4 years since my last overdose and 4 years since my last drink as well.

Looking for some advice or encouragement. I haven’t drank in 7 years. Early in sobriety I went to a lot meetings but I never really found the right group so I stopped going but still kept with my sobriety. Because I stopped I never did any work. Now I feel like I exercise alcoholicly I, I work alcoholicly I have weird relationships with food. I feel restless all the time. My anxiety and depression are ramping up. I feel like I traded booze for lifting but never got to the root of my issues. Is it weird if I go back into the rooms and do the work this time. Will that help you tbink with these issues

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Okay so everyone's either smoking weed or thinking about it in 2026. It's legal in like half the states now, your coworkers talk about their edibles like it's a personality trait, and somehow we've all collectively decided it's basically harmless? I've been going down this rabbit hole for months, reading research papers, listening to neuroscientists, watching way too many lectures at 2am because I genuinely wanted to understand what's actually happening when people use cannabis regularly. The weird thing is most people who smoke have zero clue about the actual biological mechanisms at play. They just know it makes them feel good or relaxed or creative or whatever. And look, I'm not here to be the fun police, but after studying how this stuff actually works in your brain and body, some of the findings are genuinely concerning. Especially if you started young or use it frequently. Here's what I learned from actual experts and research, not from Reddit threads or your cousin who "functions fine" while high 24/7.

Cannabis hijacks your endocannabinoid system in ways you probably don't realize. Your brain naturally produces compounds similar to THC, they're called endocannabinoids, and they regulate everything from mood to memory to pain perception. When you introduce external cannabinoids (aka smoking or eating weed), you're flooding this system with way more activation than it's designed to handle. Dr. Andrew Huberman explains in his podcast that THC binds to CB1 receptors throughout your brain, but here's the kicker, it does so in a really imprecise way compared to your natural endocannabinoids. It's like using a sledgehammer when your body normally uses a tiny precision tool. The effects on memory are real and they're not subtle. THC specifically disrupts the hippocampus, which is your brain's memory formation center. This isn't just forgetting where you put your keys, we're talking about impaired ability to form new memories while you're high and potentially lasting effects on memory encoding if you're a chronic user. The research shows that people who use cannabis regularly, especially those who started as teenagers, show measurable differences in hippocampal volume and function. Your brain is literally changing structure.

The anxiety paradox is wild and nobody talks about it honestly. Low doses of THC can reduce anxiety for some people, but moderate to high doses actually increase anxiety and can trigger full blown panic attacks. This is because of how THC affects the amygdala, your brain's threat detection center. At low doses it dampens the amygdala response, at higher doses it amplifies it. And here's what really sucks, if you use weed regularly to manage anxiety, you're likely building tolerance, needing more to get the same relief, which pushes you into doses that are actually anxiety inducing. It's a feedback loop that many people get trapped in without realizing. The motivation and dopamine connection is probably the most misunderstood part. Cannabis use, especially chronic use, affects your brain's dopamine system. Not in the same dramatic way as stimulants, but in a more insidious manner. It blunts dopamine release in response to natural rewards. That's why heavy users often report feeling less motivated, less excited about things they used to enjoy, more apathetic. The technical term is amotivational syndrome and while not everyone experiences it, it's common enough that it should concern anyone using regularly. Your brain literally recalibrates what feels rewarding.

Huberman's podcast episode on cannabis is genuinely one of the best evidence based breakdowns I've found. He doesn't moralize, he just presents the neuroscience. He covers how cannabis affects neuroplasticity (your brain's ability to change and adapt), how it impacts hormones like testosterone and cortisol, the differences between THC and CBD, and why age of first use matters so much. The episode is like 2 hours but it's insanely detailed. He cites actual studies, explains mechanisms, and doesn't just recycle the same tired talking points you hear everywhere.

Even posts here on this sub have talked about this.

Viral Study shows Cannabis benefits older adults' cognition? Not if you don't control for wealth or health + more.:

Sampled population based on odd correlations meant the tested population were more educated, wealthier, and healthier than the average person in this country, massively skewing results, with other papers criticizing this.

MRI studies:

https://preview.redd.it/3u1lqe7bebwg1.jpg?width=1346&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6f57b24222421a53b1219e2b70a0b69800eb3a47

Other studies:

https://preview.redd.it/c5q6f9fiebwg1.jpg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0318f05d8f544847934f3576f089b59653a3572e

If you want a deeper dive into the endocannabinoid system itself, "The Body Keeps the Score" by Bessel van der Kolk touches on how this system relates to trauma and stress regulation. Van der Kolk is a psychiatrist who's spent decades researching trauma, he's basically the authority on how traumatic stress affects the body and brain. The book won't tell you whether to smoke or not, but it'll help you understand why your brain has these receptor systems in the first place and what they're meant to do naturally. Understanding the baseline makes the disruption make more sense.

For tracking how cannabis actually affects YOUR specific brain and behavior, there are many health tracking apps out there, like Daylio, Guava, Symple, etc etc etc. It's very hard for a lot of people to be objective on what and how things affect them, especially over a historic timeline. If people were good at realizing what was exactly affecting them and why, people would be ever so more perfect.

Not to mention the rising THC % rates, which actually means a lot of studies done on cohorts (observational) that look at historic health data, will not account for the new weed people are growing up and living with.

I doubt most older adults realize how much different weed is from when they were young, to now. We know higher levels of THC leads to more negative mental health outcomes, logically.

The Problem with the Current High Potency THC Marijuana from the Perspective of an Addiction Psychiatrist

Look, the research isn't saying cannabis is evil or that nobody should use it. But it IS saying that it's a powerful psychoactive compound that significantly alters brain function, and pretending otherwise because it's natural or plant based or less harmful than alcohol is just denial. Your brain doesn't care about your political opinions on legalization. It only cares about neurochemistry. And the neurochemistry is pretty clear, frequent cannabis use, especially in young people whose brains are still developing, or in the context of poly drug abuse, and in generally for most, but not all people, has measurable negative effects on memory, motivation, anxiety regulation, and cognitive function.

If you're gonna use it, at least understand what you're doing to your neurobiology. The whole "it's just a plant bro" thing completely ignores that hemlock is also just a plant and it'll kill you. Natural doesn't mean harmless. And being legal doesn't mean it's without significant risks. Your brain deserves better than surface level justifications.

You'll never know how much better you'd be without it, no one will.

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Bonus

Why Big Tobacco, Big Alcohol, and Big Pharma are all in on weed

A common trope among weed advocates is that efforts to keep the drug illegal and in Schedule I are bankrolled by the “Bigs”: Big Tobacco, Big Pharma, and Big Alcohol. These addiction industries have all allegedly thrown their lot in with anti-marijuana zealots for some reason, usually expressed in dark and conspiratorial terms.  

That’s a “big” nope! Let’s take a closer look: 

Big Tobacco 

• June 3, 2014 – Big Tobacco Planned Big Marijuana Sales in the 1970s – Internal documents reveal that as far back as the 1970s, tobacco giants like British American Tobacco and Philip Morris were quietly researching—and even planning potential “pot” products—for a future where marijuana might be legalized, despite publicly opposing its use. 
• February 9, 2021 – How Tobacco Giant Altria Is Becoming A Cannabis Company – Altria has begun lobbying at both the federal and state levels—most notably in Virginia—to shape marijuana legalization under what it describes as a “transparent, responsible, and equitable regulatory framework” (uh-huh) while simultaneously reinforcing its position in the marijuana market through investments like its stake in Cronos Group. 
• July 24, 2023 – Big Tobacco Bets Big On Cannabis – Philip Morris International is planning to acquire Israeli company Syqe Medical for up to $650 million, contingent on FDA approval of Syqe’s metered-dose, pharmaceutical-grade medical marijuana inhaler. This move—coupled with surging vape product sales—signals Big Tobacco’s growing confidence in marijuana markets and may foreshadow federal rescheduling of marijuana. 
• May 20, 2025 – Beyond Nicotine: The Industry’s Long Road to Transformation – Leading tobacco companies are investing billions in R&D on novel nicotine delivery systems, and leveraging that expertise to diversify into adjacent sectors such as pharmaceuticals, marijuana, and wellness—frequently acquiring stakes in inhalation, oral delivery systems, and CBD product providers

 

Big Pharma 

• December 20, 2021 – Pfizer Bets On Medical Cannabis With $6.7 Billion Acquisition – Pfizer entered the medical marijuana field by announcing a definitive agreement to acquire Arena Pharmaceuticals—developer of the cannabinoid-based therapeutic candidate Olorinab—for approximately $6.7 billion in an all-cash deal, marking a strategic expansion into cannabinoid-driven treatments 
• September 21, 2023 – Big Pharma Eyes Cannabis – The Next Frontier in High-Growth Investment – Pharmaceutical giants, armed with approximately $700 billion in capital, are increasingly viewing marijuana as a high-growth opportunity. 
• November 15, 2023 – The evolving landscape of medicinal cannabis and its synergy with pharmaceutical giants – Big pharmaceutical companies are increasingly investing in the legal marijuana sector—highlighted by Jazz Pharmaceuticals’ £5 billion acquisition of GW Pharmaceuticals and Pfizer’s stake in Arena Pharmaceuticals.

 

Big Alcohol 

• August 22, 2022 – Three Reasons Why Big Alcohol Eyes Big Marijuana As Opportunity – Big Alcohol doesn’t view the rise of the marijuana industry as a threat, but rather as a promising avenue to expand its reach and boost profits—driven by projections of marijuana market growth, the trend of consumers pairing alcohol and marijuana, and the ability to premiumize marijuana-infused products alongside traditional lifestyle offerings 
• July 23, 2025 – Big Alcohol prepares to fight back as buzzy cannabis drinks steal sales – Major alcohol companies—including Constellation Brands, the brewer behind Corona—are quietly evaluating entry into the hemp-derived THC beverage market. Despite earlier setbacks in marijuana investments, Constellation is conducting internal research into hemp-based marijuana drinks as a potential growth lever amid declining alcohol sales.

 

Sure, these industries may have seen marijuana as a competitor at one point. Now? They’re all in—and all in on “movements” aiming to legalize, commercialize, and normalize marijuana and thereby boost their bottom line. 

“Addiction-for-profit” is right.   

Dr. Daniel Amen on the Tucker Carlson show

>
They talk about some really interesting stuff besides weed in this interview. Check it out
Societal Lies About Drugs and Brain Health

>DR. DANIEL AMEN: And it’s more complicated than just marijuana, but marijuana is clearly part of it, and part of it are the societal lies that I’ve seen from the 80s. So I started my psychiatric residency in 1982 and I trained at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C.

>And 1987, video games started to come out. And they’re like, oh, these are so exciting. With no neuroscience study on what do video games do to development. And it’s not good. There’s not been great studies that say, oh yeah, these are really great for brain development.

>And then in the early 90s, alcohol is health food. Right. My first clinic is in Northern California. I have 11 clinics. And it was right outside the Napa Valley. And the Napa Valley produces a lot of wine in the United States. Was so excited. You should have a glass or two every night. And that’s good for your heart. No, it’s bad for your brain.

>TUCKER CARLSON: And now a glass or two of wine is bad for your brain?

>DR. DANIEL AMEN: The American Cancer Society came out four years ago against any alcohol, because any alcohol is associated with an increased risk of eight different cancers. And then we did a prize fight between marijuana and alcohol, and it went 12 rounds. Alcohol causes a lot of devastation, perhaps more than marijuana.

>But the idea in society is alcohol is a health food. It’s a lie. And then “pain is the fifth vital sign.” You need opiates if you’re in pain. Well, that sort of didn’t turn out well. Or benzos or “mommy’s little helper.” And that didn’t turn out well.

>TUCKER CARLSON: So these are all trends just in the 43 years since you’ve been practicing psychiatry. These are all trends that you lived through.

>DR. DANIEL AMEN: Little lies that I see, not little, huge societal lies.

>The Rise of Brain Damage in Young People

>TUCKER CARLSON: Have you noticed, since you do treat children as well, an increase in damaged brains that you can attribute to marijuana use?

>DR. DANIEL AMEN: Absolutely. An increase from when we started.

>TUCKER CARLSON: So that seems like a public health concern.

>DR. DANIEL AMEN: It’s totally a public health concern. We should be completely freaked out and people are like “marijuana is innocuous, marijuana is innocuous.” And it’s like, why are you saying that?

>TUCKER CARLSON: Because they’re getting rich from it, probably.

>DR. DANIEL AMEN: Well, the marijuana industry, which hates me, spends $3 billion a year on marketing.

>TUCKER CARLSON: So how are they different from the Sacklers at Purdue Pharma, then? Lying to people about the health effects of the drug they’re profiting from? I mean, it seems like the same.

>DR. DANIEL AMEN: It’s a weapon of mass destruction.

>TUCKER CARLSON: Marijuana. Marijuana. And the weed industry hates you, of course. Have they attacked you?

>DR. DANIEL AMEN: All the time.

>TUCKER CARLSON: Really? What do they say?

>DR. DANIEL AMEN: If I post something on one of my social media sites, they’ll call me a charlatan and hysterical and that I should get high. They should take my medical license and all sorts of things.

>TUCKER CARLSON: Take your medical license?

>DR. DANIEL AMEN: Yeah, because they’ll do anything to try to shut me up. But it’s like, how do you not talk about the truth? And it’s like, well, how do you know? It’s like, well, I look at the brain, and if your brain is not right, well, you’re not right.

>TUCKER CARLSON: Yeah, I just didn’t know until we had breakfast a minute ago that that kind of damage was so, or any kind of damage to the brain was more subtle damage, not, you know, head injury damage, but damage from drugs, for example, was detectable on a brain scan.

>Understanding the Cerebellum and Brain Function

>DR. DANIEL AMEN: Yeah. So interesting. So SPECT, the study we do, gives you this really beautiful 3D look at activity. And a healthy scan shows full, even symmetrical activity, with most of the activity being in the cerebellum.

>the cerebellum is the back, bottom part of the brain. Cerebellum is Latin for “little brain.” It’s 10% of the brain’s volume, but has 50% of the brain’s neurons. And alcohol is directly toxic to the cerebellum. Well, so is marijuana. And that’s why you shouldn’t drive when you’re high.

>TUCKER CARLSON: And so what happens in the cerebellum?

>DR. DANIEL AMEN: So many interesting things. It’s sort of the Rodney Dangerfield part of the brain. It gets no respect.

>TUCKER CARLSON: This would be the lower brain we refer to, not the higher brain

>DR. DANIEL AMEN: Well, it’s so important because it’s connected to the rest of the brain. And it used to be thought that the cerebellum was involved in coordination, physical coordination. Well, now we know it’s also involved in thought coordination, how quickly you can integrate new information. And marijuana slows the function of the cerebellum. So your thoughts become slower and you’re less coordinated, which is why you shouldn’t drive if you’re high.

>TUCKER CARLSON: Interesting. I mean, that was all kind of known when I started smoking marijuana right around 1982 or 81. And it was like the classic profile of the stoner. “Hey, man,” you know, slow, you know, molasses pace, cadence to the language, droopy eyes, eating lots of snack food, kind of not doing anything.

>People sort of knew even then when weed was way less potent than it is now that it slowed you way down. But that’s because it slows your brain down.

>The Effects of Cannabis on the Brain

>DR. DANIEL AMEN: Because it slows your brain down, it certainly alters your brain. It works on CB1 receptors. So there are cannabis receptors in your brain, endocannabinoid receptors. And it activates dopamine, which means you feel high.

>TUCKER CARLSON: Yep.

>DR. DANIEL AMEN: You feel rewarded, want to do it again for sure. And in vulnerable people, it actually disrupts dopamine, so it doesn’t work consistently effectively. And if it disrupts it, if it goes too high, then for vulnerable people, you can become psychotic. You can begin to lose touch with what’s real and what’s not real.

>if you think of psychosis, that’s the definition of psychosis. You begin to have trouble differentiating what’s real and what’s not. You might have delusions, hallucinations, and it triggers psychosis that in some people will turn into schizophrenia, which is arguably the worst psychiatric illness, arguably the worst illness there is, period.

>TUCKER CARLSON: I can’t think of anything worse than that.

>DR. DANIEL AMEN: No, it’s awful. And so why would you use something if you didn’t know your genetic risk that could flip you into not knowing what’s real or not?

>TUCKER CARLSON: Because you had no idea it was risky.

For the nerds:

Long-term Cannabis Users Show Lower Cognitive Reserves and Smaller Hippocampal Volume in Midlife

Abnormal developmental of hippocampal subfields and amygdalar subnuclei volumes in young adults with heavy cannabis use: A three-year longitudinal study

Chronic Cannabis Use Alters dACC-striatal Glutamatergic Balance

Brain Function Outcomes of Recent and Lifetime Cannabis Use

Mechanism of Cannabinoid Effects on Long-Term Potentiation and Depression in Hippocampal CA1 Neurons

alterations in PFC KYNA signaling might be involved in the cognitive dysfunction induced by the exposure to THC during the adolescence.

Relationship of Cannabinoid CB1 Receptor and Cholecystokinin Immunoreactivity in Monkey Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex

Decreased dopamine brain reactivity in marijuana abusers is associated with negative emotionality and addiction severity

Persistent cannabis users show neuropsychological decline from childhood to midlife (Famous Dunedin cohort)

Cardiovascular risk associated with the use of cannabis and cannabinoids: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Association of High-Potency Cannabis Use With Mental Health and Substance Use in Adolescence

Reversible and regionally selective downregulation of brain cannabinoid CB1 receptors in chronic daily cannabis smokers

Intelligence quotient decline following frequent or dependent cannabis use in youth: a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies

Epigenetic effects of cannabis: A systematic scoping review of behavioral and emotional symptoms associated with cannabis use and exocannabinoid exposure :

(How it changes genes) reduced methylation at Cg05575921, DNMT1, DRD2, COMT, DLGAP2, Arg1, STAT3, MGMT, and PENK, while hypermethylation was found at DNMT3a/b, NCAM1, and AKT1.

Systematic review of structural and functional neuroimaging studies of cannabis use in adolescence and emerging adulthood: evidence from 90 studies and 9441 participants

Reelin deficiency contributes to long-term behavioral abnormalities induced by chronic adolescent exposure to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol in mice

Cognitive Effects of Cannabis Use: A Comprehensive Review Across Domains

Old post on this sub about weed. Pretty interesting

Weed Will Unironically Ruin America (r/unpopular opinion post)

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>My second big problem with weed is the way people obsess over it and are defensive about it. When you look at the mood, relationship, and emotional centers of the brain which THC affects, then it's clear why weed makes people emotionally defensive when it comes to the topic. Also, weed's artificial mood enhancing effects might make weed's negative consequences "seem" like not a big deal. It makes people desperate to defend weed, promote it, and so forth. There are two problems with this.

>First, weed will spread. All it takes is peer pressure, a sense that you won't die if you try it, and the willingness to take a few puffs and - boom - the THC gets into your brain. Unless you're exceptionally well balanced and rational, THC will always leave you with the impression that weed is just wonderful and great and nothing at all could be wrong with it. Specifically, this is the area of the brain it targets!! So even if there are proven negative consequences to cannabis consumption, so long as there's no social stigma of using it, its use will spread.

>Oregon, 40% of college students are using daily!!! According to an OSU study. This is the highest ever. Of course, 80%, at least, are using at parties or trying once. I predict that with widespread normalization, cannabis consumption in America will reach levels of 60-80% within 15 years (once a week or more). I don't say that as an anti-weed alarmist. I'm just rationally judging the situation, and the way weed wins its own converts - so long as you make the choice of allowing THC into your system.

>second problem with weed's "cult" is that harmful effects will be ignored, even as they're discovered. Even medical professionals who use weed will - despite being professionally unbiased in every other area - desperately try to prove that weed is great, being convinced in their "heart and soul" that it is (because that's the effect of THC). Journalists too, politicians, etc - people otherwise professional will lose reason when it comes to the topic of weed. Marijuana is like pod people shit for real.

>the end, with 60-80% being regular users, and society lacking any strong feedback to make note of and react to negative consequences, then America will be exposed to all the full spectrum of harmful effects from weed.

>Notice how I haven't yet mentioned how super heavy cannabis use totally causes demotivation and so forth. Or how if teens use cannabis it messes up their brain development. No, I'm not even worried about that - because those are things even pot advocates might admit to.

>I'm worried about how cannabis will cause widespread emotional dysfunction. If you lose your job, will you lose your shit? Will you just vote for Bernie and free shit? Fine, but what if half the country is doing that? We have enough economic and social problems as it is.

>250,000 people are in rehab for marijuana today. What happens when it's 5 million? The majority of emergency room visits for drugs are people losing their shit on cannabis. Many recent school shooters, including Columbine, but also the Boston Bomber were on "lows" and lost their shit super paranoid and stressed out inbetween highs. Might not be weeds fault - but given the science it absolutely could be we just don't know enough yet - but use is spreading regardless.

>Even if 70% of the users of weed are fine, we can't have 20 million fucked in the mind Americans only because they were told that cannabis was harmless and benevolent.

>I'm not for prohibition or criminalization. I'm only advocating that we calm the fuck down and stop acting like marijuana is totally fine. I think at best we need to say that it's a substance that carries substantial risks for a not insignificant minority of potential users, might carry risks for everyone who uses it in the long run, and needs to be treated with extreme caution - more so than alcohol and tobacco - less so than opiates and hard drugs

>Regardless, I'm not really advocating for anything. I'm convinced will get to 60% of American adults regularly using by 2035, minimum. And I'm convinced it's going to be the most massive public mental health crisis since we began measuring. I've just accepted that. Not trying to judge anyone, just my objective opinion of where things are going.

>Posted here since there's nowhere else to have this opinion on reddit. And, just maybe, there might at least be room for admitting a little more caution with cannabis. You can still try it, but maybe we can at least admit that for many people regular or heavy use is mostly problematic.

Legal marijuana will lead us to a 'Brave New World'

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>Published in 1932, Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" has tantalized readers ever since with its frightening prediction of the future.

>In order to keep the masses in line, the totalitarian government of "Brave New World" gives its citizens soma, a chemical designed to provide a calming and euphoric effect. People are urged to take soma whenever they feel any negative emotion, and thus are kept docile. They don't rebel against their tyrannical government because they are too doped up to care.

>The soma that Huxley imagined in 1932 bears a striking resemblance to a certain real-world drug today: marijuana.

>The increasing legalization of recreational marijuana across the U.S. is a terrible thing. By looking back at "Brave New World," we can see how critical the banning of mind-altering drugs is to keeping a society free.

>Smoking weed is often associated with rebellion and counterculture. In reality, it could be a useful method of controlling and oppressing the masses, especially the poor.

>In the novel, a rigid class system shapes society. The lower classes do all the menial jobs, and are issued a dose of soma at the end of each workday. Their entire existence consists of waking up, working, getting high and doing it all over again. Does this sound familiar?

>The American poor are disproportionally responsible for marijuana use. Their lives are quickly turning into the working, getting high, doing it again the next day cycle. Many Americans use marijuana simply to relax at the end of a hard day, but this still reinforces a cycle that rewards subservience and apathy.

>But why is this a problem? Many would say that marijuana and other drugs will never be so widespread in American culture that their use could be compared to Huxley's prediction. But why couldn't they? Humans are lazy by nature. We would rather have our pizza delivered than drive to pick it up. Whenever a person is sad, why would they go out and try to make themselves happy when they are encouraged to take readily available drugs?

>The change will be slow, but nearly inevitable. Why would the citizens in "Brave New World" have any motivation to improve their lives? All of their problems are solved with their daily dose of soma. It becomes nearly impossible for them to be upset.

>In America, it is up to engaged and caring citizens to hold government accountable. In recent months we have seen unprecedented levels of civil unrest. While many protests were certainly not peaceful, people were rising up and trying to make a change in our society.

>Widespread legalization would produce uncaring citizens. Why would they care what was going on? Every time they get angry or upset with their lot in life, they can just smoke away all their bad feelings. No politician would care about anything except making sure citizens were placated enough to not care what they were doing in Washington. It is in this way that the government could systematically take away personal freedoms. We wouldn't even notice as long as we could get high.

>While this may sound extreme, it is nearly inevitable we will fall into this trap. Once weed is fully legalized it will only continue to become more prevalent, until it enters our daily lives in a role far greater than alcohol. It will be nearly impossible to go back. In the novel, the chemical reliance becomes so strong that when there is a shortage, the people riot. They are addicted to their own means of oppression.

>Once legalized, our society could easily deteriorate into what Huxley predicted in 1932 — a small, ruling minority maintaining power by chemically inducing compliance in the working majority. We won't even know a better life exists, and we will have no inclination to fight for it.

What America’s weed habit says about the fall of Protestantism (UnHerd)

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>You can tell a lot about a civilization by its drugs of choice. So we should treat as significant a new study that suggests the USA’s erstwhile preferences for coffee and alcohol may be giving way to the United Stoners of America. According to the study, the number of Americans using marijuana daily has now outstripped the number drinking daily. Nearly half the USA has now at least decriminalised cannabis; in some states, Americans can even buy their weed at a drive-thru dispensary.

>The study shows that this has brought a sharp rise in heavy marijuana users: a more than 15-fold increase in the per capita rate of reporting daily or near daily use between 1992 and 2022. Where in 1992 less than a million Americans reported using marijuana daily or near daily, by 2022 that number had increased to 17.7 million people, compared to 14.7 million Americans who drink daily or nearly so.

>What, if anything, can we infer from this? We might speculate that it’s a lagging indicator of the Protestant work ethic’s fading cultural power, among at least some American demographics. As the historian Wolfgang Schivelbusch notes, the Protestant ethic that spread with modernity was powered by coffee and (moderate) alcohol consumption. The same culture’s working classes — and especially the sailors who enlisted (or were pressed) to serve in its global maritime expansion — spent their lives in a permanent mild alcoholic haze, thanks to rations that included half a pint of rum twice a day.

>This was the Anglophone culture that “ruled the waves” in the 18th and 19th centuries. And its pattern of stimulant preference was exported to the American Anglophone civilisation that “rules the waves” today. In the accelerating preference for weed over alcohol, we might speculate that what’s discernible is a coming apart of the American dream.

>For there’s some evidence that, albeit ambivalently, it’s possible to be both a high achiever and a heavy drinker, not least the expensive rehab centres that cater explicitly to this demographic. Conversely, heavy marijuana use is consistently associated with underperformance, as well as with a slew of mental illnesses.

>Anyone who has tried both will understand why: the effects of these two substances are very different. Though both can impair cognitive function over time, the effects of long-term cannabis use seem to be more severe in this respect. And — importantly — one common effect of cannabis use is lethargy. As a result, while both heavy drinkers and heavy cannabis users have a problem, a heavy weed user is even more likely to be underachieving.

>Heavy weed users still don’t represent a large proportion of Americans: some 17.7 million out of a total population north of 333 million equates to roughly 5%. But the promise of America has long been that all prizes await those who are willing to grind: a grind once powered by coffee, alcohol and Protestantism.

>The opioid crisis has long stood as a highly visible symbol of an underclass element in the Land of the Free which has simply given up. But the shift among heavy American users of intoxicants, to one associated with increased lethargy, suggests there exists a growing body of people who no longer believe in the grind.

Everyone must get stoned (Opinion Article)

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>Once again, I must stress that I am rather indifferent to the whole topic of drugs. My general view of drug use is disapproval, but I believe the choice to indulge or not indulge in drugs, or even alcohol for that matter, rests at the level of the individual. For example, I drink alcohol occasionally, but rarely to the point of total inebriation. Sure, my past is filled with its fair share of benders, but over the years, I have learned that getting sauced on a consistent basis is less than optimal and has profound negative effects on every aspect of life. In addition, I have seen my fair share of alcohol-related tragedy to recognize the danger embedded in booze. At the same time, I am somewhat perturbed by the casual belief that cannabis is essentially an innocuous drug. Perhaps it is if used infrequently it might be, but the chronic pot smokers I have known all displayed signs of weed’s adverse effects. Most prominent among these was a pronounced dulling of the mind.

>Being high or inebriated alters consciousness, and perhaps there are times when an altered state of consciousness brought about by intoxication may feel good or put one in the right mood for celebration or relaxation, but I have never really understood the persistent need to alter the state of one’s consciousness through drugs or alcohol. To be sure, addiction comes into play, but in my mind, the constant desire to be drunk or high reveals something has gone terribly wrong at the spiritual level.

>New streams of income aside, I suspect the Establishment is using the deregulation of banned substances as further means of population control. A “high” population is a docile and happy one, and docile, “happy” people is exactly what the Establishment is aiming for short-term. In the long-term, the Establishment is primarily interested in the destruction of souls. With increased legalized drugs, the Establishment can essentially kill two birds with one stone. It can help people cast themselves further into the pits of spiritual crisis while simultaneously and beneficently offering the populace a hedonistic means through which to escape the suffering and emptiness inherent in individual and national spiritual crises.

>Stoned people are much easier to stone. 
Bob Dylan - Rainy Day Women

Hey, I lurk in here but have never posted, I stop by every now and then for a bit of motivation, thank you all.

Today is 7 weeks sober, after a lifetime of drinking (32m), and a solid 2 year stint of drinking almost every single night with constant failure to execute moderation.

Over the last 7 weeks I’ve truly started to realize how alcohol had been keeping me down. I physically look better, I’m way more curious, more motivated than ever, performing better than ever at work, SLEEPING FULL NIGHTS! My anxiety is way lower, my stress levels are lower, my reactivity is better, I feel in control.

I was previously in to beer and whiskey as a hobby I guess?, not particularly as a cover, I did truly enjoy the world of whiskey - anyway me and my landlord had casually bonded over this before. Many months ago I provided him with 3 sample bottles from my former collection. Week 2 of my sobriety he brought back 2 of those bottles filled with something from his collection. Awkwardly I thanked him and didn’t mention my sobriety. At the time I didn’t see it as a huge trigger, I was still riding the wave of novelty and I laughed it off and then gave them to a friend.

Today he leaves sample bottle number 3 on my doorstep of Lagavulin 16. And the reason I’m venting on here I guess is god damn this was truly my first scare. Something I respect, dropped in to my space without warning just hit that trigger. I stupidly popped the cap just to smell it and the awful hellish magnetism that overwhelmed me, such a gross feeling just having that bottle in the room with me, so uneasy, I’ve not experienced this before.

The bottle is in my car now and I’m giving it to a friend tomorrow morning.

My respect goes out to all on this journey, I hope that every trigger we overcome makes us stronger.

And of course if this happens again I will have to have the awkward conversation with my landlord.

I officially hit 10 years sober the other day. For those of you just starting your journey, it’s worth it. Stick with it. You guys got this! 💪🏼

Hi all,

I am now 20 months sober from alcohol after having significant problems with it throughout my early twenties and into my mid 20’s. My life has improved in many ways- physically, mentally, emotionally.

Unfortunately- I am still using marijuana which subconsciously has been eating away at me. It’s like internally I know that using MJ as a crutch is holding me back from continuing to level up. I have been a nightly user since getting off the booze- it’s a lesser of two evils in my opinion but I am ready to get rid of this crutch.

Starting tomorrow 4/21- complete sobriety. Any tips for keeping myself productive and focused in the short term while getting used to not having that crutch?

Also- not sure if I will have any sort of physical withdrawal (have gone week + without recently and was fine) but anything to combat cravings would also be appreciated!

I will follow-up in this sub as I progress. Upward and onward!

I have takis, buldak noodles, some of my other favorite foods, stocked up on water and root beer because taste is the sense that keeps me grounded the most.

I also have a lot of incense because scent is a big one as well. I won’t burn it 24/7 because the scent will probably get too overwhelming. I also got some of those listerine strips. I tried to do meditation, but I get restless so easily. I have ADHD so I’ve always had a hard time staying still unless I’m absolutely exhausted and can’t bring my body to do anything else.

I know food wise, it’s probably not the best choices. And it’s not just spicy stuff I promise lol, that just tends to help when I’m really in the thick of it with cravings, and I do regulate the amount of spice I have. If I don’t, my stomach will for me, gastritis is a bitch lol

If I can have something that makes me happy and feels good for my five senses, I’ll take it. What’s worked for y’all? I’m interested in hearing other people’s experiences, maybe it’ll give me some ideas

5 years, 8 months and change.

Proud of what I did.

I did it for my family and it worked.

But I’ve since lost my family for non-drugs reasons.

So fuck it, right? If I can’t have them anyways, why stay sober anymore?

Might be because I havent slept and I'm stressing over entrance exams for schools but I want to drink so fucking bad, trying to hit up a friend later to see if they wanna smoke hoping it would help atleast momentarily because if I drink now I wont stop and I cant show up to exams drunk or hung over or skip them so drinking isnt and option. The good thing is the stores wont sell alcohol until 9 so I'm praying the craving does away before that or I might be doomed. The ads for alcohol I keep seeing isnt helping either (since when is that even allowed????)

3 month sober, but with an addictive disposition I'm eating more and obsessive on the stock market, I've always been into both but kinda feels like they are more influenctial now. I wanted to ask how others dealt with side addictions after becoming sober? And if its worth considering AA meetings will they help with this? Im inherently shy and introspective around new people, I didnt like the idea of doing an 'about me' speach if AA is actually like that.

I have done everything traditional when it comes to treatment (Inpatient, Out Patient x4, Therapy, Psychiatry, Fellowship (Online and In person), Medication, Medication changes upon changes). I love my family more than anything. And each relapse is like me telling them I burnt their house down.

The pain. The ups and downs. It's too much after 5 years.

I’m 11 days sober from being a daily drinker and pot smoker. I haven’t gone more than 2 consecutive days sober in over 3 years. I want to drink and smoke very badly. I just need a good reason to keep sober. I live alone, I do not have (and cannot have) any pets, I don’t have any significant other. I just go to work and go home. I have hobbies and friends, but those people all drink or smoke. I just don’t see a point. If I’m going to hate my life either way, why not just drown myself in alcohol and get high? I have no dependents and no one would check on me for at least a solid month if I were to go totally no contact with people. It’s not like it matters what happens to me anyway.

What if the point of being sober if it’s only affecting me when I’m drinking or smoking?

I am entering rehab on thursday.

I didnt know rock bottom until last week. My wife came home while i was watching our two boys and i was trashed. This has been a long standing problem. She now wants a trial separation. Im in a hotel crying thinking about how this addiction has caused so much trauma to her and my boys. I have always run from my problems but this time i cant. Im scared to death that it will not work and i will see my whole world move on without me.

after 6 months of sobriety i started smoking weed again then it didn’t do what i wanted it to so i started back on the hard stuff. i dont know what to do anymore.

I keep saying I’m going to stop drinking. I think in my head I don’t have a drinking problem because I very rarely drink but EVERY single time I drink I always go too far I let everyone down including myself. I’m going through all the motions right now and trying not to do something stupid as the alcohol passes through can someone please advise me on what to do if they’ve been through it. I need to stop drinking I say this every single time I drink but I mean it this time I don’t enjoy it I hate it I hate the person I am when I’ve drank so I need to stop but right now my priority is not hurting myself because I’m in the process of honestly thinking about it please help me

feeling pretty average tbh. low mood and low motivation. when did it get better for you? cheers

Today marks one year sober from alcohol.

From 17 to 23, alcohol was my demon. It brought me legal trouble, two DUIs, probation, and some of the hardest years of my life. For a long time, I truly felt trapped by it.

Getting sober was not easy, and I did not do it alone. I was put on Antabuse for cravings and support in staying away from alcohol. Antabuse is a medication that can make you very sick if you drink while taking it, and for me it became one of the tools that helped break the cycle.

I also completed ASAP and DSARP, which are mandatory programs after a DUI, and I’m honestly so thankful for them. What started as something I had to do became something that really helped save me. They gave me accountability, education, and the chance to seriously look at my choices and my future. I also went through so much counseling, and that mattered too.

Now I’ve been sober for over a year without a single drop of alcohol. I’ve been off probation since November, and I turn 24 next month.

I never thought I would get here, but I did. I’m proud of myself. Sobriety has given me peace, clarity, and my life back.

If you’re struggling too, please know you are not too far gone. Recovery is possible.

One whole year sober, and I’m still going.

So... I haven't journaled in a while but realised I need to start again. Badly. I like "setting up" journal pages (some titles, tables, leaving a few pages blank for future use) and a calendar to mark off days for certain behaviours is invaluable to me thanks to being incredibly time blind. My most recent journal included a calendar for me to mark off each night I went without drinking, so it felt natural that I'd do it in this one too but kinda wanted to copy over the days already counted, so they're all included together and I get the benefit of seeing it all laid out and really see the time accumulating.

Problem. "That's going to be such a pain in the ass to re-write an entire year's worth of months, and then some."

"That would be such a pain in the ass because I would have to write out an entire year's worth of months, at that point I might as well write it for two years, or for however long this journal is going to last."

This stupid, trivial, beautiful little menial problem of mine just made me realise that I stopped thinking about my sobriety from alcohol in terms of days. I apparently don't even think about it in terms of months anymore. No. Apparently when I think about having to represent a timeline of "days without alcohol" now it feels like it extends out infinitely instead of being under threat of disappearing tomorrow. It isn't a conscious choice I'm having to make anymore, it's just... me, normal, my normal, my default setting.

I don't have much emotion when it comes to assessing myself, I don't care about myself, I'm not sure how much I can actually experience pride for myself or if I can at all, I can't "celebrate" something I don't see as an achievement particularly when I'm still an addict and falling apart at the seams... but fuck man.

I don't have anyone I can comfortably share this with right now, at least here I get to type out some stupid text with an unusually directed knot in my throat.

25/04/25. Didn't know a few little digits could ever mean so much to me.

I've been alright so far, but I already feel like I'm doing the same thing so it as I was when I was using. All I'm doing is going to work and back to the sober house. I do regularly see a therapist twice a week, psychiatrist once every two weeks as well as an rss. I'm starting to wonder what's the point? I didn't get sober to do the same thing and be miserable.