For me, responsible cannabis use started with a question I ignored for years: why am I reaching for it?
I’ve spent a huge part of my life around cannabis. I’ve used it, worked with extracts, watched the industry change, and built a company around cannabinoids. For years, cannabis was so normal to me that I barely questioned the role it played in my life.
That has changed.
This isn’t an argument that cannabis is good or bad. I don’t think that question gets us very far. A better question is personal: why am I using it right now, and what am I hoping it changes?
That is what I wanted to talk about in the video below.
Cannabis Was Part of My Identity for Years
When I was younger, I assumed I would smoke forever.
Cannabis gave me connection. A lot of my friendships and experiences were built around it. I became “the guy who smokes.” Later, I became the guy working in cannabis. It was part of my work and my social life, so I never felt much reason to separate Luke from cannabis.
I also have plenty of stories from that time that sound funny now but were genuinely reckless.
I remember running out of petrol in a Prius in a busy Boston intersection during one of the most reckless periods of my life. I remember the early days of concentrates, when people around me were experimenting with extraction methods that I would never recommend today. I remember seeing a cannabis vape cartridge for the first time and being amazed that cannabis oil could sit inside a small pen.
At the time, I thought a lot of this was brilliant.
Looking back, some of it was. Some of it was stupid. Both can be true.
Responsible Cannabis Use Starts With a Better Question
My relationship with cannabis began to change when I became more interested in what was happening underneath my habits.
For a long time, if something felt difficult, smoking could change the feeling quickly. Stress could become easier to ignore. A problem that felt urgent could suddenly become something I would deal with tomorrow.
That relief is real. But relief and resolution are different things.
I started noticing that I had spent years being fairly disconnected from my own emotions. I could look happy, act positive, keep moving, and still have no idea what I was actually feeling.
Cannabis wasn’t the cause of every problem in my life. It also wasn’t automatically helping me face them.
That distinction mattered.
Are You Choosing Cannabis, or Reaching for an Escape?
This is the question I think is worth asking before you use cannabis in any form.
Are you choosing cannabis because you genuinely want the experience?
Or are you reaching for it because you don’t want to feel what is happening right now?
Those can look identical from the outside. Internally, they are very different.
Cannabis can be relaxing. I still find that it can make me creative at times. It has also turned me into a couch potato more than once. The same person can have both experiences.
What matters is noticing your own pattern instead of borrowing somebody else’s answer.
For some people, responsible cannabis use may mean using less often. For someone else, it may mean taking a complete break. Another person may decide they are comfortable with their current pattern.
The point is to make the choice consciously.
Five Questions to Ask Yourself Before Using Cannabis
- How am I actually feeling right now?
- Do I want cannabis, or do I want this feeling to disappear?
- Is using it going to interfere with something I care about later?
- Can I comfortably choose not to use it today?
- Has my use changed from something I choose into something I do automatically?
You may not like every answer. That’s useful information.
Journaling Helped Me See Patterns I Was Missing
I’ve kept journals for more than 10 years. I now have a stack of them.
Writing gave me a place to put thoughts I would normally keep moving past. It could be something simple: I hate my job. I don’t feel respected in this relationship. I’m angry. I feel disconnected from people. I don’t know what I want.
Once it is on paper, you can start seeing repetition.
You may notice that you reach for cannabis every time a certain emotion comes up. You may notice that you only want to smoke around certain people. You may notice that the habit has slowly moved from the evening into the afternoon, then into the morning.
You don’t have to diagnose yourself. Just notice.
A journal can make an invisible pattern visible.
Taking a Break Does Not Mean Cannabis Has Failed You
One of the strangest things about identity is how quickly we build rules around ourselves.
“I’m a smoker.”
“I’m sober.”
“I don’t do that anymore.”
“I always smoke with the lads.”
Once the label becomes part of your identity, it can be harder to listen to what you actually want today.
There have been periods when I smoked constantly. There have also been periods when I wanted sobriety. Neither label has to own you.
If your honest answer is “I don’t want to smoke today,” respect it.
And if you notice that saying no feels surprisingly difficult, pay attention to that too.
If you want a broader safety overview before using cannabinoid products, read our guide to THCA side effects, risks and responsible use.
Responsible Cannabis Use Also Means Knowing What You’re Using
My early experiences in cannabis happened in a much less controlled market. I saw questionable flower, crude extraction methods, and products where nobody really knew what was in them.
That history is one reason I care so much about testing now.
If you choose to use a cannabinoid product, check what is actually inside it. At Owls Oil, we publish our lab test results so customers can check cannabinoid content and batch information instead of relying on a label alone. If you have never read one before, our guide to understanding a THCA Certificate of Analysis explains what the numbers mean.
If you’re in Ireland and still getting familiar with the category, our THCA in Ireland guide gives you a broader starting point for products, testing and current information.
And be realistic about impairment. Cannabis can affect reaction time and coordination. It can also affect mood and judgement. Don’t drive or operate machinery after using an intoxicating cannabinoid product. Keep products away from children and pets.
If you use cannabis, make the choice with your eyes open.
What If You Realise You Want to Cut Down?
Start smaller than your ego wants to.
You might decide to skip one session you would normally have. You might move your first use later in the day. You could write down when you use cannabis and how you felt before and after. You could take a break and see what comes up when the usual escape hatch is gone.
The point is not punishment. It is information.
If cutting down feels difficult, or cannabis is affecting your work, relationships, health, or ability to do the things you care about, speak with a qualified healthcare professional or an appropriate support service.
My View Has Changed, and That’s Fine
At 15, I would have laughed if somebody told me I might not smoke cannabis every day forever.
Now I’m a father of three. I’ve been with my wife for 10 years. I think a lot more about what I’m doing, why I’m doing it, and what kind of person I want to be when nobody is watching.
Cannabis is still part of my life and my work. I’m not interested in pretending otherwise.
But I also don’t want a plant, a product, a habit, or a label making decisions for me.
That is the heart of responsible cannabis use for me: knowing yourself well enough to notice when the answer is yes, and respecting yourself enough to hear when the answer is no.
“Connect deeper with yourself before you decide to alter yourself.”
If you want more of the personal side of why I’m asking these questions now, read Is My Only Value Getting People High? A Cannabis Founder Reflects. You can also learn more about Owls Oil and use our FAQ for practical product and lab-testing questions.
If drug testing is a concern for you, read Does THCA Show Up on a Drug Test? Ireland 2026 Guide before using THCA products.
This article is a personal reflection and general educational information. It is not medical advice. Cannabis and intoxicating cannabinoid products are for adults only. If you are concerned about your substance use or mental health, speak with a qualified healthcare professional or contact an appropriate support service.