I was a heavy smoker through college living in a state where I could only buy through dealers. I was hanging out with one of my dealers once when they said, “if I drank as much as I smoked I’d be an alcoholic.” I realized I was an addict at that point but I didn’t think I had a problem. After all, I passed college with good grades and got a good job. I was generally happy and had few bad experiences on marijuana vastly outweighed by good ones.

Two things really bothered me though:

1. Any amount of smoking is bad for your lungs and I take my health seriously.

2. I don’t like the idea that a substance of any sort had power over me.

I made 2 changes after graduation to get things back under control:

1. I only do edibles except on special occasions like 04-20 or a holiday with friends. So few that I can count the number of times a year on one hand.

2. I only consume marijuana every other month.

I now consider myself a joyful consumer of the product because I prefer marijuana to alcohol on nights out with friends. I feel more in control and less tired the following day. Hitting the breaks every other month resets me. It proves to myself I’m still in control and keeps any cravings and tolerance down at a reasonable level.

I’m not sure if this will work for anyone else but thought I’d share.