Good topic and really encouraging.
I'm late 30s and started smoking in my early teens - would mix tobacco but I wasn't a cigarette smoker. It got to a point where it didn't matter how much I smoked etc. Just seems to be a part of my life but I needed to quit tobacco. Wasn't that in to bongs, tried a few cheap vapes from amazon but not much success. Back then I was torn because I liked to get high but I guess thinking back it was just combustion, and the taste too.
So years go by and one day I get an ear infection and could hardly make it to the bathroom without losing balance. Back then I had to smoke in the garage so pretty much read all of the reviews and forums (100's of pages on here) and decided on a mighty. I was going through maybe 2 Oz a month smoking (with tobacco maybe 80w/20t max).
Loved the mighty on first hit. This is what I had been waiting for. I got down to 1/2 oz a month. Bought an extreme q and a few cheap glass connectors to to my own shorter bowls and got down to 0.03g a dose - usually a baloon but loved how tasty vaping herbs is. I experimented with other herbs too, something I'd greatly encourage you to research.
Now years later I work in the industry and vape all day everyday. I still get effects but my tolerance has definitely been affected. Edibles never really touched me, or not the way I expect - I feel my bar was set 'wrong'/unexpectedly high as my first edible was really trippy and the only other time I've achieved this is by my own creations.
Mighty I can vape 10+ dosing capsules BUT I can also vape one per day. I've had a few days off but not a massive T break. I have a moderate collection and love to change it up keep all vapes in rotation and sort of healthy battery life. That original mighty still wortks but the case went a while ago.
I'm using the BZero at the moment - I love bongs now
I love bubblers too, also look at warm water and sparkling water in bongs/bubblers. I love adapting things and even started making my own vapes and dynavap stems.
I think im using between 0.2 and 0.4 with the BZero. The onset is quite rapid for me and can last over an hour depending on strain/quality. I can get a few nice hits and give it a stir and get a few more if I like. The AVB isn't as dark as the mighty or volcano/hybrid but I feel like I can't get much more out of it withouth turning the vape up and then waiting for it to cool back down - My enail controller (pid?) is at 590
I dab too, and also enjoy hash a lot more than I used to when combusting- mix in with flower or on volcano is interesting. Still haven't really been keeping an eye on consumption but I'm more active and feel more healthy than I did when I used tobacco. I feel like some handy chart/diary/app could come in useful.
I find CBD to be quite interesting but haven't had much chance to experiment with other cannabinoids yet.
I think all in all things may come down to intention- I do feel like weed can be psychedelic. It can heal and do many things. It can also be abused or that it is addictive but then so is scrolling on an app for hours on end.
I know I was addicted to nicotine back when I smoked but it can also be a mindset - I just made music in my garage, played in bands and had full time jobs. It went hand in hand with music and then a nice way to wind down and relax. My drinking days were pretty much over before I started smoking MJ. I was allowed to drink from a young age (and sometimes encouraged) but DRUGS WERE THE DEVIL
Habits, rituals. Recreation, medicine. Life - I hope this finds you happy and healthy.