Quitting marijuana is a brave move, and the absolute right decision, but it’s not going to be a “walk in the park.” 

Much the same as with any addictive substance, quitting marijuana will probably be very uncomfortable at first; causing cravings, depression, irritability, anxiety and changes in your sleep pattern.

These will ebb with time, as your body and mind readjusts to the absence of the drug, but in order to fight through these symptoms and stay clean, you’ll need to use every tool available to you.

Here we will identify some of those tools, along with a brief description on how you can use each of them to help you quit weed.

Tools to help You Quit Now

If you think about it, cigarette smokers should have a much easier time quitting than those who smoke marijuana, largely due to all the tools they have at their disposal.

For example, those quitting marijuana don’t have the luxury of using replacement therapies, including patches and gums, to help them gradually step down from their habit, and smoking just a “little bit” of marijuana is not a plausible quitting option.

Instead, marijuana smokers but must rely on their own willpower, resolve and determination, and possibly a little help from their friends.

• Willpower. The term willpower is often overused, but in this case it definitely applies.  Willpower is the ability to say “no” when every fiber of your body and every thought in your mind are saying the opposite.  Quitting marijuana will be a difficult task, but keep in mind that the discomfort you’re feeling now is only temporary—it feels horrible now, but it will go away.  The risks of not quitting, however, including cancer and lung disease, are much more permanent and can have deadly consequences.

• Support.  A strong support system, which could include everything from a large 12-step group to a small circle of family and friends, can be your strength when things get tough and your hope when you feel like giving in.  Surround yourself with positive people who truly want you to succeed and your chances for quitting will improve tenfold.

• Journal.  Trying to hold all the pain you feel inside can be a burden, but it may help significantly if you write it down.  Start a daily journal in which you include your successes and failures, your hopes and your fears, beginning with why you started smoking pot in the first place, along with all the important reasons for quitting.  A regular journal can help you chart your progress and keep you motivated to stay clean.

• Medication and Therapy.  Many people need a bit of extra help to overcome their marijuana addiction, and there’s certainly no crime in asking for help.  Certain medications, such as modern antidepressants, can help you cope effectively with depression and anxiety following quitting, and therapy can be a great way to discover more about yourself and learn from your past mistakes.

Many people shy away from quitting, afraid that the side effects will be too extreme and that they will become a burden on their loved ones.  This is nonsense.

Sit down with your loved ones and all the people you trust, and tell them about your plan to quit.

Explain to them what to expect, and let them know you’ll probably need their help.  Believe me, they’ll listen and they want to assist you.

If quitting is truly what you want to do, it’s time to ditch the excuses and finally decide that “the patch” is nothing compared to the many tools you have in your arsenal.