A friend who can’t stop smoking marijuana is a friend in need of help. Although pot is used safely and oftentimes beneficially by people from all walks of life, if the use is heavy there is probably a problem.
And even though there is much speculation on why some people seem to become psychologically dependent on marijuana and others don’t, the truth is noone really knows for sure.
That doesn’t mean that there is nothing you can do to help, though. In fact, there is much you can do to offer support and encouragment to help your friend stay off the weed.
First of all, tell your friend to stop buying it. And if they are smoking with a group, tell them to find some other activity to engage in that’s not centered around the ganja. These things are usually easier said than done, so you will also want some backup plans.
Depending on your relationship, you may help your friend by actually leading him/her in pursuing positive, constructive activities. For example, you might both enroll in a gym or workout class. There’s nothing like exercise to get you out of a funk and feeling like you’re taking back control in your life.
The same could be said of nature, which can offer up some incredible healing energy. Maybe a camping or backpacking trip that’s drug free will allow your friend’s head to clear sufficiently so that he or she will be able to follow a new path.
If and when such strategies fail, encourage your friend to try acupuncture, and/ or hypnosis to get them to stop wanting to smoke weed. These offer up more external help and acupuncture works on the physical level to help break the addiction while hypnosis deals with the mental side more.
Whichever alternative therapy you try, find a practitioner who is experienced in helping people quit smoking or has a good understanding of how to succeed, as this process is less common than complaints such as headaches, backaches, etc.
photo credit: R. Mannie Photography