks for answering honestly.

Anytime man.  I think you can tell I'm feeling better from an outsider perspective in my increased participation here on threads.  At my core, I love a sense of community (in anything- not just here) and enjoy contributing positively- to add value.  When I'm using pot (wow that sounds funny), I'm walking around all day with a degree of self loathing and that, inherently, permeates through all my interactions throughout the day.  When I'm beating myself up mentally, I view this place and my fascination with the GD with mild disgust and am embarrassed that I care so much about something that I a) missed entirely and b) is gone and will never come back.  I'm currently clear headed which is something I take pride in and the self loathing is minimal- if not gone altogether... and THAT I'm finding reverses my negative perceptions of this place and the GD "scene".  I've been posting on music message boards since I was 15 years old and I love connecting with other people who are as genuinely moved by the music and passionate as I am.  I've had one "Goodbye Cruel Zone" thread in my time here but the truth is, where else would I go?  I'm respected here and have met probably two dozen of you folks over the years in various settings.  I even lived across the street from a longtime zoner for 14 years and we're friends now.  You know who you are- I won't kiss and tell :*

One thing I notice immediately not smoking as well is my phlegm goes away 100%.  My grandfather and father constantly clear their throats and aren't smokers which leads me to think that, genetically, I'm prone to carry phlegm in my throat.  I don't have to clear my throat all day right now and that's important to me because I make a living using my voice speaking publicly for a living.  The hash pens would cause me to hack and hack too.

So, the SG is telling us all not to quit pot.  Cool.

Seems like the right thing to do. Smoking is generally not good for your health. There should be a Surgeon General warning on all smoking products.

>>>>>When I'm using pot (wow that sounds funny), I'm walking around all day with a degree of self loathing

Why do you think that is?

Going strong since 75

>>Why do you think that is?

Figured the answer to that question was pretty clear from my previous posts but to summarize again I shared the ways in which pot can negatively effect me and the fact that I can still fall into that rut of smoking too much gets me down.  When I'm not burning I'm not feeling down about being stoned because I'm not stoned.  Three negatives in one sentence.

high all the time. fucking love it. 

Following your learned genetic heritage  Jay. I hope you find a medium. 

smoking since '77, growing since '90.  I've quit several times over the years for job piss testing. It took forever, but I finally got a job growing weed so i don't have to worry about quitting weed anymore for a piss test.

Your boss doesn't give a shit if you smoke/vape/eat, so does he/she... Fuck insurance companies!