Here is something I wrote yesterday. It's still unfinished, but I just wanted to put it out there because I think it's important.

I don't expect everyone to agree with all of this, as these are things that up until the past few years, I strongly disagreed with. However, due to quitting toking, I have been looking at recreational Cannabis usage in a very different light and wanted to share my experiences and would love to hear some feedback

<b>Thinking Outside the Stash Box</b>

<b>Intro</b>
I live in Belfast, Northern Ireland and I've lived here since the age of ten. This is a place where, much like most places I suppose, when you hit puberty and adolescence, the only thing there really is to do for fun on weekends, or any other time for that matter, is get drunk and/or take other drugs. Of course there are a few other things you could do, but when you're 13 and growing up here, it is very easy to become caught up in the lifestyle that most teens live, and that is usually the onset of drug abuse and alcoholism.

This place has its problems, I'm not sure if you're aware of them. There is an excessive amount of sectarianism, racism, and segregation between communities that has been going on for many decades. There is a lot of hate. All this plus the mostly year-round terrible weather, is a great recipe for depression, discontent amongst the youth and extreme escapism.

From the age of around 13-14 I started using Cannabis almost every day. Almost all of my friends use it, and also most of the older generation that I know. It is pretty normal, and often seen as separate from usage of other drugs and drinking. This is not limited to this country as I'm sure is pretty clear if you're a "stoner" or know a stoner.

It has only been in recent years and much more-so recent weeks, that I have seen recreational and chronic Cannabis usage in a whole new light.


<b>MYTHS DISPELLED</b>

I want to begin with one of the biggest myths about Cannabis that is perpetuated by the legalisation movement and the Cannabis community, and possibly the most important. It is this:

<b>"Cannabis is not addictive"</b>
This could not be further from the truth. It also includes the other myth, that "Cannabis is not a drug". I believe both of these statements to be utterly untrue, and merely pro-Cannabis propaganda. I'll explain.

In many respects, it is true that Cannabis is not AS addictive as other psychoactive substances, some of which are legal and accepted within our society such as nicotine and alcohol. Due to this, it is often put forth that Cannabis is relatively harmless as it does not have the level of addictiveness that these accepted and more harmful drugs have. Also the fact that no one has actually died as a direct consequence of ingesting or consuming Cannabis like many have from years of alcohol and cigarette abuse. It is true to an extent that Cannabis is not "physically" addictive, in that it is pretty easy to just stop using it completely cold turkey without any real physical danger or threat to your body.

However, I have found that it IS extremely addictive on a psychological level. And I have found that psychological dependency is actually one of the most difficult forms of addiction to overcome, albeit worse for some more than others. I know several people, myself included, who stopped using Cannabis completely with relative physical ease, yet they still struggle with psychological cravings. They still, some of them years later, feel as though there is a part of them missing, simply because Cannabis was such a big part of their lives for so long.

Also, there ARE physical withdrawal symptoms, as well as physical ailments that occur even when Cannabis is still being used daily. These include but are not limited to: headaches, physical anxiety/nervousness, nausea, loss of appetite, lethargy. Examples, when I was still using Cannabis daily, I woke up every morning feeling physically anxious, sick to my stomach. This would only go away when I had a smoke. For years I believed myself to have some sort of anxiety disorder and that I was self-medicating with Cannabis. Only when I stopped using it did I realise that Cannabis was actually causing it. And I know several other people who get the exact same thing.

The fact that Cannabis is not "physically" addictive means little. After all, ALL addiction, whether classed as mental, or physical, has an impact on both sides of the spectrum, and both sides are intrinsically linked at all times. Mental health is just as, if not more, important as physical health, due to the fact that we still do not fully understand the mind, and that it can be much, much harder to heal mental illness and ailments.


<b>"Cannabis is not a drug"</b>
I think most of us who have either dabbled or partaken in the Cannabis culture and community have over the years heard this phrase. Often it is used in jest, the late Bill Hicks stating that "They lump all drugs together. It's not gonna work. Pot and crack? Hey, hey, hey, dude! Don't put pot in the drug category. It's a herb, man&#133;". However I have also heard many users say basically this exact same thing in all seriousness. Whether they got it from Bill or elsewhere is uncertain.

While I agree that all psychoactive substances certainly should not be lumped into the same category, that some are more dangerous than others, that they should be classed by their true level of danger and that the differences should be noted and studied truthfully instead of to the scale set out by scare tactics and anti-drug propaganda, I believe that many people, especially our youth, are being grossly misguided by statements such as this. The fact that is is used in jest actually makes it all the more dangerous, because it takes a serious subject and puts a light-hearted cover over it. As a result, many young people, myself included, are being led to believe that Cannabis actually is not something that should be seriously thought of as a drug, that it is completely harmless and that it has almost no negative side effects like many herbal medicines.

While Cannabis can indeed be classed as a medicine and as a herb, it most certainly still has an intense psychoactive effect. It is sometimes even difficult to classify as it has effects seen in that of other depressants, stimulants, and even psychedelic or hallucinogenic drugs.

The idea that "Cannabis is not a drug" leads people to believe that, being apparently a harmless herb, that it is nothing out of the ordinary to use it every day ("smoke weed every day"), in almost every aspect of life. That it's not even really addictive so what would be wrong with using it all the time? That it's not even really a drug, so how could it be possible to abuse it?

I have found through my own experience and reading reports from many others as well as just talking to others, that Cannabis most certainly is a drug, and a powerful one at that. It has a strong power of altering one's perception, consciousness and thought processes. I am not saying that it does this in a necessarily bad way, merely that it DOES do it. In fact I believe that occasional Cannabis usage can be great for the mind, as it can allow one to think about things in much more rational and objective ways. However, it is very possible for use to turn into abuse, and for those ways of thinking to become normal, so normal that not having a smoke or not being stoned seems alien. And when you get used to being stoned all the time, it can be extremely difficult to familiarise yourself with your TRUE normal thought processes when you can't get any weed or don't have a smoke for a few days.




<b>"Paranoia is caused by prohibition</b>"
This is probably a less common one, but still one that I have heard from a few people over the years. The idea that the paranoia associated with Cannabis usage is merely caused by the fact that it is illegal, that the paranoia is a myth propagated by those who wish to keep it illegal, and that if only it were legal and accepted by society, there would be no paranoia.

This is wrong. The very fact that Cannabis alters your perception, your senses, and much of the time, heightens your awareness, is the true cause of the "paranoia". I have found similar effects from other psychedelic substances, such as LSD. Because your senses and awareness have been heightened, you think and analyse more about what is happening around you. You become so aware of it, and the fact that maybe other people are not conscious of the same things as you are, that it can become a very uncomfortable experience. The thoughts of what others are thinking about you often come into play, as well as overanalysing your own actions and behaviors, and how others might perceive them.

However, it is also possible to familiarise yourself to this to the extent that it is still there, yet it does not bother you so much. Over the years, I actually forced myself into public spaces, normal every day tasks and endeavours, so that I could get used to the paranoid feelings and not be so bothered by them. At the time I thought that this was just me proving the so-called "paranoia myth" wrong. But now I realise that I was actually just forcing myself to become accustomed to the ultra-conscious thinking that was undeniably in existence in my mind.

The other thing that I believe is linked with this paranoia is the anxiety that Cannabis can cause. Sometimes the anxiety causes paranoid, irrational thoughts, and in turn the paranoid thoughts cause the anxiety. It actually appears to be a vicious cycle, one feeding off the other and vice versa.




<b>Other problems I experienced</b>
It doesn't take a lot of research to see that there are many, many studies done that show at least some correlation between Cannabis and depression, schizophrenia, temporal lobe damage and psychosis, to name but a few. Damage to the temporal lobe can cause some of the most horrific variety of mental defects and bizarre, violent and immoral behaviors you can possibly think of. For years I read these studies briefly, decided they weren't conclusive enough, and therefore had absolutely zero merit or truth. And just kept on toking.

Now I am trying to be smarter about it. Just because Cannabis is a plant that grows naturally on our planet certainly does not make it harmless. For years I thought natural drugs were all okay. Harmless in comparison to synthetically produced chemicals. Now I see the difference is rather miniscule.

I am honestly terrified and worried about my mental health. For ten years I have been damaging my brain, thinking that it was all okay and not anything to be concerned about. That all the grown ups telling me there are dangers were just fuddy duddies trying to make me have less of a good time.

WRONG.

My memory is now pitiful, albeit it is better than some people I know.

I have read probably up to 15-20 books cover to cover in all that time. FIFTEEN. When it could have been FIVE HUNDRED if I read a book a week. I started more than that, but never finished them let alone remember what they said.

I have finished maybe 30 drawings. Not to the best of my ability. Nowhere near it. And started countless others that never got finished, simply because I couldn't go back to finish them if I wasn't stoned, or if I wasn't in the same mindset as when I started. Now it feels almost impossible to draw anything.

IN TEN YEARS.

I feel like have lost ten years of my life to this "non-drug".

I have been severely depressed, detached, anxious, paranoid about ridiculous things, have behaved in ways that I am not proud of because of these paranoias. Many relationships destroyed. Jobs lost. Normal things like doctors appointments put off for months. Fear of everyday things like making phone calls. And I believe the majority of it was either caused or exacerbated by chronic Cannabis abuse.


<b>CONCLUSION</b>

I conclude by saying that, while I am still completely in favour of decriminalisation and legalisation of Cannabis for medicinal and recreational purposes (as I know that there are many people who do in fact need it for its health benefits, and also that people should have the right and the choice to use it recreationally if they so wish... as well as many other practical reasons that I DO agree with the Cannabis community on), there needs to be a more balanced and honest view shown of Cannabis usage, and our youth need to be given facts as well as being shown anecdotal experiences from all sides, instead of either just scare tactics or blindly following this "it's all harmless" mentality like so many people do.

Our youth need to be made aware of the ACTUAL dangers that Cannabis CAN have, instead of being fed half-truths and light-hearted jokes about a very powerful plant.

So, to all those Cannabis users out there, and to all those who may be considering trying it, know what you are getting into. Don't believe all the scare tactics, but don't just follow the stoner iconography and harmless mentality either. Research, read. Look at what actual studies have shown, even if they are non-conclusive, and don't just dismiss them because of that. There are correlations between Cannabis and mental illness, it is not just some big ploy by anti-Cannabis folk.

Respect your mind, your memory, your natural thought processes, give them a chance. Try to think outside the stash box. Love yourself, be smart and be safe.

good read

lots of interesting points. really tho anything that you abuse will cause problems. i see a issue with people using pot as a crutch or patch. my gf is so crazy wen she dont have pot and i think its sad. she says she has no creativity unless she has it and she has no want to do anything at all really except bitch and complain unless she has it.

my other buddy is going threw alot of the same shit you are explaining. he has crazy thoughts and gets all mental thinking people are out to get him and shit. i told him to maybe lay off the pot but he is having a crazy hard time doing it. he keeps making up excuses and shit to keep smoking.

yeah, i know how your gf feels. i used Cannabis for my art so much that now I feel like i can't be creative when I'm sober. I know now that it will probably just take some adjusting though. I think i will actually be able to be much more creative once I get through the first month or so.

i made excuses for so long, many of them perpetuated by the "it's harmless" mindset.

I used to wonder how people could go through life NOT being high all the time.... foolish.

I actually think that life might even be so much better and more enjoyable than it ever was when i was high constantly.

and yes, of course abuse of anything is bad. but Cannabis seems to be the only thing apart from maybe smack, cigs or alcohol... that the users of it use on a daily basis and this is seen as quite normal.

sounds like where you're from hino the attitude and culture toward cannabis is more laid back (sounds like too laid back from your complaints) but you have to realize that here in america there is the bigger problem of blatant misinformation vs. your perhaps just lack of information.

adolescents and the youth absolutely have it the worst when it comes to the subject. it really is unlucky times to be a kid/teenager in this modern day. i know i wish i had waited until i was older/better developed before i started using cannabis but it is what it is and out of ALL the substances i've put in my body, no matter how mentally or psychologically addicted i've been at points, cannabis was and is the least harmful (other than organic food i suppose lol).

you gotta be able to live and enjoy this, our only life, and for a lot of people the right to choose what they put in their body IS living. in my opinion: as a grown adult you have right to choose what you do with and/or what put in your body. whether people use a substance or drug for artistic, medicinal, recreational, self destructive, spiritual, or whatever reason, in certain ways that's how they are enjoying life. it's true some people will be responsible, some won't. that's just who the people that make up this modern incarnation of our species are. it's a shame though because a lot of folks can't find responsibility or discipline on their own so people need to start working together better in sharing experiences like this so we can collectively learn.

i think one shouldn't get mad at the substances, but rather get mad at the people who lie or do nothing to educate one another properly which will in turn lead to better education for the youth (which we all were apart of at one time).

exactly dude, that's what i am trying to put forth with this article. and im still completely in favour of it being legal and people having the choice to use it.

You're wrong on so many levels. You're trying to say psychological dependancy is one of the most difficult forms of addiction, that is simply not true. Compare someone that is addicted to cigarettes, alcohol, or even heroin, and you will physically see the difference. The difference between someone shaking, going white in the face and having cold sweats, having to steal and rob money just to get a fix, is not the same as someone that forms habitual use of drugs, and has the will power to stop at any point.

If one doesn't have the will power to stop at any point, then this person obviously has deeper psychological issues which they must address themselves. Bottom line is, psychological addition is not the same as physical addiction.

If one chooses to be reckless and take vast amount of drugs, then that person needs to show more responsibility over oneself. It's really not that hard - freedom of choice.

Also you mentioned you started smoking between 13-14, and modern studies on mice of the equivalent human age, prove this to be problematic compared to using marijuana as an adult. Again, legalisation and tight regulation is important, just as it currently is with alcohol, but prohibition is not, and never is, the answer.

......and where have i said that i agree with prohibition? nowhere. i've mentioned several times that i'm still in favour of decriminalisation and legalisation. which you'd know if you read my conclusion.


i am saying that psychological addiction is often overlooked as "easy" to overcome which it is not. obviously some forms of physical addiction are much more difficult in certain ways. but i'm also saying that EVERY form of addiction has effects on both the physical AND psychological end of the spectrum. they are linked. that psychological addiction CAN be extremely difficult to overcome. and that it can have huge, detrimental impacts on a person's life. i have also known people who have stolen and robbed from others just to get more weed. so, it may not be "exactly the same" but it is not "completely different" either.

i'm far from being pro-prohibition, you're missing my point. in fact prohibition adds to the problem in lots of ways and not just the obvious. as i'm sure youknow, being in the UK yourself there are large amounts of soapbar in circulation, which is what i started with. also the fact that you never know what strain you're smoking... constantly different strains going around so you're always getting differing levels of THC/CBD etc.

what i am saying is that for too long, there has been a skewed attitude toward cannabis in the community itself, and myths that it's not even a drug are constantly being pushed. there needs to be a more balanced, truthful view of it.


yes i started smoking at a young age, habitually, thinking there was nothing wrong with it and this is due to cultural factors and attitudes that people keep perpetuating that daily use is nothing to be concerned about, because "it's harmless". that's where the problem lies. and that's what i'm trying to say. kids are being fed this shit and starting smoking at younger and younger ages. i see it all the time.

Fair enough, but the very fact that it's classed as 'psychological' addiction, means that the cause of 'need', is down to the complexities of the human mind, NOT a physical craving for the chemical itself, but a need to escape oneself in order to cope with other more deep rooted issues such as social problems, or depression.

So, it's clearly those deeper routed problems that need to be addressed, and not the substance that is being used as an escapism. We all have the choice to be sensible, or wreckless.



People that steal and rob ANYTHING have moral issues. If we can agree that weed is not physically addictive, then the physical act of stealing to obtain it is not a direct side affect of the drug itself.




Would you summarise your point in one paragraph, because I feel I'm missing it?



Well, i agree there are many urban myths surrounding marijuana, but real information is not going to be wideley available in the mainstream as long as it remains illegal.

The facts are that if you start smoking marijuana habitually during your teenage years, you will likely suffer some sort of memory defecit in later life. These are conclusions from modern day studies on mice.

It was also discovered that adult mice exposed to delta 9THC did not suffer from this problem, so we can assume that adulthood is a better age to use marijuana. Modern studies also show it increases brain cell growth by 40% (this is Harvard University research), and that it cures most cancers, in even in the advanced stages (which the Governments have known since the 70's), so it is unlikely teenages will be informed of the facts via mainstream media.

One paragraph... ok.

I guess I am just saying that there is no way to stop younger generations from trying the drug, and due to the myths I have tried to dispel, many of them are being misguided and will fall into habitual usage. I just want to make people aware that there are negative consequences and side effects from chronic usage as I wish I had been made aware of (in ways that weren't just scare tactics), and psychological addiction can occur, regardless of the reasons why the habit might form from person to person. That it IS a drug, and that it is NOT completely harmless which are the two main myths that I think are perpetuated by people who want it to be legalised.


I see where you're coming rom but I feel as though you think I am promoting prohibition and that is most certainly not what I am trying to do. It's not so black and white.

To begin with, it was unclear to me what you point actually was, so thanks for clearing that up.

So, I understand where you're coming from, but is it really a "myth" that Cannabis is NOT a drug? Seriously? That doesn't sound like a myth to me, it sounds more like ignorance or stupidity.

An educated person will realise THC is a drug, just as we can agree the grass is green (no pun intended). It's a molecule. End of story.

You're right though, there is a total lack of information available, at least in the mainstream media, but for a reason; the Governments won't dispel their own propaganda which they have force fed us for the last hundred years. Fortunately, we have the internet.

This is the other problem I have with your argument; Habitual use of Marijuana really isn't as bad being psychologically addicted to watching TV, gambling, or GMO foods, violence etc. There are no ill effects to using marijuana habitually, apart form perhaps lack of motivation (unless you're using Sativa which is pro active). No link to cancer, no or any other bodily ailment. So, with that in mind, I can't really take this argument seriously. There are far greater problems in the world.

I ingest plant matter daily, but if I go on holiday for a few weeks, I'm not sitting there on the beach in a cold sweat like a crack addict, in fact it's the furthest thing from my mind.

The facts are out there, but as with anything in this age, you have to read, and i just can't sympathise with people that don't.

Plenty of people in the Cannabis community say it is not a drug, that it's just a "herb". I've heard this countless times over the years, it's part of this overly laid back attitude that comes with stonerism. Maybe it's different where you come from, i dunno.

And as I have demonstrated in my post, there ARE negative and physical ailments apart from just mere lack of motivation.... Like anxiety for one. Cannabis gave me SEVERE anxiety over the years, both mental and physical... and I'm not the only one..... Altering your consciousness daily with THC is more extreme than being addicted to things like TV, though TV addiction is also a problem in our society imo...

"there are far greater problems in the world".... who is arguing that? Doesn't mean that I cannot write about my personal experiences and attempt to help people who might form or already be affected by Cannabis addiction. I've already been thanked by people who have read my article who were going through very similar things, for showing them another side to the "it's harmless so there's no problem with daily use" mentality.

Yeah obviously if you go on holiday there are things around you to keep your mind off toking, new stimulus etc. But what about at home? Do you take breaks? Do you go days on end without smoking and not thinking about it at all? If so then kudos, but most people don't. Most people get irritable, anxious and depressed for at least the first few days of withdrawal and have the "I'm busting for a smoke" thoughts in their minds. If you do any amount of reading on others' experience on the matter then THAT is certainly undeniable. Or if you simply KNOW a lot of stoners lol... You're acting like I'm EQUATING this type of addiction with heroin addiction. Which I'm not. I'm merely pointing out that it CAN be very difficult, even if you've got will power and even if you have done all the reading you possibly could.

Also... not everyone has the internet, not everyone is "educated", and 14 year olds generally don't really care about reading up on experiences or facts.... they go by what others around them tell them and the plain fact that they wana get high. I still sympathise with them even if they don't read up on it, because I realise that not everyone is the same and not everyone has the intuition. I'm not really sure what the solution to this IS. All I'm doing is putting ideas and my own experience out there, and trying to shed a different light on the matter than what I've seen already

Yeah, I've heard the attitudes of some people that believe it's not a drug, but all I can do is laugh, because they are a minority of ignorant people.

It's worth noting that cannabis actually cures anxiety, as well as causing it, but as a human being you will experience anxiety on some level in your lifetime, regardless of whether you decide to use drugs, or not.

I am no stranger to anxiety, but bad experiences on drugs made sense to me in the fullness of time, just like bad relationships did. They help strengthen us, and It's how we grow and evolve as human beings.

So how do you believe altering your consciousness via THC is "more extreme" than being addicted to TV? That's open to interpretation, so what do you mean by "more extreme"?

TV addiction stimulates the same part of the brain as heroin (opiate receptors), so how do you believe the right brain cannabinoid receptors, which are responsible for creative and philosophical thinking etc, are worse? Surely that is more productive than the reward pathway of the brain which is stimulated from junk food or mindless TV? How can that kind of consciousness be worse?

Please don't get me wrong, I understand your point; People need to be aware that THC is a drug, that it may cause anxiety, but surely this is common sense for most of us? If not, read! I don't care what you say about people not having access to the internet, I grew up in absolute poverty, and it didn't stop me form reading or educating myself in general.

Since an early age, It's always been a natural curiosity for me, to look at what I am putting into my body, be it food, liquid, or drugs, as it still is, which is why i am vegan. Do you not feel that way?

Please don't read this the wrong way. I get your point, but my point is that people need to show some responsibility to educate themselves.

I did not say it was WORSE just that it is altering your perception in a stronger way, a much different way, as you were saying it's not much different.. Obviously I find the effects of Cannabis on the thoughts to be mostly positive, otherwise I would not have smoked it for so many years.. It can be extremely helpful but I really wish that I had not used it every day, and taken more breaks.. I think I would have gotten much more from it that way. Using it every day killed my creativity tbh. And the philosophical, more rational thought processes slowly but surely became irrational paranoid ones.

I did not know that watching TV stimulated the same part of the brain as opiates though. Surely then this would mean that TV addiction is more akin to opiate addiction, and not Cannabis addiction? In the psychological sense.

Yes, people should show more responsibility to educate themselves, you're right there. I wish I had done. But I'm trying to be a bit more realistic, not everyone has the means, or the intention. And some people's lives have been ruined by this addiction.. I know mine nearly has been. If I hadn't made these realisations I think I probably would have continued daily use and probably gone even further into despair... I know it doesn't affect everyone in the same way, and I'm glad that you feel it is not detrimental to your life.

I think it;s just because I kidded myself for years that it wasn't detrimental to mine, and honestly, I see so many of my friends and people around me doing the same thing... some of them probably are ok, but a lot aren't. Not trying to take anyone's rights away or tell them what to do or what not to do. Merely offering my experience.

It just makes me sad to think that others have suffered the same thing and I'm tired of burn-out hippy stoners saying "it's all okay mannnnn smoke the herb, weed is all you need"

But yeah, legalisation and education, regulation are the first steps to tackling this issue.

This is a very interesting topic. I'm trying to trade my benzodiazapine dependence for a cannabis habit as it stands.