What do you think?
Rate this book
Allen Carr: The Easy Way to Quit Cannabis: Regain your Drive, Health, and Happiness
Do you feel trapped by your addiction to cannabis? Is your motivation and lust for life being sapped by an obsession with your next joint? If so, then this book is for you.
Allen Carr's Easyway method is a global phenomenon - a clinically proven and 100% drug-free treatment for nicotine addiction. This book applies that tried-and-tested method to the problem of marijuana addiction. With clear no-nonsense guidance, this book gives you a structured, easy-to-follow method for getting free from cannabis painlessly and immediately.
The ingenious thing about the Easyway method is that it doesn't rely on willpower. Instead it works by unravelling the cognitive brainwashing behind your addiction. This means that you will not only be set free from your cannabis addiction but you will also find it easy and even enjoyable to quit:
• Without using willpower, aids, substitutes, or gimmicks
• Without envying partners, friends or colleagues who use cannabis
• Without suffering anxiety, depression, or unpleasant withdrawal symptoms
This method is effective for anyone who consumes cannabis in any form, including joints, bongs, edibles, capsules, vape or other methods. Simply read this book and become a happy, cannabis-free person for the rest of your life.
Allen Carr's Easyway method is a global phenomenon - a clinically proven and 100% drug-free treatment for nicotine addiction. This book applies that tried-and-tested method to the problem of marijuana addiction. With clear no-nonsense guidance, this book gives you a structured, easy-to-follow method for getting free from cannabis painlessly and immediately.
The ingenious thing about the Easyway method is that it doesn't rely on willpower. Instead it works by unravelling the cognitive brainwashing behind your addiction. This means that you will not only be set free from your cannabis addiction but you will also find it easy and even enjoyable to quit:
• Without using willpower, aids, substitutes, or gimmicks
• Without envying partners, friends or colleagues who use cannabis
• Without suffering anxiety, depression, or unpleasant withdrawal symptoms
This method is effective for anyone who consumes cannabis in any form, including joints, bongs, edibles, capsules, vape or other methods. Simply read this book and become a happy, cannabis-free person for the rest of your life.
160 pages, Paperback
Published April 15, 2022
About the author
Allen Carr
399 books302 followersAllen Carr was a British author and the founder of the global Allen Carr’s Easyway method, renowned for helping millions overcome smoking and other addictions. Born in Putney, London in 1934, Carr began smoking at 18 during National Service and struggled with the habit for over three decades. A qualified accountant, he finally quit in 1983 following a revelatory visit to a hypnotherapist. The experience didn’t directly cause him to quit, but it led to two key insights: that smoking was simply a form of nicotine addiction, and that withdrawal symptoms were minor and psychological in nature. These revelations inspired Carr to develop a revolutionary approach to quitting, one that did not rely on willpower, scare tactics, or substitution therapies.
Carr’s philosophy centered on removing the smoker’s fear of giving up. He argued that smoking merely relieves withdrawal symptoms from the previous cigarette, and that the supposed satisfaction gained is merely a return to the non-smoker’s normal state. Through live seminars, books, and multimedia resources, the Easyway method encourages smokers to continue smoking while they reframe their beliefs, ultimately extinguishing their final cigarette with clarity and confidence.
In 1985, Carr published The Easy Way to Stop Smoking, which became a bestseller and was translated into more than 45 languages. The success of his London clinic led to the establishment of over 100 Easyway centers in 35 countries, offering seminars to treat smoking, alcohol dependency, sugar addiction, and even fear of flying. His method’s credibility was bolstered by independent clinical trials, including studies in Ireland and the UK which found it as effective—if not more so—than standard cessation methods. This led to its adoption by NHS-approved services in England.
A key element of the Easyway clinics is that all facilitators are former addicts who successfully quit using the method themselves. They must complete extensive training and become licensed members of the Association of Allen Carr Therapists International.
Throughout his career, Carr also co-authored a wide range of Easyway books addressing various addictions and behavioral issues, often collaborating with Robin Hayley and John C. Dicey, the current Chairman and Global CEO of Allen Carr’s Easyway. Dicey, whom Carr mentored, continues to lead the organization’s development and public outreach.
Carr died of lung cancer in 2006 at age 72, though he had not smoked for 23 years. He attributed his illness to second-hand smoke exposure during seminars. Before his death, he remained committed to his mission, challenging governmental ties to nicotine replacement industries and advocating for wider access to his method.
Carr’s legacy continues through his clinics, books, and online programs, which have reached over 50 million people worldwide. His message remains consistent: quitting is not a sacrifice—it’s liberation.
Carr’s philosophy centered on removing the smoker’s fear of giving up. He argued that smoking merely relieves withdrawal symptoms from the previous cigarette, and that the supposed satisfaction gained is merely a return to the non-smoker’s normal state. Through live seminars, books, and multimedia resources, the Easyway method encourages smokers to continue smoking while they reframe their beliefs, ultimately extinguishing their final cigarette with clarity and confidence.
In 1985, Carr published The Easy Way to Stop Smoking, which became a bestseller and was translated into more than 45 languages. The success of his London clinic led to the establishment of over 100 Easyway centers in 35 countries, offering seminars to treat smoking, alcohol dependency, sugar addiction, and even fear of flying. His method’s credibility was bolstered by independent clinical trials, including studies in Ireland and the UK which found it as effective—if not more so—than standard cessation methods. This led to its adoption by NHS-approved services in England.
A key element of the Easyway clinics is that all facilitators are former addicts who successfully quit using the method themselves. They must complete extensive training and become licensed members of the Association of Allen Carr Therapists International.
Throughout his career, Carr also co-authored a wide range of Easyway books addressing various addictions and behavioral issues, often collaborating with Robin Hayley and John C. Dicey, the current Chairman and Global CEO of Allen Carr’s Easyway. Dicey, whom Carr mentored, continues to lead the organization’s development and public outreach.
Carr died of lung cancer in 2006 at age 72, though he had not smoked for 23 years. He attributed his illness to second-hand smoke exposure during seminars. Before his death, he remained committed to his mission, challenging governmental ties to nicotine replacement industries and advocating for wider access to his method.
Carr’s legacy continues through his clinics, books, and online programs, which have reached over 50 million people worldwide. His message remains consistent: quitting is not a sacrifice—it’s liberation.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
October 17, 2022
"Cannabis is a physically addictive drug, which means that after you consume it, it creates physical withdrawal. This is a mild, empty, slightly insecure, slightly uptight feeling - so mild, in fact, that it's almost imperceptible.
When you take your next dose of the drug, that mild, empty, insecure feeling temporarily disappears, leaving you feeling normal again. In fact, you use each dose of cannabis merely to try to return to the feeling you had all the time before you became addicted. That said, it's such a gradual process, you're not even aware that it's happening.
Think of it as a little monster inside your body that feeds on cannabis. If you don't fed it, it complains. Feed it and the complaining stops for a while, only to return as your body withdraws again from the latest dose. When you break free of the addiction, you're going to starve that Little Monster to death.
This won't be hard. The physical withdrawal is very slight, remember. You go through it whenever you're not using cannabis.
...
What makes quitting difficult for people who follow the wrong method is not the Little Monster - physical withdrawal itself - but the fact that it acts as a trigger for the real problem:
The Big Monster.
...
The Little Monster is created the first time you use cannabis. The Big Monster is created by brainwashing, and actually exists in most of us, whether or not we ever take drugs of any sort.
Even from an early age, we are brainwashed - often by people trying to discourage us from taking drugs - into believing that there is some kind of benefit or crutch to be had from cannabis. It's widely publicized that it helps us relax, or feel calm, or feel a sense of release or abandon. We're told it helps us handle stress and pressure, and aspects of life that we don't necessarily want to confront. Some people even think they can't concentrate, focus or be creative without the drug. The small distractions of the Little Monster seem to confirm this.
When you use the drug, the empty, insecure, slightly uptight feeling that it created disappears for a while and you feel less empty, less insecure and less uptight than you did a moment before. Withdrawal makes you feel physically lethargic but mentally restless. It is distracting and, therefore, impairs concentration.
Each puff seems to relieve these symptoms, and we are fooled into believing that we get a genuine pleasure or crutch from it. It's this belief that creates the feeling of deprivation when we try to quit. And it's this feeling of deprivation that creates the strong cravings associated with cannabis withdrawal. Remember, the physical withdrawal (the Little Monster) is very mild. It's the thought process that it triggers, aided and abetted by the brainwashing (the Big Monster), that causes the unpleasant cravings.
This method eradicates the Big Monster. All you have to do then is starve the Little Monster to death by stopping taking the drug."
When you take your next dose of the drug, that mild, empty, insecure feeling temporarily disappears, leaving you feeling normal again. In fact, you use each dose of cannabis merely to try to return to the feeling you had all the time before you became addicted. That said, it's such a gradual process, you're not even aware that it's happening.
Think of it as a little monster inside your body that feeds on cannabis. If you don't fed it, it complains. Feed it and the complaining stops for a while, only to return as your body withdraws again from the latest dose. When you break free of the addiction, you're going to starve that Little Monster to death.
This won't be hard. The physical withdrawal is very slight, remember. You go through it whenever you're not using cannabis.
...
What makes quitting difficult for people who follow the wrong method is not the Little Monster - physical withdrawal itself - but the fact that it acts as a trigger for the real problem:
The Big Monster.
...
The Little Monster is created the first time you use cannabis. The Big Monster is created by brainwashing, and actually exists in most of us, whether or not we ever take drugs of any sort.
Even from an early age, we are brainwashed - often by people trying to discourage us from taking drugs - into believing that there is some kind of benefit or crutch to be had from cannabis. It's widely publicized that it helps us relax, or feel calm, or feel a sense of release or abandon. We're told it helps us handle stress and pressure, and aspects of life that we don't necessarily want to confront. Some people even think they can't concentrate, focus or be creative without the drug. The small distractions of the Little Monster seem to confirm this.
When you use the drug, the empty, insecure, slightly uptight feeling that it created disappears for a while and you feel less empty, less insecure and less uptight than you did a moment before. Withdrawal makes you feel physically lethargic but mentally restless. It is distracting and, therefore, impairs concentration.
Each puff seems to relieve these symptoms, and we are fooled into believing that we get a genuine pleasure or crutch from it. It's this belief that creates the feeling of deprivation when we try to quit. And it's this feeling of deprivation that creates the strong cravings associated with cannabis withdrawal. Remember, the physical withdrawal (the Little Monster) is very mild. It's the thought process that it triggers, aided and abetted by the brainwashing (the Big Monster), that causes the unpleasant cravings.
This method eradicates the Big Monster. All you have to do then is starve the Little Monster to death by stopping taking the drug."
November 11, 2023
Very useful, need to go in open minded.
Edit: 8 months later I came back for a thankful glance at the reviews here. There is no doubt in my mind about the efficacy and momentum this short book provides in making likely the biggest and most impactful decision for my life at least.
A memorable quote from the book that stuck with me is:
"Remember, cannabis does not resolve the misery and dissatisfaction. It causes it."
Edit: 8 months later I came back for a thankful glance at the reviews here. There is no doubt in my mind about the efficacy and momentum this short book provides in making likely the biggest and most impactful decision for my life at least.
A memorable quote from the book that stuck with me is:
"Remember, cannabis does not resolve the misery and dissatisfaction. It causes it."
April 20, 2026
Waited to review to see if id actually follow through with quitting - Officially 2 weeks weed free. This book was so good to listen to, his words are powerful and how he says them is powerful. I’ve been a weed smoker for 10 years. If I can quit you can too :)
August 31, 2024
Not exactly living up to my expectations but I did quit so who cares
October 19, 2022
I Quit!!!!!
Thank You Allen Carr!!!! I quit cigarettes (8 years ago) and now marijuana with your book. Both of my quits were symptom free and I never craved either after my quit. Thank You!
Thank You Allen Carr!!!! I quit cigarettes (8 years ago) and now marijuana with your book. Both of my quits were symptom free and I never craved either after my quit. Thank You!
February 3, 2025
it works
January 8, 2026
Didn't work
September 30, 2026
This book was so painful to read honestly. Your success with quitting by reading this book boils down to you needing to believe that cannabis does nothing for you, doesn't provide support or pleasure.
It keeps making that claim yet it does a terrible job (if at all) at actually demonstrating that it indeed doesn't serve it's users. It might be the case for someone who smokes so much they have a really high tolerance and never actually get high. In which case, smoking does nothing other than bringing you back to baseline
But for most people reading this book, we still derive pleasure from smoking weed. The issue is that the costs of smoking out weigh the benefits so we're trying to stop. In which case, this book does nothing.
It keeps making that claim yet it does a terrible job (if at all) at actually demonstrating that it indeed doesn't serve it's users. It might be the case for someone who smokes so much they have a really high tolerance and never actually get high. In which case, smoking does nothing other than bringing you back to baseline
But for most people reading this book, we still derive pleasure from smoking weed. The issue is that the costs of smoking out weigh the benefits so we're trying to stop. In which case, this book does nothing.
April 24, 2023
after i read it the first time it didn't click very strongly and i relapsed shortly after, but i'm thankful that I did because now my conviction is 10x stronger and my life just instantly got 10x better. This day is a milestone and I'm so happy and excited that i'm finally free of this nightmare 🌼🌈🌟
October 19, 2026
Dry, didactic, and devoid of the personality and anecdotes that made “The Easyway to Stop Smoking” so enjoyable.
Also, it sometimes feels as thought it was written by a third-grader. Use a swear word now and again. “Being free is fucking amazing!” is a suggestion. Another constant issue for me was the outright denial and lies that cannabis provides zero relief outside of soothing withdrawal. If that were the case, then most of us would have hated our first times. I found myself arguing with the writer and wanting to throw my copy out the window, which made it difficult to finish (even after my quit). The only time I had a craving was when I came back to finish it. So many lies! It’s completely obvious that John Dicey has never gotten high before! I just found myself wishing it were more nuanced. Acknowledge the truth… But, alas, it’s part of undoing the brainwashing, clinging, and destroying the “Little Monster”.
Nonetheless, the book worked for me. This is my most confident quit, and I honestly feel that the part of me that used to be a stoner is entirely erased from my mind and my body. I don’t even count the days this time because I know I will never go back. But for credibility, I quit over a month ago, and despite the fact that I smell marijuana smoke at least once a day from my neighbors, I am still a proud and happy non-cannabis addict. The best part of all of this is that I finally get to have the clarity and the space to fix all the reason reasons I was escaping in the first place.
Rebuilding has never been more fun—thanks to Allen Carr and this book! Give it a shot.
Also, it sometimes feels as thought it was written by a third-grader. Use a swear word now and again. “Being free is fucking amazing!” is a suggestion. Another constant issue for me was the outright denial and lies that cannabis provides zero relief outside of soothing withdrawal. If that were the case, then most of us would have hated our first times. I found myself arguing with the writer and wanting to throw my copy out the window, which made it difficult to finish (even after my quit). The only time I had a craving was when I came back to finish it. So many lies! It’s completely obvious that John Dicey has never gotten high before! I just found myself wishing it were more nuanced. Acknowledge the truth… But, alas, it’s part of undoing the brainwashing, clinging, and destroying the “Little Monster”.
Nonetheless, the book worked for me. This is my most confident quit, and I honestly feel that the part of me that used to be a stoner is entirely erased from my mind and my body. I don’t even count the days this time because I know I will never go back. But for credibility, I quit over a month ago, and despite the fact that I smell marijuana smoke at least once a day from my neighbors, I am still a proud and happy non-cannabis addict. The best part of all of this is that I finally get to have the clarity and the space to fix all the reason reasons I was escaping in the first place.
Rebuilding has never been more fun—thanks to Allen Carr and this book! Give it a shot.
March 20, 2026
Correct in many aspects but short length, author's not been experienced of cannabis(though his Analysis isn't wrong and surpasses many of those addicted, unless they are a bit enlightened to see weed for what it is) - makes it rather ineffective. Allen Carr used NLP Techniques to make the user want and love the change so that change becomes easy but short length, sparks a thought, albeit a strong one, but a mere spark, compared to the effect, of his Easy Way to Quit Smoking and Easy Way to Quit Smoking Permanently. I don't mind self boasting as that's crucial for NLP to be effective but this one, because it's too short, feels more boasting than actual substance. With a revisionist edition with quotations from many true addicts, who are currently addicted and many those who are not, references to neuroscientific literatures, and triple the length of where it sits right now - I would suggest and give this book away to All my addicted Friends, only after using it to quit my own.
April 2, 2026
I've been a cannabis user for years, constantly trying to quit with little to no success. I've watched countless videos on quitting, but Easyway provided me with a fresh outlook on cannabis and how much of an overall negative impact it has, and how much control it has truly had over the entirety of my adult life thus far. I've just finished the book, so I can't quite say I'm cured just yet. But, at the very least, I no longer see the drug as fruitful, just an endless form of punishment and disrespect FROM myself TO myself. To be without the burden of drugs is to truly be free/live as your authentic self. If that seems daunting, perhaps the issue you have was never about the weed in the first place; it was about how it made you feel about yourself under the influence. All in all, it is a quick book worth the read.
March 16, 2023
People seemed to really like this method (despite the title) and nothing else was working.
On the surface I see how it could come across as overly simplistic. But if you stick with it, it really does f*ck with your brain in a good way. It makes you miss life without the drug. It helps you actually want to stop rather than simply surviving cravings/withdrawals.
The only drawback is that it repeats itself. A lot. But that's the entire point - to drill these ideas into your brain.
I'd certainly recommend this to a friend who was trying to quit.
I'd also understand if they read it and laughed at me.
On the surface I see how it could come across as overly simplistic. But if you stick with it, it really does f*ck with your brain in a good way. It makes you miss life without the drug. It helps you actually want to stop rather than simply surviving cravings/withdrawals.
The only drawback is that it repeats itself. A lot. But that's the entire point - to drill these ideas into your brain.
I'd certainly recommend this to a friend who was trying to quit.
I'd also understand if they read it and laughed at me.
December 5, 2025
I was curious to see how this would match up against the Easyway to Quit Smoking, and was pleasantly surprised. Of course, it uses the same basic premise as the original book – that the drug has no benefit for you whatsoever and that any perceived benefits are just illusions that don't balance out the negatives, but this book also seems like it was written after doing some research on Cannabis and what makes it unique as an addiction.
I just finished reading it and I'm feeling happy to quit cannabis, so by all means, it seems as though the book worked for me, but only time will tell. All the best to anyone considering quitting!
I just finished reading it and I'm feeling happy to quit cannabis, so by all means, it seems as though the book worked for me, but only time will tell. All the best to anyone considering quitting!
September 30, 2023
Mind-opening
I would recommend this book to anyone at any point in their journey out of addiction. I've tried to quit probably hundreds of times and have been stuck in the cycle of ambivalence for a long time. This method seemed too simple at first but the mental shift that it offers has already significantly helped me. It's so nice to not think of myself as going without an old friend anymore.
I would recommend this book to anyone at any point in their journey out of addiction. I've tried to quit probably hundreds of times and have been stuck in the cycle of ambivalence for a long time. This method seemed too simple at first but the mental shift that it offers has already significantly helped me. It's so nice to not think of myself as going without an old friend anymore.
July 3, 2024
Book was common sense for the most part as I’ve already quit cold turkey before I read. Had an audible credit to use up and was hoping it would give me some statistics or scientific reasoning of why quitting was beneficial.
The book was more of a gentle encouragement to boost your self esteem concerning quitting. I do see the value in this for someone who is struggling with their confidence in whether they can quit. I was not the target audience.
The book was more of a gentle encouragement to boost your self esteem concerning quitting. I do see the value in this for someone who is struggling with their confidence in whether they can quit. I was not the target audience.
February 11, 2026
Wow, this book really did help me. I’ve been trying to fully quit weed for years since I suffer from CHS (Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome) and this really made it click for me. The only thing I didn’t like was that he kept saying you won’t feel physical withdrawal symptoms, because if you have CHS you will for up to 90 days, but other than that 10/10 recommend for anyone trying to quit for good!!!
March 15, 2026
🎧- As someone who put cannabis aside a few months ago this was a helpful book to listen to for reminders about why it was such an important decision to give it up. The framing mechanics that Allen Carr’s method provides help to reinforce, at least for me, that I was addicted and how addiction is a prison that for so long I willingly kept myself locked in.
This was a quick listen and offers a great path for anyone who is looking to quit cannabis but have had trouble doing it on their own.
This was a quick listen and offers a great path for anyone who is looking to quit cannabis but have had trouble doing it on their own.
April 17, 2024
it works
This series of books really does work. I read the stop smoking one a month ago and haven’t had a cigarette since. I just finished this book at almost 4 days sober of cannabis. Highly recommend.
This series of books really does work. I read the stop smoking one a month ago and haven’t had a cigarette since. I just finished this book at almost 4 days sober of cannabis. Highly recommend.
September 29, 2025
(4 1/4)This book worked for me. It utilises cognitive behavioural therapy to change / correct your opinion on cannabis. You do have to be open minded for the book to work as I was definitely skeptical at times but it did exactly what I was looking for and really did make quitting feel easy.
December 29, 2025
the audiobook is great and it's a very easy listen. this book puts words to feelings i've had for a while regarding weed. cheap dopamine can be found everywhere you look these days, and i find weed to be an insidious source that i'd love to cut out. ty Nikki Glaser for the reco <3
April 30, 2026
On a path to bettering myself, I was incredibly influenced by quitting smoking. I haven’t vaped in almost 5 months since finishing it. This one was not as effective for me for some reason, which was disheartening. but i’ll keep it for when i’m more ready.
March 27, 2023
Allen Carr was a fucking genius!
March 31, 2024
Thank you for saving my life.
Reading this book informed me that I am not being the best version of myself. So I quit smoking and now life is everything I’ve always wanted it to be.
Reading this book informed me that I am not being the best version of myself. So I quit smoking and now life is everything I’ve always wanted it to be.
May 4, 2025
The advice here can apply to any vice. The key is to change your mindset to not want it, any withdraw symptom can be dealt with easily but the limiting beliefs have to be destroyed first.
July 17, 2025
I don't think Allen Carr has ever smoked "dope"...but I did stop 💁♀️
December 19, 2025
very insightful but a little preachy and I didn’t love how he knocks the steps. that being said, this perspective on sobriety is certainly valuable and I will be coming back to it.
January 17, 2026
appreciate some good quitlit to brush up now and again. lifelong learner babyyyy. T break.
February 10, 2026
I was the biggest skeptic but this shit actually works
April 4, 2026
Great audiobook because of the British narrator and how he says "dope" and "spliff"
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews