Stopping any behavior that we’ve become accustomed to is very hard. Behaviors that are repeated daily become reinforced daily. When it comes to substances we put in the body – be it cigarettes, alcohol, weed, or even something like McDonalds food some think (like Morgan Spurlock) – the body can respond by craving said substances when it is denied them. The term addiction is highly controversial, and a definition everyone can agree on doesn’t really exist. Nevertheless, people who want to argue should go somewhere else – if you are here reading this article, I assume you are here because you’re interested in quitting marijuana and learning how to stop smoking weed.

These tips are not professional medical advice from a drug counselor. Rather, these are real life tips I want to share with you from my research into marijuana usage, addictive behavior, and from all the “marijuana addiction stories” I’ve learned over the years in the course of my work. Read this with an open mind and take it for what it’s worth.

1. Understand Why You Want to Stop Smoking Pot

It’s vital that you’re desire to stop smoking marijuana is intrinsically tied to a gut-level reason for wanting or even needing for quitting marijuana. I suggest taking out a paper or opening up a Word document on a computer and start adding your thoughts on why you want to stop smoking weed.

As an example, you might want to stop smoking marijuana because you’re about to have a son or daughter. Or you might want to stop smoking because you’ve swear you do not want to miss another job opportunity because of the drug test. Or maybe your reason for quiting is that someone you love died of lung cancer from smoking all their lives, and you’ve seen the toll this had on their family, and you never want to risk putting your family through the same thing.

These are all examples I’ve made up. I hope they don’t offend anyone. The point is – you need a reason to quit that hits you in the gut. You need a reason to quit that makes maybe upsets you or makes you tear up. Quiting a drug or an addictive behavior is tough, and having a “reason to believe” will increase your chances of not giving up when life gets rough and you want to solve the problem by getting high.

2. Commit to Quiting But Understand Mistakes Happen

Perfection is not realistic. I’m not saying that the second point here is to give yourself an excuse for using again. But what I’m saying is that it happens to the best of us, and before you throw in the towel forever, realize that THAT is just another excuse – the truth is, if you make a mistake, dust yourself off and move on.

Really what this point is about is accepting that you are human and that making a mistake once just means that you made a mistake – but it doesn’t mean you’ve given up on your commitment to quit smoking weed.

3. Get Support From Family and Friends

This is a tough one for many. Sometimes it’s friends and family who are threatened by your actions when it comes to trying to stop smoking pot. For them, you are a reminder that maybe they should look at their actions. Nevertheless, it’s very important to establish support where you can get it. If this is from family, great. If this is from your current friends, awesome.

However, if your family and friends won’t support you, then seek out new people in your life who will. This could mean going to drug abuse groups like Marijuana Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous. Or it could just mean trying new activities and meeting new people and never making drug use the focus of the social activities.

Some level of social support is practically mandatory here – get it where you can.

4. Consider Exercising, Taking Up a Hobby, Joining a Club, etc.

Often times when trying to end one habit, a trick to help is to replace it with a new habit. For our purposes here, doing something like joining a gym and establishing a daily exercise routine can be incredibly beneficial as part of your overall plan for how to stop smoking weed. But it doesn’t have to be this – it could be a hobby you’re passionate about or some kind of club you participate in.

I hope you’re reading this nodding your head and understanding how this can apply to your own life and your own goals in relation to marijuana. Marijuana addiction is something you don’t have to live with your whole life. You can quit. I hope this article point you in the right direction from how to stop smoking weed.