Sometimes we all need to step back and ask why we’re smoking in the first place.

I know, I write a weekly column on weed—how could I quit smoking it? Isn’t that, like, against the rules or something? Well, it was only for 30 days.

This summer I really smoked it up. By the end of August, my lungs, wallet, and short-term memory were all asking for a break. So at the beginning of September (on the new moon, ’cause I’m a witch and stuff), I decided to clean out for a month. No weed, no booze. The booze was no big deal, but I’ve smoked consistently for approximately 20 years.

I’ve had a variety of reasons for smoking medicinally: motion sickness, chemo, pain control from working jobs that required standing for eight hours straight. But hey, real talk: Staying high for 20 years, surely I’ve forgotten things I would have rather remembered, or been absent at moments I wish I’d been more present for. Maybe I’m medicating more than my nausea or occasional physical pain.

I get this isn’t a popular stance, but when we medicate routinely, we’re losing touch with our bodies and our inner and outer realities. I’m not going to get all preachy on how you should be taking care of yourself, I’m just going to encourage you to have a conversation with yourself about your usage (weed, booze, cigarettes, whatevs) if you haven’t done so in a while. “My lucidity showed itself when I was able to finally sit down and write out a lecture I had been thinking about for months. I’m pretty sure it was finally able to form itself, because, well, I wasn’t high. And that felt really cool.

Then there’s the money. I calculated I saved around $250–$300 in one month. That was muuuuch more than I expected. I genuinely thought I had forgotten to pay a bill, suspicious at the amount in my bank account. From a health standpoint, my persistent cough went away after a week of not smoking and hasn’t come back. I slept more soundly, and I started remembering more of my dreams—which are pretty entertaining and odd.

Full disclosure: I didn’t straight-up quit for a solid 30 days. I smoked a couple puffs with a friend on the full moon, and that felt great, because I was very intentionally smoking with that friend for that specific purpose. And the other night my partner and I rolled a nice big joint and smoked it before getting into bed… and promptly passing out.

Will I smoke regularly again? Probably. But I’m glad I took a moment to check my intentions. Plus, with my tolerance lowered, I am once again a cheap date!

stashbox@seattleweekly.com





