Hey friend,

From 13 to 19, I smoked weed every single day, multiple times a day.

Flower, hashish, kief, wax, budder, shatter, resin…

Thrown into blunts, bongs, bubblers, vapes, joints, spliffs, pipes, chillums, rigs…

If it could get me high, I used it.

It wasn’t just a habit; it was the default. My whole friend group revolved around it. No matter where we went or what we did, we were getting stoned.

Until one day, Mary Jane turned on me.

Or maybe I turned on her, it's still a question mark.

One day, I lit up and suddenly couldn’t breathe. Anxiety slammed into me like a brick wall. My chest locked up, and it felt as if I was suffocating, like the world was caving in.

That’s when I knew it was time to walk away.

Looking back, I’m glad I did. At the time, I had no idea how much damage all that chronic use was doing—wrecking my brain, my lungs, my heart, my drive, even my sense of self.

I was high more than I was sober during my prime developmental years.

Which left me with a haunting question: who was I when I wasn’t high?

I only recently found the answer. And I didn’t like the person weed had hijacked me into becoming.

Weed is fucking up your health

While the stoners cling to supposed health benefits (chronic pain relief, chemo-induced nausea, seizures, sleep, etc.) to justify their chronic cannabis use, new research paints a much darker picture… showing just how damaging cannabis can be, often canceling out the benefits people hope for.

Despite the growing perception that cannabis is harmless [1], studies increasingly link its use to:

Increased brain aging

In the largest brain imaging study to date, researchers analyzed over 62,000 scans. They found that cannabis abuse accelerates brain aging by an average of 2.8 years—a greater effect than alcohol abuse (0.6 years) and close behind schizophrenia (4 years). [2]

Lower IQ and cognitive issues

A 40-year study in The American Journal of Psychiatry found that long-term, heavy cannabis use (weekly or more) led to lasting cognitive decline—including an average 5.5-point drop in IQ, slower learning, and weaker processing speed.

Memory and attention problems were also reported among the study subjects, and brain scans showed smaller hippocampi.

These effects were stronger than those linked to alcohol or tobacco, and they persisted even after controlling for other factors. [3]

Heart health risks

A systematic review of 24 studies (2016–2023) found that cannabis use is linked to higher risks of major cardiovascular events:

• 29% increased risk of acute coronary syndrome
• 20% higher risk of stroke
• More than double the risk of cardiovascular death [4]

Lung health issues

A review of 55 studies shows that marijuana smoking negatively affects lung health, causing chronic cough, wheezing, reduced lung function, and increasing the risk of respiratory diseases like COPD, pneumonia, and emphysema.

While the link to lung cancer is weak, chronic use is clearly harmful. [5]

Mental health problems

Recent research highlights that cannabis use, especially high-potency cannabis, is linked to more frequent consumption, cannabis-related problems, and a higher likelihood of anxiety disorders, and may increase the risk of psychotic experiences. [6]

Broader evidence shows that cannabis use disorder (CUD) is highly prevalent among individuals with mental health conditions, particularly schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, with marijuana use capable of triggering or worsening psychosis. [7]

While associations with depression and anxiety are less clear, cannabis is strongly connected to other substance use disorders, compounding mental health risks.

And here’s the catch: these health risks aren’t just from smoking marijuana; they apply to any form of consumption, such as vaping, THC oils, edibles, and gummies.

It's also how cannabis is used

Do I think a couple of intentional, sacred cannabis sessions a year will harm your health? No.

But that’s the problem. There’s no sanctity left in its consumption.

Ancient cultures—from China and India to the Middle East and Africa—used cannabis with purpose: for medicine, for spiritual insight, for connecting with the divine.

Today? Most people aren’t mindful… they’re mindless.

Chronic use. All day, every day. Just like I did in my teens.

For many, it’s not about growth; it’s about escape. Get high, play video games, gorge on junk food.

Purpose fades. Getting stoned becomes the purpose.

And while cannabis isn’t physiologically addictive, it can be psychologically and neurobiologically addictive. Brain scans show it can hijack the same craving circuits as other addictive drugs. [8]

I lived it—life felt gray and empty without the high. Being surrounded by constant use only reinforced the cravings, making it painfully hard to quit.

And now? Weed isn’t even what it used to be.

Dispensary strains are engineered for extreme THC levels, nothing like cannabis growing in the wild.

It’s become the processed junk food of plants, concentrated, distorted, and designed to get you as high as possible, as fast as possible.

How to kick cannabis to the curb

If you’re deep in chronic cannabis abuse and ready to protect your health, unlock your full potential, and finally let it go, here’s how I left it behind—and it all started with shifting my identity.

Identity-based behavior change for quitting cannabis

Identity-based behavior change is a powerful way to quit cannabis because it shifts the focus from what you’re doing to who you are.

Instead of just trying to “stop smoking,” you align your habits with the person you want to become.

In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear emphasizes that lasting change begins not with goals or willpower, but with shifting your identity.

He explains that your current behaviors reflect your current identity, and to change your behavior, you must first change your self-perception.

It's the method I used to ditch weed for good.

Here’s how you might approach it:

1. Clarify your desired identity

Ask yourself: Who do I want to be?

• “I am someone who values mental clarity and focus.”
• “I am someone who doesn’t need substances to cope or escape.”
• “I am someone in control of my life and habits.”

The clearer your identity, the easier it is to make decisions that reinforce it.

2. Align habits with identity

Every habit should be a vote for the identity you want:

• Replace cannabis with behaviors that signal that identity (exercise, journaling, meditation, creative work).
• Celebrate small wins: each time you choose not to smoke, you reinforce “I am a clear-minded, in-control person.”

3. Use identity-based language

Speak in terms of who you are, not what you’re trying to stop:

• Instead of: “I’m trying to quit cannabis.”
• Say: “I don’t smoke because I am someone who prioritizes my brain function and health.”

This strengthens the mental association between action and identity.

4. Redefine social and environmental cues

• Surround yourself with people and environments that support your desired identity.
• Avoid spaces or friends that reinforce the old “stoner” identity—at least temporarily.
• Create rituals that reinforce your new self, e.g., morning routines, sober hobbies.

5. Leverage self-reflection

• Journal or meditate on how cannabis use conflicts with the identity you want.
• Visualize yourself thriving in the life of the person you aspire to be: clear-headed, motivated, present.

In summary, you quit by becoming the person who doesn’t need cannabis, not just by trying to stop using it.

Every choice, every habit, is a reinforcement of that new identity.

The bottom line

Cannabis isn’t as harmless as it’s often made out to be.

While some try to justify use with a few proposed health benefits, the reality is that the cons far outweigh the pros.

Emerging research shows even mild to moderate use can accelerate brain aging, lower IQ, impair memory and attention, harm cardiovascular and lung health, destabilize mental health, and more.

It’s genuinely concerning.

But here’s the good news: you don’t have to be destined for these outcomes.

Life without chronic cannabis use is possible (and it can be better). After years of heavy use myself, I’m so much happier that I chose a different path.

The things I’ve been able to accomplish simply wouldn’t have been possible if I’d stayed high all the time.

The key for me was shifting my identity. Through identity-based behavior change, I didn’t just stop using cannabis—I became someone who doesn’t even think about it anymore, and I’m no longer tempted.

I’m curious: what do you think about cannabis use? Do you think someone can strike a healthy balance?

Hit reply and let me know.

See you next Saturday,

Onjae