Smoking weed -- How to get them to quit?

by Kate Hutchinson
(Australia)

My partner is a strong user of weed and doesn't think he is addicted. He said he can stop at any time but when he does he wants to do it all the time -- a sign of addiction! So he gets moody and ends up going back to it.

He’s brainwashed by his friend who is depressed (most likely from smoking weed) to think that its good for you and that I don’t know what I am talking about when I say it can cause cancers, immune system malfunction, mental issues etc.

How can I get him to realize he is addicted, ease him off of it and stop him from smoking weed. He always seems to run to it when he 'depressed' (he could be depressed he does show signs sometimes) or when he is fighting with someone.
Please help.

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There is a lot of misinformation on the internet so actual facts can be confusing.

Health Canada is a government organization that ‘grants access to marihuana for medical use to those suffering from grave and debilitating illnesses’. So, they don’t completely disapprove of marijuana, but these are their researched facts.

“The effects are unpredictable. It is different for everyone. The way a person feels after taking cannabis depends on many factors:
age
mood, expectations, and environment
medical or psychiatric conditions
the amount of cannabis taken (dose)
whether the cannabis is smoked or eaten
how often and for how long cannabis has been used
use of other drugs (including alcohol, non-prescription, prescription, and street drugs)

Short-term use of cannabis can produce many other effects:
red eyes
spontaneous laughter
drowsiness
increased hunger (often called "munchies")
mild paranoia, anxiety or panic
impaired reaction time, coordination and motor skills
impaired short-term memory
increased heart rate and decrease in blood pressure (may lead to fainting)
dry mouth and throat
irritation of the respiratory tract (with smoking)

In addition, a person could potentially
experience:

hallucinations (seeing something that does not exist)
pseudo-hallucinations (seeing colors or patterns that the user knows are not real)
paranoia
severe agitation
disorientation
abdominal pain

On its own, cannabis intoxication is not lethal. However, cannabis interferes with concentration, perception, reaction time, and coordination. These effects impair a person's ability to drive safely (cars, boats, snow mobiles, etc) or operate any machinery.”

Unfortunately, no matter how hard you try, your partner will defend his drug use. He’s in denial that weed affects him. There are support groups for weed, however, unless he sees that the drug is affects his mood as well as his relationship with you, he will have no motivation to change.