Cannabis 101 Tips for Taking a Successful Cannabis Tolerance Break Dante Jordan July 21, 2017 Share Twitter Facebook Share Print

So you’ve been smoking for a while and you think it’s time for a little break? No worries, we’ve all been there. Maybe you feel like you haven’t been getting as high as you used to, and you miss that lifted sensation. Or perhaps you just feel like your brain’s been living in the clouds for the past few months (or years) and it’s time to switch up your daily routine. Regardless of your reasoning, tolerance breaks can prove to be beneficial to each and every one of us. But that doesn’t mean they’re easy, so it’s best to be fully prepared for the experience.

Below are five crucial steps to take before Day Damn One, Vivian. (That’s a Fresh Prince reference, by the way.)

Acknowledge the Difficulty of the Task at Hand

We’ve all played the “I can quit whenever I want” card, but the truth is, anything you do every day will cause some sort of withdrawal when you discard it cold turkey. That extends to drinking, smoking, eating, the route you take to work, even the people you talk to. Your brain/body will crave it, and after a couple days, the no-THC life may have you feeling like “Okay…what if I just smoked like..a bowl. Not even a whole bowl, just a couple hits off the top right corner.”

You won’t feel any physical pain, but I’ll be damned if you don’t begin to think of it any time your mind wanders. After about two weeks, the feeling subsides, but those first 14 days can be a bit tough.

Get Rid of All Your Cannabis

Whether you smoke it all or disperse it amongst your tribe of smoke buds, get rid of all of your cannabis. You might be thinking you’ll just save a little bit for when you plan on smoking again, but a tolerance break requires the full Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind approach. Keeping even just enough to hit the one-hitter a couple times will have you doomed before starting. Once that feeling of withdrawal kicks in, you’ll head right over to your hidden supply and indulge. But as soon as you come down, that feeling of guilt will set in, and ooooh baby, you do not want to feel that at the end of a high.

Tell Your Friends That You’re Taking a Break

You have to tell your friends that you’re taking a break so they know not to tempt you with goodies. After two weeks, it’s a lot easier to not smoke when alone, but kicking it with the homies is when you’ll really be tested. It can be rough when you’re pregaming with drinks and conversation before a night out, and then someone whips out a joint and asks, “Anyone want to smoke before we leave?” and everyone except you can oblige. Telling your friends curbs the peer pressure to participate, which will prove to be a vital part of this journey.

Find a New Hobby

Without smoking, you’ll have a lot of free time on your hands. Find something productive to do with it. My suggestion is something creative or active. Write a screenplay. Learn Photoshop. Start a running program. Do something that your future self will thank you for. Something that you can look back on once you begin smoking again and say, “Well, at least I didn’t waste that time.”

Stay Focused; Don’t Break

Pick a date and stick to it. You’ll find that the discipline it takes to not smoke will carry over to all areas of your life. There’s going to be times where you’re tempted to break, but make a promise to yourself that you won’t smoke. On the bright side, once you finally light up again, you’re going to be smaaaacked. Good luck, my friends.

Lead image: (Juanmonino/iStock)

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Dante Jordan Dante Jordan is a former Leafly Associate Subject Matter Expert and current freelance cannabis writer living in Seattle, WA. He specializes in content about cannabis strains, culture, and education. Reach him at dantenetworks@gmail.com or on Instagram: @dante_jordan. View Dante Jordan's articles