Hey, it's possible to overdo any good thing, even getting high! Responsible cannabis use involves setting some boundaries and sometimes saying no. Recreational marijuana should enhance one's life, not muffle or hobble it. All things are not best experienced high!
We all have different lifestyles and tolerance levels, but here are some signs that you just may be using too much. Don't think if you check four yeses you must check into rehab! But if a question resonates with you, you might consider cutting down.
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1. Is your cannabis consumption interfering with your relationships?
There are various dynamics between people who like pot and people who prefer alcohol - or no intoxicants at all. One of my sons, a therapist, says he prefers to talk to me when I'm straight because he feels I'm more present, so I'm careful not to call him after smoking. Consider whether you'd get along better with someone you love if you didn't consume so much.
2. Is it adversely affecting your productivity?
Is it slowing or dulling your thoughts when you want them to be quick and sharp? You may be using marijuana for inspiration only to find you're routinely falling asleep! For some people, cannabis brings greater clarity and focus; for others (perhaps most of us), it's just the reverse.
3. Does your need to get high stop you from doing things you would otherwise enjoy?
That is, do you have anti-acrophobia, the fear of not being high? Would you turn down a job or vacation if you couldn't use the herb? Do you assess each situation as to whether or not you can get stoned?
4. Is it impacting your memory?
When you're stoned, it's harder to lay down memories. Pot imparts a cozy glow, so it's tempting to reach for the pipe when vegging in front of the TV, but if you light up, you'll might forget the plot of the movie you're watching (until you fall asleep), and in a few days, you may well forget that you've watched it at all. Your experience has been etched in water.
5. Are you more fatigued than you'd like to be?
Are you yawning at inappropriate times? Are you tired after a day of not much activity? Do you need nine hours' sleep -- or more? You might experiment to learn the relationship between your smoking and your energy level.
6. Are you breaking your personal pot rules?
We all have them. Some of us vow that we won't drive or go to work or visit mom when high. Yet suddenly we find we're making exceptions: it's only a mile, it's casual Friday, she'll never even notice. You made those rules for a reason; breaking them means you're losing control of your cannabis use. It's usually better to feel in control.
7. Do you feel guilty about smoking?
Though there's still a certain social stigma to getting high, by now you've probably blown right through it. But perhaps you still beat yourself up about how much you smoke. Perhaps you acknowledge that you should smoke less, but somehow you just can't cut back. This makes you feel guilty, not a good feeling. You have a choice. Get over the guilt or ... well, you know the rest.
8. Is your cannabis consumption cutting into your budget?
Whether legal or not, marijuana is expensive. The cheap Mexican at $140 an ounce is a thing of the past, and not everyone can be, or wants to be, a grower. If you get high two or three times a day, you can easily spend $300 a month for the privilege. Is this the best way for you to spend $3,600 a year?
9. Are you not getting as high as you'd like to be?
Ah, the paradox! More product doesn't lead to more pleasure -- only to tolerance. Habituation is the great hedonic demon. One test of good weed is how delightfully different it makes you feel from when you're straight. So how can you really feel high if that's your habitual mode?
If only to truly enjoy cannabis again, why not take a short vacation from it? Just think: you could go anywhere in the world!
This article was originally published by Green Flower Media, a company that helps people learn everything about cannabis today from the world's top experts.
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