"Dopesick"

avatar for Manuellabore
Manuellabore
This isn’t strictly SC-related, although for me it is kind of SC-related. BLUF: At my tender age, I am learning that there are physical withdrawal symptoms associated with cessation of cannabis consumption.

Over the past two years, I have developed a bit of a cannabis habit. The time frame coincides pretty closely with my getting into the SC habit in a big way. It also coincides with the prevalence of adult-use dispensaries in my area.

As a kid, I smoked a lot of weed and some hash, but, over the past 45 years, my usage has been highly sporadic and episodic, like once every 5-10 years or so. Similar pattern to my SC patronage.

On the plus side, the cannabis helped suppress my alcohol consumption, which has always been an issue for me. Less risk of DUIs, and much easier to do on the DL

Up until I stopped cold a week ago, I was taking around 35-40 mg of edibles daily Thursdays-Sundays, and 15 mg of Indica edibles just before bedtime Mon-Weds. When travelling, I’d change things up and smoke a preroll or suck on a disposable vape. All of this is outside working hours, because I am incapable of doing the job I do while high.

So, after Day 1 and 2, I thought I was in good shape. No bad effects, and my running pace even picked up a bit. It’s been downhill ever since. Headaches, agitation, irritability, and disturbed sleep. Each morning I wake up hoping I’ve turned the corner but, so far, the symptoms keep coming back, earlier and more intense. But, we’ll see, it is still early on a Monday and maybe today is the day it all starts turning around.

The hell of it is, I didn’t stop with the intention of permanently kicking the habit (I enjoy being high and it doesn't interfere with my social interactions), but because I have a professional commitment coming up where I wanted my mental acuity to be at its peak. At the rate things are going, I may end up having to throw in the towel and uptake some just to restore baseline functionality.

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avatar for misterorange
misterorange
16 days ago
I never heard of withdrawal associated with quitting weed. Agitation/irritability are likely the result of poor sleep. And whatever causes the lack of sleep maybe causes headaches too? I'd talk to a doctor. Could be something else besides the weed.
avatar for Icey
Icey
16 days ago
Those are withdrawal symptoms. Give it like a month sober.
avatar for MajoraCream
MajoraCream
16 days ago
Quitting daily cannabis consumption, especially if you have been taking an Indica regularly before bed to help sleep, will 100% cause a huge alteration in your mood and sleep quality. From what I understand, there are not direct physical withdrawals to cessation of THC consumption but you will likely feel knock-on effects of altered mood and motivation.

Being a regular user myself for many of the same reasons you describe, I feel the frustration of wanting to take a tolerance break to be "on point" for stressful or difficult obligations and actually feeling worse instead. In my experience, days 2-5 after starting a break will be the worst and it should start feeling better after that.

Hope you feel better soon, whether that means you get through the hump and kill it at work or end up back in the club with a green-tinted ass in your face.
avatar for PAWG_Patrol
PAWG_Patrol
16 days ago
Daily smoker for over a decade.

My irritability subsides after the first week. Definitely worst the first 2 days. I get headaches from caffeine withdrawal but not 420. It never disturbs my sleep, but can be hard to fall asleep without it. Scientifically, cannabis actually disturbs REM sleep. That's why most heavy users don't have dreams. In theory, your sleep should be deeper when not using.

If you're like me though, it helps me sleep. I'd say only use it at night to put you to bed. And monitor your caffeine intake. (That many indica edibles should put anyone to sleep though! Lmao)
avatar for skibum609
skibum609
16 days ago
In 1969 I got high for the first time. In college I paid for school selling weed and smoked an ounce a week. The last time I did not have my own weed to smoke whenever I wanted to was in early 1989. Except for quitting to pass my Navy physical and a few times on job hunts I have smoked pretty much every day for almost 50 years. My favorite is to pack a bowl with a high THC Sativa and then add in a little 84% THC crumble.
I find other than getting one high, weed has no medicianal value or anything else beneficial. I get everyone is different, but whether I am high 24/7 or not smoking at all my life is the same, sleep, eat, work out, fuck, etc.
I agree with Pawg on caffeine withdrawal and on the fact that heavy users don't dream.
avatar for drewcareypnw
drewcareypnw
16 days ago
I’ve been in bands since I was 16. I’ve watched all manner of drug use from a front row seat. Heavy pot smokers indeed get cranky for a while when they stop, and at first play worse, but then after a while play better. I don’t know about the symptoms bc I don’t take any drugs, but every action has a reaction so I’m sure if pot makes you feel good it’s going to feel shitty for a while when you stop.

Potheads in music are a minor pain in the ass, not as bad as drunks, and not in the same ballpark as junkies. It doesn’t seem like meth people play music, as far as I can tell
avatar for jaybud999
jaybud999
16 days ago
I don't get headaches, but when my dreams return....I know I'm "clean" again!
avatar for skibum609
skibum609
16 days ago
useful factoid: For very heavy weed smokers, you will not be clean after 30 days, 37,36,36 my three times before I'd pass a piss test, not a hair follicle test.
avatar for Puddy Tat
Puddy Tat
16 days ago
^ How long weed stays in your system depends on amount of weed and obesity. If you're obese and smoking constantly it can be up to 6 months.

Don't care if anyone else does but personally, I hate weed. Not pleasant, sativa makes me nauseous and agitated and indica makes me tired but more lay-on-the-couch tired than sleepy.
avatar for skibum609
skibum609
16 days ago
In 2014 I was not working. I was fat and smoking so much weed I had to sleep 12 hours a day 37 days. The reason weed takes so long is that it is fat soluble, like vitamin, so it gets stored in fatty tissues and it takes time to clean out. Different than cocaine which is water soluble, like vitamin c and is pissed out in 48 hours.
Personally I love weed more than I love life itelf. Pretty much every decision I have made in my life has been weed based.
avatar for Manuellabore
Manuellabore
16 days ago
Lots of interesting observations.
Ski, when I had to take DUI class a few years back, they told us you could remain detectable for weed for over 30 days, which sucks, because “detectable” is the standard for getting charged for DUI for weed in my state and apparently most states. Of course, they need probable cause to demand a test, which is tougher to establish with weed (especially edibles) than with alcohol, which was my downfall.
With respect to caffeine, I swore it off on September 9, 1999. I didn’t select that date for any reason other than I’d traveled by plane to 3 different podunk towns three days in a row and was swilling coffee nonstop at all hours, to the point that I literally didn’t get a wink of sleep the night before I had an important work obligation on that day. And as far as developing/losing tolerances is concerned, once in a while some idiot at an unfamiliar Dunkin’ will slip me a caffeinated coffee and by the time I get a few ounces down it feels like my heart’s going to burst out of my chest and I’m fucked up for the rest of the day.
avatar for Puddy Tat
Puddy Tat
16 days ago
@skibum - Exactly. If you're going to get tested for anything, I'd suggest shaving everything. Most drugs are out of your system within a few days.

@Manuel - it's interesting because I have a decent amount of caffeine almost every day (not a ton though) and I never have any withdrawal symptoms if I go without. Paradoxically, a moderate amount relaxes me. Too much and I look like a cokehead though.
avatar for Studme53
Studme53
16 days ago
I like a gummie maybe once a month when I’m on my own on a weekend day. I’ll do my work or project around the house in the morning, take the gummie, take a walk and listen to music, then go to a sports bar, have a few beers and watch a game. Nothing more relaxing and fun for me.
avatar for captainfun
captainfun
15 days ago
I smoked a little weed here and there when I was a teenager and into my early 20s.

Basically never do anymore. Not opposed. Just not around it much. About five years ago I was on a work trip and a female colleague and I were hanging out. She had gummies and offered one. We both ate one. Neither of us felt anything after a while (30-45 mins??) so we split another one. Wowza….it kicked in big time and we were super high, in a fun way, for the next couple hours.
avatar for ilbbaicnl
ilbbaicnl
15 days ago
THC gives me hangovers roughly as much as alcohol does. Booze only works for me if I can be buzzed for several days in a row, to offset the hangover day. Haven't tried that with gummies. Inhaling smoke isn't very tolerable, unless you've made yourself accustomed to the abuse.
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