Using Cannabis as a Tool... To Quit Cannabis

I’ll start off by saying this:

There are two ways of using cannabis - you can use it to connect, or you can use it to disconnect.

I always loved using cannabis as a way to connect with myself.

In my twenties, for example, it was pretty common to find me after I’d smoke, on my yoga mat.

For me, smoking slowed me down and helped me get into my body, not escape it.

(I used it to escape sometimes too, but it’s less relevant for this post).

When my thoughts slowed down, I’d notice how I actually felt underneath the noise, and then do whatever my body needed in that moment, whether it was yoga, dancing, or something else.

I’d have my candles, my playlists, my mat, and even some healthy snacks.

But here’s where it gets interesting: Anyone who smokes weed regularly knows that smoking habitually has its downfalls, even if you’re using it every day to “connect”.

The goal is to use it to connect with yourself, so that eventually you don’t need it or rely on it anymore.

So how can we use the plant medicine as a tool, even to quit smoking?

Well first, it starts off by shifting your intention when you smoke.

If you’re smoking to escape, start using it to connect instead.

Choose an evening where you’re at home by yourself or with your partner, after the kids have gone to bed, and set the intention to connect with yourself.

Start by setting up the space: Create your temple. This is super important.

Have a yoga mat out, pillows on the floor, chosen playlist, speaker, dim lighting (super important!), candles, incense, oil defuser, whatever you need to make the space feel good, and therapeutic.

Even if you’re not going to do yoga, it doesn’t matter. Have a mat out and some pillows on the floor.

You’re setting the space to be your temple, a place to connect deeply with yourself.

If you’ve ever participated in any other kind of plant medicine ceremony, think about how they set the vibe.

You should have at least one candle on the floor as the focal point that you can always come back to.

Now that you’ve prepared the space, it’s time to grab your joint and set your intention.

You can think about your intention as a little prayer that will guide you throughout the evening.

What do you desire to get out of this session with yourself? (Or with your partner?)

Your intention can be something like, “I want to relax, enjoy myself, connect to myself, connect to my partner/friend, release tension” etc.

Pick one or two. It can even be just one word like, “peace”.

Light your candle candle, and keep coming back to that intention throughout the night.

Sit with the word, and let it guide you.

The "Ceremony"-

One of my favorite things that happens after I smoke is that it becomes much easier to notice my thoughts and the patterns in my mind.

So I take advantage of this.

I literally sit on the ground, close my eyes, and suddenly become aware of my thoughts and where my mind has been the past several days.

It’s like waking up from a movie my mind has been playing, only now, I become aware it’s a movie.

So here’s what you’re going to do: sit on the floor, maybe on a pillow or cushion, you can lean back against a wall or the couch, and just watch the candle flame, or close your eyes.

Allow yourself just be, without trying to change anything or fix yourself, and start to notice your thoughts, without any judgement. Just notice them.

After you’ve sat for a bit, ask yourself, “What do I need right now in this moment?”

Notice what comes up in your body when you ask that question (don’t look for an answer in your mind/thoughts) - see what you feel in your body, and let that guide you.

Maybe suddenly you feel thirst coming up - drink a glass of water.

Maybe you feel this urge to move your body - put on a song and dance.

Maybe you want to tap, shake, jump, twist, stretch, or do something to activate your energy.

If you 're not sure what to do - just stand up and start by bouncing your knees gently, allowing the weight of your body to be heavy. Shake one arm out, and then the other. Role your neck slowly from one side to the other. Loosen your jaw. Relax your shoulders. Swing your arms from side to side. Let out some sound.

No one is judging you. So don’t judge yourself.

And if you do feel judgement coming up (totally fine), just get out a pen and paper and let out all of your thoughts onto paper. Then you can rip it up and throw it away.

Come back to your mat. Your music. Your body.

What do you need now? Let the sensations speak for themselves.

When you use cannabis as a tool to connect to yourself, eventually you will not need it anymore. Cannabis is a plant medicine - when we honor and respect it, it can really be used as a tool for deeper healing and connection.

The purpose isn’t to rely on it or to use it every day.

It’s to use it with intention, and come back to yourself.

When you use it in this way, you stop relying on it.

Try this and let me know how it goes <3