It’s been an interesting ride since I quit smoking pot on July 16, 2022. The fact that I’ve remained marijuana free ever since is quite a testament to the power of meditation. And while it’s been a bit more than 420 days since I last smoked pot, consumed an edible, vaped, etc (472 days as of the publishing of this blog), I had an interesting convergence of thoughts overcome me when I finally reached that magical 420th day.
“I haven’t been high since Wednesday! … oh today is Wednesday?”
— Towelie
I’d also like to note that I’m currently 30 days into a very successful Sober October. This marks my second dry month of 2023 after completing a rough and tumble Dry January. So as I write this blog, I’m not only exceptionally marijuana free, but quite alcohol sober to boot. Feels really, really great!
If you’re a frequent visitor to ReturnOnSobriety, you’ll know that I began meditating in June 2022 in an effort to get my extreme ‘gray area drinking‘ under control. I never intended to quit pot or go entirely marijuana free. In fact, my marijuana habit (which was far more than gray area) was an unintended casualty of a daily meditation practice targeting alcohol abuse.
Then in the blink of an eye, I’m marijuana free for 420+ consecutive days!
Marijuana Free Becomes 420
As I reflect on my unintended 420 days of marijuana freedom, I realize that I haven’t lost anything in my transition to pot sobriety. As a matter of fact, I have GAINED so much more.
- Financial Savings: I estimate that I spent $100 – $200 every month on THC products at my local dispensary. I truly appreciate my new found savings and invest them in my future. So far I’ve managed to accumulate thousands of dollars and a valuable coin collection. Prior to this, all that money was literally going up in smoke.
- Social Connections: I was always socially awkward, but things were much worse when I was ‘high’. Being marijuana free has eased my social anxiety significantly and I’m networking and reconnecting with old friends.
- Improved Sleep: Dreams, dreams, and more dreams!! I smoked pot every day for over 25 years. Ugh… During that time, dreams were exceedingly rare. Now I enjoy vivid dreams most nights and wake up refreshed and full of energy.
- Mental Clarity: Look, they don’t call it ‘dope’ for nothing! To say my mental clarity has improved would be the understatement of the century. My memory is awesome again, like it was when I was a nerdy teenager, as are my analytical and critical thinking skills.
- Weight Loss: Being marijuana free means being ‘munchies’ free. Now that I’ve quit cannabis, I no longer eat a pint of ice cream in one shot or a Family Sized bag of Doritos at 11pm. Because of this (and some exercise), I’ve lost 30 pounds!
- Clearer Skin: When you don’t eat a lot of junk food, your skin clears up magnificently. Bonus!
- Inspiration for Change: I wake up everyday inspired and bursting with energy and ideas. With marijuana out of my life, I’ve put myself back in the driver’s seat and it feels fantastic! Now I’m inspiring others to do that same with their own lives.
Reaching 420 & Beyond
My first thought upon reaching 420 days being marijuana free was, “I should celebrate by getting high.” Yes, sadly I thought this thought. I even considered it seriously for a moment.
The rationale was simple. It went something like this: “You obviously don’t have a problem with pot anymore. You should treat yourself. What’s the worst that could happen?”
Well, as I’ve come to learn since I began my sobriety journey, an addict will come up with any rationalization necessary to get their fix. And that’s all this was, an excuse to fall off the wagon.
Fortunately, 17 months of daily meditation and mindfulness practice kicked in and nipped this unsavory desire in the bud. Soon I was rationalizing the whole affair quite differently. I said to myself, “Shit, you’ve made it this long, why would you start again now? You know how you are. It’s a slippery slope. Are you sure you want to risk all you’ve accomplished? The worst that can happen is you reclaim your inauspicious title of pothead and regain the 30 pounds you lost…” And so on.
I’ve written a lot about R.A.I.N. (Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Non-associate) and how it empowers us to deal with everything from addiction to heavy emotional baggage and negative recurring thoughts. And it was RAIN that got me through Day 420 and beyond.
There is tremendous power in slowing down for a moment to assess your thoughts, desires, and feelings. It was and is in these ‘tiny’ pauses that I continue to remain marijuana free AND greatly alcohol reduced.
Marijuana Free On Day 472
As I get older, challenges that I shied away from because they appeared to have a long time frames associated with them, have taken on a gentler appearance. I’ve come to realize that time is just a game. It’s passage is all relative to our age, level of engagement (bored or having a blast), perspective, and level of organization (or disorganization).
It’s contrite to say that ‘Time flies’, but in fact it really does, and much faster than we ever imagine it will. When describing what it was like to be a parent, my mom would always say, “The days are slow, but the years are fast.” I never truly appreciated her sage insight until I had children of my own and watched them grow up.
Looking back on 472 days of being marijuana free, has the same flavor. Some days seemed very long and I didn’t think I’d be able to make it until bedtime without wanting a hit off my vape pen. Yet suddenly I find myself on the other side of 15 months without touching cannabis of any kind. Just… Like… That…
This even while friends and family continued to smoke pot all around me, constantly offering it to me, and questioning why I had quit.
I just tell them all the same thing, I never meant to quit smoking pot, meditation caused it to quit me. And while I get it itch to use cannabis now and again, being marijuana free has paid me serious dividends across the board. And while I don’t judge them for smoking a big ol’ doobie in front of me, I am more than willing to accept their judgement of my quitting.
I’m also inspired by Jerry Seinfeld’s rule for living: “Don’t break the chain.”
Now that I have 472 links in that chain, I intend to heed his advice, to the letter.
Day 420 is well in the rearview mirror, and now I look forward to reaching Day 500, 730, and beyond. Gotta keep that chain going.
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