Rationale

Man is free at the moment he wishes to be. 

--Voltaire

Allow me to introduce myself. I am a 26 year old male. I have been a habitual marijuana smoker for over ten years. That's all you really need to know. During this time, save for intermittent periods of abstinence, I have smoked multiple times a day. Over the past ten years, I have likely spent more time under the influence than not. This is fine with me, as I feel that my habit has not profoundly affected my life (or health) in a negative manner.  It's worth mentioning that I have done well in school, and that I've never had problems finding motivation. I am also an avid distance runner, so I consider physical fitness to be an essential part of my life. Without trying to sound arrogant, I have my sh*t together for the most part. 

The problem lies with my inability to alter this daily smoking habit, regardless of how positive or negative I feel about it. Since I've had trouble quitting, or even cutting down, I figured that keeping a blog may offer some insight into my behavior and motivation to quit. The purpose of this initial blog post is to give some introduction to what I call the "Thirty Day Experiment." Is it truly an experiment? Probably not. Is there any scientific merit to what is written in this blog? Probably not. Will the content of this blog benefit anyone, including myself? The jury is still out on that one. Since I've outlined what this blog is not, please allow me to describe what it is. 

Purpose:

The purpose of this blog is to document the physiological and psychological changes that occur as I attempt to abstain from smoking over a 30 day period. It will also hopefully be a source of motivation, and something that I can look back upon when my desire to quit falters. Perhaps an ancillary benefit is that it could provide inspiration to others who have the desire to change their behaviors, but lack the motivation to do so; however, it's highly unlikely that anyone will actually read it.

Don't get me wrong. I am not generally against marijuana use. In fact, I have often been an ardent proponent of it. I just feel that many people (on both sides of the debate) are rather uninformed, and oftentimes, unintelligent. Deciding to quit has more to do with my personal issues regarding dependence and control. Call me self-absorbed. You're probably right. I am simply relaying my experiences. I truly have no agenda, other than the desire to discuss how quitting makes me feel, both physically and mentally.

Sincerely,

Dan K.