Loading ...Reasons to Quit Marijuana #1: Physical
This is Part #1 of a 4 part series on my reason to quit smoking weed.
I believe that it is a great idea to create an inventory of all of the reasons that I want to quit smoking weed. This servers 2 purposes: To clarify the negative effects of marijuana addiction in my life, and to use as a reference guide when I crave smoking pot, and think about relapsing.
The Negative Physical Effects of Marijuana:
Respiratory System: My respiratory system takes the largest toll when I smoke pot. I do not breathe as well as I would if I did not smoke at all. From attempts at quitting in the past, it takes about 2 weeks to a month to notice a change in my lung capacity. I currently have a wheeze if I breathe out quickly. My lungs have also been burnt from inhaling smoke that is way to hot, it usually hurts for about a day, then goes away. I also find myself holding my breath and creating tension in my body for no reason, like I am trying to hold in an imaginary hit of weed. I need to take slower, deeper, breaths.
My mucus production is through the roof. I don’t have the weed smokers cough right now, it seems to come and go. I DO awake everyone morning with a stuffed nose. If I get a cold, it takes me a long time to beat it. I had nasal congestion from late July to early October this year.
Skin: My skin doesn’t look good. I think this may be a blood circulation and oxygen thing from smoking pot. You know how you can look at a 60 year old and tell if they are smokers or not….I think that to a lesser extent smoking weed does the same thing. I quit smoking for about 3 months a couple years ago and noticed that my skin, particularly my face was way smoother and healthier looking. I also noticed when I quit that the bags under my eyes, and surrounding pores looked way smaller and better.
My thumb and forefinger are also discolored from holding onto joints and blunts. It is pretty common to burn the skin slightly when I am going for the last hit on a roach.
Eyes: My eyes get bloodshot and itchy when I smoke weed. When I smoke heavily, my eyes get kind of dazed, 1/2 open, and I don’t focus well. However, I will admit that smoking pot does improve night vision.
Teeth: One of my teeth is getting stained from tar and resin in the joints I smoke. I was smoking between 1-5 joints a day. So it does add up and it is visible to me.
Eating Habits: You are what you eat, and when I get stoned, I eat shitty fast food - and lots of it. Taco Bell, McDonalds, Jack in the Box etc. When I am too stoned to drive and too lazy to walk there is always pizza or Chinese food that can be delivered. Not only is this terrible for me, it also costs a lot of money. I don’t go to the grocery store that often because I don’t want to go stoned, so I would just smoke more pot instead and eat junk food. 7-11 is 24 hours, but the hot dogs are only good until about 2:30 am. I have put on about 15lbs in the last 2 years.
Lack of Exercise: I don’t do physical activity nearly enough. I used to be in excellent shape and need to get back to where I was before. Swapping the smoking habit and high for the exercise habit and high is a priority for me. My cardiovascular system has been beat up from all of the pot smoking. Once I have quit smoking weed, I should see that rebound pretty well - especially if I push myself with bike rides and hikes.
What negative symptoms do you experience? If you think I have missed anything, or would like to share some of your own, please comment.
See Also
Part 2 - Psychological Reasons to Quit Marijuana
Part 3 - Reasons to Quit Marijuana - Relationships
Part 4 - Financial Reasons to Quit Marijuana
Don’t forget mental effects (some of which I know you have already covered - like lack short term memory, lack of motivation, etc).
November 25th, 2007 at 9:58 pmThe one I think you are missing is the tension and anger that builds when you want something and cannot get it. I find I fly off the handle really easily when cravings hit, and so does my partner. I often feel a lot calmer mentally when I have had a few days off from smoking, and this improves outright over time.
Hey Tani, Yes - That is going to be covered in my next post on Psychological Issues.
Tension and Anger are two things that I feel deeply when I can’t have any. I will be sure to add that in my post tomorrow! Thanks for bringing up anger. I am feeling some anger about not being able to enjoy partying like a ‘normal’ person would.
Would you be interested in writing a guest post about quitting with your partner or communicating with a partner when quitting smoking weed?
November 25th, 2007 at 10:16 pmWhy not?
November 25th, 2007 at 10:42 pmCan’t hurt at all
Cool. I can set you up an account, or you can email it to me @ admin@marijuana-addict.com
THANKS A MILLION!
November 25th, 2007 at 11:46 pmI will email it to you, and give me a couple of days
November 26th, 2007 at 1:05 amhi admin, hello from mexico, stoneland, congrats on the blosçg, i like da new dzign.
November 27th, 2007 at 11:36 amIam heavily addicted to pot and i just had my fall crop. temptation
[…] Reasons to Quit Marijuana #1: Physical strong>This is Part #1 of a 4 part series on my reason to quit smoking […]
November 30th, 2007 at 5:40 pmI have been heavily addicted to marijuanna for th ast 2 -3 years and i am furious wit myself for letting it get this far, i went from elite level athelete to pot head who cant run 10 minets without breaking out in a massive cough attack but i just cant quit:mad:
December 4th, 2007 at 10:31 pmMy roommate in college had the potential to be a national team athlete without working too hard and marijuana got in the way. All he wanted to do was smoke, so that is all he did. He quit school after one year. He had so much potential in sports, academics, and with women - he was a total stud that got sidetracked by this stuff.
At least you are onto this now. It took me another 4 years to get to where you are now. It is not too late. You can change, and you can make a difference in your life. Keep coming back, we will all get there. Look at my journal over the first week, I made mistakes but my resolve hasn’t changed. Keep your resolve, study your addiction, and you will beat it.
December 4th, 2007 at 10:37 pmSmoking weed makes me set limits on my life and what I can and can’t do. I can’t make phone calls, go to interviews, or classes; I find myself unable to deal with any situation where intense eye contact and focus are required with someone who is not also stoned for prolonged periods of time….It makes me nervous while in social situations and causes me to chose solitary activities to ones which may be productive and positive. I can’t stay the night somewhere I can not smoke pot before bedtime… So I rarely stay the nigth anywhere especially at non-smoking family members’ houses. I miss socializing, family time, study time, cleaning time, and I ignore my problems. It has also limited my employment at every turn.. I can’t stop smoking long enough to test clean for a decent job. I’m a big girl so it takes longer to get out of my system so I don’t even try. Speaking of weight!!! I know for a fact that the more I smoke, the more I eat. It has a direct effect on my weight and willingness to exercise. I am fighting two battle instead of one… I am also a compulsive eater and I medicate with food and pot. The two are so intertwined that it’s crazy. Another thing, how much time and energy have I devoted to scoring bud?? It’s alarming to think about, and then the times I waited for hours and ran all over the place and got nothing. All those times… for what? FUN? Wow…. such thoughts…. definetly heavy stuff. And I am just beginning this dialog with myself. Again, thank you for creating this blog and making me ask myself some very hard questions. I may not have asked if I had not found your posts. God bless ya!
December 4th, 2007 at 11:01 pmHello, I just discovered your site from a link you posted at 43things. I am really glad I found your site, and with your help along with that of many other readers, this is finally providing a firm hold with which to crawl out of my hole of addiction. Thank you!
December 17th, 2007 at 7:53 amMore on-topic-
When it comes to renewed physical activity after prolonged periods of muscle inactivity and whatnot, it is somewhat difficult to jump back on the horse, per se, in my opinion. I have started becoming more physically active in the past year after lazing around for years, and boy is it difficult, especially when it comes to intense cardiovascular work such as running, biking, swimming, etc. Considering the fact that I am not clean yet, I’m sure the atrophied feeling will lessen considerably once I am clean. BUT it is worth the effort once the initial muscle pain is gone, you feel absolutely rejuvenated! Remember, also; a healthy body leads to a healthy mind; the two share a symbiotic relationship. When overcoming addiction of any kind, it is a challenge of mind AND body.
Good Luck All!
When I got engaged, I was stoned
When I got married, I was stoned
When I conceived my 1st child, I was stoned
When my 1st child was born, I was stoned
When I conceived my 2nd child, I was stoned
When my 2nd child was born, I was stoned
When I lost my job, I was stoned
When arrested… you guessed it, stoned
When I cheated, I was stoned
When I lied, I was stoned
When I was kicked out of my house…stoned
I have missed out on so much in life since I began getting stoned. I have quit before and my life got right back on track, only to fall back into the same old insidious trap. I have been smoking very potent Kind Bud every day, all day for 20 years now and I can’t even begin to tell you the physical, emotional, psychological and financial impact that it has had on my life. I am now once again off of weed for 16 days and slowly my life is beginning to come back around. I have had to basically sever all of my so called friendships/relationships in order to get this far and I plan on NEVER going back. I would have to say I am an authority on this unfortunate subject, so if I can help any of you like you have all just helped me then that would be just wonderful. Thanks for having this site and thanks for letting me post.
January 9th, 2008 at 6:06 amyou can easily get around the problem of your lungs by using a vaporizer.
February 14th, 2008 at 10:32 pmLook…marijuana is NOT addictive to those who do not want it to be. It is NOT physically addictive. This is not my opinion, and nor is it hearsay….this is FACT. Look it up yourselves. Yes, there are a few negative effects to SMOKING it, but just as some one mentioned already…you can purchase a vaporizer for that. If you are worried about eating too much…get off your butt and do some physical activity when you’re sober, of course. If you’re worried about missing “your life”…well thats just lack of responsibility. That has nothing to do with pot. It would be like you missing out on your sons game b/c you wanted to go to the bar with your friends. As for the addiction…once again, this is NOT addictive. Psychologically…yes…but so is biting your nails. The only reason this substance is bad is b/c it is illegal. And why is it illegal? Not b/c its dangerous…not b/c it’s “addicting”…no, the reason is rediculous…you can read about it here… http://blogs.salon.com/0002762/stories/2003/12/22/whyIsMarijuanaIllegal.html
March 13th, 2008 at 3:00 pm…so, for those of you ignorant conservatives bashing marijuana…realize that it is not that bad…in fact, its not even as bad as alcohol…seeing as alcohol has a whole group (AA) organized to help people ADDICTED to it. Do some research…ull realize it’s not that bad.
Very mature. Delete my posts without even discussing my arguments. Clearly you see the light in the points I have expressed. My case does, in fact, hold water…and you know this. You can delete my opinions and ignore my points…but you will always know they were true. good luck with your fake addiction.
March 15th, 2008 at 12:33 pmive had problems with the plant myself, about a year ago i was introduced to it and i didnt care really, life was just about having a good time with my freinds hanging out with girls and getting high. im starting to relize a change in my self , with my lungs to be specific. i grew up with athsma so im sure smoking isnt helping that too much
. trying to get rid of the habit but the occasional social joint never hurt anybody 
. And for all of you i belive the main reason the plant is illegal is because the money that can be made off of the hash itself, and becuase you cant place taxes on it.
March 23rd, 2008 at 8:42 pmGerry,
What is your motivation for coming to this forum and trying to derail people who are trying to change their lives for the better? You found this forum, read some posts, and put some thought into your previous posts. You spent time and effort from your life to try to convince people they aren’t addicted. Why do you care?
I agree with you that it isn’t physically addicting. I agree with you that it isn’t that bad. I agree with you that it is better than alcohol. I agree with you that it should not be illegal.
However, I can assure you that people can become addicted to it. I currently am.
The best definition of addiction that I have found is the one that Rational Recovery uses. They define it as a condition of ambivalence (look the word up). A part of you really wants to quit, but another part of you loves it so much and wants to keep using forever. That is addiction. When you want/don’t want something at the same time. You probably have a hard time understanding this state of mind because you are not addicted. I would have thought it was BS if I heard about it before actually experiencing it.
Based on that definition, how can you tell someone that they are not addicted? How do you know what is going on inside of their head? Just because you have never experienced something doesn’t mean it can’t happen.
I hope you continue to use and enjoy marijuana in a way that is beneficial to your life. It is a great drug with few negative side effects when used responsibly. Please don’t derail people’s efforts to quit. Newly addicted people are usually very open to suggestion and your comments might derail their efforts to improve their lives.
March 31st, 2008 at 7:34 amLuckly I dont have an addictive personality, so I only smoke pot on special occassions, The reason being, on a holiday or another occasion, I’m going want to either drink Alcohol, or smoke pot, and smoking pot is way healther…
April 27th, 2008 at 2:20 pmHey, just looking for some answers really. I smoke pot heavily and have for about 3 or 3 years… and i noticed i dont get it when i dont smoke, but after a heavy night of caining (about 8 joints in a day) i find i wake up and my cheekbones ache and my face hurts… anyone know why?
May 2nd, 2008 at 2:45 amThanks for the help.
My bf, heavy user 8-10 j a day for a few years, less than that for almost 30, has bad angina and now also erectile dysfunction. It is most certainly affecting us both.
I sometimes literally see our dreams going up in smoke, pardon the pun, every time I hear him light up.
May 4th, 2008 at 4:38 pmIt may not be addictive but it certainly does take over your life if you let it. I have been free of it for 53 days and I see a difference in my attitude and health. Smoked it all day everyday for 7 years. Turned to it when my business was failing and never stopped because it turned into a basically just an everyday bad habit. Failing drug test when you really need a job makes you feel like a looser and makes you want to smoke to gigle and forget about it. I have been around someone else smoking it twice and really did not even want to do it and realized how it makes you dumb. The first few weeks were the hardest and i removed myself from the people who were doing it and I was the type of smoker that i didnt even want to be around non smokers….. hard core! Its been nice socializing and getting out of my own head and actually having a nice life and being a productive person again. I have not thought about smoking in at least 35 days. Thanks for the outlet
May 5th, 2008 at 12:28 amNever give up!! I smoked everyday for 11 years and I really missed some great opportunities in life. Living in California, Its so easy to get its not funny!! I had a “prescription” for it for the last 2 years so its available in most Cities throughout the state, not to mention the bud is so potent now days that its hard to turn down! 9 days ago I quit and I flushed a quarter oz of the purplest buds down the toilet and I have NO REGRETS! I have to admit one thing. The only way I could do this was with the help of God. He took control of my life and I choose Him over the pot! Its so wonderful to be pot free and I honestly havent even been craved it since day 2. I NEVER THOUGHT THIS WAS POSSIBLE. I smoked to self medicate, everyday, multiple times a day much like many of you. I only felt good when I smoked. It was a horrible life to live. I never had much money and what I had was going to go towards pot. I pray that anyone reading this can can be inspired to quit. Just ask God for help. He will answer your prayers!! GOD IS GREAT!!!!
I know I will get my life back on track now. I pray that everyone here or who reads this can end there addiction
May 5th, 2008 at 9:56 amI’m an “older” guy, started smoking in the 70’s. Watched the stuff change big time over the years, including my reaction and tolerance to it. It went from being fun to being a habit and it caused a few problems. Like drinking or any other habit, it’s different for everyone. For some it can be no big deal for others it can cause problems, sometimes major ones. Doesn’t matter if it’s addictive or not. If it’s a problem and effects any area of your life negatively maybe you should consider stopping. The trick is - and this may sound silly - you will not stop unless you want to. Don’t kid yourself or anyone else. Fill your time with good things, don’t whine, take good care of yourself, be responsible, enjoy all that life has to offer, make things happen for yourself, stay positive and laugh. You CAN do it!
May 16th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
why would i stop it to good the high felling makes me happy
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:35 amThanks everyone,it’s great to know I am not alone. I used to feel the same way Gerry did about it not being addicted until I became addicted. I think it depends on what is happening in your life and whether or not you are socially smoking or self medicating. A friend who is a pychotherapist said the red flag for marijuanna is do you do it alone? If yes, you are probably on your way to addiction if not already there. I am 43 and used to smoke socially (at parties, camping, trips to the beach) until I had a premature 1 lb baby who stayed in a NICU for 6 months. I was so stressed out I started self medicating daily for my stress, now 8 years later I am totally addicted and sick of it and now my daughter is starting to smell it in the bathroom after I smoke. I want to stop and totally am “ambivalent” and addicted, love it and hate it but lost control (another sign of addiction) of my consumption. Thanks for your support, I am going to keep reading and praying and might go hit some NA meetings for more support.
June 24th, 2008 at 2:41 ami’m not a smoker myself but have had a few bf’s that have been heavy smokers. my first one i was able to help him quit- it took months and months for me to show him the difference in his abilities, attitudes towards life, ability to handle conflicts and talk to me about our problems as adults. anyway he quit and things went much smoother. my current bf is 10 years older than me and has smoked medium/heavily for about 15 or so years (maybe on and off). he has ony had one relationship which went for about a year, he said they split up cuz he wasnt having sex with her. i am finding now that he has a lack of interest in sex (its only been 4 months!) he wants to see me a fair amount but we just sit and watch tv. he tries to hide it from me when he has a bong before bed and when i pop to the shops- i can tell tho- you can smell it and he is in his own world.
he says he loves me and he buys me expensive gifts but he will NEVER give up a day to spend with me- maybe cuz it reduces his smoking? he says he wants to spend the day with me but he gets stoned and jst plays computer games. we stayed at a hotel for his 30th (my attempt to coax him to a night of naughty fun ;O) ) and originally he agreed to 3 nights- then 2- then he reduced it to one night and we checked in really late…he watched tv the whole time then fell asleep and woke up constantly from nightmares and sweats. he dropped me off home straight away in the morning even tho we both had a day off…
is this wat pot can do to you? i know wat my ex was like but the sex thing bothers me…im only in my early 20’s and i feel undesired and unloved but i know he is a good person and cares.
o and he cant handle ANY conflict. even if i am tactful about anything- such as doing something nice together then him not showing up- he gets really mad at me and says he hates fighting. but all i want to do is discuss things like adults so we can “grow” together…
June 30th, 2008 at 3:09 amThere are too many young impressionable kids out there who are being misled by some of us who should know better.The active ingredient in weed can be devistating to young developing minds,to say nothing of the legal and social problems that smoking can lead to.Take it from some one who have been there,done that!!!!!
July 7th, 2008 at 5:20 pm