Marijuana-less March is just around the corner

Marijuana-less March is just around the corner. Those of you who haven’t heard of it before- it’s a new trend to quit marijuana intake for March. This can be a good headstart to quitting weed for people with substance use disorders or those who just want to take a month to detox their bodies.

Decriminalizing smoking marijuana has raised cannabis intake in people greatly. It’s much more harmful to the brain and heart than most realize.

Side Effects of Marijuana

The first few times of smoking weed, you’ll feel a sense of relaxation, euphoria, and loss of sensation for a while. It can feel good. However, one month in, and you’ll start to experience the harmful effects. Some of it includes:

• Paranoia

• Cognitive impairment

• Anxiety/Panic

Other possible effects are:

• Frequent change in mood

• Delusions and hallucinations (if taken in high doses)

• Apart from the physical symptoms, there’re financial problems, lower contentment in life, growing addiction to other substances, and many more issues that arise for some. There are numerous reasons to quit marijuana for anyone who may be experiencing the aforementioned.

Marijuana-less March

If you’re someone who smokes cannabis regularly or knows someone who does, you already know what toll it’s been taking. And it’s time to quit this habit. So, let’s make Marijuana-less March a trend that helps people out of their cannabis abuse concerns. This could be a global movement to cut back a great portion of potential other substance abuse and mental health concerns.

Here, we’ll go through 7 ways that discuss how to quit marijuana intake completely in March. 

1. Know Your Portion
   To cut off weed completely, you need to know your average intake. You could use 5 grams per week or a gram each day. It varies from individual to individual. Knowing this will help you set a realistic goal on how much to cut each day/week to go completely sober by the end of the month.
   
   Write this down in your notebook or somewhere you look at regularly because you’re going to write down your goals in one of the following steps.
   
   

2. Get Rid of Triggers
   A key step to quit any kind of addiction is to know and remove triggers. Write down on a page anything that triggers you to smoke marijuana; anything that comes to your mind. Identify your pressure points. Get rid of any physical equipment you used to smoke weed like bongs, vape, pipes, etc.
   
   Some triggers are, of course, irremovable, such as, a friend or colleague with whom you smoke/smoked weed. Every time you meet them, you’ll feel like doing it again or they might tell you to do it. It’s one thing you need to work on. Write on a piece of paper all the triggers, and make a commitment to not let them get a hold of you.
   
   

3. Set Achievable Goals
   Quitting Marijuana is no easy feat, but certainly doable if you’re determined enough. The goals you set must be realistic and achievable. If you plan to cut weed in a week, you might do it, but resume after two weeks. Our plan is to go slowly and effectively, and definitely not pressure yourself with unattainable goals.
   
   Based on what your intake is, see how much you need to cut each week to go completely sober by the end of four weeks. Write this down on a page, and commit to sticking to your goal.
   
   

4. Set a Timeline
   Since we’re planning for a Marijuana-less March, and we got one more week to enter March, you can set four weeks from now to quit marijuana fully. But it depends largely on your intake. Based on what your weekly intake is and how much you can reduce per week will help you figure out a timeline by which you can quit weed completely.
   
   

5. Be Strong and Patient
   It takes courage and determination to make a decision like quitting a substance. Your body gets accustomed to those large weed intakes. When you try to cut little by little, you might face diverse effects like stress, anxiety, depression, etc.
   
   Throughout this course, you might feel the urge to take numb with other substances. Staying strong and true to your goals is necessary. Be patient. The symptoms won’t go away all at once. Be easy on yourself and try not to replace one external coping mechanism with another.
   
   

6. Build a Support Network
   It’s essential that you surround yourself with a healthy and concerned group of people. It’s necessary because they can help you fight the triggers, or be by your side when your body is going through a tough phase when you cut some of your portions. They can help you stay on track with your goals. You can also get connected to support networks like Marijuana Anonymous. If you think you need professional help, you can contact us at Next Level Recovery Associates as well but, regardless of what you do, it’s important that you don’t take this journey alone. Having accountability buddies is an incredibly powerful tool.
   
   

7. Cold Turkey
   Cold Turkey is a popular method to quit any drug addiction all at once. It’s a tough one but effective. If you plan to try cold turkey, first of all, you need to cut all the triggers. Let friends and family know your goals. Engage yourself in fun and healthy activities like sports and exercising. Make a proper diet plan. Incorporate family activities into your routine when you did drugs. And most importantly, don’t give up. (*Disclaimer: Always contact a medical professional before quitting any substance cold turkey. Withdrawal symptoms can be dangerous and professional guidance is heavily suggested.)

Final Words

Quitting any drug takes a lot of patience and persistence. And doing it alone is hard. If the Marijuana-less March movement gets proper exposure, you’ll find big groups of people going through the same tough phases as you. It’ll help people get rid of this addiction faster and more effectively. Together we tackle these hardships, and together we make the world a better place again!

Perhaps you can be the one to inspire a movement! Maybe you can be the one to start a marijuana-less march support group online or locally. Maybe your social media most about it will inspire someone else to try it! All it takes is one person to speak out about their journey that can start a healthy revolution!

#MarijuanalessMarch #NextLevelRecoveryAssociates