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10 Signs Your Smoking Habit Is Getting out of Control

Do people think your smoking habit is getting out of control? Put down that joint already!

By Buddy BrownPublished 6 years ago 5 min read
Top Story - September 2018
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Pot is a deeply maligned drug, and there's no denying that. The benefits of medical marijuana are well-catalogued and regularly cited by potheads and doctors alike. Despite the fact that there isn't evidence that people could die due to pot use, the powers that be still call it a menace.

That being said, there are some myths about marijuana that need to be addressed—including ones about cannabis addiction. Contrary to popular belief, you can be addicted to marijuana.

Though cannabis is definitely less addictive than other street drugs, around nine percent of all users end up becoming dependent on it. When this happens, you can easily end up having serious problems due to a cannabis addiction.

Have people been approaching you about your cannabis use? Are you getting worried about being called an addict? If you notice these signs, your smoking habit is getting out of control and has become and addiction.

Not all people who smoke daily are cannabis addicts, but a pretty good portion are. If you find that you can't imagine going a day without smoking weed, ask yourself if you are Snoop Dogg.

If you are not Snoop Dogg, then you might want to see how you feel if you try to take a break for a week or so. If you can do that without issue, you're not addicted, but you are a real big stoner.

You find yourself smoking more and more just to get high.

Just like with any other drug dependence, weed addiction is defined by both tolerance and withdrawal. In this sense, it's also a lot like smoking cigarettes; heavier addicts need to smoke more and would take breaks pretty frequently.

With cannabis addiction, you will find yourself struggling to get the same kind of buzz you used to. This is a sign you built up a tolerance, and may need to go on a sobriety break.

Let's say you decide to take a three day break from your smoking habit. You start noticing that you're jittery. You're angry. You want to cry or you just feel gross every day. You have an urge to smoke that's nearly unstoppable.

Sounds like nicotine withdrawal, doesn't it? Believe it or not, cannabis withdrawal tends to mimic nicotine withdrawal in that sense. If you experience symptoms, you may want to quit smoking for a while.

There's no such thing as being "unable to afford" cannabis.

When you're addicted to something, you will pay any price to get that item. Addicts act like addicts regardless of substance, and that is most commonly noticed when it comes to the lengths they'll go to get their fix.

Prioritizing your cannabis over other bills—particularly pressing ones like rent or your credit cards—is a sign that your smoking habit is getting out of control.

Another common thing you'll notice when you're addicted to a substance is the difficulty you have when it comes to stopping use of that substance. When your smoking habit is getting out of hand, you might try to stop—only to find you can't.

You may try lose the urge to smoke, only to find that the task seems impossible. The need is too high. Sound familiar? Then you may have an addiction.

More of your time is spent getting high than doing other things.

There's a common stoner stereotype that you might be aware of: the lazy pothead. Part of the reason that this stereotype exists is because it's a common trait found among cannabis (and other drug) addicts.

When you're dependent on cannabis, you'll spend an increasing amount of your time getting high. It might cut into family time, your job time, or even your time spent at the gym. Sound familiar? If so, your smoking habit is probably getting out of control.

One of the first places where addiction becomes obvious is the workplace, and it's also one of the most common places where addicts really end up showing how deeply addicted they are to the substances they have been using.

A good indicator that your pothead behavior has crossed the line to addiction is if you've been warned or even fired for cannabis-related offenses at work. At this point, your addiction just took away your job and any attempt to deny that is only proving that point more.

Many addicts who want to justify their addiction will usually argue with employers and cite famous potheads who did their jobs while high. You're not those people who actually made a living thanks to weed, so don't try to argue that people "just didn't get you."

People have straight up begged you to stop smoking.

Have people tried to stage an intervention due to your cannabis habit? Are those people the type of folks who typically will have no problem with a little blunt once in a while?

If so, then they have already noticed that your smoking habit is getting to be too much—and you should listen to their concerns. Though it's very rare to see typically mellow people staging an intervention for cannabis, it can and does happen.

When it does, that means that your habit is doing a lot of damage to you and others. You may need to quit smoking now.

Are you pissing off your dealer by calling at all hours of the day, or by begging for just a little discount for your favorite cannabis strain? Have you been getting blackballed by dealers because of your "junkie-like" behavior?

If you've had multiple dealers refuse to sell to you because of your actions, you have to re-evaluate your life. This is a warning sign that you may have some deeper problems than just cannabis addiction.

You choose your friends based on who you can smoke around.

A typical cannabis user will have friends who smoke, as well as friends who don't smoke. This is because smoking pot is something of an afterthought for them, and because they don't have a problem putting away a joint if they need to.

If your smoking habit is getting out of control, you won't feel comfortable around people who refuse to smoke pot. This will lead you to choose your friends based on who is cool with your smoking habit—and who will smoke around you too.

Look at your friends. Are they all potheads? If so, we may have some bad news for you.

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About the Creator

Buddy Brown

Detroit-born Buddy Brown is a 80s hair metal fan who loves cars, games, and sports. When he’s not drinking PBR while listening to Downtown Brown, he’s playing Grand Theft Auto or working on his El Camino.

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