Considering taking a break from weed? Whether it’s because you’re looking for a new job, for financial reasons, or just simply want to cut back on your smoking, taking a break from cannabis every once in a while can be a good idea for a number of different reasons. One of the most common reasons for enthusiasts to take a break is to lower their cannabis tolerance.
Studies have demonstrated that marijuana tolerance is caused by a reduction in the number of cannabinoid receptors in the brain. Mainly, the amount of CB1 receptors become limited for folks that smoke weed or use related products on a regular basis. With this reduction in CB1 receptors, the THC has trouble being picked up and you end up not getting high. The good news is that those CB1 receptors begin to come back after only a couple of days of abstaining from weed and continue to do so for three to four more weeks.
Unfortunately, if you are a regular user taking a tolerance break may not be a simple as just stopping cold turkey and going about your day as usual. Even though marijuana is not physically addictive like alcohol or opioids, cutting back on it after using it regularly for extended periods can still result in some unpleasant side effects. However with the proper preparations your tolerance break doesn’t have to be a horrible experience.
In order to make your weed break as tolerable as possible, you’ll want to first create a plan and stick to it. A few questions that you’ll want to keep in mind while planning your break include:
“Why am I taking a break?”
“How long do I want this break to last?”
“What am I going to do at times when I would normally be getting high?”
Answering these few basic questions should give you a better idea how to prepare for your upcoming vacation from weed.
Once you’ve thought through your plan, you’ll want to pick a start and end date for your break and stick to it as best as possible. Having a set time period for your break will help you maintain discipline though it may still take some willpower to stick to your plan if you are accustomed to using weed very regularly. Usually the first few days are the worst but if you can get past them, you are well on your way to a successful tolerance break.
While many folks who do want to take a break may be inclined to get rid of all of their weed to avoid temptation, we would suggest keeping your stash but begin tapering off your usage. Perhaps by starting off with two to three bowls a day for the first few days, then cutting back to one bowl a day, then one bowl every other day, etc. While this method does involve some willpower to stay on track, it won’t be as much of a shock as if you suddenly stopped using weed altogether. Another key factor to a successful tolerance break is support from your friends. You’ll want to let your buddies know that you are going to be off the pot for a while to avoid any incidental peer pressure to smoke. They can also be a huge help to keep you from “relapsing” and cutting your break short.
Lastly, you will want to stay as busy as possible during your break. Few things can lead one to start looking for some pot like boredom. Pick up a new hobby or start back on an old one, go out with friends or alone to people watch, or do pretty anything else you’d like because as long as you stay occupied you won’t be as tempted to start smoking again.
