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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 • 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. What people say about Allen Carr's Easyway "Allen Carr's international bestseller...has helped countless people quit." Time Out New York "His skill is in removing the psychological dependence." The Sunday Times
145 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2022
117 people are currently reading
152 people want to read
About the author
Allen Carr
383 books286 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.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
March 31, 2024
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."
November 9, 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."
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!
January 8, 2026
There is a Bojack Horseman episode on Cuddly Whiskers.
Cuddly Whiskers tells us that how he won oscar and it meant nothing to him.
Then he started some charity and he felt the same gnawing feeling.
And then finally he gave up and he says a very beautiful line - “It takes a long time to realize how truly miserable you are. And even longer to see that it doesn't have to be that way. Only after you give up everything, can you begin to find a way to be happy."
I am not saying that give up everything, but we have the patterns of neediness which manifest in addiction.
I hope you have the courage to break free from your addiction. Best wishes.
Cuddly Whiskers tells us that how he won oscar and it meant nothing to him.
Then he started some charity and he felt the same gnawing feeling.
And then finally he gave up and he says a very beautiful line - “It takes a long time to realize how truly miserable you are. And even longer to see that it doesn't have to be that way. Only after you give up everything, can you begin to find a way to be happy."
I am not saying that give up everything, but we have the patterns of neediness which manifest in addiction.
I hope you have the courage to break free from your addiction. Best wishes.
February 3, 2025
it works
January 8, 2026
Didn't work
May 31, 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 🌼🌈🌟
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.
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
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.
January 24, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ LIFE CHANGING
I have read a lot of books that promise life change, but very few that actually manage it. This one did. I put it down on 25/11/25, and I have not touched a single joint since. For someone who has been wrapped in cannabis for decades, someone who truly believed they were permanently woven into its fabric, that still feels almost unreal to say out loud.
The strangest part is that it did not feel like a battle. One read, one sitting, one shift in perspective, and it was like someone finally turned the lights on in a room I had been stumbling through for half my life. Carr has a way of dismantling your assumptions so gently that you do not even realize your walls have come down until you notice you are breathing differently. I kept waiting for the dread, the cravings, the internal argument, the usual emotional tug of war, and none of it came.
What makes this book so powerful is how simple it is. Not simplistic, not superficial, simply clear in a way that feels almost disarming. Carr is not interested in shaming you or lecturing you or scaring you straight. He wants you to understand what you are doing and why you are doing it, and once you see it for what it is, the grip loosens on its own.
While reading, something clicked, and I realised I had spent more time believing I was trapped than actually being trapped. That belief was the cage, not the plant. Carr dismantles that belief piece by piece, with such patience and clarity that it feels less like quitting and more like waking up from a long, dull dream.
I finished the last page with the strangest combination of relief and excitement. Relief because the weight I had been carrying for years simply was not there anymore. Excitement because I finally understood that life without cannabis was not a sacrifice, it was a return to myself. I kept waiting for the pain that every quit story warns about, and it never arrived. I only felt lighter.
If you have ever felt trapped, hopeless, resigned, or convinced that cannabis has become part of your identity, this book is absolutely worth your time. I am not exaggerating when I say it changed my life in a single read, and the freedom I feel now is something I did not believe was possible for me. If that is not the mark of a book worth recommending, I do not know what is.
I have read a lot of books that promise life change, but very few that actually manage it. This one did. I put it down on 25/11/25, and I have not touched a single joint since. For someone who has been wrapped in cannabis for decades, someone who truly believed they were permanently woven into its fabric, that still feels almost unreal to say out loud.
The strangest part is that it did not feel like a battle. One read, one sitting, one shift in perspective, and it was like someone finally turned the lights on in a room I had been stumbling through for half my life. Carr has a way of dismantling your assumptions so gently that you do not even realize your walls have come down until you notice you are breathing differently. I kept waiting for the dread, the cravings, the internal argument, the usual emotional tug of war, and none of it came.
What makes this book so powerful is how simple it is. Not simplistic, not superficial, simply clear in a way that feels almost disarming. Carr is not interested in shaming you or lecturing you or scaring you straight. He wants you to understand what you are doing and why you are doing it, and once you see it for what it is, the grip loosens on its own.
While reading, something clicked, and I realised I had spent more time believing I was trapped than actually being trapped. That belief was the cage, not the plant. Carr dismantles that belief piece by piece, with such patience and clarity that it feels less like quitting and more like waking up from a long, dull dream.
I finished the last page with the strangest combination of relief and excitement. Relief because the weight I had been carrying for years simply was not there anymore. Excitement because I finally understood that life without cannabis was not a sacrifice, it was a return to myself. I kept waiting for the pain that every quit story warns about, and it never arrived. I only felt lighter.
If you have ever felt trapped, hopeless, resigned, or convinced that cannabis has become part of your identity, this book is absolutely worth your time. I am not exaggerating when I say it changed my life in a single read, and the freedom I feel now is something I did not believe was possible for me. If that is not the mark of a book worth recommending, I do not know what is.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews