Need a break? Here’s how to quit smoking cannabis

Maybe you’ve got a hacking cough that just won’t go away; maybe you find yourself huffing and puffing at the slightest bit of cardio. Or, perhaps, you’re ready for a permanent vacation from smoking cannabis. Whatever the reason and however long you plan to be away, know that it’s possible to quit.

Like any habit formed over time, the physical element of the behaviour is often the most rewarding part for the brain, and the dopamine boost received from engaging in the act can be just as powerful as the high itself.

Smoking remains the most common way to use cannabis, note figures released last year by the Canadian Centre on Substance and Addiction. Data collected by the centre for 2017 shows that 94 percent of people polled who had used cannabis within the past year reported their main method of consumption was smoking. But inhaling anything foreign (cannabis, nicotine, even smoke from burning wood) poses a risk to the lungs.

So if ready to quit smoking cannabis, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it.

Set a quit date

First, pick a hard deadline. Randomly deciding on a Tuesday night never to smoke a joint again is unlikely to stick. It’s similar to quitting cigarettes and experts at the American Cancer Society suggest choosing a realistic date within the next month. The Canadian Centre for Addiction echoes this same timeframe. A month should give most people enough time to get onboard with the idea of a smoke-free lifestyle and curb the habit.

Smoking remains the most common way to use cannabis.

Determine how much you smoke

Set realistic goals to cut down the amount of cannabis used each week. If you want to go cold turkey, do it. But also recognize that the average person will benefit from weaning off slowly and strategically. Start like this: let’s say a person usually smokes two grams a day. Begin the first week by limiting use to 1.5 g, followed by one g the next. Taper consumption each week until you are face to face with that final, perfectly rolled, skinny little joint on your predetermined Quit Day.

Ditch the paraphernalia

Having a pipe on display in the living room isn’t going to provide much incentive or support while trying to quit. Give away the papers, grinder, tray, pipe and whatever else is in your set-up to someone else. Or, at the very least, stash all that will-busting gear in a shoebox, wrap it with several layers of duct tape and hide it deep in a closet like a time capsule.

Replace the “bad” habit with a good one

Research shows that replacing bad habits with good ones improves chances of success. Each time you feel the urge to light up, do something else. Drink a glass of water, make yourself a cup of coffee, go for a walk, join a gym and exercise or buy an enormous canvas and paint. If your weekly get-together with friends usually involves a toke or two, it might be best to skip the gathering until feeling ready to be around others who are smoking. You’re basically rewiring your brain so that being a non-smoker becomes part of your identity, and, unfortunately, that may mean some people in your current life might not fit into your new, smoke-free world.

Be prepared for withdrawal symptoms

Depending on how often a person gets high and how long he or she has been smoking cannabis, there might be withdrawal. One in 10 people who use cannabis will become addicted or develop a Cannabis Use Disorder, notes information from the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA), and regular users—defined by the CPHA as someone as who smokes every day or almost every day—have a one in two chance; men are more likely than women to become addicted.

Like any habit formed over time, the physical element of the behaviour is often the most rewarding part for the brain, and the dopamine boost received from engaging in the act can be just as powerful as the high itself.

Withdrawal symptoms will vary from person to person, but can include moodiness, headaches, nausea, anxiety, loss of appetite and disrupted sleep. Most will subside after a week, but sleep may be affected longer.

Can’t quit cannabis on your own?

Don’t get discouraged. Sometimes seeing a therapist or addiction specialist is necessary, and while it might sound extreme, others may consider an addiction or detox centre to successfully kick the cannabis smoking habit. In Canada, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health as well as the Canadian Centre for Addictions and Trafalgar Addiction Centres all offer different treatment plans and environments for individuals who need a bit of support. There’s certainly never shame in asking for help.