9 Days of Sobriety with Billy Bong

Now, even though my life has always revolved around weed, I’ve somewhat lied to myself about my dependency on the plant. This is in both a recreational sense and medical, as many may not know this but I’ve suffered from anxiety and an overactive mind for many years – which has been pretty debilitating at times.

While being very much ‘anti-pharmaceuticals’, weed has been that miracle plant that has always been there for me. What I didn’t bargain for was the mental dependency I created over time. I mean, this is my first break from bud in 7 years and I’ve found myself thousands of kilometres into the bush where weed is impossible to find.

9 Days into Sobriety

It hasn’t been easy, but this is what I’ve discovered:

1. Weed is not physically addictive, but mentally addictive. No physical withdrawal symptoms – just a very deep mental craving to disconnect and calm my mind.

2. Weed makes life that much more bearable. It’s not crack or cocaine and it ain’t gonna make you buzz. What weed does very well though is allow you to absorb life’s hard knocks that much easier, due to the slight mental disconnect.

3. Weed is a wonder drug. I don’t deny that cannabis is a ‘drug’ in some sense, but I do frown upon the fact that people, myself included, can use cannabis incorrectly. Using the plant to numb yourself and hide from your problems, as opposed to using it for the medical properties it possesses, only creates a mental dependency.

4. Everything in moderation. My mom always used to tell me that you can have too much of a good thing, which means this applies to weed too. Blazing and ripping big bongs all day can be done. However, don’t disrespect the plant and the power it possesses. If you’re not responsible, cannabis can quickly take over your life.

5. Your objective needs to be clear. In a few simple words, ripping bongs before work without actual reason is simply recreational. Only consume cannabis when you need it for medical purposes or the time is right. Make sure you’re using cannabis at the right times and for the right reasons.

So yeah, in conclusion, sobriety has been a very enlightening and needed experience. Sobriety allowed me to see things from a different perspective, from the outside looking in. Taking a break has given me perspective, and I can now use weed with respect and responsibly.

Peace, love and success
– Billy Bong