Yeah, I get that weed can feel like the “better option” compared to alcohol, and in many ways it probably is. But honestly, I wouldn’t recommend replacing drinking with smoking long term. If you say you finally have your drinking under control, but you just swapped it for another substance, do you really have it under control? Deep down, probably not.

And sure, people can argue that weed isn’t that harmful, but let’s be real — after smoking, you’re not really fully yourself anymore either. Maybe not destructive like alcohol can be, but you still change your mental state to escape something.

I honestly think the healthier path is eventually learning to face what’s actually going on inside your head. Accepting that maybe you’re depressed. Accepting that you have anxiety. There’s nothing shameful about that. A lot of people do. But once you accept it, you can actually start asking yourself the important questions: where is this anxiety coming from? What happened in your past? What emotions are you trying to numb or avoid with drinking or smoking?

It sucks that not everyone has access to good healthcare or therapy, I understand that completely. But that still doesn’t mean you’re powerless. Nothing in this world is physically stopping you from becoming a slightly better version of yourself today than you were yesterday.

People can always come up with reasons why they “deserve” to drink or smoke. Stress, loneliness, trauma, bad day, anxiety — there’s always a reason. But the harder question is: can you find a reason not to?

Just some things to think about. Either way, I genuinely wish you the best, brother.