How I Stopped Smoking The Lettuce

I want to share the story of how I quit smoking cannabis. At the time of quitting, it felt impossible, like my life had no meaning and the road I was on was coming to an end. I know there is probably someone out there struggling right now, and maybe the way I did it won't work for you, but there is absolutely light at the end of the tunnel.

I have an extremely addictive personality, so when I first came across cannabis and experienced its effects, I didn't want to know anything else. I smoked heavily from the age of fourteen all the way until my twenty-eighth birthday when it became clear I needed to stop. During my earlier days of smoking, I would wake up and rip a bong before doing anything; it was more of a pleasure back then. As I got older, I needed cannabis. Without it, I was completely different; the longest I had gone without it was only a couple of days. During those times, I remember feeling like I was dripping with sweat, and I couldn't sleep or eat.

As I entered my twenties, I started to realize how much of a problem it had become. I couldn't and wouldn't want to do anything unless I was high, even something as simple as seeing a cousin I grew up with or eating any kind of meal. I tried more times than I can count to quit, but every time I failed worse than before. It started to feel like the universe was forcing me to have it. I remember a time I had no money, nothing to sell, nothing. I thought, 'This is it, I'm going to quit.' Like magic, a text would come through: 'U need anything? Can tick if you need.' This made me start thinking I was in a simulation. When would that ever happen? Only when I'm trying to quit.

I started going on long walks to random places to try and occupy my mind. This also turned into a failure. I live in a small town, and I am pretty sure half of the residents here smoke it. While out on a walk, I bumped into an old friend who I used to smoke with when I first started, except he looked good! He had nice trainers and new jeans with a jacket that matched the rest of his outfit. He said to me, "Stop smoking it, Josh. It literally is the devil's lettuce." I asked how he stopped smoking, and he told me the only way to not smoke it is to go somewhere you can't find it.

(I just want to add, I am not against cannabis. I believe it does help a lot of people in the world, but for some like myself, it's just better to stay away.)

This may seem a little too obvious, but in my opinion, it is the only way. My friend went down to his grandmother's in a little village in the south of England. I don't have relatives outside of this town, so I needed another plan. Now, some might say this was stupid or crazy. I didn't care; I wanted to go somewhere I knew would have no cannabis. I booked a flight and a cheap hotel in Belarus for two weeks. (This was before everything that is currently happening.) This trip changed my life. The first couple of days were not easy, but they were not hard at all. For the first time in my life, I was somewhere completely unrecognizable to me. I couldn't speak a word of Russian; I didn't even know what jaywalking was until I came here. This occupied my mind so much that I didn't even think about weed. I started to become very hungry around day two and couldn't eat a thing as everything tasted like cardboard. I bought crisps and other easy snacks to eat and just picked at them, knowing I needed to eat something. This passed around day four. That's when the realest munchies ever hit me. I couldn't stop eating, and everything tasted amazing!

When I was away, it gave me time to think and understand what I wanted in my life. It made me realize I don't need cannabis. I can happily be around friends now who smoke it and not want any myself. All because of a random trip I took. If you can find money to spend on cannabis every day, it shouldn't be hard to get a bit of money together to go away. I know this because I did it, and I have the fiendiest brain ever.

This advice applies to any drug: be yourself! Since becoming clean, I have had the most amazing dreams at night, which gives me a much better outlook on life. If anyone is struggling, would like to know anything, or simply needs someone to talk to, feel free to contact me in any way you want.