Marijuana has held a special place in my life for years. I remember the first time I ever smoked - I can’t say that I exactly knew what I was getting myself into. I was 15 years old and at my first high school party. One of my girlfriends told me she had some weed she wanted to smoke with me. Being a curious person who is open to new experiences, I eagerly sat down to join her. From that moment, I gradually started exploring what it would be like to have a relationship with weed. For the rest of my high school years, I made a lot of really good friends who also enjoyed smoking herb. We would mostly get together at one of the guy’s houses to smoke and play video games, talk about life, and just chill.

When I turned 18 and moved out of my parent’s house into my own apartment, my relationship with weed changed tremendously. I had been keeping my use a secret from my parents and from some of my friends as well. But now I had ultimate freedom. I could smoke whenever I wanted, in my own place, without having that terrible feeling of paranoia that someone was going to catch on to the secret life I had been hiding for the last few years. This was a great and liberating feeling, until it all caught up to me and I started feeling lazy and unfulfilled. I was pretty much always lighting up, laying on the couch, watching TV, and eating a bunch of unhealthy food. I started digging deep into the reasons why I loved to smoke and how I could get the most out of my sessions and really start respecting the herb as the medicine that it is. I started listening to a lot of reggae music, meditating, doing yoga, eating a vegetarian diet, and doing research into the culture and history of marijuana use. As I learned more, my relationship with weed became much healthier and much more meaningful. I started realizing that, like many other things that make you feel good - caffeine, sugar, sex, alcohol, tobacco - too much of a good thing can actually be very unhealthy for both physical and mental health.

Now, after working on my relationship with weed for over a decade, I feel like I am in a very healthy place with my usage. For me, it all boils down to mindfulness. It is an absolute necessity to constantly check in with yourself to get an idea of how you’re feeling. I believe this serves true for every aspect of life in order to help maintain your health.

When I’m feeling anxious or overwhelmed, I’ll do a quick body scan to see how I’m feeling, why I ‘m feeling that way, and what I can do to help settle my nerves

and relax. Sometimes the answer is weed. Sometimes it’s going for a run, practicing yoga, drinking water, or cracking open a beer. Through the process of checking in with myself, I have been able to identify key things that help me overcome my daily struggles. There are certain activities that I know I can turn to that make me feel just as good as smoking herb. Don’t get me wrong, I love getting really high and just vegging out from time to time, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. But I know that if I do that in excess, I will start feeling discontent and unfulfilled.

In today’s world it can be very difficult to create and maintain a healthy relationship with so many substances being right at our fingertips. When we have a craving, we can oftentimes satisfy our desires almost instantly. Just like everything in life, it’s all about balance. So check in with yourself, identify what your body and mind needs, and answer honestly and responsibly.