Long time users - How does herb effect you?

[mnicsy999]

So I started thinking...I began using cannabis to help treat some of my depression and generally just a fountain of mental disorders I've inherited from my mothers side of the family. It's helping quite a bit, but I also must think of how it is effecting me over time. I have been using for about a year now, usually daily, sometimes I'll take a few days if I'm doing alright.

My question is, how has it effected you long time users? Mentally, physically, and emotionally. I enjoy vaping very much and wish to do so for a long time because it helps me with more than the issues above. Cognitively have you noticed any side affects as you've continued use?

Obviously this isn't the best place to ask since we all like the herb and it may be a bit biased here, but in all honesty, how do you feel about your usage?

 

[momofthegoons]

I'll bite. I've been using cannabis for 49 years. I started as a young teen recreationally; although I was probably self medicating at the time. My childhood wasn't the most pleasant.

I had a successful career as a Comptroller of a major industrial firm while using cannabis.

I used it during pregnancy for morning sickness. My kids are both fine. And by 'fine' I mean intelligent, successful and physically healthy. I can honestly say that if I hadn't had cannabis I would have been looking at 'mother's little helpers' during my kid's teen years.

I am also healthy. And it's somewhat of a miracle. I am overweight and have abused my body during my lifetime. However, I am not diabetic, I have normal blood pressure and am on no heart meds of any sort. The only thing I take is vitamins and a daily Prilosec. I attribute my extraordinary health to the usage of cannabis throughout my life; most of it on a daily basis and exercise. I use more now that I am older (and retired) due to pain issues, but my overall health is good.

I used cannabis during treatment for HepC and it was the one thing that got me through it. It helped tremendously with the nausea and overall mental health.

And after having kids, I had two other successful careers. All while using cannabis.

One thing has changed. I no longer smoke it. Smoking took it's toll on me and it became a change my method or quit situation. Quitting didn't seem like a viable option so I changed to vaping. I also use cannabis topically and orally.

 

[mnicsy999]

@momofthegoons Thats interesting to hear! I use recreational as well as for some of my own issues, but I am still weary of any health effects. My goal is to be successful in my own terms, and I don't want herb to interfere with it. I feel as if it generally helps me but I guess all of the media still scares me. I grew up with a catholic family and it's been bashed into my head that all substances are horrible for you and marginally frowned upon.

 

[momofthegoons]

I grew up with a catholic family and it's been bashed into my head that all substances are horrible for you and marginally frowned upon.

We all have to find our own balance. And educating ourselves about what we ingest is always a good idea.

There is a ton of information on this forum and on the internet that will counter most of the negative propaganda that has been fed to us about cannabis. But it really comes down to personal choice and how it affects each individual.

 

[TeeJay1952]

I don't know how you divorce the various influences in your life versus "How has weed affected you?" There is no control group to tell us what is normal. Am I a crusty old man with peculiarities more pronounced than others or a Senior Citizen of the World embarked on the rest of my adventure? I guess it depends who is telling the story.

 

[His_Highness]

Over 4 decades of use and I believe its been a help throughout my life. Started using just before turning 16. I've done every drug there is but the only constant was MJ and it still is. I didn't get my act together till I left the US Navy at 22.

At 22 I started college. Never got less than a 3.5 in any semester and got two degrees. Was on my own so that meant working full time and going to school full time. My chosen profession requires serious in-depth thought, good soft skills and eating stress by the pound. I am considered one of the best at what I do. My family is well adjusted, happy and doing well. I don't use when I work....to much complicated brain work for that.

I enjoy all types of physical activity and MJ has been a constant help in this area from running to weights and team sports.

I can be 'intense' and while that's an excellent trait to have in my profession I think MJ has always been a big help in smoothing out the rough edges.

I consider myself a recreational user but personality wise my intensity and drive can be over the top so perhaps I've been self-medicating all these years to keep it in check.

Age is starting to become a factor so maybe it's time to see how my use may or may not catch up to me.

As is customary ..... Your mileage my vary.

 

[lwien]

72 now. Started using cannabis when I was 24. Currently running 23 miles a week. Blood pressure low......typically 107 over 65. Resting heart rate low.......typically around 47. A1C ranges between 4.7 to 5.0. The only meds I'm on is treating my enlarged prostate.

Ran a company of over 350 employees while raising my twin sons as a single parent.

With all that said, I am not necessarily endorsing long term use of cannabis. It hasn't negatively affected me but that doesn't mean that it couldn't negatively affect someone else.

My suggestion is to eat healthy, stay active, use cannabis in moderation and be in touch with both your body and your mind. If you feel that it "may" be affecting you negatively, don't ignore the warning signs.

 

[Squiby]

I have consumed cannabis one way or another my entire life for various reasons.

As a child my Slavic grandmother would give me cannabis tea whenever I was ill. They grew it on their prairie farm. It had many uses, but primary the fast growing weed was used as a wind break for the wheat crops and its long roots offered protection from soil erosion. The flowers and leaves were used for medicine, as a tea or added to food. Seeds were saved year to year.

For most of my adult life, I consumed cannabis socially. Every so often I would grow some from seeds found at the bottom of the bag of a particularly good strain. It saved money and I was not at the mercy of the local supplier.

I have always been a low to moderate user. I have always felt that weed is a much better choice for me than alcohol. Weed seems to have little to no negative effect on me compared to alcohol. I don't drink alcohol anymore because I don't enjoy the intoxication effects nor the morning after effects. I can get a hangover from two alcoholic drinks. But cannabis, well it just makes me feel fantastic!

It is only in the last year that I discovered vaping and began to view cannabis once again as a medicine. Last year I was severely poisoned from a contaminated salad served at a resaurant. It almost killed me. I was hospitalized 3 times. I lost an extreme amount of weight. I was unable to care for myself for 5 months and as predicted by my doctor, it took a full year to recover. Even after recovery my energy level remained extremely low.

Cannabis to the rescue. I began vaping very small amounts of Sativa throughout the day. My energy is restored. I feel great, better than ever. I have regained a few pounds. I vape moderate amounts of an Indica strain at night and have the best sleeps ever. I wake up refreshed and happy and ready for the day. I don't feel like I have experienced any cognitive function deterioration.

I plan on consuming cannabis daily for the rest of my life. I eat a healthy organic diet, take suppliments and exercise. I feel confident that cannabis poses no threat to health when consumed responsibly and in fact may well prove out to be beneficial. Certainly there have been countless studies that elude to this.

I have been retired now for 3 years after 35 years in a successful but highly stressful career as a business executive.

I cannot imagine my life without weed. It has been with me my entire life.

 

[Stevenski]

I have used & abused cannabis for 25 years with a 2 year break (12-37). One thing I do wish was I started using cannabis later in life when I was more developed physically, spiritually & mentally. Cannabis can affect my life negatively if I abuse it & that is generally a result of boredom.

I worked for a fortune 100 company with steady career progression over a decade whilst being a daily cannabis user. I could have risen much higher had I kissed more ass & not abused cannabis as it tends to sap my motivation & I slip into cruise control but I am held in very high regard. I have accepted that I will never have burning ambition career wise anyways.

One of the things I have always struggled with is dealing with life on life's terms & seek escape. This has led me the the realization that I will always have a issue with intoxicants & cannabis is the lesser of many, many evils for me. Gambling, opiates or benzos are guaranteed ways to make my life unmanageable & I am better 100% sober but I also need to be realistic.

Even at my worst points of addiction I have been a functional member of society but there is a difference between being appearing highly functional & being anything but. Cannabis keeps the more dangerous impulses under control but I always feel better with less is more approach although that is challenging with habitual use.

I am seeking to find that elusive balance in my life but things could be so much worse it ain't funny.

 

[syrupy]

I can't tell if it has made me less motivated, or just care less about the hamster wheel of society.

 

[TeeJay1952]

@syrupy Or have you just matured? (Ya burn, Ya learn!)

 

[psychonaut]

Most all aspects of me remain the same as I always remember them. When I am not medicated I find myself more irritable, I am not sure if that's because I am dealing with pain, or it's the lack of cannabinoids. I don't seem to have the irritability when I am just taking CBD, but the pain is also less noticeable.

 

[CarolKing]

As a teenager I used cannabis a little bit recreationally. It never did much for me other than make me way too tired.

Didn't use it much until I was a young mother in my 20s. I used it at night after the kids had gone to bed, not every night. I found that it helped me to relax and decompress. I never used any illegal drugs ( other than weed) and never drank alcohol very often, never developed a taste for wine or beer. I will only drink a mixed drink if it taste really good like something fruity and sweet, where I can't taste the booze. Usually one drink I really feel it.

Used cannabis off and on in my 20s and 30s. It helped with my anxiety I found. In my early 40s I developed arthritis in my low back and feet. My doctor said to take Ibuprofen so I followed doctors orders. I needed stronger anti inflammatories as the arthritis progressed. I also was told I had a spinal stenosis. I kept taking the meds the doctor prescribed until one day I got a call. I was told to immediately go off the anti nflammatories because they figured they were causing my kidneys to not work as well. I had been taking blood tests regularly monitoring them.

I'm puzzled because I didn't realize the toll the medications were taking on my body. I just took my doctors word. After a couple weeks I take another kidney test and the test comes out within normal levels. I was relieved but knew I had no alternatives other than hot pads or ice for my inflammation. I went to acupuncture and chiropractic care, i tried to stay active walking and riding my bike.

I had continued to be a recreational cannabis user over the years. I realized that the cannabis helped with the pain and stress. It helped me to not dwell on the negatives in life. My anxiety had gotten worse dealing with the stress of being in constant pain all the time.

Here I was in my mid 50s smoking cannabis to help me with my medical issues and anxiety. I knew the smoking was taking its toll on my lungs. I had noticed a little bit of a cough in the morning I would cough up stuff from my lungs. I needed to find a better way to get my meds. The rest is history thanks to FC. I stumbled across them in my search to use cannabis in a safer, healthier way. Also FC gave me the courage to get my medical certification for cannabis.

I think you can get too dependent and addicted to anything and cannabis is included in that. Don't allow cannabis to be your main focus in life. Have a fulfilled life pursuing things that have interest to you. It can't be all about the weed. I've know folks that their lives are the same as it was in their 20s. They never grew up. Never had a career that they really loved. They kept saying they were going to do all this stuff but never made it away from the their group of stoner buddies from high school. It's good to keep the same friends there is nothing wrong with that. Their lives never evolved into adulthood that's the point.

Im trying to live the best life I can and enjoy my family and friends. I have a fulfilling life pursuing the things that I love. I have grandchildren and adore every minute with them. Life is too short, I'm already 59. How the hell did that happen?

You will have to be your judge and jury in this and be honest with yourself. Make good decisions about your health and ask questions. Don't take a person's word for stuff, even your doctor. I say everything in moderation, cannabis too.

Edit
I'm not a doctor. I mean my cannabis medical certification to use cannabis in WA state. I will have to re read that. Where we live they give us a certification to use cannabis, sorry. I can see how that could be misleading, since you don't know me. It was scarey for me to pursue getting the OK to use cannabis medicinally from a doctor. The stigma with cannabis in our society. Will someone see me buying it etc...This was also before it was legal here in WA.

 

[Maitri]

Also FC gave me the courage to get my medical certification for cannabis.

Wow, I would LOVE to hear more about how you earned your medical certification and what value/benefit it provided you.

 

[Joel W.]

3 decades and still testing. The only thing I would have done differently is vape from the start.

 

[BlackDog]

I only started my consistent relationship with Cannabis during a stressful period in my life, I think everyone calls it a mid life crisis (more like quarter life), but it did help me think about things pretty thoroughly and put my life back on the right track to where i want to be.

Although the relationship with MJ has got to come to an end soon,due to work but a 5 year break whilst obtaining a 6 figure salary, which = more money in the Future Vape Toy Fund. So it seems like a good deal to me . Might even be less, if they just legalize it completely faster & it's considered the same as alcohol among employers.

Now how does it affect me now? I'll vape right now and answer it....

*VAPED along with Nootropic supplement a few hours before hand*

Well it just feels like I activated all these senses in my body and any pains or aches in my body, feels like the good kind of pain

It just makes me concentrate on whatever fun thing I'm doing (movies,tv shows, music, gaming) and makes it even better?

When I'm not doing all that, it always makes me think a lot about life and what i can do to improve it, wants, goals and etc.. I'm not going to lie, all that reflection eventually gave me an epiphany and that's sort of how I ended up here. If you guys ever have one, it's like something that's probably been in front of you this whole time, but you were to stubborn to see it. To me it felt like to the true transition from young adult to Adult.

I don't care what people say about cannabis, It was a game changer in my life. Hopefully I can grow old together with MJ legally soon Sorry guys ramblings of a vaped individual

 

[insideoutman]

I only started my consistent relationship with Cannabis during a stressful period in my life, I think everyone calls it a mid life crisis (more like quarter life), but it did help me think about things pretty thoroughly and put my life back on the right track to where i want to be.

Although the relationship with MJ has got to come to an end soon,due to work but a 5 year break whilst obtaining a 6 figure salary, which = more money in the Future Vape Toy Fund. So it seems like a good deal to me . Might even be less, if they just legalize it completely faster & it's considered the same as alcohol among employers.

Now how does it affect me now? I'll vape right now and answer it....

*VAPED along with Nootropic supplement a few hours before hand*

Well it just feels like I activated all these senses in my body and any pains or aches in my body, feels like the good kind of pain

It just makes me concentrate on whatever fun thing I'm doing (movies,tv shows, music, gaming) and makes it even better?

When I'm not doing all that, it always makes me think a lot about life and what i can do to improve it, wants, goals and etc.. I'm not going to lie, all that reflection eventually gave me an epiphany and that's sort of how I ended up here. If you guys ever have one, it's like something that's probably been in front of you this whole time, but you were to stubborn to see it. To me it felt like to the true transition from young adult to Adult.

I don't care what people say about cannabis, It was a game changer in my life. Hopefully I can grow old together with MJ legally soon Sorry guys ramblings of a vaped individual

how did you know what I was gonna type?

congrats sailor!

OP, I try to change up my routine or plan a trip when I get in a funk like the one I think you're describing, trying to gain a new perspective on the whole thing...

 

[BlackDog]

how did you know what I was gonna type?

I just saved you a whole lot of typing haha

congrats sailor!

Yeah you got the right idea, it was close enough .

Cognitively have you noticed any side affects as you've continued use?

I totally forgot to answer this, but I think the answers you're going to get with this are going to vary, since people can be long time users but how much use per day is going to vary. Me personally, I haven't noticed any reduction in my cognitive ability. But in saying that I moderate myself and have set times for when I vape now, before I used to vape whenever I felt like it or was "bored", but doing it like that will just let it consume your life. Cannabis is just like alcohol abuse it and it will consume your life.

I've had friends that have embraced Cannabis too much, they just seem out of it half the time when i meet them, they also complain about the short term memory loss and high levels of social anxiety. It consumed me for a few months and that social anxiety is pretty real, even when completely sober, I remember walking into the Apple Store to buy an iPad and they had to get someone to get it from the back, so I was left there having to make awkward conversation with the person serving me, I was sweating in my jacket. But now that has gone away, now I'm just back to my cool and calm collected self, my heart used to race If i was left to talk to some stranger, I'm so glad that doesn't affect me anymore.
I personally take a nootropic/Cognitive enhcancers blend supplement as my pre-workout, it's all legal over the counter ingredients in the one I use. It makes me feel 100% when I'm down or anxiety kicks in.

This is what works for me personally, how well it works for you could vary.

 

[lwien]

Cognitively have you noticed any side affects as you've continued use?

I totally forgot to answer this.....

 

[turk]

...there are many interesting folks on this site ...with many interesting stories to tell..
I'm 64 now.....been using weed since 1967-68...always had good grades...attending ivy league school in 1970 (Cornell University)...on the first day, after my parents left, walking the halls of freshman dorm I met the first guy I saw whose parents weren't there and asked him if he smoked...he did and off we went looking for some...that guy would be my inspiration (4 years later, when we graduated) to move to s.f....
..back then it was "lids"...you could get one for $12-$15 bucks...smoked everyday..graduated from cornell and moved out here inspired by my best friend..
...worked for 32 years as civil servant....was elected international vice president of a public employee labor union... and recently (5/16) retired....fathered to sons (both of which smoke...only one listens me about vaping)..this plant was always with me...never though I would live...to see the changes in the weed model....

 

[archangelz001]

I'm almost 69. First started smoking pot while a senior in highschool growing up in Palo Alto. The 60's were a time of great social turmoil and I used pot almost daily for about 7 years. I got married in 1970 and in 1972 I learned TM and my cannabis use greatly diminished. I got a degree in Psych and then went to nursing school graduating in 1977. I used cannabis occasionally at parties over the next 10-15 years and then stopped using completely until early 2014 when I got prostate cancer, had surgery, didn't get all the cancer and had to have 8 weeks of Radiation treatments along with hormone therapy to stifle testosterone production. I retired near the end of Rad tx having found that vaping cannabis was an excellent way to deal with depression, lack of energy, and radiation-induced GI problems. A puff or two from the vape and everything was right with the world and my appetite improved! My PSA was undetectable for a year or so and then began a slow increase (remember, I have no prostate anymore so a detectable PSA level indicates the presence of prostate cancer cells in my body.) I admit that I like and need the effects of THC from Sativa strains - euphoria, focused cerebral stimulation, and general well-being, and the effects of Indica strains in relaxing my brain and allowing deep and restful sleep ( I have been a life-long intermittent insomniac.)

 

[kalijennifer]

So I started thinking...I began using cannabis to help treat some of my depression and generally just a fountain of mental disorders I've inherited from my mothers side of the family. It's helping quite a bit, but I also must think of how it is effecting me over time. I have been using for about a year now, usually daily, sometimes I'll take a few days if I'm doing alright.

My question is, how has it effected you long time users? Mentally, physically, and emotionally. I enjoy vaping very much and wish to do so for a long time because it helps me with more than the issues above. Cognitively have you noticed any side affects as you've continued use?

Obviously this isn't the best place to ask since we all like the herb and it may be a bit biased here, but in all honesty, how do you feel about your usage?

nice info

 

[TboneToker]

I'll bite. I've been using cannabis for 49 years. I started as a young teen recreationally; although I was probably self medicating at the time. My childhood wasn't the most pleasant.

I had a successful career as a Comptroller of a major industrial firm while using cannabis.

I used it during pregnancy for morning sickness. My kids are both fine. And by 'fine' I mean intelligent, successful and physically healthy. I can honestly say that if I hadn't had cannabis I would have been looking at 'mother's little helpers' during my kid's teen years.

I am also healthy. And it's somewhat of a miracle. I am overweight and have abused my body during my lifetime. However, I am not diabetic, I have normal blood pressure and am on no heart meds of any sort. The only thing I take is vitamins and a daily Prilosec. I attribute my extraordinary health to the usage of cannabis throughout my life; most of it on a daily basis and exercise. I use more now that I am older (and retired) due to pain issues, but my overall health is good.

I used cannabis during treatment for HepC and it was the one thing that got me through it. It helped tremendously with the nausea and overall mental health.

And after having kids, I had two other successful careers. All while using cannabis.

One thing has changed. I no longer smoke it. Smoking took it's toll on me and it became a change my method or quit situation. Quitting didn't seem like a viable option so I changed to vaping. I also use cannabis topically and orally.

Wow thanks for this story, very nice I feel for you




I haven't been using long enough but I feel like I'm on a similar path to yours. thanks again

 

[Krazy]

As others have mentioned, you can overdo pretty much anything. So don't.

If you vape or eat your meds 95% of the anti cannabis propaganda is off the table, just like that.