It’s not unusual for weed users to take a break from it now and then. Motivations vary, from being short of cash or planning a trip to a non-weed friendly location, to an upcoming workplace drug test, but the most popular motivation is all about tolerance.

Many regular cannabis users find that over time the effects of weed are not as powerful as they were, a natural response from the body to pretty much any substance. Like alcohol and sugar, long term use leads to needing higher doses to produce the same high as the early days; so a t-break kind of resets the clock.

More about tolerance breaks

Often known simply as ‘t-breaks’, these short term periods of either drastically reducing consumption, or staying away from weed completely seem to produce the desired effect. Excess THC, the part of weed that makes you feel great, is known to be stored in the body’s fat cells for quite a while, so perhaps this adds to the buildup of a tolerance to weed, making it harder to get the effect desired.

How long is the perfect tolerance break?

There’s no one size fits all answer, as it depends on a) why you are taking the break, and b) how much weed you usually get through. If you are motivated by a test or some other commitment its probably wiser to stop as early as possible to be fully prepared, otherwise you could decide to stop or cut down from anything from a few days to a couple of weeks. Some people like to mix it up by taking 1 or 2 day breaks, along with some longer periods of a week or two. Generally though the more you smoked the longer you need to stay off it to get the real benefits of a t-break.

Top t-break survival tips

Preparation is essential, so before you set the date:

• Cut down a little, say by smoking once a day instead of twice.
• Give away (or ask someone to store) any cannabis related gear.
• If possible tell mates you smoke with that you’ll be off the scene for a while. You may want to let non-smoking friends know too.
• Plan things to keep you busy, puzzles, computer games and sport are all good.
• Stock up with water, and healthy drinks/snacks.

What could happen during the t-break?

• Chances are you will miss weed, especially if it was a regular part of your life. Switch up your routine to help avoid this.
• You may experience withdrawal symptoms, depending of course on how long the break is for. If so make sure to eat as well as you can, take exercise to distract you, and drink plenty of water.

T-breaks can be challenging, but they can also prove you can control your addiction. If you decide to return to weed afterwards be sure to take it slowly as your tolerance will be lower than before.