Genuine question:
I regard myself as a low to medium user. I try to keep it to twice a week only from 4pm, and not on consecutive days. I do have paraphernalia beyond a casual user; a grinder and papers and a dynavap being my latest purchase.
I've never been a daily smoker, and as tempting as I can see it being, I think a major reason I find 2-3 times a week best is that my tolerance is stable and it always feels like a treat.
My bf has been concerned lately that I smoke as much as I do, saying that if it were alcohol use (getting drunk 3 times a week, sometimes alone) it would be a legit concern. I hear his worry and I agree that I need to remain accountable.
What makes someone a stoner? Is it when you buy your own weed and use weekly? What makes someone a heavy user? How do you guys define it? And how does one stick to being a moderate user?
I smoke daily so I can’t contribute but I wish I was in your shoes if I could stick to three nights a week with or without friends I’d be fucking happy.
So in my opinion your use is moderate. Mine would be considered heavy (probably 0.7g a day). I’d consider once a week light imo.
Just to pick your brain a little, would u still consider it light use if you use one day a week, but it's the entire day? Or were you more meaning one hit per week? I'm just curious
I’d never considered smoking all day to be honest, I smoke from like 7pm till 11pm so I don’t have an opinion on day smoking, but if you smoked a whole gram on one night a week I’d consider the frequency light and the amount heavy but overall would consider it light. This is all relative, again I smoke 0.7g a day
Smoking compulsively. Finding it difficult to take “T breaks” … the real question to ask yourself is “why” though. What happened to you that you can’t relax without it. Why are you always seeking oblivion?
Because life is ruin. And at least if I ruin it on my own then I’m in control of something
It's honestly how I feel. Looking around at the world, our (US) political climate. At this point I'm protecting my own mental health to avoid all of it by smoking everyday. Weed just makes life easier.
Yeah I did that with alcohol during the first Trump presidency. Then COVID. Then I developed chronic health issues that forced me to give up alcohol.
Now I smoke daily, and it helps with my chronic pain so it’s difficult to moderate, though I aim to take regular tolerance breaks to prevent my tolerance from escalating crazy high.
I like this sub because it helps people to have casual conversations about the pros and cons of weed use and how to moderate to varying levels.
I would put my 2¢ in though that if you’re using any drug (alcohol weed or anything else) on a regular basis specifically for anxiety / escapism from doomscrolling, it’s not healthy. Make sure to work in non-drug related techniques in there to manage anxiety, save weed for a mood boost, pain relief, sedation, or other purposes.
i might be wearing a tinfoil hat here but i honestly think that’s part of why it’s legal in more places now. it makes people more complacent and less likely to do anything about the shit going down in our country.
Fantastic insight.
I had anxiety and panic attacks for years before I started smoking regularly and they (mostly) went away. It’s just how my brain is, or how my parents are, or whatever other reason people have mental illness I guess. Now would I like to find other ways to manage the anxiety? Of course. But when the choice is smoking weed vs prescription anxiety medication, or smoking weed vs white knuckling life with dangerously high cortisol, idk, the weed seems like the better choice.
Yes drinking alcohol 3 times a week would be bad. But that's alcohol, not weed. It is dangerous to compare substances when they're not really comparable. The negative side effects of habitual drinking heavily outweigh the negative side effects of habitual smoking. I understand the train of thought but it just doesn't make sense when you really think about it.
Anyways, your use sounds like it's in the mid range, I definitely wouldn't consider it heavy, and I wouldn't consider it light either. So whether it's good or bad for you is a pretty tough line to define.
In the end it is up to you. Does smoking negatively impact your mental health and / or your relationships? If it does, then you have your answer.
Thank you! My bf and I read these replies together and he's a little more chill about it, but still wants me to be accountable. You guys help a lot.
So far weed's not hindered my life and I intend to keep the balance. I gym 4 times a week, have stable work and good friendships, family ties and fun hobbies (my friend I smoke with comes to jam music, we play and record together once a week). I also embroider, cook, and play video games :)
Moderation is key in weed and everything!
You sound like a medium level user of herb. Holding yourself accountable is vital, good work!
Drinking 3 times a week is perfectly normal, theres a difference btwn a drink or two and getting shitfaced, also. True with weed also. A vape hit vs 2 joints and then 2 more
That's a very good point
OK, another perspective...
Comparing the substances is not valid; on that I aree with you. Comparing the patterns of use and abuse might be though. And I think all the more so when answering the OP's question. It seems to me that - as a short hand - comparing patterns of use between cannabis and alcohol is quite instructive. The Red Flags are very similar:
When you are smoking/drinking early in the day
When you are smoking/drinking at/before work/study
When you are smoking/drinking every day
When your smoking/drinking interferes with your relationships
When you are smoking/drinking to avoid dealing with life issues
When your smoking/drinking is affecting your ability to afford doing other things you enjoy or need to do
All valid points, and I agree with you. But OP hasn't fallen into many, if any of these (maybe scratching the surface of the relationship one). It's definitely important for them to keep on top of it and to be aware of these so things don't eventually spiral into something worse. But to me it sounds like their use is perfectly healthy, at the moment at least.
My original point was meant to highlight how smoking 3 times a week is significantly different to drinking 3 times a week. The main negative for drinking being it is awful for your physical health.
You're right though, psychological addiction can show up anywhere with any substance, and often in the same patterns.
There's no point really in asking this because the answer will vary vastly between people.
Personally, I would consider heavy use to be near daily. 5 or 6 days out of the week could work too. I don't think your use is particularly heavy, but if someone is telling you this, it is most often a sign of something. Do not ignore it.
I chose to smoke only monthly, because if I were to smoke weekly or something like that, my life would just be passing by, I would be living towards that next high, and as a result I would not be living much. I'd just be surviving.
2-3 times per week sounds pretty ideal to me. I've had my couples therapist reframe it as a beer. Would it be ok for you to come home and have a beer (or glass of wine) with dinner three times per week? Not getting fucking loaded, blacked out drunk, just perhaps a tiny bit tipsy? Yes, yes it would.
Appreciate the reply!
You are probably a “stoner” in the sense of an “alcoholic” if you meet the relevant criteria.
These are:
If you can't easily give up smoking weed, then yes, I would say so. But not just because you bought your own weed. There are weeks even months i dont consume at all..
I don't think you can draw a clear line in general here. Personally, I think anything more than once a week is too much... For me it works best to not consume more then twice a month and never on 2 consecutive days...
see above
By putting consumption lower on the list of priorities...
For example, in addition to my job, I also have enough to do with my hobby, triathlon, so I often go cycling, swimming, running, and/or to the gym.
I also like to read a book (which isn't really possible when high) or meet up with friends.
I also really enjoy being in nature, e.g., going for a walk in the woods (also high), but when I go to the mountains, for example, I prefer to be sober rather than stoned.
As I said... I like to smoke weed when I have nothing else to do and can really take the time for it.
Something I would like to mention here, but which people don't necessarily think about, is friends.
Most of my friends know that I sometimes use drugs, but very few of them do...
In fact, I like to use drugs on my own and it's quite rare for anyone else to join me...
But there were times when it was different... I was a daily user myself... I would say because all my friends used drugs every day too (some of them still do).
To be honest, I am no longer in contact with most of them. We say hello when we see each other...
Thank you for the thoughtful reply, my bf and I read it together. He agrees that by your metrics that he shouldn't worry so much, but that I need to be accountable.
Most of my friends don't smoke (many drink which I don't)
As for priorities, I gym too, have hobbies, cook, embroider, swim in the ocean, play instruments and see family and friends. Weed's a fun addition to some of these things, but I do them all sober mostly.
I admire your discipline and willingness to share, thank you
You`re welcome - greetings from Germany! :-)
I once saw the owner of a distillery mention that she drinks everyday, as she’s in the industry (Fawn Weaver).
She’s worth almost half a billion dollars. Even though she drinks everyday, she doesn’t get drunk everyday.
I think it’s also important to factor in how much you consume when you do partake. Just something to consider.
heavy use is considered daily, or near-daily. to be more specific, 20 or more days out of a month. that's the "official" designation, which I consider to be pretty reasonable since stoners tend to downplay their consumption and weed smoking has been pretty accepted and funny haha'd for at least a decade or two now . important also to distinguish that from "every other day," which would bring you to about 15-16 days
It depends so much on the person that it's difficult to say what's heavy use and what's not. I'd say that using daily (even if the amounts are small) is heavy use. So it's more the frequency than the amounts used, in my opinion.
If you use 2-3 times per week, not on consecutive days and it doesn't hinder your ability to work, socialise or reach your goals in life, I'd say this is quite normal and not a cause for concern yet. One tip I'd suggest is to monitor your usage by weighting the weed and keeping records. Then you immediately see if the usage starts to slip. Sometimes it's easy to be dishonest to yourself about that.
Maybe it'd be good to ask your bf why he sees your use as problematic and how does he see it affecting your relationship. If you for example smoke every time you spend time together, he might be feeling distance, as you'd not be as present as when sober. Just a guess, but these things should be talked about!
I appreciate this, thank you. You touch on something important at the end there - my bf and I used to get high once a week together, like a date night - but he can no longer as his job might test him. So he's even described a little jealousy at missing out, more so than feeling distant, but it is something I need to be sensitive about for sure.
Every website will probably spit out the same answer regarding heavy use - and many of these are listed here re: negative consequences. You and I have a similar smoking pattern- weekly not daily. I think it’s moderate use - but I also think it depends on the quantity as well. I work with many people who technically smoke ‘daily’ in that they take a few vape hits before bed to sleep but I wouldn’t consider it heavy use - more akin to taking a melatonin or something at night. Has your boyfriend pointed out any problems in particular as a result of smoking? Are you worried about it?
It sounds like you have a lot of hobbies and spend most of your time sober. You fall more into the recreational use category. It’s a fun addition but not a mandatory prerequisite.
appreciate your thoughts :)
Yeah I am not sure how a Dynavap compares to a joint, but when I was smoking joints it would be one regular sized one split over an evening. With the Dynavap I maybe fill the vape 3 times over a whole afternoon / evening.
Its a bit complicated but I think he's partially sad that he cant join me anymore as his job may test him at any point. My behaviour on weed is not much different, I definitely get more relaxed, silly and slightly childlike. I think he's under a great degree of pressure. I think maybe he's worried I'd do it without telling him if I went over twice a week, which I have promised I wont.
Depends on how much you're smoking on the days you do smoke. Even just twice a week can be on the heavy side if you're ripping through entire eighths on the days you do smoke.
Yes, it’s not just frequency, it’s how much.
This is true, if you have trouble moderating the amount you smoke when you do smoke, that’s a problem.
But my understanding is that another important facet of this, which is tolerance to THC specifically (I don’t know how different alcohol is) is driven primarily by frequency. So even if you smoke a small amount, but you smoke twice a day daily, your tolerance can easily creep up within weeks. If you smoke heavily but only on 2 days a week, your endocannabinoid receptors have enough “off time” to reset at least partially, and you won’t build tolerance (at least not by as much as if you spread out the same amount of THC across more days).
for me heavy use is obvioulsy daily use OR use enough that impacts on life the days your not using, such as bad memory , brain fog , unmotivated , cravings , poor sleep lacking Rem. I'm at 1 day a week myself and even thinking of 1 a month , keeping it as a treat and not over doing so it loses sparkle.
The sparkle is my favorite part 🙏
Idk I used to smoke a cart every 2 days and a gram of regular concentrate in a day that’s extremely heavy tho imo
Great question. It’s been detailed for alcohol consumption but not for weed as far as i know. The “dose makes the poison” and we don’t know the right dose. My guess is that if you smoked 1/2 a joint of 1980’s weed, it was equivalent to a beer or two. If you’re hitting a cart, it’s like chugging grain alcohol. Maybe now that weed is rescheduled we will get more guidance.
Good point! I ditched carts months ago. Dark sided! I'm on the dry herb vape train. Dynavap. I prefer flower, it feels more psychadelic and sparkly. Not sure how that compares to 80s weed of course. I'll continue to do ...my own research 🫡
It was about 3% THC. Today it’s 17 to 25% for flower. Concentrates can hit 90%.
Only you can decide what is too much! Are you fulfilling your responsibilities?
How much are you smoking, when you do? How high are you getting? This is important to know, to answer your question
Me and my mom would smoke around 5-8 times a day, once when we woke up, before every meal, in the car, before bed and because weed doesnt really keep you asleep, once in the middle of the night as well and restart in the morning. I was constantly high 24/7 and would have to use more and more, never used edibles cause they took too long and i didnt think they worked as much but my tolerance was insanely high. I been working on it and have stopped this last week and half, extremely difficult and if i didnt have support and didnt move out of moms house, id be high right now still. So id say that is chronic usage. My dreams lately have been insane too, havent dreamt this much in years and they all are terrible dreams of my cats dying or my partner cheating with my friends and even very uncomfortable stuff i wont get into. But overall im not unhappy with taking a long overdue break.
I also had a drinking problem (still do, because when i get the opportunity i overdo it) and drank every day, never got black out but always needed a shot in the morning, evening and afternoons id have a little more after it wore off. So. Im just not very good at moderation, had a coke habit too i only managed to kick cause i ran out of money and the dealer i did favors for got arrested and my other dealer was a family man.
When you partake the couple times a week how much are you smoking? Even when I’m smoking everyday it’s 2-4 puffs and I’m good. Other everyday smokers would prob consider that to be light but if it’s everyday I don’t consider it light because it is everyday. And I do allow myself to be an everyday user sometimes, usually in the summer.
The truth is that I loved this post and I have not stopped reading it.
I started smoking THC Pen only at events or outings with friends.
Over time I started smoking more and more, I got to a point in my travels (especially when I go to Denver or Las Vegas) and started smoking daily, but at that moment I felt like I was turning into someone else and my brain was so shitty than we could consider healthy.
I quit smoking daily and now I smoke 1 or 2 times a month, only 1 or 2 puffs of THC Pen.
I feel good now and I don't feel like I am addicted or I need this to be calm.
PD: I have anxiety attacks, I devour my nails every day. I am an entrepreneur with 7 businesses on my hands, I have 2 daughters aged 7 and 3 and my wife is pregnant with the next one. I consider myself successful and I cannot smoke during working hours because my memory must be good and I am not very productive if I do. I try to smoke only LIVE ROSIN cartridges.
Daily use is heavy use in most cases. The day you start looking forward to that high at the end of the day you’ve got nervous system dis-regulation regardless of timing or frequency.
The addiction litmus test is to lay off it for a week and see if you have uncomfortable and anxious urges to use.
At 3x a week I imagine you’re only about a month or two into your weed career.