starting marijuana to stop cigarettes???

[amaysngrace]

has anyone heard anything about pot being as bad for you as smoking cigarettes? i'm in my thirties and have smoked cigarettes for 20 years. all three of my smoking siblings have had cancer, i am the youngest of six children. i know i really need to quit these things before they kill me. i have children and i know i should be strong enough to fight the addiction rather then use my strength to fight the disease. i was thinking maybe if i start to smoke pot instead, not a lot, but just a few hits here and there, maybe i could quit the cigarettes once and for all. i have tried over the years to stop, with wellbutrin, commit lozenges, the patch, cold-turkey, and have even been hypnotized. i think the longest i've ever been is 21 days. does anyone have any input on my bright idea of trading in one smoke for another?? has anybody had any luck with this? thanks so much.

[Daydreamer53]

I quit smoking tobacco two years ago, after nearly 35 years of smoking. Up to then, off an on, I tried "everything" (well, not acupuncture, deadly illness or death). I have smoked cannabis, opium, hashish, etc. off and on now for a longer time than I smoked tobacco. Although perhaps weak, those are my credentials for my reply to your question.

 

I have never known anyone that *started* smoking one weed to replace another. I have known many who already smoke both and narrow it down to one. For some, there seems to be some benefit. Pharmacologically there is no benefit. The benefits for those that may realize benefits are (1) the placebo effect (don't discount it, it can be quite powerful), (2) satisfying the physical aspect of the addiction: light up, suck, hold, exhale. That's very real. (3) For some, the psychoactive effects can provide some relief, whether it be a sense of well-being or distraction.

 

As far as physical health, in the broadest sense, smoking marijuana is much, much less harmful than tobacco. At least according to the current data.

 

But it's a poor substitute for tobacco. The receptors impacted by nicotine (etc.) in cigarettes and those impacted by the cannabinoids in pot are not the same. Smoking pot will not begin to properly address your nicotine addiction.

 

Here's a secret. There's a lot of tools available to help people quit using tobacco. Alone, none of them work. The user must decide to quit. 100%. Be done with it. That decision can't be negotiable. Otherwise, it won't work (at least not in the long term). Having said that, you have to find your own reason. For some it's their health. For others it might be peer pressure. Or the gross stench that permeates everything. It might be the brown, oily film on your computer screen your curtains, your windows, your teeth. It might be the outrageous cost of cigarettes. Everyone needs to find their own reason.

 

Although I have not touched tobacco for two years, and the craving and temptation has long passed, I still very much miss the positive aspects that smoking brought to my life. Nicotine is a fantastic drug which provided me relief, clarity, energy, focus, and so on for many years. In addition to that were the benefits the delivery method. Like having a timer ticking away during all my conscious moments, I was regularly reminded/interrupted by that brain tickle that told me it was time for a smoke. I have ADD, big-time (not ADHD). And since I quit smoking, it has been difficult to keep my balance emotionally, psychologically, and so on. There have been times that I considered taking up cigarettes to see if I can get my life back on track. (Although I toy with that idea, I won't follow through).

 

Ponder these questions: Do you really want to quit smoking? Why? When? If you can find your reason(s), you're half way there. If so, then make a plan. If you need drugs, line them up. I took the Wellbutrin/Zyban for nearly three times the length that's recommended. In addition I took another antidepressant (a nicotine addiction wasn't the only monkey on my back at the time). Additionally I used nicotine patches, and made sure to taper off and not linger for weeks on that last 7mg. patch. Naturally with all that ammo I was able to cut down on the smoking, but even then I still had several a day. (Everyone knows that if you are using patches, you are not supposed to smoke. I'm not recommending that anyone do that, it can be dangerous).

 

I tapered off the cigarettes. Then I had to set a "stop date". That was the point of no return. I stopped on that date. There were still open packs of cigarettes on my desks and ashtrays here and there -- for many months following the date. I did not touch them. Either I was not going to smoke or I was. My choice. Sure, I have read the recommendations about throwing out that stuff and making it difficult to reach out and grab a smoke when the urge hits. I have gone that route before. It never worked for me. Sooner or later in a fit or heated bug-eyed angst I'd find myself at a convenience store begging for a fix. Which of course is followed by that immense feeling of heavenly satisfaction mixed with despair and self-loathing. If I wanted that feeling, the smokes and lighters were right there, next to my mouse. If I chose not to smoke, then that would be my choice. For me, it has worked.

 

My sense of taste is about as bad or good as it has always been. My sense of smell has improved, but since my sinuses are never clear it's not a big plus. I'm glad my car windows almost never need to be cleaned on the inside, and that my clothes don't smell like the upholstery in a cheap bar. All the glowing stories I have always heard about improved taste buds, super smell, bright eyes, clear thinking, sparkling teeth -- for me have not materialized. Years ago, the first time I tried hypnosis, the hypnotist told me that I'd become more sensuous. Of course that never happened either.

 

Although -- at the time anyway -- I could easily afford to buy cigarettes, regardless of the price, it was the cost that became my main reason for quitting. Health was never a concern. I could not justify the $100+ a month I was spending. It was not bringing me pleasure. I was only plugging receptors to keep going.

 

The Zyban is good, but you need to take an adequate dosage and take it for a long enough time. For some it takes longer than others. Depending on what your life is like, what's going on, how stable you are -- smoking might be a cotter pin for a bigger assembly. Care needs to be taken when pulling the plug. For some, it's not that big of a deal. For others, it's a major change in not only lifestyle but it jiggles the foundation of one's psychological underpinnings.

 

As far as smoking cannabis... folks will argue -- ad nauseam -- whether that is acceptable or not. One needs to know the facts and make a personal decision. If you want to smoke it, then go ahead. No need to say anything about the risks which are mainly social and legal because everyone is already aware of those. The fact is that for whatever reason, it is illegal in most jurisdictions. Engaging in illegal activity puts those around the user at risk, and that must be considered. However, if you are serious about nicotine cessation, then there are other, much more effective tools at your disposal. Exploit them. Be careful not to fall into a common mental trap: using nicotine cessation as an excuse to smoke cannabis. Cannabis is wonderful stuff (again, given the appropriate set/setting) and one does not need an excuse for it's consumption.

 

Good luck in stopping the cigarettes. When you quit, you will not regret it. That's the only certainty.

[amaysngrace]

Thank you so much for your response and your support. I smoked cannibis before I ever touched a cigarette. I know I need to quit. Cancer from them is pretty much a certainty as well if I don't. I have seen my loved ones fight the dreaded disease, and common sense tells me it has to be easier to quit the addiction than to fight that disease. Still, I feel as though I need a good alternative to them. If memory serves me correctly, I enjoyed smoking pot quite a bit. Again, I don't see it as becoming a problem, but may make it easier for me to stop with the cigs. Thank you so much for all your input. I am very happy you have been successful with this heller of an addiction.

 

Grace