Chapter 8 - Saving Time

When trying to quit, most marijuana users cite health, money, or stigma as motivations. But overlooked is the slavery - trading life's precious time for a fleeting high.

We must dispel the brainwashing to succeed, so the more undoing we do ahead, the easier it becomes. Young or casual users especially may not believe marijuana wastes time or impacts health. But time is a powerful motivator.

"I only smoke weed once per day. It's my only vice." But have you thought about lifelong use? At that rate, you'll spend a full 24 hour workday high every two weeks.

Conservatively, you'll devote months of work hours over your lifetime. Not developing yourself or relationships - literally burning time and health for lifelong slavery to addiction. Does that really not worry you?

Most haven't considered it a lifelong habit. The weekly hours seem alarming enough. Calculating the yearly hours is frightening, and the decades of use unthinkable. But they reflexively minimize it to justify smoking.

Would you turn down a job paying your salary with a free month off annually? Of course not - you'd delight in the time and freedom. Yet no addict takes this deal when offered hypothetically. Why not?

"I can afford the time" means nothing. You cut costs everywhere, yet heedlessly burn thousands of hours for suffering. Every decision weighs rational pros and cons, but addiction makes us ignore reason.

Imagine having a year and half's salary in cash sitting on your floor tomorrow. You'd be dancing for joy at the wealth. Now start dancing - you're about to gain the equivalent in time!

This isn't a trick. Calculate the lifetime hours you expect to waste on marijuana. Now imagine having all that time refunded to spend enriching your life. Will you really keep wasting it?

Decide now this will be your final session. To stay free, avoid "just one puff" - it will cost your projected time savings. Mentally spend that time and money on your goals and relationships instead of addiction.

If you're mentoring a smoker, tell them they're refusing a job offer of their salary plus a paid month off annually. When asked who's that stupid, say "You!" A bit rude, but sometimes necessary to drive the point home.

Marijuana steals far more than it provides. Health and potential go up in smoke for what? A prison of addiction and wasted time? You have so much to gain by taking back your freedom.

Embrace the abundant time and energy you'll soon reclaim. Imagine how you'll profit by investing it in developing your gifts and connections. What will you finally create, learn, experience, contribute?

This slavery ends now. Refuse to keep squandering precious hours of your life trapped in stagnation and smoke. All that wasted time is poured back into your hands. Spend it wisely; you know now it's infinitely too valuable to burn mindlessly.