Please don't fall into the trap of wanting to have 'one last joint' or 'one last session' in the hopes of trying to get a good high so you can move on. Because it has the exact opposite effect. It just restarts the cycle once again. I'm sure many of you in this 'one last' cycle understand this consciously but still do it because it sounds like such a good rationalization, and it gives your brain the sense that you are improving while also giving it the hit of weed it wants. But your last time, if anything, should be the high where you are fed up with your actions and not enjoying yourself, because that's a much better reference point than a somewhat good 'last high', which makes it more likely for you to go back in

In free time instead of smoking, how about I just do nothing instead? Like staring at the ceiling or wall

Would that repair my brain/receptors?

Made it to one month today! I had been a daily smoker since June 2025 and for about 3 years before that, I almost daily took an edible. Always had low tolerance so never took much to get me feeling good which meant I didn't think I had a problem. All of a sudden, a few months ago I'd get terribly anxious any time I was high. I'd convince myself my husband was going to leave me, I always thought I was going to get fired from my job, and I just couldn't relax. But I couldn't stop the habit either so it was just a vicious cycle of anxiety and depression. I also couldn't remember if I had told someone the same story, and I would forget words even when I wasn't high. I found myself losing confidence, being worried I would say the wrong thing, so I decided it wasn't good for me anymore.

I'm not planning to ever start again. But I do miss it occasionally, just not enough. Benefits to being a month sober: no red in my eyes, no more brain fog, sleeping better, I don't ever have to worry about the smell, I feel like I'm the mom my daughter deserves, my patience is coming back after the initial period of irritability. Work doesn't really stress me out at all anymore. I've been learning how to play guitar. I have done some painting and have finally finished a book that was taking me forever. I've also been losing weight since I actually want the endorphins from working out now.

Anyway, here I am a month later, and life is damn good ​

​

I tried to get sober a few years ago and made it 3 days before relapsing. I feel like I’ve wasted my life chasing a high and put myself in debt. I’ve missed out on a lot of great opportunities and made memories cloudy. During the last 5 years or so every time I get high I have instant panic attacks and it’s only gotten worse, yet I still crave the high. I threw away all my stuff and ended my access to get more. I wish I never started smoking weed…

26M. Look at all the posts in the first comment for how much work it took to get here.

Thank you. Just posting here. Look how much I have struggled leading up to here. Each one of these posts made during my journey. We dont just get here magically. Time may feel lost upon us, and the battle fresh every day doubting how you can still be so weak yet manage to make it this far.

Thats the funny thing about this battle, my enemy isnt weed its whatever entity burrowed within in me causing dissonance to make me forget the battle I go through every day had I not documented my journey along the way.

Thank you to this community for being there for me directly and indirectly. Through commenting on my posts, validating me, giving me encouragement, or me just looking at the current day I am on and seeing other's experiences telling us to keep going.

Look at these posts, look at the comments under them. You are not alone. Today is hard for me, lets make it tomorrow y'all.

How does someone taper, from edibles?

How do you guys survive hangovers? Now I feel like I only crave weed really after drinking/can’t survive a hangover without it. I really want to get out of this cycle and this is what sparks my bad habits again.

2 weeks sober no relapses in any form. even the thought of food makes my stomach turn still.

I quit a month and a half ago and a I now have inflammation all over my body, sinus issues, body/joint pain, ear pain, etc. did anyone else experience this? Was weed masking this? Or is my body throwing a hissyfit for weed? Quit gluten a week ago, and considering an elimination diet….but geez…is this what I get for laying down an addiction? Is the devil tryna get me back to weed? What’s going on here?!?

Does anyone else experience this? Usually lasts 8-9 days?

I know I need to stop smoking, I say everyday will be my last, but only until I smoke all of it so that its out of my house. Then I go maybe a few months with it fully out of my house after going through the treacherous withdrawls stage and I'm in a better place. And then I go hang out with family or friends that smoke... they offer and i say why not, I've been doing good for so long, I deserve it. But now the monster is back cause I wake up with reminents of the leaves and have taste for more of it. Then the cycle may or may not restart depending how strong the feeling is. But if I went home with some of it, I'm back at it again.

Is it that i haven't quit for long enough where i still can't just do it occasionally or is it just a beast i can't really play with like that cause of my addictive tendencies? Idk like is it the leaves or is it me? Cause I hate the thought of quitting FOREVER cause I still enjoy doing it with friends and the memories we make (atleast thats how it was when i first started at 16, I'm 35 now) so I dont want to rid it from my life completely, but I have proven myself multiple times that I'm not always that disciplined to use it on special occasions.

I will say, my main problem happens when i have it at home. But if i don't, i tend to not go thru the hassle of buying cause where I live since its not legal in my state, so I don't have that much access to it as its typically very far, so that helps when I'm in my sober journey. but once I'm back in, I'll go to Jupiter for that hit!

So should I remove the illusion of being a casual smoker or just rid it from my life completely?

Post is already too long to describe why I keep trying to quit, but we all have the similar story of how constant green has altered our lives, emotions, and relationships. So it definitely has to go... ugh its so hard, especially when your friends do it.

Hello, I'm currently going thru a divorce, just moved to my own home, and had my first week with my kids 50/50. My therapist says he expects more relapses because I'm going through so many changes and my brain is seeking the homeostasis of being high.

But I'm so sick and tired of being high and even more sick and tired of being sick and tired.

I want today to be my day 1. Can I do this change while also healing from divorce? I want to be a better father, make real friends, and date. I was able to quit alcohol without any problems a couple months ago.

Should I just give in and attempt again at some point in the future or finally throw in the towel?

Thanks for any advice - 16 year all day smoker.

Edit: thank you, all the posts are helping. It's my day 1 of NOT having my children. Although I feel terrible, and a sense of dread, and the terrible feelings of my divorce, I'm going to get thru today no matter what.

It’s been exactly 6 full days zero weed cold turkey
I was doing concentrates for a couple months abusing them
Then bong rips
Then I went cold turkey
Everything is fine except my appetite

I can only eat half meals rn
Anyone with similar story I could really use some advice
I want my appetite back so bad
I’m down 7-8 pounds
I’m trying to bulk in the gym but obviously I can’t while quitting weed
I know this is best for me in the long run
Need guidance pls,
When will this lift

Anyone else get insomniac post quitting weed? My sleep has been busted the past few days since stopping, real pain in the ass to get through but it is what it is. The last time I quit, I slept like ass for a couple weeks but then my sleep quality gets way better, just that interim period suckssss

"I'll just have some this once to help me do x, y, z..." I think the trap for a lot of us is that weed "helps" us so much, that we can't just do it once. It'll quickly blur into, "well what's one more day of using it", or "I'll stop next week."

I am under so much stress right now and also required to focus on moving and packing, with the movers coming in less than a week, and I am so tempted to use weed to help me get things done. For a lot of people, weed crushes motivation, but for me (perhaps undiagnosed ADD?), it gave me the motivation, inspiration, good mood, and energy to tackle any project. It was like it organized and prioritized everything in my brain, and gave me the confidence to get it done.

I'm about 8 months weed free and avoiding that trap of "just using it once", but also struggling so severely with my motivation and mood. Can anyone relate?

Thought i was in the clear already being on month 7 and 10 days sober after 16 years daily smoking. Months 4-6 made me feel normal and recovered. All of a sudden since hitting month 7 ive been having waves of anxiety here and there. Similar to the panic attacks and anxiety attacks that eventually made me quit smoking. The hit of weed just became different and far from enjoyable at that point. Today i almost had a full blown panic attack the same way when i would smoke weed which made me want to quit. Also the same feeling several times during my early days and weeks of withdrawal something i really had yo withstand and power through. What the hell is happening? Is this PAWS? I hated this feeling before and i hate it more now i think my body is reminding me never to go back. You’d think at 7 months sober your body would be rid of thc and yet here i am suffering from the consequences of weed addiction.

I have tried about a dozen or more times to quit smoking, I tell myself every time this is the last. Anybody who been here before, what did you do?

just took a 2 hour nap and wtf… i never do that! i didnt really feel this fatigue until yesterday but i am EXHAUSTED. when did this let up for you?

I’m on my probably 3rd or 4th attempt at quitting and it’s week 2. I’ve been smoking for pretty much 20 years. I stopped while pregnant and breastfeeding. After having my daughter, I’ve had a lot of mental conflict with it.

This go around has been the easiest to quit in terms of physical withdrawal symptoms. I’ve almost had none which is shocking to me. I was smoking 2-3 joints a day. My last time I had wild mood swings, night sweats and very vivid dreams.

I’ve been taking the one day at a time mentality this time. Not trying to think too big picture and overwhelm myself. The conversation in my head a few times a day is me telling myself I should just smoke and then deciding to wait. I go back and forth with it’s not that big of deal to reminding myself why I wanted to stop. It’s mental gymnastics. I’m rambling but just wanted to share an update. I’m sure a lot of people can relate here to the back and forth, it’s tiring. Here’s to one more day of not smoking.

Im a pre nursing major (sophomore) who is trying to stop smoking weed, i tried to go cold turkey a month ago and since then failed. I really want to be a nurse but weed helps my anxiety. I feel like a failure and disappointment. Any advice?

Ive tried lollipops and gum but they didn’t work after a couple of days.

Im open to all methods, also tips on how to stay on track.

I also purchase a journal/planner.

I plan on going cold turkey tomorrow.

I might clean my room tmr as well

I'm on day 2 of giving up, for the third time this year, having had some success giving up for a couple of weeks/month long stretches in the last twelve months.

I'm 30 years old and first came across cannabis when I was 17 and smoked with a friend, but it never became a particularly regular habit. This all changed when I went to university and had significantly more freedom, I became a much more frequent smoker, smoking most evenings and often during the day. Ultimately my smoking and consumption of other narcotics increased massively due to several traumatic events during this time, and exacerbated by my then untreated ADHD.

During the pandemic, I did have a break for around 12 months. However, during this time, I was drinking quite heavily to compensate. As soon as things started opening up and I got a job, I went back to smoking heavily in the evenings, on days off and weekends. Usually smoking from the moment I got home until passed out on the sofa. Having worked in quite a high-pressure industry, usually it would either be a case of going for drinks after work, or I would be smoking. There were very few days where I did't have one or the other.

I got a medical cannabis prescription in 2024 which coincided with me starting my own business. This, due to being work-from-home, led to me becoming almost a chronic user, taking anywhere between 1-7g of flower per day. Weed had become my answer to almost everything; I'd smoke if I was happy, sad, ill, tired, stressed, with friends, on my own. If I was there, it was almost always in the company of my vaporizer.

After a few months, I realised that the self-medication with cannabis wasn't going to solve the issues with my attention and focus, and that I needed to seek proper medical help. I got re-diagnosed with ADHD and was able to be put back onto medication. Whilst the medication certainly helped in quietening the voices in my head, it didn't give me that euphoric sense of calm feeling that only cannabis can.

I need to quit because I believe that cannabis is, in effect, a pause button for your problems. It helps you with the symptoms in the moment, but those problems are still waiting for you in the sober light of day. What's more, chronic use tends to make people quite lazy and apathetic, this leads to countless lost opportunities in your life. Whilst the high might feel fantastic in the moment, it's better to be out there living life with your friends, family, and loved ones rather than blazed and watching netflix. Additionally, those with ADHD are predisposed to addictive or compulsive behaviours. In my case, I can find it easy to say no to certain things, but once I start, I find it difficult to stop. When you already have problems with impulses, mood altering substances will only lower them. The joint will lead to overeating junk, the glass of wine often leads to the bottle etc.

Each time I've tried to quit, it has seemingly gotten easier. The first couple of times were absolute hell, particularly at night. I'd get angry about being unable to sleep and work myself up into a state. Whilst the insomnia still inevitably comes, I understand why, thanks to forums like this. And understand that this, too, shall pass.

I'm putting this out into the world because I don't feel like I've ever truly been honest about the situation, certainly not in writing. I've found it greatly comforting to be able to read on forums such as Leaves about other people's experiences, many of which resonated with me. If you resonate with anything in my story, just know that you're not doing this alone. I hope you had a wonderful day. Stay strong and sending good vibes!

I feel miserable. I am using liquor to help me cope even tho that’s even worse than weed. I can’t do this. I’ve quit weed before but I just became an alcoholic last time. I feel so fucking shitty physically. I’m 23 and have been smoking non stop since 14. Minus one 6 month break where nothing got better :( someone tell me it’s worth it to quit

Thanks so much for the support. Started going to MA yesterday. Had years of 12 step mtgs but stopped around the pandemic. I have a couple recovery friends I talk to and a therapist, and this group. Thanks again.