Yesterday I continued the topic I started two days ago, that of my ongoing weed addiction, and about weed in general and what I think about it, as well as some other drugs and substances. We’ve gotten out of the way the fact that weed isn’t physically addictive like alcohol or nicotine, but we’ve also questioned addiction itself, and we’ve started to wonder about it in a deeper way, to examine it in a brighter light, so to speak, in order to get to the bottom of what it is and what it really means to a person who’s going through it. We’ve come to an agreement, I would hope, that in this very complex life of ours, in this world of infinite possibilities, there’s potential for us to become addicted to all sorts of things really, from food to video games, from TV to shopping, from gambling to sex, from melancholy pain to nihilistic existentialism to complete hedonism, to the chase for ultimate pleasure of every kind. When we talk about addiction what we are really talking about is a lack of self-control, no matter what kind of addiction we are discussing. Yes, physical addiction does make it more difficult for us to break our bond with the cause of the addiction, but the fact is that, with enough will-power and perseverance, there is definitely a chance of escape, since we’ve all heard stories of people who were deep into drugs, whose lives had been basically destroyed by drugs, but who managed to eventually get clean and live a more meaningful, fulfilling existence. Now, beyond just classifying addictions as physical and non-physical, I would say there are many different categories of addictions, just like there are many kinds of drugs. There are drugs that are more dangerous than others, and there are even some that are, for the most part, completely benign, just like some are poisonous and deadly. Some drugs are medicinal and some are not, some are never even meant to be consumed, if you ask me. There are also drugs that make one more introspective and thoughtful, and there are those that make one more extroverted and outgoing. This is all, of course, in the general sense. Although everyone is different, there are usually ways in which each drug generally affects most of its users, regardless of their own personalities.
Now, an important classification of drugs, I would say, is also how addictive they are, or are not, which is what I was mentioning before. I would even say there are distinctions to addiction that go beyond whether the addiction is physical or not, and whether it’s a weaker or stronger addiction. For example, although we’ve agreed that weed, like most things, can definitely be addictive to some people, I’m sure most of us would agree that weed addiction is pretty mild compared to something like heroin or other opioids. That is not really up for debate, but I would say that there is something about weed addiction that does make it, in a certain aspect, harder to quit than heroin, at least to the average person. The thing is that, the average person is not hooked on heroin. A lot of addicts who are living on the streets have had very rough lives and have been through lots of trauma, but there are a lot of people, who don’t have many problems in their lives, who regularly get high on weed. This is because weed, even at the point that it does become an addiction, usually doesn’t ruin one’s life, at least to any perceptible degree. Most thoughtful people who have a family or people who depend on them, or meaningful connections in their lives, are not looking to try heroin exactly because of that, because they appreciate the blessings in their lives and they’re not looking to put them at risk. If they were to start taking opioids for some reason, and it did spiral into an addiction, to the point that they were living on the streets and had lost their family, I’m sure there would be many moments, in between all the highs, where they are aware of just how much damage they are doing to themselves and those they love, which is such a strong feeling that I’m sure it must play a part in motivating a substantial number of addicts to get clean, especially when it’s a repeated feeling, a dirty feeling of shame and guilt, of regret.
Now, keep in mind that I’ve never lived on the streets due to addiction, and although I’ve tried a lot of substances, I’ve never tried heroin or been a heroin addict, so I’m only guessing when it comes to how it must feel to be addicted to it. I mean nothing but respect to anyone who is battling such a strong addiction. What I’m saying though, is that, with something like weed addiction, it’s much easier to get by and get on with one’s life, all the while being constantly stoned. Because one is comfortable with one’s lifestyle, and because of the comfortable feeling of weed itself, one may never find the motivation to quit. Now, I’m not even saying one should necessarily quit, it could really be the case that weed does fit perfectly into your lifestyle, so I’m not here to judge anyone, especially as a lifelong stoner myself. All I’m doing is illustrating the point that, when an addiction is “weaker,” and overall, less destructive than another, it’s less likely that the addicted person is ever going to feel like letting it go. We’ve been talking specifically about weed, but consider just how many everyday habits of ours could fall into this category. How long would we survive without all the items we use every day?
If you have a few minutes please check out my track ‘Interplanetary Soul.’ I appreciate you listening.
rebel eye 