Marijuana and the Quitting Process

[obz900]

What do you think of marijuana use and how it affects the quitting process? The last time I quit I continued to use marijuana almost daily with little to no negative effects, but this time around I have my worries. It feels so good to smoke a cigarette after you smoke weed, quite similiar to drinking alcohol actually. 

Another thing I'm thinking about is how the drug is administered, most often smoking obviously. Is it treading on dangerous ground to continue inhaling smoke into the lungs, even if there is no nicotine in it?

A few things we need to get straight first that I have seen in other posts:

1) Marijuana is not physically addictive in the same sense as nicotine, cocaine, heroin, etc. It is possible to become psychologically addicted to it, but in the same way one might become addicted to coffee, sugar, tv, exercising, etc.

2) Marijuana does not cause lung cancer, COPD, or other dangerous lung ailments. Although there is certainly tar produced from the burning plant material, there has yet to be a documented case of lung cancer in a marijuana-only smoker. And of course, no one has ever died from using the drug in any capacity.

3) Medicinal marijuana is prescribed for many ailments, including anxiety and depression, two common symptoms experienced during nicotine withdrawal.

All that being said, I am still willing to discontinue my use of marijuana if it endangers my quit in any way. Please post a comment, especially if you have any experience in using marijuana while quitting cigarettes.

[Ex_Nancy]

Smoking ANY combustable material will shred your lungs or your heart...the info you have is askew...if you want to quit smoking, you have to make a CHOICE to quit smoking.

[Kathryn16]

My son lost his 2 week quit to marijuana. Now he quit smoking weed. I pray he will quit smoking everything!!

[JonesCarpeDiem]

i think it depends on the person. if you feel it may threaten your quit, it may.

this whole quitting process is in your head.

if you make the right choices you succeed.

bad choices? you fail.

[peacefulspirit06]

In complete honesty, I smoked pot and cigs for 37 years and just quit smoking 2= weeks ago. Smoking pot actually helps me relax in the evenings and it actually lessens my urge to smoke but to each his own and who are we to judge. I have no intention to quit marijuana as I use it medically and if anything, it's helped me..

[Breakinchains]

 Let's think about this. You are SMOKING pot. That means you are SMOKING. If you quit SMOKING, that means pot and cigarettes, and anything else that you can smoke. Don't tell me smoking pot isn't dangerous. No kind of smoking is good for you. Just my opinion. 

[Thomas3.20.2010]

Only one substance was meant to be  inhaled - air!

[BobbyMaynard]

Wait, wait, what was the question again? 

[melissa131]

I dispute the fact that no one has ever died from smoking marijuana, Bob Marley died of lung cancer. It also affects you blood sugar that's why you get the munchies and that is also one reason why Gerry Garcia had uncontrollable diabetes. 

I grew up in a commune, my mom was a hippie. I smoked pot and plenty of it, I used to live with a band. I think it  does make you less inclined to be hard on yourself. Smoke some pot and then it's like -think to yourself, it will be ok if I smoke one cig. eh. as you said they are more enjoyable sometimes. 

If it works for you then that's great. It started messing with my blood sugar, I know plenty a people that do that, quit smoking cigs and smoke pot instead. But for me, I joined NA some time ago and had to stop, it is a program of complete abstinence. then I started taking St. Johns wort, and found the two together didn't work. Now I have decided that THC (in the strengths available today) makes my blood sugar plumet. I had a weird experience, google THC and blood sugar. and read away. Or Pot and dizzy, feeling light headed, almost passed out. Yep, it's true. 

I live in Austin, I work at a Sandwhich store where alot of people would disagree with me, but honestly I think they are in denial. Some things I think it is good for, naseau, make a tea, or eat it,  if you are doing chemotherapy. it is important to eat. arthritis, and some people that have ADD swear by it. But what ever, that's my two cents. 

[melissa131]

PS, How would "they" know if anyone has died from smoking pot, do people tell their doctors all that they do? That's like saying, we know how much money people brought in from selling moonshine during prohibition. 

Or no prostitutes die from their trade, it is really not a statistic that can be quantified. In my opinion. 

[obz900]

@ Melissa: Bob Marley certainly did not die from lung cancer. He had a rare form of melanoma underneath one of his toenails which then spread to his lungs and brain.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Marley

Secondly, there has never been a documented case of lung cancer death from marijuana, even in places where it is semi-legal, like the Netherlands, and people would not be afraid to tell their doctors. Don't you think you would be able to find at least one death caused by the substance if it did in fact cause cancer? Not so with marijuana, nor will it ever be.

[Thomas3.20.2010]

Not to mention car accidents from driving under the influence - you are putting not just yourself at risk...Victimless? Not quite! Every single mj leaf is covered in innocent blood of poor Central and South American Men, Women and Children! Think about it!

[lady-hyacinth]

hmm, it sounds like you are pretty addicted to both. I don't know much about pot, other than it's illegal in most states, other than for medical use.

Have you thgought about rehab?

Then of course there is the legal aspect. This link shows in your state they are pretty tough on even a small amount of pot and have not passed any medical use pot laws.

http://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/marijuana-laws-and-penalties/south-dakota.htm

Best of luck getting off the drugs and the cigarettes. This site is the best as far as the quit smoking part goes.

Best of luck,

~Hyacinth

[dunwitit-dave]

Whoa Dude!! I think you earned a badge Man!....Wow! Thats so cool! Got any chips? Lol! Whatever it takes to get off the cigs Brah! Do that! I got your back!

[melissa131]

Why did you ask a question that you know all the answers to? 

[JonesCarpeDiem]

 "I am still willing to discontinue my use of marijuana if it endangers my quit in any way"

   If you have tried to quit smoking and failed and are saying that for you, pot makes cigarettes more enjoyable, I think you have one of your answers.

   If YOU think pot contributed to any quit smoking cigarette failures, you have an answer.

   Only you know this

[slk1987]

I think everyone needs to quit smoking in their own way.  Pot, although still smoking, is the lesser of the two evils, okay logically it may not be "healthy" for you, but hey neither is coffee its just not illegal.  Saying pot is as dangerous as cigarettes is just illogical, pot does not contain rat poison and all the other awful ingredients in cigarettes.  That being said, this is your quit plan and I say do whatever works for you.  Some people quit with chantix some with the patch, some with nothing at all, which is just evidence that every one reacts to the quitting process differently.  I say right now focus on quitting cigarettes, and do whatever it is you need to do to quit (ie smoking pot, not smoking pot, drinking, not drinking), only you can decide this one for you 😉 hang in there, we are all struggling with you 🙂  

[obz900]

@ Melissa: I do not have the answers to the question. My question was: What is your opinion/experience with marijuana while quitting smoking i.e. how does it affect the quitting process. What I did not want is people telling me that it can cause lung cancer and it is as bad for you as cigarettes, because obviously it is not.

[pir8fan]

I am not sure I understand the point of this blog! It seems that your mind is made uyp and you have some measure of research to justify what you intend to do! My opinion/experience is copied from something I once read here! If you quit smoking and you are still smoking, you are not doing it right!

[Sootie]

My opinion is that if you are smoking anything---it's not great for your health. In addition, we all know marijuana removes inhibitions just like alcohol and I would be very careful because it gives you that "who cares" feeling...and your quit goes out the window. 

And, I have to agree with Thomas and I think anyone would have to agree----our lungs were designed to breathe air----and that's what we should pursue.....agree?

[maryb6]

sometimes smoking pot relieves the " strees" of not smoking cigs.  i have known people that smoked their brains out when they quit the cigs. and over time that relaxed too. and yes pot does not cause lung cancer. actually there was a study just released that says that casual pot smokers had larger lung capacity than non smokers. and yes NO damage to the lungs.

in response to melissa and the blood sugar...i have had the issues that you have noted here. but i take is that pot does not lower the blood sugar, it is the cigs afterwards that effect your oxegyn levels and then you become dizzy and pass out

[karenjones]

It is 100% legal in the Netherlands. Grass is ok now, and once upon a time so was tobacco. But once the corporations got a hold of it they turned it into an evil poison. As Mj increasingly gets legalized the corporations will get alhold of it and it will become a horrid evil. If you think it will help you get off of cigarettes, go ahead use it, just don't staart smoking 5 joints a day or anything, one a day is enough. 1/2 a one a day is probably enough. the smoke will still hurt your lungs, throat etc. but you are right it is not addictive in the same way as cigarettes and don't kid yourself there are ovewr 4,000 chemicals in cigarettes and researchers are not even sure wha tthe other ones do, but starting to think that nicotine may not be the bad one.  Yes, you heard me.  Look at this: but first let me tell you that Mono-amine oxidize breaks down cortisol which is known as the stress drug. Nicotine inhibits the breakdown of mono-amine oxidize so cortisol is not broken down. Cortisol causes inflammatory reaction setting up the scene for cancer.  Animal models indicate that prolonged nicotine exposure dysregulates the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal system, resulting in hypersecretion of cortisol and alterations in the activity of the associated monoamine neurotransmitter system, whose function is to regulate reactions to stressors,⁸ an effect that appears to normalize after nicotine withdrawal." So smoking actually makes you feel stressed out.  I can reference all this stuff for you. But people get addicted to cigarettes for the same reason they get addicted to other substances, they think that it will reduce their pain and suffering and like other substances,   cigarettes just make the pain and suffering worse. Look at some one who smokes cigarettes and you will see someone who is depressed. seriously, it is a symptom of mental illness. I am an addict myself , so no blame here. this is my 11th day of not smoking. I wouldn't mind having a joint, but I have none. A picture is worth a thousand words. the enzyme is mono-amine oxidaze. well all I can say is that there is much to learn. whyquit is a good site and the Expert here Dr. Hays is very good at getting back to you very quickly with valuable information. I mean he won't sluff you off. also you might find this interesting 'the zombies of smoking cessation. "  lots to learn and hope you are not overwhelmed with info.  karen Dr. Andrew Pipe: The Zombies of Smoking Cessation - YouTube 

[karenjones]

Thomas,  most marijuana everywhere is grown locally. nowadays. What is coming from other places is fentynl. black heroine, ice. etc etc.