When a close friend or family member continuously uses weed to a level where they risk addiction or are addicted, it is a bit of a worry. Maybe you are a parent, sibling, spouse, friend or mentor of someone who smokes weed in an unhealthy way. You have been thinking about doing something but just don’t know how to get someone to stop smoking weed.
When you speak with them, they show you that they need the drug on a daily basis just to get by every day and feel “normal”. But this is just one of the effects of drugs like cannabis that create dependence. As you plan on how to get the person stop smoking pot, remember part of the work will be to help him get out of this fixed thinking so that he can free himself from the habit and addiction.
Many people miss the opportunity to influence a smoker because they approach them in a judgmental way.
Here is the first and most important step of how to get weed out of your system:
Observe
Why do you want this person to abandon pot smoking? What negatives effects of marijuana use can you observe with the person?
- Do they appear more agitated and nervous?
- Is the person falling sick more often than they used to?
- Has the person stopped caring about important things like his studies, family, work, health, cleanliness, and responsibilities?
- Have you noticed significant change of behavior and attitude?
After identifying these things, write them down using statements like “I feel sad that many times when you smoke weed you stay by yourself and get angry easily.” Telling them how you feel is a better approach than using attacking statements like “You are very annoying when you smoke weed.” Such a statement would be met with great defensiveness.
After writing down these concerns, look for a nice moment to approach her. Avoid times when there are many stressors, such as when the person has suffered a severe consequence of weed smoking, such as when they get fired from a job. Invite them to a neutral event, such as a movie or coffee, and express your concerns in a gentle way using the ‘I’ statements you wrote down earlier. Chances are the person will warm up towards you rather than become defensive. From this moment you can slowly influence them out of weed smoking. Along the way you will need to educate him on withdrawal and help him manage cravings. Don’t forget to celebrate with them when they achieve goals, however small they might be.