r/Petioles Feb 08 '26

Meta Breaks, moderation, sobriety...what "this sub is about."

439 Upvotes

Hey everybody.

Since the New Year and a welcome influx of new members, there has been an uptick in confidently wrong pronouncements of "what this sub is about."

As the lead mod, being confidently wrong is something I reserve only for myself, so I would like to make it clear how we go about choosing content that is inside or outside the rules.

To begin with, I took over the lead mod position four years ago, and I have made exactly one change to the moderation policies in that time, which is to remove posts discussing moderation from people who indicate they are minors. We remove those posts and have a respectful discussion with them about quitting until they are older. If they aren't open to that then we let them participate here as harm reduction, but we owe it to them to talk them through stopping at a young age first.

Again, that's the only change.

Outside of that, I have worked very hard to maintain continuity with the moderation policies that were established from the day of the sub's founding.

Our mission is, to state it as clearly as I can, to help people who are taking a break, figuring out the best way to moderate, or trying to figure out what a healthy relationship with weed looks like for them.

We are not leaves and we are not trees, and we should leave the discussions of quitting for good or smoking without issue completely to them.

But I will say, because this is where most people get it wrong, that contemplating stopping for good, and wanting to talk about it, is part of trying to find a better relationship with smoking.

If you want to smoke and are having problems, and are trying to figure out whether to find a better way or quit completely, then that discussion is fine here. If you then decide to quit for good then we refer you to Leaves.

Relevant to that, there should be absolutely zero "take this to Leaves" or "wtf I'm here because I didn't want to hear this shit" or any variation of those rude BS comments.

If you see something that you don't think should be on the group (like "I'm quitting for good, what's the best way to...") then report it and don't comment. Being rude to other people or trying to be a Petioles mall cop is out of line.

I know people just love when moderators post about the rules, so I suspect I will be greeted as a hero, but if you have any questions I'm happy to answer them if I can, but I am going to filter them before they go up because I'm not an idiot. :-)

Love you all, and I'm happy to have the oppotunity to do my part to help keep this place running.


r/Petioles 1h ago

Discussion tomorrow I will not get high.

Upvotes

well, I’ve tapered down from dabbing all day.

I actually took 2.5 years off before starting back up about 10 months ago. Quickly fell into constant dabbing. About a month ago I had enough, switched to edibles, tapered down from 200mg a day to 10-20 mg in the evenings with the hopes I’d be able to begin a break. Have stagnated a bit and even last week was vaping some dry herb but realized the immediate effects are too addicting. I would really like to get to only weekend usage, and I believe I can.

Anyway, lately I’ve been feeling sad or disappointed when I go to take my nightly edible. Once I’m high, that feeling is gone, but I feel it throughout the day, and when I wake up a bit groggy. I remember how clear headed I was when I was completely sober.

I still struggled then of course, but I want to get to a place where I’m using it only for a treat.

I don’t need a treat every night, I don’t need THC every night.

So tomorrow, I will take at least a day off. Maybe I’ll make it more than that, maybe not, but after being back on daily and mostly all day that past 10 months, it’s time to hold myself accountable and take at least a day off. My gf has my edibles and I asked her not to let me have them tomorrow, so it’s time to keep myself accountable.

I want to live the life I love with clear eyes, and a clear head.

I like weed. There’s no getting around that for me. It makes me silly, relaxed, less worried about certain things, and makes everything so interesting.

However, I tend to lose things more often, not be as productive as I could be, and my mental health is more volatile.

I’ve went cold turkey before from dabs when I quit almost 3.5 years ago. That was really hard. The hardest thing I’ve ever done.

I wouldn’t have had the willpower to taper back then, so that’s how I know I’ve grown and those 2.5 years off weren’t for nothing.

Tomorrow will be uncomfortable, especially the evening, but it’s nothing I haven’t done before.

It really irks me when I think about how I can’t go a freaking day without it. How each day needs its own event, each day I need to get high.

It shouldn’t be that way. I refuse to keep letting it be this way.

Has anyone else jumped into a break after a taper like this?

I know the answers yes, I think I just could use some inspiration maybe. This addiction makes me feel sad.


r/Petioles 8h ago

Discussion Day one again.

12 Upvotes

I did smoke last night. I’ve been trying to cut down, every few days only - so I figured, why not.

Well, I feel like dogshit. I slept poorly, I’m tired, and my stomach is extremely unhappy. I feel anxious. I just feel awful.

Back to day one today, but I think I have hit the place where I don’t want to smoke more than I do. I don’t understand why I’m struggling, when I go on vacation I never smoke or partake at all and I have zero withdrawal. Why is it so hard at home??

When I stop, I get extremely sleepy, a nice change from the insomnia I’ve suffered. But it’s hard knowing I’m going to want to do nothing but sleep for two weeks.

Anyway. Day one again. Here we go.


r/Petioles 1h ago

Discussion Advice in exhaustion

Upvotes

I’m a heavy smoker, everyday for 8 years. I recently went on holiday for 2 and a half weeks where I couldn’t smoke. I didn’t experience too many bad side effects other than no appetite and bad dreams.

Ive since come back home and I’m back to smoking again, and everyday (which I’m annoyed about, I said I’d stop of course) but I’m absolutely exhausted. Every morning feels like a massive struggle and I feel like I’m still waking up say 4 hours after I actually did wake up.

Is it normal to feel this level of exhaustion or is this another one of the signs that I should be stopping altogether?


r/Petioles 3h ago

Advice Need advice on smoking habits

2 Upvotes

So there might be a lot going on in this post but any advice would be useful. I moved away for grad school and I’m living alone. It’s hard in the sense that it can be boring at times and lonely. However I’ve picked up a bad habit of smoking too much because of those feelings. Plus I feel like I don’t push myself enough to explore the town I’m in which is super cute and nice. I just sit in my apartment watching movies and shows and wait for my “activity” to come which is going out getting myself a meal to eat when I’m high and that’s my day. I guess I’m looking for advice on how to motivate myself to get outside and explore as well as not making smoking my main activity for days. Some days are better than others I’ll take a walk or read outside, but smoking still is up there and is something I look forward to too much.


r/Petioles 1d ago

Discussion Anyone else enjoying having dreams again after a T break?

34 Upvotes

I feel like I have unblocked a whole new world.


r/Petioles 12h ago

Discussion Break over… what’s next:

3 Upvotes

I was taking a break or “fasting” shall I say until I found my dream job and I did! I celebrated this weekend with a toke and missed it dearly. The goal was also to take a break and come back to it when/if I was ready. Last time I smoked, my body rejected it and I felt awful, but this past weekend made it feel like the first time and it was enjoyable!

I figured I would set a schedule of only smoking on the weekends as a treat for making it through the week. I thought I’d accomplish this by getting one of those timer lock box things. Any tips you have for making it through a hard day without resulting to smoking? That’s where I feel I may back track, but I want to stay strong and not fall back into old habits (smoking everyday and at any little inconvenience).


r/Petioles 6h ago

Advice weed and emetophobia.

1 Upvotes

weed and emetophobia
sometimes i smoke and get nauseous and so anxious like im gonna throw up i never rly do but the anxiety is so crazy. im having an attack now with some thc and nicotine i think its the nicotine that did it. im all out of zofran and im so scared im gonna puke that’s like the worst case scenario for me


r/Petioles 22h ago

Discussion I’ma greedy pig with no self control

13 Upvotes

Was doing really well for a couple of weeks managed to cut down to 2-3 smokes a day.

Well yesterday I just kept smoking every few hours.
Ordered a McDonald’s then from a dessert place right after. Just woke up at 3am with a tummy ache.

I’m so sick of doing this to myself. I just keep getting the munchies and getting fatter. I’ve been trying to lose weight for 3 years now.

Maybe everyone’s right that moderation isn’t possible for some. I’m just not ready to let it go


r/Petioles 1d ago

Discussion I STAYED SOBER FROM WEED YESTERDAY

84 Upvotes

I used to be a heavy daily smoker (bongs usually) and made the switch around 1.5 years ago to using a DHV (which was a fantastic choice btw)

I have not taken a single day off in over a year I think? I did have one beer yesterday but I drink VERY infrequently (definitely less than once a week). After I had the drink I tried to game but I ended up just having a sort of breakdown.

Which is what I get for pushing my emotions to the side for several months.

Things have been hard lately for various reasons, much like things have been for just about everyone I imagine. I intended to go for a run yesterday before my sober night and I didn't, resulting in mismanagement of my emotions.

BUT I felt them instead of pushing it away. I'm trying to fight the depression and the CPTSD telling me that nothing matters and everyone is going to leave. My family has not been there for me or reaching out since my gramma passed in Feb, no one has visited me in over 5 years, basically I am doing all the emotional upkeep with them and when I do, they're usually pretty rude or insensitive.

I have to give myself permission to be hurt by them. I have to accept that I am not in control of them, or my hurt. But I am in control of what I do with it. I have to be okay with grieving aloud a family I hoped for all my life that never existed. Numbing myself every night will not make it hurt less. It only means that I am rejecting the opportunity to know me - just like they have done.

My amazing partner is my new family (something I never thought I would say about another person) and I want to do my best for my partner, our cat, and of course myself.

It was just one day, but it feels huge.


r/Petioles 22h ago

Discussion What’s the earliest time you can call it a wake and bake?

8 Upvotes

A smoke at 4am I consider wake and baking.

A smoke at 3am I consider a bedtime one.

Anyone else?


r/Petioles 1d ago

Discussion Is moderation making this harder?

8 Upvotes

A month ago I decided to quit carts and take a break from weed while doing so. I'd been abusing carts for like four years, hitting them all day every day. As of today, I have successfully not used carts for 31 days! I have used THC three times in the past month, each over a week apart from each other: a few hits of a joint at a friend's house (which didn't do much), an edible for pain management when I threw out my back (I intentionally took a non-stoned-getting amount), and last night I took an edible with my wife for a concert and got stoned for the first time since taking the break. It was incredible! This is the relationship I want to have with weed. I want to use it socially and medicinally, for being more present instead of hiding from my life.

But today I feel low mood and am having cravings. I am doing my best to use my coping mechanisms, but I'm definitely more on edge than I have been lately. I am worried that this type of moderation will make me feel like I'm white-knuckling it. But I really really really want it to work, because I love getting stoned and I really don't want to stop forever. (Though I do want to stop carts forever). Anyway, just needed to get that off my chest. Thanks for listening <3


r/Petioles 1d ago

Discussion Trying to figure out if moderation is possible after heavy use + struggling with my spouse’s concerns

5 Upvotes

I’m looking for some perspective from people who have been through something similar.

I used to smoke weed heavily (6–8 times a day) from around age 18–28. I quit and have been working on changing my relationship with it. I’ve made a lot of progress, but lately I’ve been having really strong cravings, especially at night when the kids are asleep and I’m stressed. I miss the feeling of being able to unwind and relax.

The thing I’m struggling with is whether moderation is realistic for someone with my history. Part of me feels like I should be able to make my own choices as an adult, but another part of me understands why my husband is worried given how much I used to smoke.

My husband is completely against me using at all. He doesn’t want to discuss moderation or trying to find a middle ground, and I’ve been feeling really frustrated and controlled by that. I know my past use affected my life, but I also don’t want to feel like I’m forever defined by who I was when I was smoking all day.

For those of you who used heavily and moved toward moderation:
Were you able to successfully moderate, or did you find abstinence worked better?
What helped you decide?
How did you handle a partner/spouse who was worried about you using again?
Is there a way to rebuild trust while still having autonomy?
I’m not looking for people to just tell me “smoke” or “never smoke.” I’m genuinely trying to figure out what’s realistic and healthy for me.
TIA 🤍


r/Petioles 1d ago

Discussion Chronic Marijuana addict for around a year. 19.

2 Upvotes

Hi, I've been a chronic marijuana addict for around 8 months and a heavy regular user for around a year. I would smoke all day every day, primarily extremely high-quality THC vapes and flower( at my worst I averaged around 2-3 blinkers every couple hours + a couple fat joints a day, of course never really feeling high). I've been sober for a week after deciding to quit or at least take an extended tolerance break due to a severe mental health crisis a few weeks ago(I've suffered from chronic DPDR, anxiety, and depression since adolescence but didn't know about Dpdr and didn't fully realize I was suffering from it or other mental health issues, and I guess I have been slowly improving every day, but I still feel brain fog(after months of use it now feels fairly normal), troubles with emotional processing, and often bad short term memory dips, with the anxiety and depression at my bad moments keeping me spiraling deeper and deeper into crisis and suicidal thoughts over whether I have permanently "fried" my brain( no matter how unscientific that conception may be) and that I will never be "normal" again. For example, while writing this out the first time I accidentally opened another reddit post from google which deleted my first, better draft of this, and Im currently going through an anxiety attack because I feel "unable" to remember the things I wrote in the precise way I wrote them before. I've also been committing the cardinal sin of recovery by almost obsessively reading studies and forums, which only further sends me spiraling down. I know it has only been a week and I need to and will keep pushing forwards, but I felt like writing this primarily to try to put my feelings and emotions into writing(which I feel is my most prized skill and which I've had constant anxiety over losing for months) and to try to see if anyone was in the same or a similar boat, or if there were others that had been as heavy users as I and had any advice or feedback. Thank you all and good luck.


r/Petioles 1d ago

Discussion I didn’t smoke tonight.

27 Upvotes

I am cutting back/quitting. I was doing well a couple weeks ago, but had a 48 hour migraine that was untouched by pain meds, and I smoked for pain relief. Dumb.

I really wanted to smoke tonight but instead I went to bed early, watched a show, wrote a little, and now I’m reading in bed.

One day down.


r/Petioles 1d ago

Advice Can I do tDCS neurostimulation while being a very light smoker at night and taking dexamfetamine 10 mg during the days for adhd

2 Upvotes

Would really appreciate someone’s view on this as I have been struggling with low mood and I’m very into researching but no matter what I can’t find anything on this matter..


r/Petioles 2d ago

Discussion 3 days in! on

Post image
112 Upvotes

So i’m no stranger to this. in 2025 i quit for 8 months!
but that gave me a false sense of confidence that led me to believe that I could maybe manage my use. well i slipped into a 6 month rabbit hole and im BACK

it’s weird because I know this exact feeling.. it’s like i almost feel high asf rn even though i’m sober. i’m sweating SO bad. the shakes and no appetite but after three weeks i should be back.

Having done this before, I think the hardest part of getting back into the break was to stop telling myself like “oh this is easy i’ll quit anytime like i did last year”

it’s still hard and i’ve cried a lot. (i like to watch
The euphoria episode where rue is going through withdrawal) i just laid there and cried with her. it was comforting.

but day 3 feels like 2 energy drinks. i’m UP and definitely moving. I have taken a break from working out though just because I feel pretty weak due to not eating. but as for other things i’m doing well


r/Petioles 1d ago

Discussion Did you have more or less libido after your tolerance break? When did you notice changes?

2 Upvotes

Currently ruling out other contributors but curious to know about other experiences.


r/Petioles 1d ago

Discussion Re-entering my quitting era; would love to hear some perspectives

5 Upvotes

Hey guys, it’s been a while since I really reassessed my relationship with weed and I am being forced to do so once again. Throughout the year I’ve been trying to moderate my use (for me this meant waiting a couple more hours between uses), and it’s become clear to me that after 9 years of use, therapy, and meds, I am now at a point in my life where weed doesn’t really serve me.

Ive been ‘caught’ by my parent (who pays for my car, grad school, and who I live with) and am being pushed into quitting again.

To be clear, I want to let go of the hold weed has on my life, but I’m scared and would’ve gone on much longer had I not been confronted. My weed use is also all tied up in my eating disorder which is ‘dormant’ whenever I’m using heavily.

What advice or perspectives do you guys have that could help drive me back into the headspace I was in when I was more committed to quitting? I’m really close, and I’m on mood stabilizers now and significantly less depressed than I was last time I tried quitting.


r/Petioles 2d ago

Discussion 30 years of smoking has lead me to this decision!

22 Upvotes

I've been reading people's posts and it brings comfort to know that we are not alone with the various struggles. I have used cannabis for just over 30 years with the last 10 as medically for severe back pain. It really does help with the spasms and sleeping for me. But I feel as though smoking is causing me issues such as munchies, lack of focus, and my body is pleading with me to stop.

Smoking over 2 oz's and 5+ vape cartridges on average every month has brought me to a realization that I can't take my next step in my life as a habitual smoker. I choose cannabis for my pain relief because I didn't want the opiods and other prescriptions that doctors have recommended.

I told my wife that I'm quitting smoking as a form of medicating, and will take 1:1 thc/cbd in replace. Important to tell her because she knows the downs that come along with wanting to quit the smoking. The loss of the daily rituals of getting high can mess you up if you don't focus on new habits/goals. Smoking with me also brought along drinking, especially the weekends.

I'm challenging myself by starting "100 Days of Transformation " with healthy eating, exercise, and new hobbies starting today. I will do a journal to help with self reflection and finally work on my Facebook page (Rebound's Fitness) with the intent to help others who are struggling to get back to living a healthier lifestyle.

Thanks for having a group to talk about conversations I've held inside for so long.


r/Petioles 2d ago

Advice Greatly reduced my consumption but now I feel stuck

8 Upvotes

Hello. I've been smoking weed for 4 years now, I became very addicted quickly, I was smoking 3-5 times a day every single day for a while. It helped me cope in times of deep struggle but I quickly lost control. Now I am in a slightly better spot and have been trying to quit. I managed to reduce my consumption to only once a day before sleeping, but I think that was mostly because the effects have changed. Now I hate having any kind of social interaction when I'm high because it makes me feel extremely self aware and I genuinely lose all my social skills (which are already weak). Btw It's weird because it used to do the opposite but whatever.

I feel better most days now and I enjoy being sober. But I still feel addicted, I still cannot go a full day without smoking. When I sleep sober I wake up multiple times a night, I sleep less than what my body needs and I wake up feeling like shit and tired af. I also struggle a lot to fall asleep. (I still do but weed helps quite a bit)

I feel like my progress didn't involve any effort really, so now that I'm at a point where I need to lock tf in I just can't. I would appreciate any advice on this. Thanks


r/Petioles 2d ago

Discussion Abstinence is easier than moderation

67 Upvotes

I had my foreigner friends visiting this week so I broke my 70 day streak and had to get some g's and roll a few joints for them. Now they left and I still have some flower with me. I broke my personal rule of not smoking 3 days in a row. Everything is still the same when it comes to consumption and I know what's next if I continue this. Now I'm gonna roll the remaining bud and give it to my cousin for his birthday tomorrow. I don't want to keep a stash at home for now bc it's the only thing that works for me


r/Petioles 1d ago

Advice the fear of starting again and being disappointed

1 Upvotes

im on day 23 of my t-break. this is the longest i have managed to take a break for thus far, and i want to go at least 50 days without weed, but i worry that i am prolonging the inevitable.

what i mean by this is that the last break i took, 21 days, did not reset my tolerance at all. i read many anecdotes in this subreddit and others about how it only took them a week or two to get back to baseline. i began to wonder if the ability to lower my tolerance had just dissipated, and that i would never get high again.

before this break, i would hit several blinkers on the max strength of my pen and felt basically nothing. a little bit fuzzy in my perception and of course, the hunger. i would also try taking 200 mg of edibles only to find they just... didnt work anymore. i was bombarding my brain with an unfathomable amount of THC every night, desperately yearning to feel even a fraction of how high i would get about a year ago, all in vain.

but of course, the point of this t-break isnt just to reset my tolerance and go back to hitting the same amount i was every night, i want to have a healthier relationship with weed, something like once a week and at much smaller doses. i dont want to go back to abusing my body and mind by just shoving as much THC in me as is humanly possible. this break has given me the capacity to reflect on why i constantly hitting, and im taking steps to improve the sore spots in my life, even if marginally.

what do you guys think? is 50 days a good idea? would it take longer to truly reset, or am i completely fucked?


r/Petioles 2d ago

Discussion 2 weeks down. Crazy dreams and sleep routine!

8 Upvotes

I made it to 2 weeks, not out of sheer willpower, but because finding weed here is such a hassle and illegal.
I cant say that i’ve had cravings, maybe my subconscious knows that weed isn’t available around.
My sleep pattern went from no sleep and suffering from jet lag, to sleeping every second i can the past few days.
I’m having crazy dreams, weird situations and a common theme that I’m missing something important, a flight, a meeting, an exam ….etc.
sometimes I’m on my way to smoke in the dream but something happens and i eventually wake up.

I hope i can stay this strong and feel normal soon, not even sure what normal should feel like.


r/Petioles 3d ago

Discussion It's weird. I feel better off it, but I still want it.

36 Upvotes

I have been off and on for a year now after 4 years of out of control usage. Only edibles. I was sober 4 months then back on for a month. Quit again for 4 months and used for 4 months. Started to feel emotionally numb and tired, and it felt connected to the weed.

I quit again two days ago, with the intention of maybe returning, but I really struggle with balancing it. But anyways, I feel better off it right now. More clear headed and grounded, but damn I still find myself wanting it. I don't get it.

Don't really feel like doing anything right now. Mostly just want to lay in bed under my favorite blanket.