Chapter 9 - Health

This is the area where the brainwashing around marijuana is often the strongest. Young or casual users in particular think they are already aware of the health risks but remain unconcerned. "I could get hit by a bus tomorrow anyway, so why bother quitting?" But if that same user was standing at the edge of a cliff, would they deliberately jump off? Of course not - they'd go to great lengths to avoid certain death.

Yet marijuana users intentionally ignore the near-certainty of ruined mental and physical health from their addiction. They avoid confronting the risks rationally, because it would destroy the high they chase. Only non-users are able to scare themselves informed by seriously considering the negatives. Attempts at shocking and scaring addicted minds with facts usually backfire completely. They often spark an urge to light up in order to relieve the anxiety just raised by contemplating health dangers.

Young users especially aren't worried because they feel fine in the moment with no obvious symptoms. But the harms build so gradually and subtly that the effects largely appear later in life. The depression, fatigue, lack of motivation, and suicidal thoughts mostly manifest when the brain can no longer compensate for the plummeting dopamine receptors and early neural damage caused by excessive marijuana intake.

It is remarkably stupid and short-sighted to continue allowing your body and mind to slowly rust and corrode without concern just because there is no pronounced pain or discomfort in the early stages of the addiction. You certainly wouldn't completely neglect changing the oil or servicing a vehicle for years on end simply because the engine still runs and gets you from A to B. Yet your body and brain are the sole vehicles that will transport you through your entire life. Don't continue carelessly destroying your potential a little more each day.

Ask yourself honestly: If you knew for a fact that the very next joint or edible sparked an irreversible change in your brain that left you completely unable to experience ordinary pleasure or motivation normally again, would you still smoke it? Of course not. Yet this tragic scenario creeps closer every time you light up. Those who have already "hit the button" and crossed that line regret their youthful ignorance more than anything, wishing they could go back and make a different choice before it was too late. Don't end up as one of them.

The truth is every single hit or inhale nudges you incrementally closer to that line in the sand through dopamine flooding and receptor damage. Light, intermittent, or occasional use is not somehow exempt from this effect. The inevitable withdrawal symptoms when not smoking are kept at bay by the addicted mind's denial and obsession with chasing the fading high of yesteryear. But make absolutely no mistake - the damaging effects ARE very real and building inside your brain with every single session, no matter how small.

We tend to see it as enjoying the pleasant effects of marijuana until the dire health consequences hit you randomly like unpredictable landmines scattered about a battlefield. But in reality, the harm builds slowly, systematically, and cumulatively over time with every use. The insidious corrosion of your mental and physical health is written off as just being about getting older. Weeks turn into months turn into years of precious lifetime squandered, opportunities missed, and human potential destroyed.

Don't keep carelessly and blithely assuming you'll somehow quit "later" before disaster strikes your mind, body, or relationships. How will you know for sure that the next joint or bowl won't end up being the one that finally pushes you over the edge into full-blown addiction, depression, and dysfunction?

When confronted, addicted minds automatically generate tricky excuses and defenses: "You'll eventually lose your edge and decline anyway as you age, so why not enjoy now?" "Quality of life is more important than quantity anyway." Do you sincerely believe that a life shackled by addiction and its tendrils of chaos is one of high quality living compared to the lasting contentment and freedom of sobriety? Be real with yourself - it's the addiction talking to protect itself, not your true core.

Even confirmed users who only smoke "here and there" cannot avoid subtle impacts on mental health over time. Our brains get rewired from smoking marijuana, starting as early as the teen years for many. Trying to fight against these stoner thought patterns and delusions becomes a major and constant drain on mental energy and health.

"So far, so good" is the myth of the addict who avoids doing the hard work of quitting just because they've somehow temporarily dodged major disasters in health or relationships so far. But each and every hit or session, no matter how small, lights the long fuse further. It's already shortening. There's no time like the present - START PUTTING OUT THE FLAME.

Freedom from marijuana addiction can feel like a fog lifting from your mind. Energy and motivation you assumed were gone forever come surging back. Creativity opens and mental clarity expands beautifully. All those hours and brain cells wasted in smoke can now be reinvested into personal growth, exciting challenges, and real human connections.