It’s Gonna Happen

Day One - Oct 3, 2025

I've been using weed every day for the past 5 years, and it's become a big part of my life, affecting my daily routine and relationships. It's actually why I got kicked out of the Air Force, which is a story for another time, but it was a major turning point for me. I wouldn't say I'm a heavy smoker compared to some friends who light up first thing in the morning and keep going all day. Some even carry THC vape pens everywhere they go. I like to keep my smoking at home. The earliest I'll start is around 10 AM, and that's pretty rare. Usually, I wait until early afternoon after finishing my work. On my days off, I'll start around 11 or 12. How much I smoke varies depending on the day and my mood. At the dispensary, there's a limit on how much weed we can buy each month. For a while, I was going through an ounce a week, but I hit my limit and had to pace myself. I learned to make my stash last all week instead of going all out at the start. Now, I'm used to smoking about 3/4 of an ounce a week, which was a big change for me. My husband often worries about my smoking, pointing out things like the smell on my clothes and hair and how much it costs us. Honestly, I probably spend between $10,000 to $12,000 a year just on the flower, not even counting the extras like rolling papers, pipes, or other gear.

I've known for ages that I need to quit, and the reasons are pretty clear. First off, the smell of marijuana is really noticeable, and I'm sure my breath sometimes smells like an ashtray. My husband and kids have mentioned it, even after I've gone through the whole routine of flossing, brushing, using a tongue scraper, and rinsing with mouthwash. The idea that others might catch a whiff and judge me freaks me out. Plus, smoking isn't doing my teeth any favors, and I’m all about keeping my smile bright and healthy. Working in end-of-life care, I’ve seen the big difference between people who take care of their teeth and those who don’t. I definitely want to be in the first group, so I’ve got a solid dental care routine morning and night to keep me looking young. Just a few weeks back, I showed my 13-year-old daughter a high school pic of me, and she was like, “Dang, you look exactly the same!” That was a huge compliment, especially coming from a teenager who’s brutally honest. I’m 39 now, so hearing that from her means a lot.

After being in my field for a while, I've realized that quitting cold turkey usually doesn't work. It's generally better to cut back slowly until you can do without it. So, I've started by smoking a quarter less than usual. The plan is to keep reducing until I'm down to half an ounce, and then keep going until I'm not dependent on it anymore. I don't really want to quit completely, just not as often. The lady at the dispensary I like says an ounce a week is nothing compared to some folks.

To make this easier, I've got to set some small, doable goals if I really want to succeed. For example, I've promised myself not to smoke before noon, and I'm sticking to that rule no matter what. One big reason I'm quitting is because of the stomach issues I've been dealing with. I've noticed that when I don't smoke, I eat healthier and less overall. Plus, I avoid those late-night snacks that usually lead to bad choices and discomfort. I know gluten and dairy really mess with my digestion, causing bloating and gas. I decided to cut out gluten almost two years ago, and even though I've slipped once on purpose—like when I had an amazing beignet in New Orleans—I've mostly stuck to it. There have been a few accidental slip-ups with gluten too. Dairy is still tough for me, especially ice cream, which I know will upset my stomach, but I can't resist sometimes. When I'm not smoking, it's a lot easier to manage my diet, and that really helps my digestion and overall health.

Plus, I often get a dry mouth, which is a pretty common side effect of smoking, and it definitely makes my breath smell bad. This dryness can be annoying and makes my bad breath even worse. Also, on the rare times I do get sick, I've noticed that it takes me longer to recover because smoking slows down my lungs' healing process. It's obvious that my daily weed habit affects my health in a big way, and it's time for me to take charge and make the changes I need for a healthier future.

Day 2 - Oct 4, 2025

Today went pretty well, and I'm really proud of how far I've come. I managed to hold off on smoking until after noon, which is a big deal for me, especially with all the cravings I had in the morning. It was tough to resist, but I kept reminding myself why I want to cut back. After lunch, I let myself smoke half a joint, which seemed like a reasonable way to ease into the afternoon. It was a conscious choice to enjoy smoking in moderation instead of letting it take over my day. A couple of hours later, I had another half joint. This is a change from my usual routine, where I'd smoke a lot more throughout the day. By the evening, around 7:30, I smoked another half joint. When I add it all up, that's one and a half joints for the day, which is way less than I usually smoke. Right now, as I think about my day, I'm smoking a half joint and planning to save the rest for later. If I total it up for today, it's about 2.5 joints, which is still a big cut from my old habits. I used to smoke around four joints a day, so keeping it to just over half of that shows my determination and self-control. Plus, I've noticed a positive change in my overall smoking patterns. Normally, by Sunday night, I'd be scraping the bottom of the bowl, trying to gather the last bits of my stash. But this week is different; I still have enough left to cover the whole bottom of the bowl, which clearly shows I've cut back. This is a big change since I used to go through an ounce a week, and now I'm only using about three-quarters of an ounce, and I'm not even finishing that. This gradual reduction in my smoking habits has made me feel accomplished and has also given me a sense of clarity and well-being. I'm starting to feel more in control of my choices, and it's encouraging to see that I can enjoy smoking in moderation without it taking over my life. I'm looking forward to continuing this journey and seeing how much further I can go in maintaining a healthier balance.

Day 8 - Oct 10, 2025

I just got back from a night in the mountains with a couple of my best girlfriends, and wow, what an adventure! We tackled this super intense hike that was over 5 miles long, and it really pushed us to our limits. I gotta say, the hike was tough, and I realized I’m not in the best shape. The ups and downs and rocky paths were a challenge, but the stunning views made it all worth it. The fresh mountain air was so refreshing, and we felt pretty accomplished after pushing through the tiredness. Before we headed out yesterday, I prepped for the evening by rolling some joints. I ended up making eight, thinking we might want to enjoy them while we were up there. I knew we wouldn’t need all eight, but it seemed smart to have a few extras just in case. In the end, I only smoked one and a half joints last night, and my friends enjoyed the other half. It was fun to share, and we had a good laugh reminiscing about past trips. I’d bought half an ounce of cannabis on Tuesday, and surprisingly, I still have a lot left. That’s not like me since I usually go through it faster. Lately, I’ve been thinking about my habits and considering making some changes. While I’m not planning to quit smoking entirely, I want to cut back and save it for special occasions, like my friends do. They don’t smoke often, but when they do, it’s just enough to enjoy the moment without it becoming a daily thing. Overall, I’m doing better than I thought I would. On the drive back from the mountains, which takes about 3 to 3.5 hours without traffic, I had a little realization. I didn’t even think about cannabis all day, and it wasn’t until I was stuck in traffic, lost in thought, that it crossed my mind. The only time I thought about smoking was when we were packing up to leave the cozy apartment we stayed in. It was way too early to smoke then, and I felt good about that decision. Now, it’s 6:30 PM, and I just sat down about 15 minutes ago to light up my first joint of the day. I can’t even remember the last time I waited this long; usually, I start somewhere between noon and 2 PM. This change feels big, and I’m curious to see how it’ll affect my life overall. I’m hopeful these small changes will lead to a healthier balance, letting me enjoy important moments without leaning too much on substances.

Day 13 - Oct 15, 2025

Right now, I'm chilling at the airport waiting for my flight to Charlotte, NC, and then on to Knoxville, Tenn. I thought about driving so I could bring all my "stuff," but you can't really do that on a plane. I almost went for the 8 and a half hours of straight driving instead of taking two quick 45-minute flights. Luckily, my friend I'm visiting can hook me up with what I need, otherwise, I would've definitely driven. It's that important, but I'm still managing to cut back on smoking. Like I said before, I only bought 1/2 an ounce last Wednesday, even though I usually get 3/4. I wanted to see how I'd do with just half. Yesterday, I still had enough to get me through the night and a few joints for when I get back from my trip until I hit the dispensary. It's a big deal for me to have that much left after a week, having only bought half an ounce.

Day 24 - Oct 26

Hey everyone, just wanted to share an update. I'm still only buying half an ounce a week and not even using all of it. I haven't told my husband and kids how much I've cut back because, honestly, unless you've been through something like this, you can't really understand how big of a deal it is. After smoking a lot for 5 years, I'm seriously cutting down. What my husband doesn't know is that I'm saving the difference. I'm taking out the amount I used to spend on 3/4 of an ounce, but only buying 1/2, and putting the rest aside for our trip to Europe.

Day Who knows 26 Nov

I’m still going strong with lowering it. I just went two weeks with only 3/4 an ounce.

Dec 27, 2025

I stopped keeping track of how many days it’s been, but I wanted to come on here and say that while in Europe I was able to smoke three joints while in the Netherlands. I got them in Amsterdam. In France you are forbidden to have weed so I had to smoke them while there. I had THC gummies with me. I took them way less than I expected to. They didn’t give me the high I am used to be they did help me from having too many withdrawal symptoms. Since being back (we came back on the 15th) I am still smoking about the same amount as before. I bought 3/4 an ounce last Tuesday and still working on. Still got a good amount left. Last me another few days. I definitely noticed the high has been hitting different since not smoking for so long. I don’t know if I will ever fully quit, it helps me get through things easier. It helps me focus, and it helps me write better. But I definitely do want to cut back on it. And with time I know I will. Look how much I cut back already.