482 thoughts on “Marijuana Addiction”

1. When we get the sense that the world doesn’t make sense it can topple our internal gyroscope so instead of feeling our place in life we feel unsettled and abandoned, and of course we have abandoned ourselves because we should not be here and it’s that tug of knowing that we shouldn’t be here that is so unsettling because the very particles that make up our bodies do not come from this plane of life. If we allowed ourselves to deeply feel our sensitivity we would know this to be true, however we bludgeon our sensitivity with drugs, alcohol, any form of distraction we can invent all to deny the truth of who we are and the origins of where we come from.

2. What a shame we waste our lives not wanting to be here, when we are not from here anyways. I am not criticising our lifestyles, but this just goes to show, 1000’s of people and I’m sure many more are searching to find themselves and become entangled in life’s artificial settings. Stimulation is all around us to put us in a state that is of fantasy. TV probably being the worst offender as it is freely available.

   Serge Benhayon, Universal Medicine and their practitioners brings us back to us and that is worth more than what we are continually presented to us that is of falsities.

   I am so appreciative that Serge Benhayon and his family are dedicated to humanity and the love they have for us is out of this world.

3. After reading this blog I appreciate much more the lightness I feel in my lungs and the ability to breath in its original flow. I also appreciate immensely your revealing testimony Anonymous, as it breaks and brings light into a false safe conception of such a dangerous drug.

4. There are all kinds of ways to numb ourselves out and cut our selves off from life, love and relationships. Drugs are just one way to do so and can have very strong effects on us all. I am not trying to minimise the impacts and effects of drugs, but essentially any addiction (be it to exercise, chocolate or work…) can have its damaging effects too. Any addiction that we have is a way we use things to delay or numb or not deal with life….until such time that we are finally ready to do so, and take responsibility for who we are and what we are here to reflect.

   1. We live in an addictive world, to keep us on that cycle to not awaken to the true reality of the desecration occurring in this world.

5. What is powerful about this sharing and also our experiences in life, is that once we make a true change and let go of a way of living that has not served us, as you have done Anon, then this opens up a new way of being with our selves and so the reflection to the world is to say ‘look, it can be done, you can let it go and move on’ – So many times when we are caught up in habits that do not serve, we feel like there is no way out, but if and when we can see someone who has lifted themselves out in a true way, this stays as a marker and reflection for us to do likewise when we are ready to do so.

   1. Henrietta what you say is true, I have watched someone struggle with life and themselves, I have sensed how they have struggled with it all being too much, I have felt how they wanted to give up and give in. The nervous tension they have coped with, the ghastly grey their body has sometimes taken on. For those with eyes to see there has been a huge internal battle taking place. I met them again recently and I can feel the change that is taking place within them and it is truly beautiful to see. I can feel how they are much more settled in life, the nervous tension and anxiousness has left their body it’s as though they have come into calm waters, the greyness has gone and they feel oh so settled.This is an amazing reflection for everyone that it is possible to bring our wayward spirit into line so that we can once again join the flow of the universe and all that it has to offer.

6. Interestingly, we do now see more and more primary school children using dope too – smoking it before they get to school and also afterwards (and likely sneaking a smoke too during the breaks if they can). This is starting at a younger and younger age…setting us up for a life in the same trend and hence ‘normalising’ a life with no purpose other than to escape and numb oneself out.

7. This is an honest account of the consequences of drifting into smoking dope. It would be a great article for people to read, so they are more aware of the possible consequences of having a joint, or two, or more.

8. Wow, what an expose in detail of the world of marijuana users. I knew it was harmful but I was unaware of the other effects on kidney and spleen, depression, sore backs, etc. I do know of one absolutely beautiful young man who is now a shadow of himself completely taken over from psychosis and mental illness thanks to marijuana use. To me this story shows how unprepared we are to deal with life, that we are taught knowledge in education and families but rarely shown how to deal with our sensitivities and how we feel. We also really lack confidence to deal with life and our issues. For myself I’d tried many things but it wasn’t until in my 40’s and came across Universal Medicine therapies that I found the real deal of getting support for what was hurting me. Congratulations on turning your life around, you should write a book, it would be so supportive for others to read.

9. This doesn’t make any sense to me
   “From its innocent beginnings the so called ‘non-addictive’ drug wreaked havoc in our lives as well as those of everyone connected to us as we under-performed, buried our issues, told lies to cover up, broke many laws, endangered other people’s lives, as well as our own, and failed to commit to our lives and relationships.”
   So why are countries legalizing this type of drug if it has this affect on even a few people?
   The only explanation I can come up with is money, its a revenue earner for the governments. But is this rather short sighted because then how much money does the government then poured into the health system to cope with the after effects of this type of drug?

   1. The cost would be huge, not just for marijuana users, but for families and loved ones, and also in terms of productivity in workplaces.

10. Reflecting on this ‘We watched as our parents self-medicated on a daily basis with alcohol, cigarettes and coffee, but our generation worshipped the sounds and spirituality of Bob Marley and escapism and marijuana was our medicine’ it seem obvious that if the parents are ‘escaping’ life and self medicating with alcohol etc then of course the next generation will follow and find their way to escape life and self-‘medicate’. So the younger generation did not have, on the whole, a reflection of another way of life. This alone clearly shows the responsibility we have in the way we live and how we live for our future generations 💫

11. A few years ago when I would get the bus to the train station to go to work, there was a young man that would get on the bus most mornings and was dressed in his clean and pressed construction work clothes, and like most, he carried the tools of his trade, his was a rake. When he got on the bus, you could smell he had just had his morning joint. Most others were necking an energy drink or a flask with a caffeinated beverage. It was a scary thought this young man was working on a construction site stoned.

    1. Unfortunately, it is very common among construction site workers to smoke dope, before and during their work. It does make you wonder what is the quality of energy that is being imprinted in the building.

    2. It’s actually very irresponsible because to work with tools requires a normal degree of alertness, focus and care, and the person using drugs could injure themselves or another person, or contribute to a fault in the building.

    3. Sadly this is not uncommon – for workers to rock up stoned or school children going to school stoned. There is often an arrogance that comes with this state of ‘mind’ and some feel that this is the only way they have any confidence to do what they need to do, which reveals the level of dependency, and the lack of value of themselves in the process. Mainly it is those who are super sensitive who seek out these habits as they do not know how to handle the level of sensitivity that they hold.

12. Up to ten years ago, I have had period of my life when I was addicted to marijuana thinking it was natural and ok for the body when in fact I could feel how much it would affect my memory, vitality, my sleep, my mind, my relationship with others and with myself, my finances and I could go on and on… it is possible to leave it behind But it requires a call from inside saying enough is enough.

13. The world is a candy store for a child that has money in their pocket; for adults, the sleeves are lined with other items that have everything that satisfies our disregard to us and our body. We don’t have issues; we have hurts we don’t want to address. A recovering anything is just someone that has a strong will to keep the wall up and not self-numb themselves. But how much energy is spent holding back the urge? When we deal with the issues there is no energy wasted for there is nothing to hold back.

14. What a powerful and heartfelt personal sharing, Anonymous, of the destructive and harming nature of marijuana. Although in comparison to your story I only dabbled in my attachment to the drug, however, I can relate strongly to and can endorse its addictive and seductive nature.

15. So many of us clearly feel the off-ness of this world and keep re-inventing ways to numb ourselves and escape from life. It is sad to feel how this keeps happening while us being oblivious to the absolute gorgeousness of who we truly are, even though it was the choice that started it all.

    1. Your comment highlights the need for us all to speak the truth about how off the world is, we can’t keep accepting it the way it is and pretending it’s all OK, and then self medicating to numb ourselves. We are capable of working together to change what’s not true in this world.

16. Marijuana consumption is very poisonous, you don’t have to be a doctor or a genius to see it in those who use the drug. Anybody who has ever consumed it can tell you that there’s a feeling of a lack of disorder, forgetfulness, many experience paranoia, yet the consumption is becoming more and more normal.

17. It’s great to read such an honest and down to earth account of the many effects of taking marijuana. We also champion the use of alcohol and yet look at the devastation that causes and many people take both together. Unfortunately, marijuana is now being championed as the wonder drug for all kinds of illnesses, so it’s inevitable that its use will increase.

    1. And also as its legalisation becomes more and more widespread and a commercial business so it is becoming like alcohol – a societal norm. However, self-destructive, self-abusive and stupid is that? And we are supposed to be so intelligent?

18. “I had slipped down the drain a long way from the young boy with so much potential – the primary school captain, house and senior prefect at high school – ” From an early age we learn to live up to the expectations of others and put this on ourselves. Unless we have totally sold out to the schooling system, we do know somewhere along the line that being a prefect or captain may give us the accolade we are seeking from others but leaves us empty and void, knowing that something is missing. The piece that is missing is us, our true selves and so we seek to fill or numb that emptiness with what ever we choose not realising that what ever we are choosing has the possibility to become an addiction

19. “The so called ‘non-addictive’ drug wreaked havoc in our lives as well as those of everyone connected to us as we under-performed, buried our issues, told lies to cover up, broke many laws, endangered other people’s lives, as well as our own, and failed to commit to our lives and relationships”. The fact that it took 10-12 years of wanting to give up marijuana shows just how addictive it is. Speaking with partners of people who still smoke as adults, the theme of not really being present in the relationships or fully committing is the common thing I hear.

20. I love that it is never to late to regain or reconnect to our innate awareness that we lived by naturally as young children and which rang alarm bells for us when we saw the many things that were being played out before our eyes, the drugs, alcohol, TV checkout, – and that we can by simple choices step by step walk ourselves back to living once again by our own internal compass confirming the truth of life so that we can truly live life once more. This great gift was a blessing thanks to Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine.

    1. Well said Annie, it is never too late to make a different choice and to come back to living who we truly are.

21. I used to champion Marijuana as a natural product, a better choice then alcohol or other drugs. This was naive and ignorant for it is not the origin of the drugs that matters but the energetic affect it has on the user. Marijuana is disastrous in that sense as is so beautifully shared here.

22. To understand that drug use is about still being sensitive and therefor needing a substance to not feel what is so very much at the surface changes the outlook on society completely where drugabusers are seen as misfits and those who have completely adapted but much further away from their sensitivity are the successful.

23. This was very informative and I love your complete honesty, revealing all the hidden dangers of marijuana and checking out in any way. Teenagers in each generation think they have stumbled across this super drug that takes all their cares away, not realising it is an insidious drug that has been around for eons. The checking out is not just an adult thing it’s happening earlier and earlier with gaming for primary school kids and electronic devices for toddlers to keep them busy. There is commitment but commitment to getting the fix we are looking for or the numbing effect we are needing.

24. Marijuana has a insidious nature of hiding and burying ones stuff which means issues and problems get buried and never dealt with – it can all look ok on the surface but not far below it is festering away creating more poison for the body to deal with.

25. As a nurse, I have seen the harmful effects marijuana has on so many people. It is not a ‘soft’ drug, as so many people like to believe it is.

    1. No, it’s not a ‘soft’ drug, it’s very addictive, ‘Originally I was in denial of the fact that marijuana was rated by Serge Benhayon of Universal Medicine (UniMed) as the second worst of all drugs with the shamanic drug ayahuasca in first place according to their energetic effects.’

26. This is such a powerful and truthful statement
    “I grew up as a teenager in the 80s and a surfer. We watched as our parents self-medicated on a daily basis with alcohol, cigarettes and coffee,”
    We have become so used to self- medicating ourselves that it has become a normal part of life. But no one seems to have stopped to add up the rising cost that alcohol addiction alone is having on our health services, if we add in the damage that the cigarettes have on our bodies and that coffee is very addictive and races our bodies so that it is always in a nervous state, is it any wonder that the health services around the world are buckling under the strain of our own choices to disrespect our bodies.

    1. It shows how very much we create our own world / dilemmas. We do one thing that leads to another, which then leads to another, and another and so on. And that is how life goes. But their is a huge difference to what we allow to happen when we bring care and love into our lives instead of medicating ourselves to only be able to cope with this world but not evolve out of this cycle.

27. Incredible story – its one of the best! Something Ill refer back to from time to time and reference. I could write my own story of marijuana and the evil effects but not to the level or degree Anonymous has, and so exquisitely covered. Yes, maybe I have a different spin however, I am requesting Anonymous you write a book even its a short story. I suggest a film too. You are a true celebrity in my books and one I would read and recommend to millions.

28. The way we live on this planet doesn’t make any sense at all and rather than everyone coming together to sort the mess out we just continue to dig our heels in and make the mess worse. My question to the world is how much worse does it need to get before we will come together and do something about it? Or, will it take another cataclysm to bring us to our senses?

29. So interesting how we choose our friends because they make us feel safe in our choices. I remember at times in my life where all my friends were cigarette smokers, then it was drinkers, then it was marijuana smokers. Without realising we surround ourselves with a cohort of people who are doing the same thing and that confirms us in our choices and makes it seem OK.

30. This drug is very destructive I have had experience of how this impacts on people around me and it is not the nice friendly drug as it is depicted. People are owned, they check out and they separate from who they are and people around them, despair, disfunction and giving up on life ensues.

31. Welcome back anonymous, good to have YOU back in the world with us all.

32. Rebellion is a hooking movement that gives us the impression that we are in fact re-imprinting anything while in truth only help to feed the what is not that has motivated our reaction in the first place.

33. This is such a great and honest exposure of the effects of Marijuana… thank you for writing and sharing, Anonymous.

34. I was walking down the street yesterday and observed 2 young guys talking to an older lady and felt there was something strange going on as the conversation felt different to what I normally would expect – 2 young white guys and an older black lady – then the thought came it must be drugs and sure enough the joint was then shown. It is like marijuana has this entangling inclusive feeling, where you feel part of a group, have something in common and something to talk about where in reality it is closing you off and taking you further away from yourself and true connection with others. It is this smoke screen effect that can be and is so damaging giving us the illusion of what we want but delivering far less.

    1. I see that same inclusivity with alcohol.

35. We treat marijuana as a ‘soft’ drug that is almost acceptable and considered not that bad because it’s just a plant and yet smoking it is highly addictive and very destructive.

36. It is a super joyful thing to go from avoiding what we feel to really embracing it. When we do it our world becomes a whole lot richer.

37. Drugs like marijuana apart from suicide are the ultimate escape. Shamanism has been glorified and there is even an illusion that healing can come from these things.

38. In my experience, there are quite a few different perspectives on marijuana use and it is this variance which can at times cause conflicts of understanding. For example, I have seen how the use of it can destroy quality of life. And yet, for someone who has not had this experience, it (the drug) may still seem like a innocent recreational endeavour. The conflict here being that no matter what is said, often it is not until the reality of what this drug does is experienced that the truth of it is revealed.

39. Thank you for your candour and telling it how it is – marijuana hinders our evolution and creates a fog that is so dense that it completely robs its users of their sight. But then, fog is natural, they would say, wouldn’t they?

40. Years ago I started work for a company that employed a person who was a regular user of this so called ‘non-addictive’ drug and they would drive their car in a state of not being present with themselves, they would end up nowhere near where they were meant to be going and in the end because they were a danger to themselves and other people on and off the road they lost their employment. At the time they were convinced that marijuana was less harming than alcohol but surely both substances are harmful to the body both can cause untold harm, just go to the accident and emergency dept., at any hospital at the weekend to understand how much harm we do to ourselves and others by taking substances that wreck our bodies.
    .

41. Young people I know who are users of marijuana always come back with the excuse of how marijuana ‘doesn’t kill’ or is a ‘natural drug’, but what I hear from this is that the effects on one’s body are SO far from being natural, and it can actually have extraordinarily crippling impacts on physical AND mental health.

    1. Yes, it is like we hold up one little part of the whole and say that is good and with that we justify that the whole product is good all the while completely ignoring the other 99% of damaging goods.

    2. It sure can Susie, I used to be in this camp thinking it was all natural and better than alcohol but as a friend once described it it is like a smoke screen essentially numbing you to everything going on around you.

    3. I have seen the terrible effects on teenagers who are using marijuana. They use it to not feel anxiety, how school really feels, what their friends are going through and what their parents are going through. What stands out most is the constant lying, secretive, hiding, lack of commitment to everyday things but super committed to getting their next joint and distancing themselves from those they know care about them.

42. I always felt Marijuana and alcohol were among the worst drugs and I could never understand their acceptance in society.

43. For years I had friends who were addicted to marijuana and it was evident that when you spoke to them they were not present, it was as if talking to the shell of a person.

44. “… we used it to escape and check out, to not truly see what was going on in our lives, and as a rebellion against a world that didn’t make sense.” And the painful realization is that in our desire to rebel against a world that doesn’t make sense, we are adding to the non-sense by numbing our selves to the core. Sobering up is not pleasant as we have to walk the path back through every thing we have attempted to ignore, but once clean dealing with life with all our faculties switched on becomes a whole lot easier than attempting to deal with it stoned, drunk or spun out.

45. “You don’t see children, especially primary-aged children, having to come home and smoke dope or get drunk to cope with a tough day at school, they deal with their stuff sober.” – this is an excellent point and is partly why most kids can feel and read situations so well. But when we allow our kids to check out via violent and even regular video games and other devices, aren’t we setting them up to numb themselves with alcohol and drugs later in life in order to not deal with their hurts? This powerful blog by Anon, with its raw honesty and dedication to exposing the evils of marijuana shows how we all can come back to our true self no matter how ‘far out’ (pun intended) we get.

46. Personally I can say that there is no drug out there that can accomplish the depth of connection, intimacy and magic that Universal Medicine has empowered me to experience through learning how to tenderly connect to myself. Having spent a good deal of my 20’s experimenting with various substances, I can say that cannabis is one of the most insidious, a drug that in my arrogance I claimed was not harmful or as bad as class A drugs but frequently made me feel paranoid and insecure. What a misnomer it is to promote in any way, particularly as medication. True medicine inspires us to cherish our selves deeply and express our inherent glory. There is no substance on earth that can achieve this for us, this experience alone comes from our own willingness to face our issues and connect to our fiery soul within.

47. Thank you for sharing Anonymous. This awareness needs to be known by all. It was the first drug I ever took and I went straight into depression. It was so addictive I continued this drug while indulging in many more taking me further and further away from myself where my feelings were no longer immediate to me. I agree it’s an evil drug dramatically altering your perception.

48. A drug is addictive, and so is the lifestyle that goes with it – even if it doesn’t look particularly attractive. We become addicted to emotions and ways of life that keep us at certain comfortable levels of irresponsibility.

49. The impact of drugs on our society may be known well in the sense of the great harms they do, but the small everyday harms are often unseen, but nevertheless catastrophic.

50. I had been aware of the physical after-effects of marijuana as I had seen quite a few young people descend into psychosis. But not until I came to Universal Medicine was i aware of the energetic effects. It has a much darker side.

51. Ironically, when we seek to escape the world we end up joining the one and same force that has shaped it to be all that it is and that we are reacting to.

52. A very humbling blog to read the personal and devastating effects of marijuana. Whilst harder drugs may present there addictive side more quickly and readily, marijuana takes its time, slowly leaching into every part of our lives. The fact that its considered harmless and an option medicinally is what makes this one of the worst drugs available. For its true harm is hidden, but it doesn’t mean that there is no harm.

53. Our addictions just mask the fact that we are craving for connection.

    1. Very true Elizabeth. The moment we truly connect with another then any addiction simply disappears and no longer has any hold or grab over us. Let go of connection with ourselves and others and then anything can grab and entice us.

54. There are different ways to rebel against the world. We may compare ours with another ones. Yet, independent of the flavor of the day, rebellion is always an act of washing our hands and saying I choose not to be responsible for what is out there but I am not willing to do anything to change it.

55. Rebellion is often talked about like it is a normal part of growing up, and to not rebel is sometimes seen as missing out on an important part of development in to adulthood. Often I hear rebellion regarded as a rights-of-passage phase of life that everyone must go through or else they are forever trapped by the unknowing of what is beyond the rules and the limitations of adult life. But in my experience, rebellion has been something that can be very destructive, both to the person and to their relationships within the family. Rebellion is often seen as cool and socially desirable, but I have seen how it ruins lives, leads to very low self-worth and bodies that are wracked with toxins and emotional traumas. Rebellion is not, in my eyes, what it is all cracked up to be, or indeed what it is promised to be, and in fact there can be no greater feeling than to be supported and loved throughout your life by your family and friends.

    1. Rebellion seems much more focussed on aggression, complication, emotional upheaval. This is the immature version… there is a mature version where the rebel is the one who is super strong, keeps life simple, and presents a different way of living that is outside the norm.

56. I can really feel how we create our ‘normal’ by surrounding ourselves with those who make the same/similar choices as we do and avoid feeling the lies we are telling ourselves.

    1. Very perceptive, it is true and the this how we do create our idea of reality, on a one to one, family, societal and global scale.

57. When we are struggling and have not been supported on how to deal with the intensities of life, it makes total sense that someone would seek to take the edge off this tension with e.g. alcohol and/or drugs. Although how many people are we losing to such a way of life? What of the robbed potential of these people? As a community do we care enough to support people to deal with life so they do not need to resort to extreme measures just to get by in life?

58. The polarity of having a strong work ethic during the day and heavy drug user at night would have been an exhausting existence, no wonder your body started to illustrate that very fact to you anonymous.

59. Drug abuse is so prevalent in our current society but there is not enough consideration given to the harm that it is doing to people and to society. Blogs like this support us to understand the true harm in drug use.

60. The numbness offered by dope is such that it fools its users into thinking it is great to be checked out, but really it removes the joy of living a full and purposeful life.

61. Honest sharings like these bring exposure to lifestyles that can be considered ‘ok’ or even ‘fine’ by many…yet the truth presents a clearly different version.

62. The truth of so called social drugs, is they are not social, and in fact are the opposite, shutting down who we are and in the same vein who we are able to connect and form truly loving relationships with.

63. There is a duality about marijuana that is interesting to observe, because the reality of what it creates is plain and obvious to recognise as ill or harming to oneself and the life that is there to be lived fully, but there are justifications that seem to come in to ones thought processes that have a very heavy and controlling manner – making the habit ok to continue – even though the harm is plain to see.

64. It’s interesting now to see the amount of states in the USA, that have decriminalised and legalised marijauana for recreation and medical uses. Decriminalisation is good I feel, but saying that it is ok to smoke dope i.e. that it is part of a normal way of living I don’t agree. This will continue until we start to get to the root of why we want to check out, bury and numb ourselves, as drugs and alcohol rule the consciousness of the masses and with all the money/profits at stake it will take some time. Thank god there are like minded people on this forum that see the true harm that these substances, especially marijuana do to us keeping us contracted and in a lessor state and therefore delaying our evolution.

65. It’s a great shame that people are campaigning to make marijuana legal here in the UK, as it is in some other places. It is already sanctioned as a pain relief support. As has been shared in this blog it has a numbing effect so of course it will make us not feel the pain in our body which is actually a signal for us to reflect on what we have already done, nominate the cause of the pain, be more kind and loving towards ourselves and change our careless ways.

66. Activating self-love and care in our lives and developing it truly is a restorative form of medicine. We still need regular medicine for sure but the way we live gives us a foundation and when we truly care for ourselves it is deeply nourishing and supports us to be much more steady and connected in all situations, thereby reducing the desire to withdraw or numb what we’re feeling.

67. It must seem harmless and fun at the start but once you are into the world of dope you no longer can see what any person looking in can see. There is such a strong, common pattern of behaviour that ironically makes the dope smoking ‘rebels’ seem like mindless drones. For those rejecting the control of society and norms, they have simply swapped to being controlled by a drug.

68. This drug has been given the term “recreational” as long as I can remember that brings with it a belief that it’s something you do on occasion or a way to just take the edge off. A drug is a drug and when we make it less than that we are dealing with the ramifications this has on the user and all of those that are near and dear to them. A community is effected not just the sole user!

69. I also would get a masters then a Phd. in marijuana! After 20 years of abusing my body I stopped at the age of 40 and it was not until I started to heal the energetic levels of why I abused my body with drugs that the last smoke left my body. This was some 15 years after I stopped smoking. So thank God for Serge Benhayon.

70. A powerful exposure of the physical, mental and energetic harm of marijuana.

71. This is a fascinating insight into the life of a marijuana user and living proof that you can escape its evil enthrals to return to living the true version of you.

72. What comes across strongly is the waste of a life and the time spent hiding. I have never seen it as hiding before, but it makes sense, as the use of marijuana does have a withdrawal from life effect. Hats off to you Anonymous for getting yourself out from under the influences of that drug.

73. The cost of drug abuse in lives lost, families crushed and human potential ignored is untold. If as a society we really appreciated this would we move to stop this daily tsunami of waste and pain?

74. We’ve designed ourselves ‘options’ of what to do when we aren’t coping with life, such as drugs, alcohol, sugar, TV and even hobbies sometimes, but none of these ask us to take stock and really look at why we’re feeling the way that we are. The best medicine is to talk about it and be open to understanding what’s going on as opposed to numbing it.

75. It’s interesting with hindsight to see that the things we used to self-medicate as teenagers were exactly the same as our parents, just the substance or product changes. When we see a self-medication as different, cooler, rebellious etc. we can’t see it is all from the same package to keep us dull with our awareness

76. ‘As I now am not an AA­-like reformed drug addict, but someone who has no connection or attachment to marijuana at all, it feels to me that it was another life away..’ This is huge. To have cleared the past from your present, the buried emotions and hurts, so there is no need to use because you’ve felt the beauty of being you and honouring that. And you know how much using weed doesn’t do this but the energy it comes with uses your body for its own ends.

77. Lately it seems to me to be more and more people are smoking pot, people in our city walk around smoking it and it is very blatant what it is. Societies standards have dropped and we are seeing this daily with the increase of taking drugs.

    1. I agree Samantha, often we can smell it as we walk around the park, and on a couple of occasions, we have found packets of weed which have been dropped by mistake. And it does seem as though people are more open about smoking it and are not worried about being caught – like you say, standards have dropped.

78. This is a great blog Anonymous, to have been addicted to marijuana and having been able to stop the addiction is a reflection of the changes you have made, children can be an awesome reflection for us, because they know exactly when we are not being ourselves, and leave us in no doubt that they clocked what is going on.

79. All addictions, whether drugs, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, TV, excessive exercise (to name but a few) all serve the same purpose – to numb us out from what we do not want to feel.

80. In life we often fall into the control of an energy which we do not know we are controlled by until we choose to see more of ourselves, clearer of the truth of who we are, then we step out of this imprisonment and we make different choices.

81. A very clear and concise account of the true effects of marijuana on the physical body, the mind and life in general. It is surely not the ‘soft’ drug it is purported to be, it comes by stealth and steals one’s life, saps one’s vitality and turns amazing human beings into gibberishing and paranoid zombies who are always full of a grandiose idea or two.

82. We can not be ourselves when we use drugs and alcohol so our family and friends really don’t get to be with us at all.

83. What a great blog! Your lived experience comes strongly through the page and your honesty is very revealing. What a great support this is for those who either want to learn more about how this drug affects those in their lives or those who take it and need a starting point to quit and to know that not only quitting is possible, but also that life can turn around.

84. It’s a great point you make about how putting up a wall between yourself and world only served to create “…a protective layer or shield that only held me imprisoned in unresolved stuff and emotions.”

85. I have experience of drug abuse in life, not so much me using it but observing it in others, cannabis, so called a soft drug, even medicine some say, is very unsupportive and has negative impact on those who take it, a lack of clarity, consumed in paranoia, checked out, it is a serious issue and has a great impact on those of use it and those who live around a user.

86. Any type of addiction is depressing, the sadness and grief felt is that we know we are love and we are choosing to not be that, instead we are choosing a way which takes us further and further away from who we are truly. Personally when I stopped one addiction after another, the joy that is my natural birthright is felt deeper every time, this is a developing process but one which supports me to carry on because nothing I have done and tried in the past has allowed me to feel this natural joy in life.

87. This is such a clear of account of the use of cannabis to protect and numb oneself from life versus a path of responsibility to coming back and dealing with life and all its challenges.

88. Having been a huge pot smoker myself and addicted to every other drug imaginable I agree with Serge Benhayon, marijuana is the 2nd most addictive drug. The fact that people think it is okay because it is naturally grown is absolute nonsense and a story they need to believe so as to not take responsibility for how they are choosing to live their life

89. I could never understand how a pot smoker could work, as when I smoked I was more often then not so paranoid that I could not look at any-one, I could hardly string 2 words together and could not be bothered to do any thing much at all. From this, you can imagine the state of my car, my home and me? Thank goodness that is never to be repeated.

90. I have been addicted to just about every drug that was available in my day, as well as alcohol. Marijuana was by far the most addictive and the hardest drug to come off. It is very interesting that many people think this is a harmless drug as it is naturally grown….not true.

91. Marijuana is a drug that alters our state of being, and yet because it is natural it is seen as a harmless drug that can support people with certain illnesses to control their pain. The truth is as you have shown here anonymous that marijuana causes untold harm and is a very addictive, life destroying drug. There are many people in the UK including one of the main political parties that would like to legalise marijuana but all they will be doing is opening the flood gates for mental disorders and psychotic behaviour and burdening our already over stretched health service.

92. “To me, this makes marijuana the ultimate retarding drug of the 20th century”. Marijuana is not the innocent so-called “natural” drug that people like to think it is. It has a severe effort on the health and wellbeing of those who use it.

93. Yes, this is what smoking marijuana does, it numbs and buries our hurts and emotions so they are left raw and unhealed in our bodies, ‘to help medicate ourselves to be able to cope with life, really only hiding from real life and burying our issues so we have more crap to deal with later – a truly vicious circle / cycle.’ We then have to deal with this ‘mess’ later in our lives or in our next life.

94. Thank you for sharing, many people who smoke marijuana are under the belief that it is a harmless and a non addictive drug, this is so far from the truth as you describe. Great to have your experience shared so honestly.

95. I have experienced drug use, some times from my own experience, but also so much more from it being around me, through life….it has serious implications on the quality of life, but not just the person that chooses it, the ripples are felt all around and it is not just what people call hard drugs, I include nicotine, alcohol and marijuana, they are the cause of huge disconnection and self abuse.

96. This “harmless drug” has consequences way beyond our own life. When we make these choices it can create pain in people around us that takes a long time to heal – if ever.

97. Such a brilliant sharing Anonymous, it’s surprising there are not more out there talking like you do. To me it feels that this is because, even when we have ‘given up’ have we truly felt the absolute and complete harm this drug brings? If not then the fact is we are still ‘doing it’ on some level. I notice the same is true for other things in my life too – do I fully renounce what I know is truly harming?

98. ‘I felt raw and sensitive but the great thing was I was able to feel again. ‘ So beautiful to feel that Anon. And it is hugely important that we all get to feel that as we go through our own many addictions in life.

99. By and large the world continues to ignore the harmful effects of marijuana. What I have always found interesting is that if you visit any mental health clinic it is well know how many people who smoke marijuana end up with psychotic episodes yet we continue to say it is a harmless drug. It just goes to show that there are literally none so blind as those who refused to see the absolute obvious.

100. Where I live, the use of marijuana is not as widespread as is in some other places in the world, and recently an ex-member of a boy band has been found in possession of it, and there’s quite a big shock and the media has gone crazy as it is a punishable crime. There definitely is naivety about this reaction, but what we are trying not to see is the only difference between marijuana and alcohol is that one is legalized and taxable and the other is not, they are both addictive and mind-altering substances known to cause behavioural changes that can sometimes be extreme and violent, yet the users often consider it to be just recreational/social. We can try telling someone not to do things or criminalize their choices, but that would never work.

101. In general we think that the altered state Marijuana, or any other drug, gives is harmless and something we deserve for the hard work that we do or because of the difficulties in life we have to cope with. But when we look closer, which is so clearly portrayed in this blog, it is actually the addiction to these substances and the scene you then enter form being addicted, that defines your way of thinking that is actually way of of who we naturally are as we can see also clearly in the adicted by the way they care for themselves and for others.

102. Well there is a blog telling it like it is. Well done and thank you. The addiction is incredibly hard to kick when we are not honest about what the addiction is protecting us from. In your case it was marijuana, for another it may be alcohol, anger, sugar, drama. Whatever the ‘go-to’ they are all coping mechanisms for not wanting or feeling like we can cope with what we are feeling. Understanding that offers us the power to make a lasting change.

103. The evil in marijuana is that many are under the false belief that it is ok or even good for you, this could not be further from the truth. If you don’t want to have any commitment to life, if you want to be paranoid, if you want to live a life in delusion then yes smoke Marijuana, if you want to have a real, clear and true life then stay well away from marijuana.

     1. Well said Samantha – I know some people who have been destroyed by smoking too much marijuana – not all of them recover like the writer of this article.

104. I would like to see more articles on the effects of Marijuana on the human body and psyche. There is too much putting our “heads in the sand ” over drug use and I feel that we all need to start to wake up and educate through others experiences, so that we and our children know the truth! The same goes for alcohol abuse, until we start to be truly honest our children will suffer and be deluded around these so called “good time” must haves! Life can be enjoyed just by being in the company of others.

105. I can completely relate to this article and I am glad that like you I started to attend the Universal Medicine courses which was a great eye opener for me and also very supportive in the quitting process whilst nobody told me not to do it but it came from my own decision which was amazing and fairly easy. I could say sugar was the hardest drug to stop.

106. There is a big push in this country (Australia) to legalise marijuana for medicinal purposes. Given what I now know about this drug at the energetic level – as discussed in this article – this cannot be a good thing. I’ve heard many stories in the media, usually involving dying or seriously ill children, promoting it through the use of sympathy. Yes, there is a human, devastating side to the illnesses we manifest, especially when so young, but there is nothing in me that supports the use of this drug or its extracts for any purpose.

107. Terrific account of an amazing resurrection Anonymous. Whether its marijuana addiction or another type of addiction – sex, alcohol, overwork, gambling, porn, food, sport and so on – we carry, if we’re serious about living with true vitality and purpose we’ll do what it takes to get the monkey off our back. Having the support of Universal Medicine’s education and healing services just makes it a whole lot more doable, and meaningful.

108. Thank you Anonymous for sharing this here. In the run up to the General Election in the UK, one of the political parties here have just launched their manifesto and are proposing to legalise cannabis. I know there are many apparently ‘rational’ arguments for doing so but however this point is argued, legalising something like this will be seen as condoning its use. The need to ‘medicate’ ourselves so that we do not feel is one of the most widespread behaviours in our world but medicating does not answer why we do not want to feel and it does not address the real issues and never will. We may not want to feel our pain and this is understandable – but maybe our pain is showing us something important – that how we are living is not working and we need to make different choices. Choosing to numb ourselves to the pain is not effective – we need to go to the root cause – and Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine are offering us all this choice today. We are truly ‘delicious’ within and each have the free-will to choose this inner connection at any time.

109. Thank you anon for your account here of just how unnatural and denaturing marijuana is for us and not at all the lighthearted drug it is often made out to be. Just because something is made from a plant it doesn’t mean it’s good or harmless for us to smoke or eat it, far from it in this case.

110. I used to consider that I was a ‘good’ guy, because I never went near drugs. I avoided violence and aggression too and seemed ‘normal’ on the surface. But what I have been realising recently is just how hard and cut off I have been. I have lived with a lot of anger that simmered underneath with heaps of judgement and blame, for good measure. And so reading your words here Anonymous, I truly don’t see any difference between your reliance on marijuana and my addiction to upset and anger. Your story then is inspiring to show us we don’t need to live cut off from our feelings at all.

111. “My family is only starting to know the real me now as I gradually let myself be seen by all – not always a comfortable experience, but so very worth it.”
     this is incredible- you are saying that when you were immersed in marijuana culture, your true self was buried. How cool that your family now know who you are and what you are truly about- shame they missed out for so long, and they would also have had such an incorrect perception of who you actually are for all those years too- great that is now being addressed and the true you can shine through.

112. I have noticed that heavy marijuana smokers will say how calm they are after having a joint, yet it seems to sap them of energy and leave them uninspired to say the least. i notice its easier to drop out of engagement in life when using marijuana heavily, it seems to have that side effect, regardless of how much it is accepted and regarded as a low grade drug.

113. its fascinating how damaging the impacts of marijuana smoking can be, yet its reported to be the most natural ‘safe’ illicit drug. I have heard so many users of marijuana say how much they ‘relax’ and chill out with a joint, and how apparently no one ever gets aggressive when using it, unlike alcohol, which is notorious for fuelling arguments.

114. Drug use has such a wide reaching impact not just on the user but on the family, friends and community as well.

     1. Do they ever Nicole, and that impact can be very destructive indeed in so many ways and on so many levels.

115. Anonymous, I just love your analogy of addiction with the salivation of Pavlov’s dogs – it’s so true of any addiction and a great reminder of how powerful it is living in anticipation of the perpetual highs without consideration to the consequential and inevitable low that all addiction inevitably brings.

116. Amazing thank you so much for sharing, what a journey to go on and to now come back to you. I am always astounded by the degree in which we can turn our life around when we start taking responsibility. Although not everyone is ready for it, could it be that taking responsibility is the answer to many of our so called problems.

117. There is the illusion when smoking marijuana that it somehow helps to deal with or dissolve stress and issues but the insidious truth is as written here that it just burys them deeply with no learning and so when trying to stop smoking it you often have to face all of these unresolved issues and all that comes with them.

     1. It is not just ‘often” that we then have to face our issues, it is ‘always’. Marijuana or any other drug, from coffee to alcohol to LSD and Ecstasy, don’t resolve or solve anything; they just bury whatever we are trying to avoid, more deeply in the body. And it will invariably come up, like it or not.

118. This is a very painful story of being trapped in the underworld of life through the vicious cycle of addiction, all for the sake of not feeling or dealing with the issues that need to be felt and cleared. It’s amazing the lengths we go to to do this, and then justify it in our minds to convince ourselves that it’s ok. This blog is a valuable gem that everyone would do well to read. Thank you for sharing your story.

119. What has become so apparent to me by reading this blog is just how widespread and normalised our de-faulty behaviours and choices have become as a humanity. Not that I want to judge but exhaustion, seediness, lethargy, Drug use and other forms of escaping are high… my question is , is this our true potential and is there more? Thankyou so much for sharing this kid as it shows the potential is real and true love, joy can be loved in life – the external stimulants never measure up to that natural beauty.

120. What an honest blog! I hadn’t fully understood the effects of marijuana and how it can destroy lives. It is inspiring that you have come out the other side of this drug use and seen it for what it is. Understanding why we are drawn to drug use, what it is that we are burying and what it is that we ultimately don’t want to face is the first step to kicking out any addiction.

121. Thank you for the insights into the world of marijuana smokers, and the effects it has with regards to burying your issues, so that you do not feel any sadness. It is clear that it has become a huge problem because it is so widely accepted and unfortunately that’s when it is seen as harmless, and normal.

122. Escaping life is always at the expense of the potential we are here to step into.

123. It’s become more and more evident to me, that any understanding of drug addiction on its own will never work. For the truth is, being addicted to marijuana is the same as being poor, being good or a rock star, being a great employee, partner or a rebellious student. Every single thing we puruse and drivenly seek, is just another flavour of hiding from our true power. How can you judge another for the choices that they make, when you look at your past and all the poses that you chose to avoid the simple truth of the Love you are? Our addiction to these stories and dramas are the greatest hindrance to ourselves but is possible as you show Anonymous to leave these addictive ways behind. That is the crucial fact and something we can all get behind.

124. A sharing for all, the destruction marijuana causes is very evident if you have known a person before taking up the drug and after. As after they seem to be a shadow of their former selves. Let’s begin to talk more about the destruction all illegal drugs cause to self, family, friends and subsequently, humanity. But more than that, let’s talk about why these behaviors are chosen.

     1. Beautiful Leigh – it is this understanding and judgment-free approach you offer here, that will allow us to open up and admit at last that we can’t cope and that there is a deeper conversation for us all to have.

125. It’s amazing to feel past patterns, or even addictions become just something in the past with no hold over ourselves. Usually when we quit something through will power it stays in our body so the pull to do it again is always there – it’s an inner struggle we have to deal with constantly. But through dealing with the underlying reasons for the patterns and addictions, we heal the hurts that we have been trying to bury by whatever these were, so there is absolutely nothing left of them and no need for them at all.

126. A brilliant sharing Anonymous and one so sorely needed in this world where drug use appears to be out of control. And isn’t that the key thing that you show – that whilst we might think momentarily escaping from a feeling or emotion we have is a great relief – the essential fact is this buries and traps the issue so deep. Contrast this with letting the sensation be, looking at why it is there, but knowing that’s it’s not the real you or me.

127. Reading your article made me ponder whether each generation look for something that is exclusively their’s
     As a parent of teenagers part of the struggle is to try and keep abreast and understand the things they are up against in our rapidly changing society.

128. When we look at life, we tend to look out for things that cause ‘violent’ changes. We see these extremities as the worst things. But whilst these events are undeniably powerful are they truly the most intense? Or is it possible that the visual scale we measure life through is not so complete? When I look at the side effects you outline here Anonymous, which are my experience too, it is clear to me that often times it is the ‘small’ indulgences and ‘not so bad’ habits that can cause the greatest harm. Everything is energy, so it only makes sense to me that we should begin to see the influence and impact of things from this point of view. To continue to ignore this will make us great dopes.

129. Firstly Anonymous I would like to acknowledge the tenderness, openness and fragility you express with, it is completely disarming and very beautiful. Your description of your first few days on a sober and nurturing diet stopped me in my tracks as I recently experienced something similar when I stopped eating fruit and sugar for a month. We all use a lot of different things to bury our emotions and deny what we feel but you remind me this stuff is always waiting to come up and out and it’s actually a very beautiful and healing process to honour what we feel.

130. Marijuana and ‘its insidious nature of hiding / burying and therefore hindering one’s ability to try and work through issues or deal with stuff.’ Sadly I have seen young people start smoking this and put their head further in the sand, refuse all support from relations and turn to peers who are also into smoking. Once they connected with those around them but gradually turned inward and to poor choices making their futures ones of struggle and reason to bury their heads further all the time thinking what they’re doing is fun and exciting until it so isn’t. My impressions is that society still views marijunana as more acceptable than other drugs (I’ve not heard calls to legalize heroin for example) fearing it more, not because of its effects, but that it is considered a ‘gateway’ drug not acknowledging the user has already entered the danger zone.

131. A fascinating insight into the world of marijuana addiction, It definitely is not a ‘natural’ way to live, it has devastating effects as outlined here.When I read this and recall that they want to legalise marijuana, a shiver runs down my spine. I hope that does not happen.

132. Thank you for illustrating so clearly the effects of Marijuana. As with so many things that we champion there is no good coming from Marijuana and I like how you say you are “not an AA­-like reformed drug addict” but that you have truly healed that what had made you use drugs to cope with life.

133. From the time of being a child and than to being addicted to marijuana, there must be so much numbing and hurt that this seems like an acceptable option.

134. There is not a lot that has been left unturned here and it depicts the user’s perspective incredibly evocatively, so thank you for the insight Anonymous, I’ll be returning to this blog again.

135. This is a truly inspiring personal account of the world of evil (all that is not love) that promises to fill us up if we choose to live empty and not in the fullness of our true self. Young children are good at dealing with their issues sober because they still have enough connection with the part of them that knows better in the sense that they know we are far more than what we at times play ourselves to be. It is only by reconnecting back to this part of us, our Soul, that we can lay to rest that recklessness of the human spirit that seeks to keep us living in separation to such love. By accepting and deeply appreciating that we are love in essence and by committing whole-heartedly to making our life about the expression of this love, we seal the cracks through which such evil otherwise enters.

136. Thanks Anonymous, a great account of how drugs can exclude oneself from life, contract us and change the way we live life. But your sharing shows that it isn’t ever too late to change behaviours and the way one interacts with life.

137. Thank you for a very real and down to earth piece on how addictive marijuana really is, and how it robs you of your daily life and your health. You have described very well the life of a ‘stoner’ and the effects this way of life has on those around you and the long terms mental and physical health risks.

138. Thank you for sharing your experience with complete openness and honesty. It’s so important to tell our stories from every angle and what supported us to come back to the truth of who we are and let go of what was smothering it, so others can hear of another way… just like what Serge Benhayon does and never holds back. When we don’t want to deal with our stuff and are hurt, we are given so many alternatives to numb and not feel. That’s where many can say marijuana is natural and safe… or drinking wine is healthy.

139. True self love and care really is restorative medicine, helping us to change our way of living and move back to being the love we are in essence.

140. Its clear that marijuana is a drug – it causes an altered state. Anything that we take to alter who we are is going to have dire consequences.

141. “You don’t see children, especially primary-aged children, having to come home and smoke dope or get drunk to cope with a tough day at school, they deal with their stuff sober.” You know what I have to say the opposite – not all kids use drink and drugs to get through a rough day, some do, and I would say even more if they could get away with it – and even some kids of primary school age drink and I am sure take or have taken drugs – but many other children from very young ages use other forms to deal a rough day or life, such as self harming, computer games, social media, mobile phones, behavioural issues and chocolate.

142. Over the years I have seen much devastation caused by this so called harmless drug, particularly with the young, bong smoking in their teenage years. Research indicates that there is a strong relationship between cannabis use and experiencing mental health problems. Mental illnesses associated with cannabis include depression, anxiety and psychotic disorders. . . . hardly harmless at all!

143. Thankyou for the insiders view of what marijuana does to human beings and why they use it. It’s too easy to label people as “druggies”, “stoners”, “pot smokers” etc instead of seeing the human being and why they choose to use this drug. You given me enormous understanding. It’s interesting that we don’t talk openly and honestly about how foul drugs really do feel, or even how awful life itself can be (which can prompt drug use), maybe if we all talked more openly and honestly working together and supporting one another, drugs would not be needed.

     1. So many destructive substances would not exist if we felt safe and free to open up and be honest about how we feel, what hurts and what makes us joyful in our families, at school, in our work places and most of all in our relationship with ourselves.

144. After reading this blog, and to really feel what the use of marijuana does to us individually but also, on a grander scale in our societies I do now understand the impact drugs has on humanity as a whole. As being shared in this blog, it is not only the ruined lives of the individual users but also the families and communities they are a part of and not to forget all the crime and wars that are related to the drug industry. When do we wake up and start to see the reality of this, that drugs are ruining our lives, our families and the societies we live in and are in no way as innocent as we are being told to believe.

145. Thank you for sharing your experiences with marijuana. I have read many medical accounts where it is linked to early onset of mental health issues in young people. It is far from being a harmless drug. Many who may be struggling to give up as you did will be inspired by your story.

146. It’s crazy how the obvious effects of marijuana are ignored by so many users, when there are stories like this out there that show how exhausted and physically ‘gone’ you can become from regular smoking. The difference between your experience that you’ve shared here is that you’ve found the way to heal your body from this experience in full, but many people suffer for their whole lives from this habit and sometimes as you’ve shared continue on into their 40s/50s/60s.

147. I grew up experimenting with lots of things, why we call it experimenting is a point here to look at – I was like you, wanting to avoid feeling and dealing with areas of my life, I thought I was cool, daring but really was devastated inside. At the time I thought there was little wrong with marijuana, yet today I can feel the damage it caused and the clarity I have is something I would never sacrifice again. The substance is not harmless at all and from working in the industry today I know the lives of so many people that are destroyed by this “social” drug. Time to wake up and change the perception over what “social’ really is.

148. Killing our potentials while thinking we are having fun is a hell we create and trap ourselves in. Not only just not knowing the hell we are in, but thinking that that is what we want seems to be how many of us choose to cope with the pain we feel inside.

149. A really fantastic insight into marijuana, and an angle we don’t always get to read from. I have never taken marijuana but was addicted to coffee for a while. Not in an extreme way but enough to want a fix every day, and what I noticed was that I made some of my worst decision while high on caffeine. It might sound silly as it is seen as a normal part of a functioning society, but for me, it was a powerful and damaging stimulant and one that left me far removed from my normal self, hence the poor decision making, not to mention the ravaging fatigue that resulted. With marijuana it looks scary what it can do, and what a powerful lobby there is to legalise it and normalise it. I fear if that were to happen we would see even more people give up on themselves and slide into addiction under the false belief that it is harmless and normal.

150. “great for numbing and hiding what really happened. To me, this makes marijuana the ultimate retarding drug of the 20th century” and as you say this has been around for years but we have only begun to see its domination with the push to legalise it. When I read your blog and I think about how many more people will avail themselves to this drug, it scares the bejeesus out of me. The number of people using will only increase and have a devastating effect on humanity.

151. Great blog anonymous and thank you for sharing. The superficial, physical effects of marijuana are already not good but when we take the energetic part into account it is even a worse scenario and make a seemingly innocent, natural drug not so innocent at all!

152. It’s astounding how socially accepted Marijuana is, and yet how devastating it is for those exposed to it. I find the proposed medicalisation of marijuana to be deeply concerning because of this.

153. An awesome article, honestly sharing the great harm that dope does to our bodies and minds. There is such a high rate of drug use in our world today, that is begging for some straight talk and guidance, this blog answers that ten fold.

154. Thank you Anonymous for sharing your experiences, it is not a drug I know much about so to read of the effects it had on you and your life is quite revealing. I had many friends who considered it harmless and you are showing how that is very much not the case.

155. ‘To me, this makes marijuana the ultimate retarding drug of the 20th century,’ This is a very strong statement however I feel it may well be true yet not something a lot would like to admit. I guess, it is like anything else you don’t really realise the harm of it till you are free of it or would it be more true to say you are not really free of it till you realise the harm of it? Thank God for our 6th sense which lets us know, which keeps reminding us and nudging us till we take action and begin to truly care for ourselves.

156. I watched a program a couple of years ago, on what was occurring in Colorado, USA, following the legalisation of marijuana (for social use). It was not pretty – and again, all the evidence was there with alarming mental and physical health consequences already evident after a short time, let alone the behavioural indicators already showing for young people in particular.
     As you’ve shared here anonymous, never before have we seen such endemic use – and it is an endictment upon our societies that we are not looking more deeply at what’s truly going on (ask anyone at the coal face). We’ve made checking out and self-harm so very ‘cool’ and ‘desirable’, that it takes people such as yourself anonymous to be the game changers – what IF there is a far richer life to be lived, and no drugs could ever compete with the joy, vitality and ongoing inspiration available?

157. Amazing, isn’t it… How the actual evidence of the scale of harm caused by the use of this drug is there, but it’s not societally acknowledged. Thank-you ‘anonymous’ for the depth of your candidness here. No doubt you could share reams on the destructive consequences you yourself have suffered, and those you’ve witnessed.
     And well done Universal Medicine for not holding back on the truth of the impact of the drug on so many levels of our being – it is no ‘soft’ or ‘passive’ foray to smoke marijuana, whether ‘on occasion’ or ongoing daily use.
     I’ve only seen harm and destruction in its wake, and delicate, sensitive people lose themselves entirely – often spiralling into other drugs of self-destruction (horse tranquillisers, etc.) and not being able to cope with life at alarming levels. We really need to take a long and hard look at the way in which we use any substance to supposedly ‘relax’ or take ‘the edge off’ the stresses and strains in our lives, when mental and physical well-being can be so disastrously impacted.

158. What occurred to me as I read this blog is just how we have not advanced as a society at all. In the last 80’s we had parents smoking marijuana and ignoring their kids, now we have the same as well as parents spending their whole time on social media rather than connection with their kids. It does not matter what tool we use to disconnect from ourselves, the very fact that we continue to live a life of disconnection is a huge problem for all of society.

159. ‘Even though it has been used for thousands of years in Africa, Asia and India, its retarding nature to human evolution is at a widespread and epidemic level.’ – this is pretty huge. The fact that as a society we know exactly what drug to go to and how much to take to avoid evolution. And yes – weed seems to have become a trend and somehow more common than in the past – perhaps a reflection of where we are as a society, and with all the grief in the world, this seems like the perfect escape. But at what price.

160. it is extraordinary how almost a whole generation was conned into thinking that marijuana was okay… But hey how long have we been conned into thinking that alcohol is okay… Humanity certainly does have blind spots… when it chooses!

161. Fascinating read into the world of harm that can be caused by this ‘natural’ drug. I was taken by this point “You don’t see children, especially primary-aged children, having to come home and smoke dope or get drunk to cope with a tough day at school, they deal with their stuff sober.” and whilst it was obvious, I saw it so clearly. When do we start medicating ourselves against the world? Children do deal with their stuff sober but they are surrounded by adults who don’t. They do not get much other inspiration as to how to deal with their stuff. You can see the cycle quite clearly.

162. As the world desperately squirms for more ways to numb distract and medicate it is a shame that it is being normalised and made out to be a harmless substance, with recent legalisation in many places around the world. Education of energetic responsibility is needed and a good look at why we need to reward ourselves with numbing substances like drugs, alcohol and foods for that matter.
     Addiction and the viscous cycle of dependence is a horrible way to have to live our lives when we are truly worth so much more, and as the author implied we don’t bring children into this world wanting them to be just that. But in reality happily hold their hand and lead them into the hands of evil by our lack of responsibility and acceptance of the ways of the world or so called norms.
     What is it that alcohol companies are the major sponsors of sporting events? What has alcohol i.e. a known poison got to do with optimum human body function in fitness and health?
     The corrupt nature and greed of humanity things make this a norm.
     The stoners vote / political power not to mention governments wanting its tax income are making marijuana more accessible and normalised in many areas globally saying to children its ok to check out in a supersonic way regularly.
     I met a young man the other day that told me how he ended up in the mental institute department of a large city hospital after bingeing on marijuana a number of years ago. He was admitted to hospital by his parents also smokers after suffering complete delusional behaviour, hallucinating and seeing things for days. He was lucky to come back after being heavily sedated for over two weeks and experimented with many different anti psychotic drugs and tranquillisers to bring him back to his conscious self.
     This is a classic example of the harm that a highly psycho active substance #THC #Marijuana #dope #pot can cause to the minds of some users, with so many more of the documented cases in hospitals all round the world. Hence the need for responsibility and education so we are not just puppets being manipulated by the forces of evil and norm.

163. Reading this brought back memories of growing up in the holidays and then when I left home in a surfing community where pretty much all the guys were stoners and drank heaps after days out in the surf. And this didn’t change much as they grew up so still got stoned at night and just about woke for the days work. I had other addictions but I gave being stoned everyday for about 2 years then on and off for a while a good go. I surfed too and tried to have relationships with these guys but going out with guys who cared about numbing out more to cannabis, alcohol, other drugs, sex and surfing was impossible. What a perfect reflection for my choice to not have a relationship with myself, that I constantly sought relationships from men who were choosing anything but intimacy in the same way I wasn’t committing to being intimate with myself. A great wake up call for me to start my programme of self-love.

164. I know from experience Marijuana is not as ‘innocent’ as it is made out to be you are spot on here when you say ‘The so called ‘non-addictive’ drug wreaked havoc in our lives as well as those of everyone connected to us’ and I am not surprised that Serge Benhayon rated marijuana as being ‘the second worst of all drugs with the shamanic drug ayahuasca in first place according to their energetic effects’. We need to talk about this more, the truth and devastating affect these drugs have on our body, mind, emotional state, relationships and energetic state .. creating so many gaps and holes in our aura that we become puppets to an energy that is so not loving but instead evil. It is these discussions that will make users and non users more aware of just what happens when drugs are taken. Also it doesn’t matter if you are in a different room in the house taking drugs where the children cannot see you, the affects are still felt by them. Everything is energy and energy can be felt, so instead of turning to drugs which completely numb us and create havoc in our lives what about we hold steady and start feeling what we do not want to. Again from my experience when we start to do this, feel what we haven’t wanted to, you get to feel that actually its okay. Things only have a hold over us if we let them. So lets not let them.

165. “Instead of treating our body as something to dump stuff into, like heinous / evil drugs, to help medicate ourselves to be able to cope with life, really only hiding from real life and burying our issues so we have more crap to deal with later – a truly vicious circle / cycle.” We are so precious and delicate it is crazy to think we can put ourselves into that position where we actively abuse our bodies with as you say ” heinous/ evil drugs”.

166. Thank you Anonymus, for such an honest sharing and willingness to heal and let go of the hurts, it is only until we choose to be responsible and stop managing life by seeking relief and medicating ourselves that we can truly be ourselves and that is for sure worth it.

167. Marijuana is far more insidious and harming than we are led to believe. There was a time I championed it as being from a plant and natural but it completely took me out of living any sense of reality. We ‘think’ it may be a social thing but reality it completely cuts off our connection to ourselves and to others.

168. It is extraordinary the harm that can be caused to ourselves and others when we choose to escape from life through substances that deny us any connection to our essence… an ugly consumption I too have chosen and am able to now look back on in disbelief and yet gratitude that through Universal Medicine I was able to address my reasons for choosing to be consumed by something that stopped me from truly living and enjoying life.

169. Thank you anonymous, you have informed and educated me to the road many choose and champion as a natural way to relax and escape reality. I feel the consequences of choosing to use anything to escape our feelings becomes a trade deal, It’s like you don’t have to feel but (whatever energy) will have the last say, we allow that energy to control us and it’s not always where we choose to go or end up, if we were really honest!

170. It is a story that I have heard many students who used to have addictions share that they no longer have any fight or desire for the drugs, whereas traditional methods for kicking addictions require will power and a life long struggle, always aware they can tip over into the addiction at any time. Rather when we are self loving and healing our hurts the reason you were using the drugs is removed and a deepening of your relationship with your self and others is restored.

171. I love that you have been so honest here, your honesty will light the way for others through there own addictions.

172. Wow – true inspiration – this blog should be on massive public sites like Huffington post for more people to read. I agree there is nothing harmless about drugs, and it’s very wrong how weed is portrayed by the media as natural and safe, as your experience shows – it’s far from either.

173. Wow this is such an honest sharing and from reading it I get that the author has really gone deep to explore what drugs did to them in the past. What a healing to the body to allocate the ‘why’ behind the ‘what’ – being honest about the fact that they had set up their life to not be more. if we could all get to this honesty about the choices we have made then we would not be holding onto so much.

174. The addiction to anything in life is horrendous, a nightmare of being controlled and our lives and our bodies spiral into destruction. The true change that will break this vicious cycle as you have lived Anonymous, is through the marker you have felt within yourself, when you allow yourself to feel again. Our bodies truly lead the way back to love.

175. What a transformation Anonymous, we are all responsible for what turns up in life. So to go from what and how you were living to where you are now, I understand takes dedication, honesty and reconnecting to a love within, that actually never goes away, but it is through daily choices that we make, to turn life around and you did that, very awesome.

176. We all have tough days as the blog writer has expressed and the way we deal with them may be different than choosing to smoke marijuana. Either way our choices in self – harming are no different as they all stop our full potential being lived. Thank you for your honesty and what a huge healing this is for us all!

177. Marijuana is a deeply harming drug, I have seen many people get lost completely from taking this, all under the illusion that it is less harming than other drugs.

178. It’s incredible how strong the way of thinking can be that makes marijuana attractive. I know how I watched so many young people write their lives off with chronic marijuana smoking. It is so insidious how it’s actually perceived as harmless, but in fact it’s undoing people deeply slowly from within, so that dropping out seems like a legitimate thing to do. Dropping out or becoming apathetic about one’s future is then ” normalised” and seen as ok in the context. This is all from a supposedly harmless drug. Most marijuana smokers will tell you that it’s not dangerous because it makes people ‘peaceful’ amd happy, yet that drug is actually causing far more harm than some of the other notorious drugs – very insidious.

179. Thank you for your super honest and crystal clear account of the effects of marijuana on the body – this ain’t no soft drug and those who are honest know it, deeply so.

180. This blog is such a great exposing of the true harm caused by marijuana. It is not the “natural” harmless drug that a lot of people like to believe it is. Irrespective of what addiction we have, whether it is drugs, food, overworking etc all of these strategies we used are just there to avoid feeling our hurts.

181. The friends we choose and the people we hang out with are very reflective of where we are at. We can have relationships that ask for evolution, where behaviours are called out to be discussed and when you are asked to be yourself and nothing less, this to me is real love. Then there are the relationships that want you to be less, to remain in your stupor and in denial of how amazing you are. These relationships are for hiding, comfort and actually feel pretty abusive.

182. Thank you so much for sharing, as the use of marijuana gets more prolific and we are hearing of more and more places legalising the latest being California. We need to wake up to what it truly does. The effects of this so called soft drug are horrendous. I would love your article to be front page in every city in every county until we get it, that this drug is not good for us, our family, our friends or our society.

183. What a needed blog Anonymous. The conversation we have around Marijuana is so often about good or bad, legal or banned, but how many have written about the energetic effects on us at first hand? From what I have read and seen in my life, the results are truly catastrophic and so destructive in every way. Perhaps the reason we don’t want to go there whether we are smokers or not, is that in essence, we all use substances and food in the same energetic way to numb distract and call things in that simply don’t belong to you and me. Isn’t it about time as a human race, we had a stop and an internal stock take about the things that are here in our bodies every day? Then we would have to deal with the fact that there is an energetic side to life we have for so long not wanted to see.

184. Wow this really exposes the deeply damaging effects of marijuana and cuts through the ‘friendly image’ it is frequently tagged with. And I love how you show that no matter how familiar we may be with a certain pattern of behaviour it is always possible to change.

185. Anonymous, you smash the belief that marijuana is a relatively harmless drug, more benign than the class A varieties that cause the strife they do. There is nothing harmless about a substance that steeps you in deep illusion, illusion that you’re doing fine when in truth you’re numbed out to your eyeballs with the paranoia stealthily creeping in to your entire being. What you’ve shared on this blog and the conversations this has started is so necessary, for as you say marijuana is being more and more normalised, with devastating effects for humanity as a whole as a result.

186. Marijuana is indeed a very toxic drug and children can feel and see exactly what it does to someone who uses it. Adults can too but they are not as honest as children. We need to learn to listen to each other and care about the impact we have.

     1. I agree Elizabeth. I once met a man who was very attached to his marijuana addiction but even he was unable do deny the devastating affect that his drug use had on his young children. If a drug harms children that are not even the ones using it what harm is it doing to the user?

187. Thank you for so honestly sharing how the life of drug addiction is so called lived, this is a story that would really benefit teenagers to read before they embark on a devastating life of drug abuse. You have a powerful story to share because the lie that this drug is harmless needs to be exposed.

188. So many of us end up in this bind of seeking ways to check out from the demands of life and then get trapped in needing more and more props to function.

189. We tend to rebel against a world we do not like. Yet, what the blog offers here is the rebellion against a world that was already in rebellion against another. So, rebellion within rebellion. The world of rebellion is always a world of images and never a world of truth. Truth has no link with rebellion. It does with revelations.

190. Thanks for this totally honest account, I too have personally experienced the devastation caused by this drug. Through what you’ve shared here there can be an uncovering of the truth and a shake up of the consciousness that socially accepts this drug to be something harmless or as a form of medicine.

191. What an honest sharing of what is around the addiction – whats behind it and how deep we can go into an addiction. Self medication is something we’re pretty good at. There are so many ways we can numb ourselves – to actually ask why takes a lot – perhaps because we know if we ask why then we have to start being honest with our choices.

192. To look at how a generation medicates and to compare with how others did it in the past is a beautiful way to reflect upon the world of ours and on us a species.

193. It’s a bit of a wrecking ball is marijuana, and yet justified by so many. I see and smell kids smoking it openly in the street and it does seem to have become more prevalent. It is a wonder that with all the evidence to the contrary that there is still this big push to make it an acceptable part of society. I suppose it would take its place alongside alcohol with they’re destructive nature sitting in the normalised seat of our societies in spite of the huge harm both cause.

194. “You don’t see children, especially primary-aged children, having to come home and smoke dope or get drunk to cope with a tough day at school, they deal with their stuff sober. It’s just in the adult world that we justify and champion this behaviour as ok, when it’s really far from that.” A great point Anon. As adults we try to bury our hurts through whatever vice or addiction we choose, be it hash, TV, overwork, alcohol etc. They all just dull and numb us. Attending Universal Medicine presentations was and is the best thing I have ever done in life – to support me to deal with ‘my stuff’ and lead a more healthy and true way of living.

195. This is a great account of the effects of marijuana. I have seen it ruin many people’s lives. What Serge Benhayon presents on the subject ought to be studied in more depth as it provides a true energetic understanding of what really happens to us when we use the drug. With this understanding, change occurs. For example, whilst I never used marijuana I did drink alcohol. However, the moment I understood the energetic effects of alcohol I stopped drinking alcohol that same day.

196. I read this and with all the ups and downs, decisions and choices leading to drama and addiction it reads like an amazing front page article highlighting one man’s life that the world would be staggered by.
     The trouble is that this is just one man’s story and there are 182.5 million users according to a UNODC 2014 report – information provided by http://simplelivingglobal.com/the-truth-about-marijuana/
     This is tragic then when we get a sense of how many people this is actually affecting – not just the 182.5 million but everyone they are in contact with, work with etc. Truly staggering that we make the choice to become like zombies when we can live more of who we are with ease as presented by Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine.

197. “we used it to escape and check out, to not truly see what was going on in our lives, and as a rebellion against a world that didn’t make sense.” When we use a drug of any sort to numb ourselves from feeling we are lost to the truth of who we are and the love that we innately are.

198. Marijuana has this stranglehold over so many people. Somehow because it is ‘natural’ it is ok. But thats like saying deadly nightshade is medicine because it is natural – yet we all know it is far from that! Some plants were never designed to be ingested or inhaled – we just need to face the reality and see things for what they are.

199. I love the courage of people who choose to let go of the props they hide with and choose to be seen in the world – “as I gradually let myself be seen by all – not always a comfortable experience, but so very worth it.”

200. Such a great expose on your life and what you had created for yourself, but most amazingly, turned around for yourself. Taking responsibility for yourself, making other choices and loving yourself along the way. Thank you, very inspiring.

201. Wow I am so grateful to you for sharing your experience. Many many world wide have fallen for the illusion that pot is good for you – I too once advocated that marijuana must be good for you as it was natural. I completely refused to see the truth right before me.

202. Thank you Anonymous, this is a great testimony to Universal Medicine and to the choice you were willing to make. If one is willing to take responsibility for one’s life everything can change as you have so clearly demonstrated here.

203. Thank you for writing your experience with this addiction of Marijuana. It has been very insightful and has allowed a deeper understanding in this area. To be owned by an addiction is imprisoning. Congratulations on breaking your habit and returning to a truthful and healthier way to live.

204. Thank you Anonymous, this is a front page news worthy article. You have said it all, hear, hear!

205. Great re read Anonymous. This is something everyone should read and take heed of ! I have seen many people lose their way through taking the stance that it is harmless!

206. This is a great blog, and I could not agree more. I’ve been sucked in for many years by the ‘safe’ feeling around Marijuana… like alcohol its seen to be OK, permissable, enjoyable. Yet like alcohol it has deep and distressing effects on people’s lives. I had two very close friends in particular who both had psychotic episodes and have had life long mental problems as a direct consequence.

207. I love your point at the end of this blog where you make the point that young children don’t deal with a tough day by driving or smoking. So very true. They do, however, watch like a hawk how the adults in their lives deal with their stress and learn by example. You illustrate this really well from your childhood. It is in all our interests to learn how to face our emotions full on rather than numb them, because the consequences of our coping mechanisms can have ongoing complications way beyond our life.

     1. It’s the power of modelling that sets up our young in how they see life and contribute to life. When we choose to make choices that are not loving or leave us in state of not being able to function in our daily life our young have already become attached to the cycle of behaviour that shows little in the true potential we can all live. It is interesting to observe that when we make life about change it does rattle us to the core but we know deep down inside that the way we were dealing with life before was far from the truth.

208. Some of the research that is coming out at the moment is showing how dope changes our DNA and can be passed from generation to generation. So this harmless drug has consequences way beyond our own life.

209. You are another amazing piece of the jigsaw.

210. I call it “white-knuckling” – when you go to give up something just through sheer will power. It never worked for me…or would just see me move the habit somewhere else. Through the teachings of Universal Medicine and the astonishingly loving support of the whole Benhayon family, I have changed so much in my life – from the roots, rather than white knuckling it at the surface.

211. It can be absolute torture when you know you want to stop any addiction and fail as it erodes your confidence and only exacerbates further the sensation of emptiness and powerlessness in yourself even more. But nothing will ever change if you just give up on yourself so I absolutely loved your sharing anonymous that ‘After a few days on the diet I cried for days as my body dumped all the unresolved / buried emotions and stuff back into my body to feel. I felt raw and sensitive but the great thing was I was able to feel again’. That is usually the point when we give up but you have exposed this is the actual turning point and opportunity to truly heal. Even if you go back to your addiction again you at least have seen the light and that there is another way.

212. This is both a brilliant and honest account of the true damage of marijuana addiction and the ripple effect on not only yourself and others, but society as a collective. Great blog anonymous.

213. Interesting how, as a rebellion against a world that doesn’t make sense, so many of us turn to self destruction. When it is the self destruction of our adults that makes us feel so lost and aching for love. Surely a genuine rebellion would be to nurture a self-loving way of life.

214. Marijuana has to be one of the biggest illusions of our time in that people are still under the misconception it can be healing and relaxing. I have taken enough to know it is not that and have unfortunately watched friends lose themselves into an dark abyss to a drug that is still seen by many as harmless.

215. An inspiring blog to read Anonymous, addictions to any substance or behaviour, are so debilitating and harmful to ourselves and obviously others. What you have expressed in this blog is very informative, authentic and coming from your lived experience which is so powerful.

216. Anonymous your sharing of addictions feel no different to many others when we allow it to consume our everyday and we can feel the downward spiral it is having in our lives.

217. Great stuff anonymous to come through the other side.It is a horrible existence living life in that sort of a haze, I smoked pot daily for a number of years and then when travelling I found myself in a state of America that had really tough laws about it and not having any contacts I couldn’t get hold of any. As the days past I started to think clearer, had more energy and just felt a lot better so I made a conscious decision at that moment never to go back to smoking it on a daily basis ever again. I still smoked occasionally from time to time but haven’t now for maybe ten years and man I don’t miss it in the slightest.

218. True healing as inspired and supported by Unimed and Esoteric Modalities “As I now am not an AA­-like reformed drug addict, but someone who has no connection or attachment to marijuana at all, it feels to me that it was another life away, ” I stopped smoking and drinking, but i didn’t just stop, I let go of the hold they had on me, I have no attachment to them in anyway. Nothing emotionally or physically draws me to consume, have either of them. Reconnecting with the inner heart and healing the hurts, has closed the openings within me that allowed the energetic hooks of drugs and numbing to prevail. The freedom is divine.

219. I have an understanding of the impact that this drug can have. It separates people, the connection that is just there is not honoured or developed, it brings in the mind, it a heady drug that allows the ‘imagination’ to take control. And so there is a disconnect with the expression of heart. Relationships can not develop, with ourselves or others through the use of this and others drugs. And the sadness and loss of not having this brings so much grief. This is a powerful article, thank you for sharing your experiences and commitment to healing.

220. What an extraordinarily powerful blog; your transformation and expose on addiction is very inspiring, thank you Anonymous for sharing your honest and informative experiences.

221. It’s testimonies such as these that show how no matter what our choices are or ways we avoid feeling the state of play. When we do choose to feel life expands, for us and those around us. And no matter if the behaviour that is abusive is accepted by society, it is still abuse. Thank you Anon for saying it as it is.

222. I can relate to your addiction with this drug and find it to be the worst out of all of them, the way it affects you psychologically is hugely disturbing.

223. Its really interesting to hear first hand the experience of how marijuana is. It feels like a real trap.
     I grew up with people around me who would have it every so often and I always sensed it. Perhaps that is why I couldn’t go near it. But to understand that there is more to smoking weed than the effects it has on your body, but rather gets us to look at why we allow such an addiction in the first place, a giving up on life and an escape from what we don’t want to face.

224. I think its awesome an ex user writes about the harm of Marijuana use, well done

225. Thanks for your hugely honest sharing, and not being afraid to speak up about the reality of marijuana – my observations of people taking it was that it was far from harmless, provoking terrible depression, dependency, psychotic attacks, violence and suicide.

226. The use of what is perceived by some to be a ‘natural’ drug, is very harming to the body, with the potential of damaging major organs, not to mention the damage it does to family and friends.

227. What a brilliantly honest and candid account of what long-term usage of a so-called harmless drug can really do to the body, the mind and hence the quality of life. What is remarkable is that you now hold no emotional connection or psychological attachment to the substance or to what it brought you in relief. As with all addictions, they’re there to mask our hurts and inadequacies, both of which have to be faced and healed for true recovery to be attained. Your blog should be provided with every first stash of gear as a true health warning on the expectations likely from pursuing a relationship with it.

     1. I agree Cathy, addictions need to be understood as the coping mechanism for a deeper underlying ill, If that ill is addressed and allowed to heal, then addictions don’t need to fought using willpower etc, but rather as the person heals, the addiction falls away.

228. Another living miracle when you choose you and choose life.

229. What you offer here Anon needs to be understood by Humanity en-mass. We are essentially operating in a big puff of cloudy smoke, believing that what we put into ourselves and output forth is innocent, natural and healthy and failing to see the impact this is having on us all. What a myth the ‘natural’ drug belief is that justifies the use of Marijuana. It is far from natural for our bodies to breath out smoke, we are not smouldering embers and combustable materials and we are clearly not well when our lives are heavily weighted by our addictive choices and we are driven by compulsion and need to self-abuse and to live in our chosen reality within the greater sphere we share with all.

230. This blog would be great for all marijuana smokers to read if they honestly want to accept the insidious hold that marijuana has on them. Marijuana is such sneaky drug which we can so easily deceive ourselves into thinking is expanding our understanding when in truth it is doing the total opposite and it’s only when not involved with it any more that can be seen how truly deceptive it is. But even if we don’t want to see or feel, we actually do know deep within ourself the truth of the great harm that this drug and the many other forms of drugs that are used to self medicate are in fact doing. Thank-you Anonymous for your total honesty written from your own experience in exposing how harmful marijuana is.

231. Thanks Anonymous for your very honest blog about the effects of using marijuana. It has really deepened my understanding of how insidious this drug really is. How scary is it that in Australia this drug is currently well on the way to being legalised for medicinal use!

232. It is easy to feel in your words Anonymous the clarity and truth of your vision today and how marijuana no longer has any hold over you. Your testimony and experience should be widely read as it completely dispels the idea that dope is just a recreational drug. The numbing blanket it brings into our life has serious side effects on us and everybody else.

233. I have passed this on others as unfortunately there are many people I know addicted to marijuana, the depth of honesty and exposure in this blog offers the reader a great healing.

234. This blog counters any claims that marijuana is “ok and natural”. Sure we can write a list of the benefits it may have but when weighed up to the actual harms, it isn’t attractive.

     Its like saying I’ll have an entire cake with 1 strawberry on top wedged in the icing. The cake eater will claim the nutritional value of the strawberry and neglect to include the damaging affects of the excess sugar and other ingredients we know aren’t good for us.

235. This blog is extraordinary and has opened my eyes to the in-depth despair that comes with drug use.

236. Thank you for this awesome blog. You tell a story of a lifestyle that I know too well. I was part of it and addicted from when I was 14 until I was 30. My parents smoked and it was labeled safe and natural so I just followed my role models. I had stashes so I would never run out and I would put myself into dangerous situations to make sure I would have a smoke and I would spend my money on weed before taking care of my responsibilities, and all of this was normal.
     Pot was my coping mechanism, it kept me numb daily and I didn’t have to feel or deal with any of my stuff or my hurts but it kept me a prisoner. It was not until I met Serge Benhayon at Universal Medicine and had Chakra Puncture from a friend of mine that I was finally able to stop and not let it control me anymore. I used to never be able to imagine life without it and how I would cope or even get to sleep. Now I look back and I so appreciate that it is a thing of the past and it has no control over me anymore.

237. I love your very open and honest account of your experiences with marijuana Anonymous. I too remember at school there were a lot of us kids who got into smoking it, even during school time. And there was the belief that because it’s natural and legal in some countries, it wasn’t dangerous or addictive. Luckily my pot smoking days didn’t last more than a few years because I started to get panic attacks. But I saw some loved-ones who were addicted to the so-called non addictive drug for many years and how withdrawn from society they became.

238. Thank you for sharing with such great honesty, this shows how when we start something that at the time seems harmless enough, can become so addictive and detrimental not only to those that take it, but destroy the families of those around them too.

239. Thank you anonymous, it is far from the care free party, social drug that it is made out to be. Its legacy is at best a life functionality check out and not feeling and at worst leading to psychotic episodes, breakdowns and potentially suicide.

240. We are seeing children more and more turning to these types of substances, and this is disturbing. I love how you have described your journey here as I am sure it is one many can relate to, Anonymous. The thick fog of addiction is one that is very hard to come out from, and you can be an inspiration to so many, simply in the way you live. Thank you.

241. Thank you Anonymous for this super powerful blog that demonstrates just how damaging this supposedly ‘soft’ drug is and how much the world is missing out on with so many living in an altered and self abusing state. I have seen the hugely damaging effects on many of the young people I work with and how detached they are from life and it is awesome to read that you now have to relationship with your former self and have turned your life around with true and deep self care and how the world is now graced with the reflection of you returning to you.

242. I enjoyed reading about your amazing transformation Anonymous, thank you for presenting the facts, knowledge and wisdom about addiction.
     “May we all aspire to be all we are for the sake of all, as it takes all of us working together to make our lives truly great”.
     You are a great inspiration for us all to work together to make our lives great; living in joy, harmony,stillness, love and truth.

243. The illusion that this drug is harmless is deeply worrying. I know myself from having taken it when I was younger that it seriously messes with your mental health. It is very disturbing that this drug is so widely available and to so many young people. Lets take a good look at society to see why this is going on.

244. What a great blog this should be shared in the class rooms of all schools. Thankyou for your honest sharing of your experience of long term use of marijuana and the effects it had on your life.

245. I have no experience or knowledge of marijuana so this blog is an eye opener for me. Its insidious proliferation in the community reveals how disconnected we have become from ourselves. We need people like you Anonymous to spread the word about the long lasting effects of this drug as commented in the responses.

246. Over the last 3 years I have observed quite a number of my friends or people in my year at school become avid or ‘casual’ users of marijuana; as you have stated in your blog anonymous it is definitely an epidemic that affects not just those you’d stereotype as ‘druggies’ or hippies, but a super wide range of people. There is one boy in particular who started using when he was about 13 or 14 (an uncommon but not super rare age to start) and having first hand witnessed a HUGE change in his mental health – now showing symptoms of schizophrenia, and self harming on and off – I agree absolutely with you that marijuana is not taken seriously enough and is not as ‘natural’ and health-risk-free as many like to think.

247. This blog is incredible, it is depicting the true harm of substance abuse not only on oneself but on all others that we come into contact with. Anonymous your story is an inspiration for many and brings such honesty and truth that is often not shared in the public forum.

248. Thank you for shedding light on a subject many aren’t prepared to be honest about. Little do the users of this drug know or are willing to admit the hold marijuana has in them. As you so honestly say marijuana use is “a selfish indulgence into the abyss of a life of misery.” Interestingly it is now being marketed as “Medicinal Marijuana” – a natural pain killer.

249. This is a very clear and truthful sharing Anonymous, I would even go so far as to say should be required reading for all . These words are clearly important too concerning what Marijuana does to one, it gives “a protective layer or shield that only held me imprisoned in unresolved stuff and emotion”. and also “this makes Marijuana the ultimate retarding drug of the Century”! Scary thought when we think it is the drug of choice for more than half the population!

250. I appreciate your honest experience with being a long term marijuana user, the detailed description of how harmfull the drug is is very alarming. The main point being made that any form of drug use will only bury issues and on top of that the side effects of the drug. Its far more truthfull and evolutionary to deal with the unresolved issues as you have illustrated in your blog

251. With the note that marijuana is on the rise, we need to ask ourselves in what kind of society are we living? What are our daily lives and relationships like that we have to check out and numb ourselves? That marijuana is a natural plant and was used by many cultures in the past and therefore cannot be dangerous – is pure Illusion. And a very evil one, as it makes one think, that a joint here and there is a funny distraction. But it is not, it is a live damaging drug.

252. The alarming note here is, as you clearly pointed out ‘anonymous’, is that on world scale marijuana use is still on rise. It has become almost a normality to see a teenager smoking marijuana on the street, in the parks, waiting for the train. And it does not matter to them, that other people can watch them. Unfortunately it is so much on rise, that you can smell it every day in the public.

253. The comment that you made Anonymous that “marijuana is a retarding nature to human evolution” is so true. I work in the drug and alcohol detox service I have observed that with marijuana, the usage has a hold in the body for some time after the person has stopped using,I can feel it in their energy and in the way they talk or hold themselves. There is a stoner way of speaking. It is definitely a culture that people belong to and out of wanting to be a part of something keeps them there. With no evolution in sight. A great blog

     1. Very true Natalie, I have seen that also. There is, in many, an idealisation about the memory of taking it that makes it seem like a lesser drug with no real understanding of the harm it does to mental health. We have much to learn in order to see beyond want we want to be true.

     2. That is so true I have observed the same in the rehab I worked in too and so many people in the community minimise the effects marijuana has on the body.

     3. I found the same Natalie, a friend used to describe it as putting a smoke screen/cloud over your eyes for at least a few days if not longer over your eyes. And biochemically that makes perfect sense because the THC compound in marijuana can be traced in your urine for anywhere between 4-67 days (National Drug Court Institute/Ellis et al. 1985) depending on how much and how frequently you have used the drug. And so it is having a chemical effect on your body all of this time, altering its state and function.

254. What is remarkable is that your addiction is gone. Supposedly that is not possible, at least according to the 12 step programs and similar ventures.

255. This must be my third time i have read this blog and find it incredibly healing each time i do. “Dope was a double-edged sword: great for helping destroy relationships (3 wives later – de facto), then great for numbing and hiding what really happened. To me, this makes marijuana the ultimate retarding drug of the 20th century”. Having experience marijuana i can absolutely attest to it’s debilitating and retarding affects. There is nothing we need to ingest from the outside that will ever be equal to the love and glory we are from within.

256. Thank You Anonymous for talking about such an important subject.
     Recently two more states in the USA have legalised Marijuana and you are stating the effects it has, which clearly confirm it alters our natural state and has many side effects.
     I have worked with those who have addictions and I also met many who take “pot” smoking as part of their daily rituals. It is highly addictive and what I am finding is that more is needed to cope with everyday life. By this I mean that they started with 2 joints per evening and now its up to 12 and their partner is also smoking and they spend all their money to feed the habit. They hold down jobs but are struggling.
     How can this be normal and accepted by society?
     What Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine has done is given us the answers to get to the root and you are a living example of this. Well done Anonymous and rest assured there are others too who are finding their way back from addiction – Thanks to Serge Benhayon.

257. Dear Anonymous this is such a deeply inspiring blog you have written from personal experience. It is a testament to your choice to self-love your way back from the grips of such a tight hold that marijuana had over you for such a long time. Our bodies are amazing how they can offer us a way to love our way back to a true vitality.

258. Great article that tells it like it is….it is wonderful to read of you uncovering your true self, emerging from the fog. Your last sentence is a golden nugget of a quote “May we all aspire to be all we are for the sake of all, as it takes all of us working together to make our lives truly great.” Thank you for sharing.

259. Wow this is an awesome read. It completely debunks the myth that marijuana is non-addictive, natural and so-called harmless. I look around my life and see how many people (including myself)that got caught up in the dope smoking, drinking, party on lifestyle. I remember the anxiety I felt the last time I used marijuana, and I realised in that moment what I was doing to my body. Serge Benhayon only ever presented truth about drugs and alcohol, never did he say to stop. But with the truth available, I learned to read my body once again, and make a choice that was loving – not to pollute myself with numbing and debilitating drugs. Your story could help hundreds, if not thousands. Keep speaking up!

260. Absolutely amazing to hear how you kicked the habit and came back to who you truly are. You are a inspiration to many. I would love to share your blog with the world for everyone needs to hear your story.

261. I recently went to a forum held for the community to start looking at what can be done about the ice epidemic in my local area. The forum was held in a pub where most of the attendees were drinking. What sort of message are we giving young people? We are willing to address this enormous issue in our community, but how willing are we to address our own possible addictions?

262. It interesting how there is so much talk and research going into medical marijuana study ,also the legalisation of marijuana in many countries .There is a big danger here that its sending out a message to the young people that is OK and safe, the addictive nature and psychedelic nature of the drug and how it relates and then plays out in a humans life is definitely not being taken into account here. They need to start with the mental institutions and doctors that are dealing with the negative effects and work there way back from there, it is definitely not a soft drug, but a very addictive, seductive product that can cause psychosis in some users, taking a strong hold of a person, whilst creating a false feeling a comfort and bliss or checking out in others. More a poisonous type plant that needs to be avoided is my opinion as a ex regular user in the past myself.

263. A lot of people wants to promote Marijuana as Harmless when in fact it is very destructive on many levels as well as addictive. It is a way as you say to bury all the hurts and problems that we go through in life but not dealing with them unfortunately.

264. I love how you describe your marijuana addiction as ‘only a selfish indulgence into the abyss of a life of misery. After all that smoking and time spent in an altered state I had not gained any more wisdom or enlightenment, or created a better way to live. So why continue with the PhD???’ Great blog anonymous and an awesome sharing on how marijuana holds our society to ransom on so many levels.

265. Your blog Anonymous is very powerful and you are very inspiring.
     It took me quite some time to read and ponder what you had written; there was so much wisdom and information.
     The transformation you have made is amazing as is your ability and courage to take responsibility for your life. The loving choices you have made of course impact on you but also all of humanity.
     Thank you for your honesty and beautiful expression.

266. This is such an awesome, honest, frank, courageous blog that blows open the other side of the Marijuana debate.

     Thank you for the courage to share what you have learned.
     I now need to go back and read this again as there is so much there. There are so many in the world that can be inspired and heal from what you have shared

     1. I agree simpleSimon888, this blog blows marijuana use right open and there are countless people in the world who would be moved and inspired to connect back to their authentic selves by the honesty shared here.

267. Anonymous, this is truly so good. a ridiculous amount of great points as to the harm of Marijuana. especially about how marijuana numbs what your feeling and so you keep everything inside… “hindering one’s ability to try and work through issues or deal with stuff.” From this its clear to see the harm it would have as the world is made on relationships.. and without the ability to interact and express how you feel with another, not only you but everyone else around you would get affected too. not only that, but hearing voices etc.. thank you for sharing that and being so honest in what went on whilst in the middle of it.

268. Not only celebrities supporting it, but the fact it has been decriminalised by the law in many countries. I was reading recently how Snoop Dog had invested $10m into a delivery company in the USA whose mission was to make a delivery inside 30 mins of an order… turning the whole marijuana industry into nothing more than Pizza delivery. This is going to have dire consequences.

269. Well said Katie. And the travesty is that much like Alcohol it is gaining acceptance. Its becoming legal (or decriminalised whatever that means) in many countries which gives it a stamp of approval and therefore makes it easier to grow, distribute and so more people will experiment with it. They have no idea what the damage can be, or the potential for addiction. And if Alcohol is anything to go by, society will just set up more clinics and institutions, provide more therapy etc to deal with the effects on our population… not making the link back to why so many more people are struggling to deal with the world we live in.

270. Well said Anonymous… on every count. I’ve been there, supported the marijuana campaign, justified its use and abuse for many years. But there is no question in my mind of the toll it takes both from my personal experience and having watched two very close friends spend time in mental institutions. To see its increasing legitimacy around the world, the denial of any ‘side effects’ by those lobbying for it, watch the strength of it increase as they refine the product, and all the while its getting cheaper. Its hard to understand how this travesty is allowed until you understand the energetics of how big a crutch it is for humanity to avoid having to take responsibility for themselves and really feel what is going on.

271. Anonymous this is such a powerful and deeply honest piece of writing. One of the most striking things about what you share is the fact you extend the responsibility for your drug use beyond the damage it did to you and those around you, but to the fact it prevented you sharing your real self with those around you. Getting to a point where you could feel that it wasn’t just about dealing with what hurt you in your world, but what the world missed out on in not having you expressing yourself in full in it… is profound!

     1. Absolutely Jenny, this blog is self-responsibility to the highest level. Yes anonymous missed out on so much of himself by being checked out on marijuana, but also contributed to the world missing out on another awakened Brother. He is now amongst us, and his story is a very very important one to share with the world at large.

        1. This is such an important point Jenny and Jo while so many are living such self absorbed and damaging lives we all miss out on living and sharing with others living in brotherhood and contributing to society in a positive way.

272. Thank you, Anonymous. I am deeply touched by your amazing level of honesty and deep insight. You say “I didn’t have any friends who were not stoners on some level” – I could say the same for myself about my drinking habit; then you say “I chose to choose my friends that way, so I wouldn’t be exposed or asked to be more” – wow, I was just staying with ‘That’s what everyone did’ – which I now understand to be so not true.

273. This awesome blog shatters the so many myths about marijuana thank you for writing such an amazing article. The shocker of cannabis use is awful especially when you consider the millions of people who use cannabis and justify its use as its all natural. And that it is a ‘safe drug” There seems to be a common thread with Marijuana around buried issues, lies, endangering others lives and relationships, boundaries become blurred and the false impression of brotherhood as I have witnessed peoples lives slipped away into depression as they hide away under a smoke screen.

274. Your personal experience and willingness to be honest about ‘your stuff’, beautifully exposed the lies about marijuana and drugs. I have never used drugs but used food on a daily basis to bury my hurts. It is only by being willing to feel our hurts and being honest that can lead to true healing.

     1. Yes well said Carmin, there are many ways to bury hurts… drugs, alcohol and food are definitely common ones, excessive exercise l’ve also seen used to exactly the same effect , and one l’ve discovered more recently is the ability to rationalise. When I find myself rationalising something, it is a sure sign I have felt hurt, but haven’t wanted to acknowledge or deal with it.

275. The transformation you have made is truly inspiring, thank you for sharing your experiences and your wisdom.
     What you have written here in your last sentence really resonates with me;
     “May we all aspire to be all we are for the sake of all, as it takes all of us working together to make our lives truly great”

276. Who are you anonymous? Don’t answer that as I will happily answer my own question…you are a bloody legend. You writing style is right down my ally, no BS and so relatable because your not trying to convince anyone that you know it all or that you are better…just a great story and cold hard facts of what this drug really is. I had my first bong at 10 years of age, I didn’t truly give up pot until I met Serge when I was 23… just the back and forth struggle as you described so well, the I swear I am stopping today only to be caving in to addiction by 3.00 in the afternoon. I used pot as a medication so I could go to sleep but ironically it ended up being what made my sleep difficult. I had this spider psychosis, I would swear I could feel a massive spider crawling up my leg, I would grab the blanket and be sure it was in my hand only to find it was nothing time and time again. Thanks for sharing this amazing blog, I was so inspired by this article my original comment was so long that I think I have my own blog, which will be the first one I have written, can’t thank you enough, it feels great to write about all that old life and expose the lie I lived in.

     1. Its crazy to read this blog, so simple, straight up and powerful ad then consider that the University of Sydney has just received its largest ever grant of $33 Million to study medical marijuana.

        That is Insanity.

        1. Are you for real? I did not know that Simon, that is wild and so off the mark. Thanks for sharing.

        2. Wow that is insanity, 33 million to study medical marijuana. You need to ask what is really going on? Imagine what the government could put that money towards. We could do a study on why is most of the world population exhausted? Or truly look at the obesity issue we have.

277. This is such a great article Anon. Love the honesty with which you have described the viscous cycle of such an addictive drug affecting many and creating so much pain and corruption in the world today.. truly inspiring the way you chose to make different lifestyle choices and allowed yourself to connect more to the tenderness and gentleness of your body who you are and stop numbing it anymore with poison. Thank you.

278. Very sobering article Anon, over the years I have witnessed how people I have been friends with, who have been heavily into taken marijuana and believed at the time that it was good for them and in some cases gone onto taking heroine.
     It seems to me that something that may start out as a bit of fun, has the huge potential to not only ruin the lives of the users but that of their family members also – I mean what would the quality of their relationships be like with their parents, spouses and children.

279. I have never taken the officially known drugs, but my drugs in life were relationships and being identified as a victim role. They were my reasons not to commit to life and to hide. Thanks for being so honest and for your reminder how precious it is to nurture our body.

     1. So true Alexander and an important point. Drugs and alcohol are just one very obvious way to numb. The truth is most, if not all of us have many unresolved hurts from our earlier and current life, for some it’s a regular daily, if not weekly occurance to feel hurt by things said, actions taken, even just the way people are in general etc. So every one of us has our ways to numb the fact, as otherwise we’d be a blithering mess most of the time. This would be a whole lot more honest really as we’d also be more likely to deal with them. Someone very wise once told me my ‘heroin’ was relationships too… and he was so right.

280. This is a very honest and revealing blog, thank you. It seems that addiction to drugs and their real purpose and effects can often only be seen after one stops using them. Looking back over a life of numbing, holding back and body destruction is never easy, but to find yourself in truth and start to live in a Soulful way puts it all in perspective. Universal Medicine has already inspired thousands to get their lives on track, all by presenting the truth of who we are along with practical tools on how to live life authentically. It leaves self medicated numbing in the dust.

281. This comment “..the drug wreaked havoc in our lives as well as those of everyone connected to us as we under-performed, buried our issues, told lies to cover up, broke many laws, endangered other people’s lives, as well as our own, and failed to commit to our lives and relationships” how wonderful to be free from such a burden. I still have friends that smoke and it is tough to observe the burden they have yet to choose to be free from. Excellent blog about how insidious marijuana really is. Great to be celebrate and commit to life in fullness – feeling it.

282. When you’re in it, and championing the use of you’re drug of choice, it’s interesting that still there is a part of you that knows that there is a better way. There is always a part of us that wants and longs for the gentle, loving soul we were before we succumbed to the self medications offered by our peers. We know what love is because we know what love isn’t.

     1. Very well said Amanda, through all my years of drugs and alcohol addiction I knew there was another way and the drugs were simply what I choose to avoid that way because before you can feel love you must stop and feel what is not love and that stop scared the hell out of me. Its so ridiculous as the self abuse in addiction is so much worse than just to stop and feel that you have been running from yourself.

     2. Very well said, Amanda, we do know that something is not ‘ok’, that what we are doing to ourselves with our various addictions is not love. We know because we are love ourselves and anything that is not that is not love. That’s what happens when you meet Serge Benhayon, you remember and recognize the love that he is and each of us is equally.

     3. Hi Amanda, interestingly enough our particles want to return to harmony no matter how much chaos they may be in. This is a known scientific fact. Chaos cannot prevail for long as all things return to harmony.

     4. Its interesting what you said about championing the use of your drug of choice. It reminded me that when I was a drinker I used to say that I would never trust a person who didn’t drink, and would always try to get people to join in with me. Crazy considering I haven’t touched a drop for a while now. But we can also see this behaviour of promoting whatever we are using to get though life in so many areas e.g different therapies, diets, or spiritual groups. However, what i have learnt now is that you don’t need to try and sign people up for universal medicine, you just live your life being the love that you are, and lovingly allow people to be inspired or not, without any imposition.

283. You don’t see children, especially primary-aged children, having to come home and smoke dope or get drunk to cope with a tough day at school, they deal with their stuff sober- this is a powerful statement and shows how we have nornalised drugs and alcohol on many levels in society.

     1. Yes this is so Joel but I must add that I have seen children come home from school and numb out on TV/screens and all kinds of forms of sugar. We all seem to find our drug, our form of medication. I have also found that with sugared-out kids they can get into a such a state that I have at times likened it to being drunk. And in front of a screen it is very like that are completely taken as they are non responsive and you really have to stand in front and turn the device off to break the spell they are under.

        1. Love this kathleenbaldwin, it broadens the responsibility beyond those that are choosing more blatant forms of abuse to avoid what they feel, like Esther and Lance, to all of us that might be avoiding things in different ways

284. As you said Anonymous, it seems like another life time. Thank you for sharing and bringing insight to the addictive and sinister aspects of drug addiction. I loved your last comment – ‘May we all aspire to be all we are for the sake of all, as it takes all of us working together to make our lives truly great’. It is a simple as that.

285. Thank you for such an eye opening account of your experiences with marijuana Anonymous. I have seen a number of beautiful young men fall away from their true potential and end up fumbling haphazardly in a half world where it is difficult to reach them or for them to reach out.Very saddening. Well done for feeling the truth of its (marijuana’s) actions and consequences and claiming back your potential and your life. You have much to share with the world here.

286. Thanks for your story, Anonymous. It shows how a person can come a long way!

287. Thank you for your loving honesty, Anonymous. This sharing is so supportive – just telling people how it is and how using Marijuana deeply affected you in your life. I still hear people today claiming that Marijuana isn’t that addictive – just denial. Awesome to read how you turned your life around, no small feat after so many years of using. Beautiful to know that you are now able to feel your gorgeous self, again.

288. I really appreciate this very candid and ‘pro commitment to life’ blog. The last sentence is a call to humanity with great substance about how every single person matters.

289. The way children see and deal with situations truly can be an inspiration for us grown ups – but this means to be willing at how much responsibility we have for ourselves and all that we do.

290. Thank you Anonymous for sharing your experiences and making a clear statement about the evil of the use of marijuana, the truly devastating effect and how it affects us all including our young. People want so much to believe that marijuana is harmless and only as they call it, a soft drug. Even the use of marijuana as a medicine is promoted and always you hear the phrase that marijuana is harmless. How far from the truth.

291. It astounds me that some countries now have ‘medical marijuana’. You can purchase the drug with a medical certificate. Maybe it’s a step towards controlling it to treat the addiction, although given the fact that it is a billion dollar industry and there’s a bit of tax to be made, maybe not.

     1. True Matthew, Germany is one such country. I just read it in the newspaper the other day that they are about to pass a bill – the belief that it is harmless is thick in the minds of people. It shows that the generation that is in political power now, is that generation that grew up with this so called soft drug being used around them. It shows that if something is around long enough, without being called out for its evil impact, starts to become normal and creeps its way into the systems.

292. This is an extraordinarily powerful blog Anonymous. You have completely called out the extreme damage that marijuana has on an individual, a family and community. It is an insidious drug that places one in the illusionary state that they are chilled out and okay whilst deceivingly it eats away at the knowingness of your essence and the truth of who you are. You have summed up your experience brilliantly which goes to show that the Ph D you did complete is there to serve now and express with many the truth of this drug. Thank you.

293. ‘A big thank you to Serge and UniMed for speaking the truth and not holding back in a world where truth is always used in a controlled form and not exclusively for the good of all. The transparency of Serge’s work is there for all to see, and in this case, a spade being called a spade is a great tool for (no longer) burying your shit.’
     Speaking the truth, the truth of what we really feel and then say is so very important because if we do not do so we hold each other at ransom and keep us in the spin of our vices and non supportive habits.

294. Thank you for exposing the truth about the harming effects of marijuana addiction.
     Truly a miracle for turning your life around after so many years addicted to this destructive drug. How awesome that you can now inspire others who have a drug addiction to consider another more loving way to live.

295. To quit after 20 years of substance abuse is really commendable, Anon, and offers a reflection of the possibility to others similarly afflicted – and as you say, very many are similarly afflicted. I have seen so many people in this situation from highly paid professionals to long term unemployed. This drug, like all drugs, does not differentiate: it can wreck anyone’s life who allows it to do so.

     1. Wow Anonymous thank you for sharing your personal experience with drugs. I loved how you said primary school aged children don’t come home and smoke dope or drink alcohol to cope with a tough day at school.

     2. Coleen, what a great point you make. Drugs don’t differentiate, they can wreck anyone’s life who allows it to do so. Just goes to show how heinous drugs can be.

296. What a powerfully honest and real blog about addiction. Having observed young children navigate their way through school it has all the intensity and issues of adult life. It is true that they learn to deal with it mostly without drugs, but are perhaps medicated with sugar and food. As adults in addition to drugs, we are also using food and sugar as self-medication rather than dealing with our issues and they pick up on this ‘habit’. This may be one reason why we have an epidemic of childhood obesity and it certainly sets them up for addiction to drugs or other things later in life.

     1. I love what you are saying here Andrewmooney. As a whole society we need to start challenging what is considered the norm and what is presently considered acceptable and tolerated. We also need to initiate teaching skills to our young that prepares them for the harsh reality and the ups and downs of modern day society. Prepare them so they can cope with the challenges that life invariably throws at us all – not by numbing or ignoring what we don’t want to feel or want to hide from, but by being responsible and actively building a sense of self worth to live and grow from that becomes slowly more and more impenetrable to the allure of poor and unloving lifestyle choices.

        1. Absolutely Suse because if we give children the tools to deal with life without numbing out as early as possible then they are more likely to chose to live responsibly and not go down the self destructive route of drug use in any form.

297. Thank you for this very powerful and truthful blog on Marijuana. I have had some contact with the drug, observing the effect on people that were addicted and I agree it is a very insidious, retarding and life wrecking drug.

298. Thank you for all you have exposed about marijuana addiction that is more rife than is often cared to be acknowledged, and well time that it is.

299. Well said Tony!

300. This is a great article. I was a regular drug user and I know very well of the strong hold it can have on you, the downward spiral, the disconnection to close loved ones as I could not look them in the eye.
     I used drugs daily and was working in the music industry and always had plenty of company to get stoned with. It was how I bonded and made friends even though we were far from truly knowing each other. In truth I could have been so much more productive if I had a clear head and could get stuff done without the fog of being stoned.
     Thanks to Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine I am drug free and enjoying feeling all that life presents. Sometimes what I feel isn’t pleasant but I am here to learn and study myself. To understand why I behave in certain ways and to learn from not so good choices. You can’t do that stoned.

     1. Yes, I’ve observed how smokers of this drug do see it as a bonding tool of sorts – I’ve wondered what has been in their heads that would lead them to such a belief, too.

     2. Thanks for your comment Daniel, I totally relate. I was a stoner from way back and spent the majority of my life under the influence of some drug. I also have Universal Medicine to thank for getting myself back, I honestly felt like most of my life was taken from me and now I am slowly rebuilding and truly understanding who I am, not always pleasant as you say but truly awesome and would not have it any other way.

     3. Thank you for sharing Daniel, too often it is considered that there are no negative affects – and yet do we look at and consider the effects that taking this drug can have on our relationships, our ability to work and our families?

301. Such honesty and rawness can be felt in this sharing and a beautiful confirmation that there is always a way back when there is such a deep disconnection from self.

302. I would say that the drug of today, or at least one of them, is the screen (TV, computer, phone etc) I had experienced very similar situations as you described Anon. The addiction, the wasting health, damaged relationships to name a few. It seems like no matter when or where we grow up there is a means and ways of avoiding our issues and hurts and the overall behaviours of avoidance are shown to us by the previous generation, only the flavour changes. But what Universal Medicine presents and is proven through evidence such as this blog, the comments and the masses of people saying how their lives have changed by dealing with their buried issues sober is that this generational tradition need not be carried onto the next.

     1. Hear, hear leighmatson, there is another way and this way has been lit up by many now and becomes more visible with each person re-claiming themselves and changing their current course, showing others how it can be done.

     2. So true Leigh, and not least computer games that provide non-stop stimulation 24/7 that suck people into their computers and their fantasy worlds at the complete neglect of the real world that awaits. And the more out of control their world becomes because of that neglect, the more easy it is to stay in the fantasy world. It doesn’t matter which is the drug of choice, they all ensure we keep disconnected from ourselves and others, and shut down to the world – and we know it’s irresponsible, but continue to choose it. Universal Medicine is inspirational in that it is willing to present the truth of this tragic mess we have created; and show there is a true way forward, that it is possible to heal this issues we don’t want to face, and to take responsibility for our lives in a way that supports everyone. True change is not only possible, but also simple and profound, and I see it play out in many people’s lives, including my own every day.

303. Awesome article, bringing first hand experience of regular marijuana use and its actual effects. I knew people from all walks of life (academics, professionals, tradies, musicians) who were regular users, and it was considered as ‘normal’ as smoking a cigarette or drinking a glass of wine – and yet there was also a great deal of stress, depression, prescription drug use and mental illness including schizophrenia in those same circles. I knew of a person who was nearly killed by one of his friends having a psychotic attack after some heavy smoking, another time the same friend was put in jail for a short time one night while stoned and he committed suicide. It’s not fun to watch the gradual decline and feel helpless to do anything about it. But at least more are now speaking up and relating the truth of their experiences with this insidiously dangerous drug.

     1. To me the effects of the drug are plain to see through my own personal experiences and I could not agree more Annie. But it was interesting how you noted that it has joined its normal friends – smoking and drinking. If you were to look at the danger to society of these other drugs that have long been legal, we would find they kill hundreds of thousands more people than the so called ‘Class A’ drugs everyone is so fearful of. As a society we are somehow missing the really obvious messages that out bodies and the statistics are showing us.. and have now added Marijuana to that list.

     2. Yes it is such a false perception that marijuana is safe, that it just mellows people and calms them down. I too knew many dope smokers over many years and most of them lost any motivation to deal with their issues, nor did they commit to life’s challlenges. I know so many stories from others about teenagers/children who had first schizophrenic episodes soon after smoking dope. I have never seen anyone who smokes dope thrive, or have a sparkle in their eyes. To me that says it all.

        1. Very true Felicity, you can see a lifelessness in their eyes. As much as I knew so many who would not have considered a day without it, they didn’t thrive, sparkle or live their lives in an engaged way. It is a hard one to watch as a friend.

        2. Yes I agree with your perceptions. I never saw Marijuana do any good for anyone. It just seemed to leave them detached from life, but not in a strengthening or wise way, it bred apathy.

304. I love your honesty Anonymous. By expressing the way you have in regards to the effects marijuana has on our bodies. This can inspire many others on just how potent drugs can be and how they can take us away from ourselves so quickly.

     1. Yes Kelly Zarb. And this article is the absolute proof that we can stop drug addiction for real, even if we are extremely addicted. I found this article very inspirational, as I have not been on drugs, but I can deeply sense the harm of drugs in your writing and how it takes such strong effort and strength to stop using it, and that it is more the reason why we take drugs, than the drug itself. That is powerful to understand! Once we look at the cause of why we are using drugs, I guess, to stop using drugs gets much easier, as this article by Anonymous is so clearly revealing.

305. Thank you anonymous for the deep and honest sharing on Marijuana Addiction. I know nothing of it from personal experience as I have not taken it. Over some years of volunteer work as a counsellor I came across some of the issues people were facing in trying to give it up and how difficult many found it. I APPRECIATE THAT OTHERS MAY READ YOUR WORDS AND TAKE HEED Thank you for such an important informative document.

306. Thanks so much anon. Growing up in the 90s and 00s I had a very different experience of adolescence. We definitely had similar issues of wanting to rebel, indulge and experiment but it was more with alcohol and (from what I saw around me) a variety of pills. I loved gaining insight into what it was like growing up then and to hear someone talk so honestly about something that is so often adamantly yet blindly championed by many.

307. I live the honesty, rawness and willingness to heal after years of self abuse in this sharing. It’s only because we feel hurt and wanting to numb this pain that we use alcohol, drugs, food or even entertainment.
     It’s so inspiring to know there is another way and Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine was leading this true way!

308. “You don’t see children, especially primary-aged children, having to come home and smoke dope or get drunk to cope with a tough day at school, they deal with their stuff sober. It’s just in the adult world that we justify and champion this behaviour as ok, when it’s really far from that” This is brilliant, thanks for sharing. You’ve shared the controlling nature of a substance like marijuana, and how horrible it feels. I certainly don’t ever want to go into the abyss of any substance like that, because as you’ve said when you come back to reality everything is still there that we have to deal with so drugs is just numbing and creating a false world so we don’t have to feel any reality. I had always had a strong feeling that drugs are terrible for our health s humans and in primary school used to educate my teachers and friends about it. But when I hit high school I took on this silly belief that marijuana was okay because ‘its natural’ and it isn’t addictive and its safer than alcohol blah blah blah. But clearly I knew inside that it was all false because I couldn’t bring myself to try it.

309. Hi Anonymous, I really like you blog but have to point out that it has been many years since Mexico exported marijuana to the United States. In fact marijuana has been the United States highest value cash crop for many years. Mexico used to export marijuana but because United States grows it’s own they have been exportiing more cocaine a much more addictive and valuable crop. More recently Mexico has even been growing opium to produce heroin to export to the United States, an even more addictive substance. It’s the cocaine and to a lesser degree heroin that has fueled the drug wars in Mexico.

310. Re-reading this blog reminded me how I used to defend the use of marijuana because it was natural. I used to lead a double life as well or at least I thought I did. It took a boss of mine to challenge me on my anger and lack of motivation at work and without judgement he said I don’t know what you are doing after hours but it is having an impact on your work. I was mortified, I honestly thought I could get stoned every night and on the weekend and rock up to work and function, I knew it had to stop and it did, I was lucky, I did start counselling, but it took another 11 years before I gave it away altogether and that was when I started at Universal Medicine and understood the impact, energetically on myself and the people around me.

311. I like what you state here – “As I now am not an AA­-like reformed drug addict, but someone who has no connection or attachment to marijuana at all.” So true…
     The second statement I felt was important that you said – “I don’t preach to them, I respect their choices, but say clearly how I feel and how I would never use marijuana again.” No imposing…

312. Wow what an awesome article, that shares what it is really like to live like this. How it can blind and numb us, to what is truly going on within. The damage it can cause, not only to our bodies, but the impact it also has on our lives, if we chose to take it. I have seen lives devastated by drugs and the impact it has on their families and friends. But what I love about your a blog, is you show their is another way. Thank you for sharing your story very much appreciated.

313. Looking back at my fifteen or so years addicted to marijuana I am saddened by the years I wasted away. Whilst I can remember events, places etc those years passed like a thick fog, unable to see what was going on in the real world because of the thick cloud of bong smoke that surrounded me and all the while there I was thinking I didn’t have a problem with life. Marijuana is as devastating a drug as they come but it still has a soft level and that fact that it is now legalised/decriminalised in so many places is of concern. Where are we headed as a society if we are allowing drugs to be legally available, the governments know they are sitting on a gold mine by allowing this, it clearly shows that their main concern is not of the people they represent but rather how much money can they fit into their revenue bag.

314. I have seen several lives deviated and devastated by marijuana. This so called ‘harmless’ drug is in no way harmless at all. It makes me wonder about the side effects of it being used for legal medicinal purposes and if we are heading down slippery slope with this?

315. This is such an important blog that should be shown to all teenagers thinking of starting to smoke dope. To often it is portrayed as being cool and something to do to rebel against society, yet is deeply deeply destructive and can have devastating effects on mental health.

316. This was a really really great blog. The true affects of the so called ‘harmless’ drug- which is clearly not so harmless at all.

317. Wow what a journey. I love what you have shared in this blog – as you share here – even at the deepest point of addiction, there is always still a choice to come out of it based on the level of awareness we allow. I can feel the strength it has taken to write this and be so honest with yourself about the true nature of a ‘harmless’ drug – and what a healing it is to express this.
     It’s true that there are others ways to deal with life, rather than bury it behind an addiction, which sadly can in the end be even more painful than what is being buried

318. This is such a powerful blog anonymous. I especially love the way you wrote about the huge amount of violence and death that occurs in places like Mexico for this so called ‘harmless’ drug. I used to wonder about the karma of drug taking often, even when I was under the illusion the marijuana was a ‘safe’ drug. This point alone shows how harmful this drug really is on every level.

319. The life you have described is so far from what my own life looked like, but even so, I too was living without truth and love. It doesn’t matter what it is that you do to numb yourself, at the end of the day, it’s all the same really. Once I heard the presentations from Serge Benhayon, I realised what I had been doing; existing very comfortably, but not truly living the person I was born to be. Thank you for sharing yet another way people get caught up in, and that there is most definitely a way out of it.

320. I really appreciate your open and real blog about marijuana addiction, a must read for anyone considering trying the drug

     1. I so agree Joe….this needs to go out to the global community.

321. Thank you for sharing such a detailed account about a drug that from my experience is not the harmless substance that society currently holds it to be. It really worries me to look back and see just how socially acceptable a drug is that completely destroys ones life in a way that some may not even realise or relate to the drug. The truth should be shared.

322. Wow. Thank you, I have not read such an honest account of a life of marijuana use and addiction.
     Something that also really stood out was your appreciation for Serge Benhayon calling a ‘spade a spade’, and not holding back the energetic truth – even if people may not want to hear it. This truth supported you to make true choices, which is an absolute miracle.

323. This is an awesome blog anon, littered with profound insight into the destructive repercussions of using pot. It is a powerful must read for anyone who believes in the harmlessness of it being a natural substance or who wants to be inspired by someone courageous enough to choose to stop numbing themselves and feel it all. A truly incredible story.

324. Anonymous, thanks for sharing your amazing story. I now more fully realise the insidious way that marijuana works on humans. It makes me shudder to think of the damage that is going to be further perpetrated on people through its growing legalisation of use for medical purposes in various states in Australia.

325. I recently studied Addictions and I am quite amazed at how “marijauna” is not receiving the media attention that it needs as more and more are smoking this substance which has active ingredients that really do alter the brain chemistry and put the body into total dis-harmony. Those who give up tend to replace it with nicotine and other substances so nothing really changes as the root of why they smoke in the first place is not addressed.

     Your story is so inspiring and I am blown away that you can now confidently say that you have “no connection or attachment to marijuana at all, it feels to me that it was another life away”. Well done and thanks for sharing.

326. Thank you Anonymous for your deeply revealing blog into the truth about Marijuana. It is a truly destructive drug in every sense of the word, and yet we are fooled into thinking it is socially acceptable because it is associated with such passive behaviour, and therefore not considered to be dangerous to society. I always laughed when people said there was no evidence that marijuana had horrible side effects. For over the years I have had many close friends who were marijuana addicts. There speech was affected, as was their short term memory, and worst of all, they were difficult to connect to. One day I went camping with my friends, and they all chose to get stoned. It was a beautiful day. We were camped directly opposite this great surf break, and I ended up having to surf it on my own. We then decided to go fishing, and my friend next to me thought he was fishing until he realised that he had been standing there for 1/2 hour without even casting his line. His hook was still at the top of the rod. Everyone thought this was hilarious except for me, for at that point all I could feel was the sadness of feeling alone on that beach with my friends who were not really there at all. I might as well have spent the weekend on my own.

     1. Great point Adam, thank you for sharing. Marijuana is such an insidious drug, it is portrayed as many to be docile, natural and free-spirited but all I found was it created a daze for me, a complete lack of reality and responsibility. Whilst at the time I thought I was having fun, when I would look back all I could see was what a waste of time it was and how much I had missed out on by not actually being present with what I was doing. It is crazy how it can be championed when it is ruining and wasting so many peoples lives.

     2. I know what you mean Adam….I have tried to communicate with someone on drugs and all I can feel is this sadness… as they are not really there with you at all.

     3. I agree Adam, lovely sharing. I also find it sad that people believe they are ‘happy’ or ‘loosened up’ when they drink alcohol. For when I’m with people that choose that I don’t feel any joy, I feel that that person is not there at all and that makes me quite sad

     4. I totally relate, Adam. When a friend or loved one is stoned, they are definitely NOT with you in any way, shape or form: you are on your own at that point – the friend is gone.

327. An absolute gem of a blog and should be shown to any young person considering smoking for the first time or anyone who still smokes. Your blog shows there is a way out, to feel the pain and to deal with the root issues is the only way to go rather then spending years self medicating only pushing the problem down further. Thank you for throwing such light into the murky dark consciousness of smoking pot.

328. Wow Anonymous. So honest and powerful. Your willingness to expose the reality behind marijuana addiction is to be applauded. I too smoked pot every day for many years and was totally convinced it was harmless and ok. Your sharing offers a true and real insight into the incredible harm that is marijuana.

329. This is fantastic Anonymous, thank you for writing this so honestly. True healing starts within.

330. Thanks for sharing an incredible story of your experiences of marijuana. It has so clearly exposed the way this drug is so so so harmful and yet society still sees this as a recreational drug. Reading how you dealt with the deep despair of finally feeling all your buried hurts is a remarkable story that I am so glad you have shared.

331. I really like how you describe the choice of friends as a way just to make sure that you would not be exposed. By getting together only or mainly with like minded people we just keep going. This is a great example of how we control our life to the marijuana-dimension. This, however, does not mean that we are in control, given that addictions govern us. Responding to this energy governing you in the first place confirming it in every action.

332. This is a very powerful expose on marijuana. I too feel that you could do well to write more on this subject and share more to a wider public, maybe you are already. I know what harm it caused me and I feel that as a person who always wanted to get to the root of any problem and completely clear the decks as it were marijuana was a perfect foil as it countered this natural instinct in me and made me not want to bother and think everything was great when it wasn’t. It also blurred my boundaries so that I would find myself getting into sexual relationships that being sober I would never contemplate. I feel that it is hugely harmful and unfortunately often looked upon as completely harmless. The truth needs to be told so that people have a chance to say no to this deadly substance.

333. Thank you for writing what needs to be said about marijuana addiction. In my late teens I felt like I was the odd one out as I witnessed a group of beautiful, loving and intelligent men live and champion the use of marijuana in their lives. At the time the band Talking Heads had a song out …. “Where on the road to nowhere, come inside, taking that ride to nowhere, we’ll take they ride …” I remember feeling it was such an apt song to describe what was happening to these beautiful men I loved. As an outsider to this club there is not much you can say except continue to feel how much you love them and allow them their choice. Nothing has changed for me in this instance but I welcome a club member and brother coming out and sharing what those on the outside witness on a daily basis. How awesome you were able to pick up on what your children reflected back to you, our divine canaries in the mine of misery and self destruction.

334. What an absolute transformation. I have known people, that like you, had been very heavy users of the substance and the attachment to it was always so strong. No matter how much the person wanted to get off the substance it would always hook them back in. It is awesome to read how much you were attached to it and how you found the way to drop it completely out of your life. And how much your life has now changed because of those lifestyle choices.

335. There is so much misinformation, lies and beliefs about Marijuana, in many groups and circles of people its considered natural, acceptable and even a cool drug to take. Thank you for exposing the true harm and damage that it actually does, and sharing your brave account of choosing to love and care for yourself and face life head on, letting go of this insidious drug.

336. Wow what an awesome article, the level of honesty in what you expose is amazing, as you have not held back from expressing the truth of your experience- the ups and the downs. I appreciate what you have shared as it gives everyone the opportunity to feel the devastating effects that a substance like marijuana has on the human body and psyche, but also the power of coming back to yourself and living from love.

337. Marijuana, is very seductive in the way it hooks you into a cycle of addiction. It is definitely one the worst drugs and yet being heralded as soft, acceptable, legal, and now decriminalised in some countries and states. What a great way to pacify / numb the masses, whilst tricking them into feeling so called chilled or like rebels and expansive free thinkers.
     We definitely need more study and understanding of this topic so people can have an more informed choice. Thanks Anon.

338. Great blog and insight into the life of someone addicted to smoking pot. I fortunately swerved past marijuana as a drug I didn’t get on with how it made me feel, but I know it would have been something I got into if I had enjoyed it as so many of my friends did. One friend who was 10 years older than myself and a daily user really lost his ability to think clearly, it was quite shocking to see and a good reality check of what the possible damage could be. It certainly makes sense that it buries your feelings and issues. I love you last sentence about children not being able to check out using drugs – though tv, sugar and computer games are their drug for this – essentially they have to deal with their lives where as we seem to think we can do what we want to ‘take the edge off’ life. Great blog.

339. It was great to read your blog and get such an honest insight into the life of someone caught by marijuana use. Its amazing how when we are in an addiction we can’t see the downward spiral. I loved that you realised that your kids knew when you were stoned – no matter how old they are, they know when we are ourselves and when we are not.

340. Anon, having also been a pot smoker for years I now so clearly see that sucking on a joint was just like sucking on a sooky dummy, it numbed me out big time!

341. Thank you Anon, I found I was really drawn to slow down as I was reading to better understand the full breadth of what you were saying. One part that really stood out for me that I hadn’t considered before was ‘You don’t see children, especially primary-aged children, having to come home and smoke dope or get drunk to cope with a tough day at school, they deal with their stuff sober. It’s just in the adult world that we justify and champion this behaviour as ok, when it’s really far from that.’. You have given me a lot to ponder on because what you have written could also apply to any ‘addiction’ (legal or otherwise) we use to numb, distract, bury or defend etc our ill chosen ways of being.

342. Very true. When you have so-called role models saying that pot is harmless and that it should be legalised, it sends a very big message to the masses. Young men especially are very susceptible to this kind of propaganda. People use it to escape and that is the solution that we have opted for as a society. Shows how undermined mental health is. It is hardly surprising that suicide is the biggest killer of young men.

343. I agree Tony, the view society currently holds around ‘weed’ makes its addictive quality ten times worse because we see it as ‘okay’ and ‘normal’ when the simple fact that people can’t enjoy life without artificial stimulation is in itself enough of a red flag, let alone the fact it is a drug.

344. Thank you for this blog it has powerfully captured so much of what I grew up in and around. The piece that jumped out for me was “as we under-performed, buried our issues, told lies to cover up, broke many laws, endangered other people’s lives, as well as our own, and failed to commit to our lives and relationships.” I look back at some of the choices I made whilst smoking marijuana and shake my head. I know I would often go into shock at the time but rather than dealing with it would get stoned again and bury it further. Not so long ago I was having a conversation about what marijuana does to your brain capacity and it was very hard to accept the potential I chose to take away from myself by choosing to go on a two year smoking binge.

345. Probably one of the best blogs I’ve ever read. You could easily write a book based on what you know, which would be sorely needed with marijuana now being legalised in many places. I was quite shocked by what I read but you described everything so well, including the real reasons why people turn to this drug. I feel what you’ve written is an education that the world needs access to in a much broader sense. I hope you will take the messages you have on this topic out to the broader global community.

     1. Well said Melinda. I completely agree. It is an important and well needed message.

     2. I totally agree Melinda, the real reasons why people turn to this drug and the information of the damage caused by this drug has to be taken out to the broader global community. This is not a harmless drug.

346. An awesome blog Anonymous, and an inspiring read. As one who works in the AOD sector (Alcohol and Other Drugs), I can deeply feel how inspiring this blog will be to read for those beginning to question their use (and indeed, anyone!), and will be sharing your blog, and your truth with others. Thank you.

347. I loved reading the truth of your blog anonymous. I have seen first hand the effects of this drug. Alcohol was my main addiction but I did indulge in marijuana to be sociable and I have witnessed the effects of it on my children and grandchildren. I have seen a peson react withpsychotic episodes, resulting from the addiction to this drug. It is so insidious and so commonly believed to be natural and therefore ok….but that it is ok, is such a lie. It is amazing to hear your story of how you turned your life around and allowed yourself to feel and make self-loving choices. Thank you for your honesty, it is so inspiring.

     1. Hi Irene,I have had similar experiences with the affects of marijuana. Especially with the mood swings it caused teenagers that in many instances I have witness develop into psychotic episodes . This is certainly not a harmless drug.

348. Great blog anonymous, thank you for your clear view about the truth of drugs, that they are not innocent and are used consciously and unconsciously to assist users to not deal with there issues in life, because of, as you state so clearly, the true nature of marijuana “by its insidious nature of hiding / burying and therefore hindering one’s ability to try and work through issues or deal with stuff”.

349. ‘The substance was utterly destructive and ruining my potential to have a balanced and great life.’ Such simple yet powerful words that could be said of any drug. Awesome blog thank you, and one to be shared with anyone looking to work through addiction.

350. Thank you for this article. In reading your words I can get a real sense of how these kind of drugs are really used as a tool to hide away from hurts that are unresolved, leaving us a mass of people who are not taking responsibility for their lives and instead becoming numb and disconnected to not only themselves but every one. I am pleased for you that you have been able to make changes in your life and that you are living the benefits of that now. It would be great to see this happen more and more across society and especially with young people who are just being introduced to the drug. Role models like yourself can pave the way for us all to be empowered to say no when the seductive offer of drug abuse comes our way.

351. Awesome blog, thank you. It offers a true experience of the depth of the harm caused by marijuana that can so often be overlooked. Hats off to you for being open to there being another way as presented by Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine, changing your life around by making self-loving choices and dealing with your stuff. Hooray!

352. Thank you for so clearly stating what happens when you became addicted to marijuana and the harm it caused to you and how it ran your life. Testimonials like yours are proof that the drug is not as harmless as many would like to think it is and that legalising it is not the answer.

353. An amazing article, thank you, I personally had no idea of the affects of marijuana, as I believed what I had been told that it was a natural drug that had health benefits. Having read your testimonial, and trusting my instinct that the story we are feed is not the whole truth, no where near, it is shocking to read the affects it can have on your life and body. Thank you for so honestly sharing what the truth is behind an addiction to marijuana, reading this has come at an amazing time as countries all over the world debate over making this substance legal.

     1. Great point, Rebecca. With accounts like this one by anon, why would we collectively be looking at legalising something like this. On the face of it, it looks crazy to even consider doing so.

        1. I agree Coleen – I dont believe we can imagine the far reaching damaging effects that this course of action would take. It would be several steps in the wrong direction – our governments should not be making it okay for people to be able to medicate their way through their life.

354. It shows us that when we numb ourselves by taking substances we do so much damage to our bodies and also to those around us. I have used food in my past where I would worry endlessly everyday whether I had put weight on or not. By being more loving with myself, food doesn’t have that hold on me like it used to. Thank you for writing such an honest article.

355. Great blog anon. So many people will relate to your stories and be inspired by it. Many more of us just need to change the word marijuana to food, alcohol or self loathing and the impact on our lives have been very simular.

     1. Indeed Margaret. There is so many aspects in modern life that serve for numbing the things one is not prepared to feel. Only when looking at what damage they truly do to our bodies and health in general, one will discern them for what they really are.

356. The truth about marijuana without any glamourising of it – and no detail left out. It is a familiar story indeed. There is no doubt in my mind and through my experiences that dope is exactly as damaging and dangerous as written here.

357. I could feel your tenderness and deep self love come through in the blog. Relate-able in every way what you have said. Just dealing with the issues and hurts.

358. There is such a hidden cost to using marijuana and it is yet to be widely understood. Nevertheless I have seen what it does to peoples’ speech, memory and general sense of connection and it is anything but harmless.
     There’s not yet enough understanding on the much deeper effects of marijuana on the person but when that does eventuate, it will be clear to see just how destructive marijuana is – and how far reaching it’s detrimental effects can be, many of which are not immediately obvious but become much more apparent later in life.

359. Can so relate to this. Thank you for sharing. So amazing to actually feel, deal and heal and not numb out anymore.

360. Here in New Zealand there is a magazine that promotes the normalisation of marijuana. It is this concept of marijuana being normal that is such a social hook for so many marijuana users. When I was a smoker I always thought that we, the users, were the normal ones and that those out there, the non-smokers, were actually held in fear!

361. A great story from the author, who has obviously stood-up by choice, with the assistance of Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon – to reclaim their rightful and full place in the world. Well done with your sharing and for being so real in the delivery.

362. Thank you Anon for your detailed account of marijuana and its true destructive nature. It amazes me that when we begin to truly understand the truth of what we are doing then stopping the self-harming behaviour is no longer a struggle or fight but a natural progression in our personal growth.

363. Thank you for spelling out so clearly how marijuana really affects its adherents, a very sobering eye opener indeed; as is your observation of its “retarding nature to human evolution”.

364. What a huge turnaround this is very very inspiring as I know it can be very difficult to come out of the belief that ‘marijuana is good for you’, due to the it’s natural and a herb philosophy. Thank you for writing this blog and sharing your experience – many will benefit. It also offers a lot of insight into why we use drugs.

365. Amazing article! The clear and obvious harm that comes from long term daily use should not deter from the fact that less frequent use is also damaging and retards personal growth. At various times of my life I was a weekend binge smoker and would come up with some “interesting” reasons as to why it was OK and even good for me. Many smokers/ex-smokers would know what I mean. It’s like the drug plays with your mind and connects you to a false intelligence that gives you convincingly sophisticated but false insights as to why pot is OK. A couple of common examples of such is the misleading belief that it can inspire creativity or heighten spiritual awareness. Through the work of Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine I got back in touch with my body’s innate true intelligence and came to clearly see and feel the real truth that smoking pot does the exact opposite. Even occasional recreational use actually severely dimmed the light of my being, diminished my ability to make loving choices and distanced me from experiencing the true joy of life.

366. Thank you for this honest account. We are all subject to addiction at sometime, though the substance varies: sugar, food, alcohol etc. As you say, we often have difficulty recognising our addictions, as we are, in a way, controlled by the substance and the energetic effects exerted on the body.

367. There is no “safe” drug, I have tried them all, repeatedly, this one is often considered a ‘gateway in’ and for that reason could be considered the most evil. Thank you for writing your account it will help mankind

368. Thank you for sharing how damaging addictions can be; the belief that nothing is wrong, that it has no affect on you or others – and yet time and time again we experience moments of something not feeling right or knowing that a habit is not good for us. And yet we don’t stop as we continue to feed ourselves a story or reasons as to why there is supposedly nothing wrong with it. As I too have experienced, Truth is an amazing healer, and one of which I can appreciate myself for having been willing to listen to.

369. Thank you for sharing your amazing story. It was such an inspiration to read how you turned your whole life around by stopping the long cycle of numbing with marijuana and then dealt with the hurts that came up. How great for humanity that you can now share all of you again!

370. Thank you Anon for your very candid account. I agree wholeheartedly with everything you have said and in particular this statement: ” To me, this makes marijuana the ultimate retarding drug of the 20th century”. I used marijuana for over 10 years to numb the pain of abuse from my childhood and my relationships with men as a young adult. I had stopped using it in my early 30s, and by the time I met Universal Medicine and listened to Serge’s views on the drug, I could only agree absolutely with him too. I know without a shadow of a doubt that it is a very evil drug. The fact that users are adamant marijuana is not addictive is a very insidious sign of just how evil it is. We don’t really know what the long term effects of marijuana addiction are, but we are about to find out. Having met Universal Medicine and undertaken to resolve my buried pain and learn to love me again, I know I will never use drugs or alcohol or any other stimulant or depressant to prevent me from dealing with my life and my issues, however painful they may be. As you say, if a primary school kid can deal with their lives sober, then surely as adults we must be able to do the same?

371. I agree Conor, I have felt how esoteric modalities allow us to clear the damage and harm that we have lived. There is no re-programming or suppressing of symptoms or desires which is often the approach to treating addiction.

     1. I agree with your agreement AnneMarie. When treating addiction there is an effort to reprogram or suppress the symptoms or desires, but Universal Medicine offers us the choice to go underneath all of that to clear the root cause of our ills the original hurt that caused the drive for drugs in the first place gets healed as does the drive to take drugs of any kind.

372. Pingback: Marijuana Addiction |

373. An Amazing blog, Anonymous. The raw honesty about your living through the addiction of this so-called-harmless drug is inspiring and informative. I knew Marijuana was not great for the body, but not the details of just how devastating it is on the organs too. School children worldwide could benefit from this blog – have you ever felt to go into schools and communities etc to share your story and where you have come to now, with no trace of this in your system any longer. So profound. Thank you.
     I love your final sentence –
     “May we all aspire to be all we are for the sake of all, as it takes all of us working together to make our lives truly great”.

374. Amazing that you (the author) have been able to clear marijuana completely from your body and from your life. As you say, feels like another life away. Serge Benhayon and the esoteric healing modalities which he presents allows us to actually clear at the most fundamental (or ‘energetic’) level the harm we have done to our bodies, so that we can release it, and move on – towards a life of more vitality and joy, and true self-care. It can be such a massive support, then, to all those who are looking to let go of their addictions, and build a better quality of life for themselves.

375. Amazing insight into the harm of marijuana, thank you anon. This would be great for teenagers to read (or anyone really) to help them see how devastating this drug is and that there is another way to live life.

376. Your experience around this drug has been so full on, Anonymous. It’s an amazing sharing you offer about the way it affected you, your life and those around you. In the media there are always related discussions linked to smoking and drinking, but the one around Marijuana isn’t so prevalent. This needs to be discussed and talked about for the harm that it brings. Thanks for sharing and bringing a heartfelt honesty to your writing.

377. It took me a while to understand why Serge considered marijuana worse than heroin (energetically), and I discovered I was still identified with Marijuana although I had given it up years before Universal Medicine. In spite of the very potent addictive nature of the drug, it is sold to us as harmless, natural; and worst of all, one can function and pretend to have a normal life with it, thus hiding the addiction and prolonging it for years and years. I have suffered the effects of my Marijuana use in my life and the life of my family and friends, and totally agree with you that it is not a harmless drug: for me also it was “only a selfish indulgence into the abyss of a life of misery” . I am still dealing with the issues and indulgences that were there before the drug. With the support of universal medicine practitioners I feel I can get to the root cause of the addiction and choose a life of fullness and joy.

378. Having been one that did Marijuana in my teens, I remember the day I said no to it and never looked back, after saying no I felt alive again and realised how this drug had been sucking the life out of me. We do not discuss enough how harmful this drug really is to our families, friends and work colleagues. It is very important for us to know what this drug is really doing to everyone and not just ourselves.

     1. That is a very accurate statement Amina, “sucking the life out of me.” It does and the fact that we some how experience this as a ‘high’ indicates to me just how sinister marijuana is. I know that all my friends who smoked were also of the belief that it was harmless. Having quit all drugs, alcohol, caffeine and sugar and feeling absolutely great as a consequence, well and vital, it is shocking to look back at my life then and I can fully realise now just how severely debilitating marijuana truly is.

379. Thank your Anonymous for a great blog shattering the myths on the so-called harmless natural drug that is marijuana. It really does rob people of themselves, I’ve observed it in friends and others that while they smoked they talked lots, but there was never any action, they just drifted and checked out, and had another spliff. And now we have a big push to legalise it, especially in the US and really where are we as a society that we need to bury our issues rather than address them?

     So true what you said about school kids, we do expect them to deal with their issues sober, but somehow an adult has a pass to get drunk or stoned to avoid them, and then we wonder later why kids follow our path later?! I love your dedication to Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine ‘for speaking the truth and not holding back in a world where truth is always used in a controlled form and not exclusively for the good of all. ‘ – it really captures what Universal Medicine is about, speaking the truth, the whole truth, even when it’s unpopular or against the grain.

380. For the writer of this article to be able to come to the realizations he has and make the changes in his life after such deep disregard and burying, it is a true testament to the work and teachings of Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon; not to mention how powerful we all are as the author has proven by simply making the choice to no longer live in that self-abusive way, everything changed in a positive way. It’s never too late to feel again.

     1. Well said Michael, it is indeed ‘never too late to feel again’ and to make the the choice(s) to live in a more harmonious loving way.

381. An incredible article, for that’s what this is. It’s informative, eye opening and very real. Your ability to describe the effects of this ‘harmless’ social drug is fantastic because it helps us understand what is really going on and wrong here. Like you say, you never need to preach, but to hear from someone who has experienced both sides is wisdom enough and very powerful to feel.

382. Thank you for such an honest reflection of smoking pot. You spell out the effects so clearly. Having smoked in the past I can relate to what you say. I also found hearing about the damaging effects hard to stomach but also knew that was true. The past seems a world away and my body cringes at the thought of smoking again – a big leap from what I once thought was the answer.

383. Thank you Anon, for this powerful and moving account. I certainly never realised that
     ‘pot’ had such an insidious quality. My only contact with it was back at the beginning of
     the Seventies, when it seemed to be a regular feature at parties, where it was treated
     with a sort of reverence and came with its own quaint vocabulary. At rock festivals
     it pervaded the whole atmosphere and seemed to blend in with the music.
     Thankfully for me and my friends, it passed into history like the Rubic cube
     and the hula hoop. Among my contemporaries, hardly anybody smoked
     (tobacco), having been totally put-off by our coughing and brown-fingernailed parents! and so it didn’t really catch-on.
     Reading your account, I am astonished at my ignorance of the subject, but I am hugely moved by your Herculean attempts at, and eventual success in, kicking the habit.
     If other dedicated users could read your account, I’m sure they would do the same.

384. Thank you ‘Anonymous’ for your honesty in this truly brilliant expose of marijuana and the harm it does. A major part of the harm is that once we thought it was a harmless drug. How wrong we all were. Marijuana takes hold of people’s lives and shuts them down, disconnecting them from their own vitality, their connection to life and the people around them.

385. This is an amazing story with such a turn-around of your life. I have had addictions to other things in my life, and know how I have wanted to check-out rather than face the pain of the hurts in my life. Thank you for this story, it is inspiring to read what you have managed to do.

386. This a truly powerful testament to the truly harmful and damaging consequences of this drug, Congratulations for managing to extricate yourself from its insidious stranglehold and to regain your life back. This a story that should be widely publicised as is an inspiration for others.

387. Wow anonymous, thank you for writing this, how amazing and inspiring that you made these huge changes in your life, from drugs and alcohol to self-care and nurturing.

388. Thank you for this blog. Beautifully honest and inspiring. So important that the illusion of marijuana being a harmless non-addictive drug be exposed. While I was never addicted to marijuana I had many friends who were and saw as you describe a wasting of amazing talent, vitality and love for life. It is truly crippling and retarding and I know many people who now struggle with mental health problems because of its use. Thank you for this inspiring blog. You clearly express the true harm and deep damage that marijuana smoking causes. So important that stories like this get out there in the world as we are at a time where the legalisation and acceptance of the drug is on the increase.

389. Amazing article exposing the real harm of Marijuana. Thank you for sharing your experience, I suspect there are many similar experiences out there, and the more these are shared, the more this side of the drug can be exposed.

390. I really loved reading this article and found it very sobering from any kind of addiction. I enjoyed your insight – “You don’t see children, especially primary-aged children, having to come home and smoke dope or get drunk to cope with a tough day at school, they deal with their stuff sober.” So simple but so true.

     Thank you Anon, I will come back again for another read to enjoy the pure raw honesty of what you have shared with us.

391. I feel your words so very strongly as I have also spent many years in the self-medicated numbness of Marijuana to bury the great poverty I felt within. As a drug, it’s seemingly benign nature is the most lethal disposition of any drug. It’s seductive nature was always there in the back of my mind. My escape from the world, if it ever got too close. I was slave to its cravings and lived in a similar oscillation of trying to function in the world and lurching for the day’s end when I could roll the next joint. It aided me to stay in my chosen given up state and even justified my choice to be that way. It’s the greatest come back to a world that has hurt you – or so I thought. I too was a young man with lots of potential but it was eaten up by my vegetative state. Time slipped past in a haze. Efforts that I made to change were half hearted and nothing lasted – jobs and relationships. It is so true about how kids can feel straight away if you’re stoned or not. I know that my younger brother was very affected by my pot-smoking addiction and years later he is doing the same thing. Like you, I don’t tell him not to do it. It is his choice.

     It’s crazy how people associate it with ‘peace’ and ‘love’. May be that’s the hangover from the 60’s, but it does have connotations of being about sharing and connecting with your fellow brethren. It couldn’t be further from the truth. Marijuana closes you off from yourself first and after that, there’s no true connection to others. Yes you can have stoned conversations where you think you’re solving the world’s problems or having hysterical laughing fits about nothing – BUT all that is total illusion and not based on any truth about finding lasting answers for the world’s problems or true humour.

     Since working through my hurts and learning what it is to love myself, I have let go of the things that I used to do to numb the pains. Marijuana was one of them and I can say outright that I will never touch the stuff again. I have come to deeply appreciate the true connections that I now have with the people that I love. Even people that I might meet at the supermarket queue. Our conversations are real and often truly funny. And there’s a richness of presence; a quality of love to the way we interact.

     Thank you for writing the article. Your honesty is very touching and the power in your words demonstrates the true amazing you that you have re-connected back to and are living from. It’s an inspiration to us all that lives can be turned around.

392. This is a truly great blog full of honesty and could help millions to feel where they are at, if they ever find it to read it.

393. What a journey! I am blown away by what you have shared and the raw Truth about Marijuana addiction.
     I hope you choose to publish this as an article with the headline as you quote “The ultimate retarding drug of the 21st century”.
     The world needs to read this and I for one will do my bit by printing this and sharing with others in my area of work which has an emphasis on dealing with addictions.

394. ……’it feels to me another life away’……Anon I was a daily user for fifteen years and couldn’t agree more with this, thank you for this great and honest expose on the so called harmless nature of marijuana, your insight gives me many aspects to ponder on

395. Thank you for sharing your story soo openly and presenting it the way it is/was for you. Marijuana takes over people’s lives – it controls you. A friend described it as a ‘smoke screen’, it is not until you renounce it for what it truly is and treat your body with love then it no longer has its hold over you. I know this from personal experience and how supportive Serge Benhayon and Universal medicine trained practitioners have been supporting me over the years to be more loving and tender with myself meaning I have gradually let go of many of the ill disregarding harming habits I had.

396. Whilst reading this it allowed me to feel the direct link between my years spent in and out of being depressed and my use of pot. At times I would question how did I become this person who smokes drugs? Yet then I would justify that it was supporting me to express myself, claiming that it was “my drug of choice”.

     The insidious nature of the drug and how it can alter our mind is indeed very corrupt. This link between depression and pot, over the same course of time had developed in me a hardness that was certainly not my true nature, and this has taken a long time to reverse the effects of.

     I am so glad that one day I just made the decision to stop. I just knew that if I continued with this then I was way off track; with my life and who I really am, and how my life could be being lived. I knew that if I continued, then the gorgeous little girl I had been as a child would not have a chance at being the gorgeous woman I knew I could be, and now am.

     Thank you for writing this great insight on the devastation that is Marijuana.

     1. Your comment Annette reminds me of when I finally chose to quit smoking dope because I had finally felt the deep sadness within me that I was trying to smother up. I knew I had to stop, that my addiction was tying me to a life of depression, sickness and criminality. Deep down under the sadness I knew I was worth more than that. It is a very corrupting drug and there is a huge arrogance around it being ‘soft’ and therefore okay to indulge in on both an occasional or daily basis. When I feel back to those days, it was as if I was inviting a huge and toxic fog into my body that helped me ignore my deeper feelings and cope with the choices I had made. Sobering up meant making big changes and facing some really unpleasant truths, but I knew it was the beginning of me re-claiming myself and have never once regretted my decision.

397. Thank you for such an honest account of a life where drugs are used to cope with life. I love this sentence – ‘You don’t see children, especially primary-aged children, having to come home and smoke dope or get drunk to cope with a tough day at school, they deal with their stuff sober.’ This needs to be encouraged to continue as children become teenagers and adults. The lives I have seen and read about when drugs become the way to deal with your stuff is not living and is definitely not loving.

398. Thank you very much for sharing this amazing insight into what the experience of being on this drug is truly like and how inspiring it is to see that you have proven that the way to truly heal the problem of its use is to heal the root issue that you are choosing not to deal with in the first place. I LOVED reading this. Thank you

399. Thank you for your comprehensive post on the realities of what is still considered a ‘soft’ drug. Around thirty years ago I championed the legalisation of marijuana, after all, what was wrong with an occasional joint? Yet ten years later I completely changed my viewpoint. Why? Because I saw the damage that marijuana was doing to people I knew who were regular users and their despair in attempting to give it up.

     About 15 years ago a psychologist I knew told me that she would prefer to treat a heroin addict rather than a marijuana addict. I asked her why and she explained that heroin was a condition of the body whereas marijuana was a condition of the mind, hence the strong correlation to schizophrenia with regular marijuana users. Yet what really surprised me was when she said she had five times the success rate treating a heroin addict over a marijuana addict.

400. This is an amazing post, you really cover all the basis and explain in depth exactly why marijuana is not a “safe” drug. It is a destroyer of lives, not just the person who chooses to smoke but all those around them. I can second what you say about children knowing you have been smoking even though they have no physical evidence to suggest this. What amazed me was watching how wild my children’s behaviour became when I was stoned. It was not because they had been ingesting second hand smoke, because they were never physically near me while I smoked, yet it affected their behaviour enormously.
     I now see the addictive nature of this drug yes lays in the physical cravings of the drug but mostly I know it comes from wanting to hide and bury oneself away from the reality of life, and the sadness they feel and not knowing how to cope with this.

     All I can say is thank God for Universal Medicine because it is the light that gave me the courage to start looking at what was really going on in my life so I could let go of a 15 year strong habit of pot smoking. Thank you for your in depth account of the true life a pot smoker, you told my story as I am sure you told the story of many a pot smoker, simply awesome, this must be your Doctorate, I give you full marks…

401. I love that you make the distinction that you are not now a ‘re-formed drug addict’ but someone with no relationship with the drug or with the self as addict at all. That is true freedom from drug abuse. Awesome.This posts shatters so many myths about marijuana– thank you for writing such an amazing article. I too have been in the trenches with this ‘harmless’ drug and have seen the long and short term affects on a massive scale; from a friend who nearly killed his own mother; to a sister that was lost in a zombie state (or aggressive depending on whether the daily smoke had been consumed) for over ten years. This is such an important piece of writing — thank you Anon. you know who you are 🙂

     1. I agree Rebecca that mr Anonymous is not a re-formed drug addict but someone with no relationship with the drug. That is a huge claim and confirms that it is possible to move away and begin living a life without drug abuse.
        Reading your comment wakes me up to more real raw facts of what this so called mild natural substance is doing. What is clear to me the lay person is this is highly dangerous and alters your natural state. This is a fact and cannot be negated, ignored or denied. My question is who is ‘pro’ trying to make marijuana legalised?

        1. I agree Rebecca and Bina – there is a clear and stark difference between a ‘re-formed drug addict’ and someone who now has no relationship with the drug. I too was caught up in the tendrils of marijuana under the guise of it being natural and so harmless, but the effects it has on the body are by no means harmless. As I found it was easy to get caught up in the ‘it’s natural’ side of things and then defend it with fervor as soo many people do; but when they actually stop and look at their lives, as I did, I could see the extreme detrimental effect it was having on my life and on the lives of those around me.

        2. Serious question Bina, who is pro legalising a drug that not only alters one’s natural state, but can lead to psychosis, depression, paranoia and that long term can affect one’s mental faculties as well as health? And it is very marked that Anonymous here has not only reformed his drug habit, but has stepped away from the consciousness of drug taking and is no longer tempted or struggling to abstain, but has healed his relationship with the self abuse that led to the original desire to take it in the first place. This is powerful, as Anonymous is living proof that true healing of the kind offered by Universal Medicine can truly resolve these issues and support people to return to a vital, healthy, vibrant life with no desires to use drugs ever again.

     2. Great comment Rebecca. I agree, Anonymous has claimed himself in that he has no connection or attachment with marijuana – Awesome.

402. This is just awesome. Thank you for such an open and honest account of your experience – it certainly rings true with me also having been a daily user for quite a few years when I was younger. I quit a few years ago now and have never felt clearer and more aware of both my own self and the world around me. It certainly can be very addictive, numbing and though it is often championed as being natural, it takes us so far from our natural fullness and beauty.

403. Amazing, inspiring honesty THANKYOU Anon.
     I’ve experienced addicition – the feeling of being run by something, with alcohol and food – too much was never enough, and it became the focus of my life…when and where I could next have a drink or, when I no longer drank, it became all about food and when I could eat, what I could make that was gluten and dairy free (I was a ‘healthy’ addict), that would satisfy…and how could I hide what I was doing.

     Slowly I came to realise it wasn’t the food I had a problem with, it was emptiness. Food had become my choice of filler and no matter how much I ate, it couldn’t touch the sides on the emptiness within.

     1. Well said Jenny, whatever our addiction is, in truth it comes down to our emptiness and disconnection from ourself that is constantly needing to be fed – a bottomless pit unless there are choices made that support the return to re-connect within to that which is always there, patiently waiting for our return – Love.

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