5 excuses for cannabis smokers not to quit

Cannabis is the most widely used illegal drug in the world. While there are sectors of society that have demonized its use in the war on drugs, other sectors have idealized it excessively.

When it comes to cannabis, nothing is black or white, and no professional with two fingers and one eye on the scientific evidence doubts that cannabis is not a harmless substance.

• Related article: "The 14 most important types of addictions"

The typical excuses used for not quitting cannabis

In this article, I'm going to go over some of the most common excuses people who smoke marijuana make to justify its consumption (which in many cases can be addictive).

1. It is healthier than tobacco

Many, many habitual marijuana smokers speak proudly of their use. They compare themselves to people who smoke tobacco, and brag that they are better than them.

Unfortunately, this false reputation as a "natural and innocuous product" that cannabis has acquired throughout of the years thanks to certain lobbies, makes many people live deceived and hooked during years.

It is true that smoking marijuana is less likely to develop lung cancer than smoking tobacco. But many studies affirm that the continued use of marijuana is related to some respiratory diseases, in addition to mental ones, such as psychotic symptoms or anxiety.

But this is something that does not interest a regular cannabis user. It is more comfortable to continue fooling yourself into thinking that what you are smoking is totally healthy.

Also, curiously, many, many cannabis smokers who claim not to smoke tobacco... yes they are smoking tobacco. When rolling the joints, they mix the marijuana with rolling tobacco. Although they use smaller amounts of tobacco than people who smoke packets, they do who are developing an addiction to nicotine, in addition to psychological dependence on marijuana.

Therefore, cannabis is not a “healthy substitute” for tobacco. It can be the same or more dangerous.

2. They don't smoke much

It is very common among people with addictive behaviors or some type of substance dependence, to minimize their consumption or the impact of their behaviors.

That is, it may seem very obvious to those around you that the person is consuming too often or too high amounts. But the person who has developed a dependency will tend to evaluate "downwardly" what they consume.

As a psychologist, I have received emails from people telling me that they "don't smoke much", and just after writing me that they smoked 3 or 4 joints every day. As a professional specialist in addictions, I can affirm without fear of being wrong that that is a lot.

Perception is altered, even without being directly under the influence of the substance. Over time, According to the person, they have developed tolerance to the substance, their consumption has also increased., from something sporadic to a weekly or even daily consumption.

At some point, the person considers this behavior “normal”, which contributes to being more trapped by dependency.

• You may be interested in: "Why willpower is not always enough in the face of psychological problems"

3. Schizophrenia or anxiety happens to others

It is true that not all marijuana smokers will develop psychotic symptoms or schizophrenia. It depends on many factors, with a great weight of the genetic background of the person, among many others.

However, many cannabis users and the lobbies that profit from their use, minimize the existing risks and ignore the scientific and clinical evidence that shows that marijuana use is not safe, and can have unpleasant consequences in some cases.

It is very similar to what happens with alcohol or tobacco. Consumers know perfectly well that what they are doing is bad for their health and that of others. But they choose to look the other way, unprepared for such an uncomfortable truth.

4. Helps them relax

The truth is, in the long run, cannabis can do everything but relax you. Quite the contrary is quite possible.

By developing tolerance to the effects of the substance, the consumer needs increasingly higher doses of the substance to enjoy the same effects as before.

In other words, the person who regularly smokes marijuana will find it increasingly difficult to reach that state of relaxation that he was looking for.

And this is not only going to happen when smoking. Many, many people who have ended up going to therapy have said that they had been experiencing strong daily anxiety for a long time, and that felt unable to relax if they did not smoke large amounts.

This does not benefit the person who smokes, only the one who sells the substance.

5. They think they can quit smoking whenever they want

This could be the most common and most paradoxical excuse for people with cannabis dependence. When someone suggests that they may be developing a problem, the person with an addiction frames the situation as if they still have "control" over use. That if he continues to smoke, it is because he wants to, not because he is hooked.

However, when you try to help these people to confront reality and to realize who, coincidentally, never find the time to quit smoking, answer that “they have nothing to show".

In these kinds of situations, pride and the illusion of control can come between the person and their recovery.

It can help a person a lot to wonder what makes them put off quitting so long. You might find that you have no control, but need.

Do you want to quit marijuana?

I am a psychologist specializing in addictions, and I've been helping people get rid of drugs for good for years. If you or someone close to you is having problems with cannabis, please contact me. You can see more information about how I work, and my contact information, at this page.