I've been a daily user for five years and want to give a balanced assessment because most reports are either "it's harmless" or "it ruined my life."
Why I started: Anxiety and insomnia. It worked better than anything else I'd tried.
What I like: It genuinely helps my anxiety in the moment. Sleep quality improved (at first). Creative pursuits feel more engaging. Social situations feel less draining.
What concerns me (being honest):
- Motivation: My ambition has decreased. Not dramatically, but noticeably. Projects take longer to start.
- Memory: Short-term memory is definitely affected. I use more lists and reminders than I used to.
- Tolerance: What used to require a small amount now requires considerably more.
- Dependence: If I stop, my sleep is terrible for about a week and anxiety rebounds hard.
What I've tried: Tolerance breaks work but are unpleasant. I managed a two-week break recently — insomnia for about 5 days, vivid dreams, irritability. Then I felt clearer than I had in years. Which was both encouraging and concerning.
My current approach: Trying to reduce to evening-only use. It's harder than I expected. Starting therapy to develop other coping strategies.
This substance isn't the devil, but the "it's just a plant" crowd undersells the potential for dependence and cognitive effects with heavy daily use. If you're using daily, periodically ask yourself honest questions about whether your use pattern is serving you.