Understanding Marijuana Withdrawal
Can You Have Withdrawal Symptoms From Weed?
Weed, also known as marijuana or cannabis, is a psychoactive drug that is commonly used across the globe. It is possible to develop both dependence on and marijuana addiction, resulting in withdrawal symptoms when it is discontinued.
The results of a 2024 study on cannabis use around the world estimated that approximately 47% of people who use marijuana regularly experience withdrawal symptoms upon cessation or reduction after long-term, heavy use.
What Are Withdrawal Symptoms From Weed?
Weed withdrawal is characterized by several physical and psychological symptoms, including:
- Hot flashes
- Sweating
- Loss of appetite
- Shakiness (tremors)
- Intense cravings
- Irritability or moodiness
- Nervousness and anxiety
- Depressed mood or anger
- Sleep disruptions
These symptoms vary in occurrence and severity based on heaviness and length of use.
What Is the Difference Between Marijuana Withdrawal and Marijuana Addiction?
The experience of marijuana withdrawal refers to temporary symptoms including irritability, anxiety, sleep issues, and physical discomfort that occur when someone stops using marijuana after regular use.
Marijuana addiction is a pattern of compulsive marijuana use despite negative consequences, often requiring professional treatment.
Onset and Timeline of Withdrawal Symptoms
When Does Marijuana Withdrawal Start?
Marijuana withdrawal symptoms typically begin within the first 24 to 72 hours after stopping or significantly reducing marijuana use, especially for those who have used it heavily and regularly.
The symptoms often peak around day three and can include anxiety, irritability, sleep issues, and cravings. While the physical symptoms may subside within one to two weeks, some psychological symptoms can last up to five weeks. The severity and duration of withdrawal can vary based on factors such as the amount of THC consumed and the length of use.
What Is One of the First Signs of Withdrawal?
Irritability, restlessness, or sleep disruption typically signify the onset of weed withdrawal.
Further physical symptoms appear in the following days and can include restlessness, disturbing dreams, loss of appetite, and irritability.
How Long Do Marijuana Withdrawal Symptoms Last?
The length of cannabis withdrawal symptoms depends on the length and severity of use. Most symptoms resolve in 7 to 14 days, with some persisting for several weeks in the case of heavy, chronic users, with cravings continuing for months.
Cravings can be triggered by stress and other use cues, and can be reduced by the use of evidence-based therapies. These include cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) in individual or group therapy settings and attendance at support groups.
Do Withdrawal Symptoms Change Over Time?
Symptoms can change over time, typically morphing from mood disruption to decreased appetite, weight loss, and continued psychological symptoms.
Marijuana withdrawal symptoms typically begin within 24 to 48 hours after stopping use. They peak around day three and may last for up to two to three weeks, with some psychological symptoms potentially lingering for up to five weeks.
Common Physical and Psychological Symptoms
What Are the Most Common Marijuana Withdrawal Symptoms?
The most common marijuana withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, aggression, trouble sleeping, and cravings for marijuana. These symptoms typically begin within the first 24 to 48 hours after stopping regular use. Again, they can peak around day three.
What Are the Physical Symptoms of Marijuana Withdrawal?
Physical withdrawal is characterized by nausea, changes in appetite, restlessness, and weight loss.
Some individuals may also experience stomach pain/abdominal pain, shakiness/tremors, sweating, fever, chills, vomiting, or headaches. Withdrawal symptoms vary based on severity and length of use.
What Are the Psychological Effects of Marijuana Withdrawal?
The psychological effects of marijuana withdrawal can include anxiety, irritability, mood swings, cravings, and depression.
Psychological symptoms arise as the brain adjusts to the absence of THC, which may have been used to cope with emotional distress. This impact on mood stability can last up to five weeks, even causing symptoms of depression. During this time, individuals often experience sleep disturbance, nightmares, vivid or disturbing dreams, and other sleep problems.
Why Am I So Irritable During Marijuana Withdrawal?
The main active ingredient in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), acts on CB1 receptors in the amygdala and prefrontal cortex.
This is the area where the brain regions that handle threat and impulse control. When you stop using weed, those systems have to recalibrate, and it takes time for them to adjust to life without the emotional filter THC was providing.
Can Marijuana Withdrawal Cause Mania?
While marijuana withdrawal does not typically cause mania, it can lead to symptoms like anxiety, irritability, mood swings, and even aggression.
If someone has a history of mood disorders, withdrawal may exacerbate those conditions, but mania itself is not a common withdrawal symptom.
Factors That Influence Withdrawal
Are Withdrawal Symptoms Worse for People Who Use Dabs or Concentrates?
Dabbing is a way of using highly concentrated cannabis extract by heating a small amount on a hot surface and inhaling the vapor through a specialized device like a dab rig or vape pen.
“Dabs” are made of wax, oil, or shatter and are very strong, containing THC levels far higher than regular marijuana flower. Because dabs and concentrates deliver much higher levels of THC than edibles or smoked marijuana, they exacerbate withdrawal symptoms upon cessation.
How Can Frequency of Use Affect Withdrawal Symptoms?
The more or higher-potency cannabis that is consumed, the more the body adapts to its use, creating and increasing marijuana tolerance.
When less or lower-potency marijuana is consumed, the buildup of tolerance is lower. This leads to fewer or less severe withdrawal symptoms because the body has less to purge in order to reach its healthy baseline.
Can Marijuana Withdrawal Symptoms Be Life-Threatening?
Marijuana is considered safe to discontinue at home. However, individuals with co-occurring mental health disorders or physical health concerns benefit from medical supervision.
Discuss care with a primary care physician or seek placement in a facility that oversees detox and residential healing, like Exclusive Hawaii Rehab. Weed can interfere with a person’s ability to recognize and manage symptoms of co-occurring mental health disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia. Clinical support can catch exacerbation of these disorders before they manifest into risky behavior or psychological concerns.
Strategies for Managing Symptoms
How Do You Treat Marijuana Withdrawal Symptoms?
Withdrawal symptoms can often be managed at home with proper rest and nutrition, but heavy, extended use can create an extremely uncomfortable detoxification process.
Seeking assistance with detox at a residential or outpatient facility will lessen the likelihood of relapse. Additionally, psychotherapy, or talk therapy, is a great option for structured support during recovery.
Should I Quit Cold Turkey or Gradually Reduce My Consumption?
Withdrawal symptoms from quitting marijuana are decreased by continued substance use. Help from your primary care physician or an addiction treatment center can mitigate the risk of relapse through the development of coping mechanisms in an inpatient or outpatient setting.
How Do You Manage Triggers, Cravings, and Relapse Risk?
Therapy can help treat cannabis use disorder (CUD) alongside any co-occurring mental health conditions.
CUD benefits from CBT’s structured, goal-oriented examination of thoughts and emotions. It also teaches healthy coping mechanisms you will use well beyond detox. Alongside your therapist, you will identify negative patterns and work to unlearn and replace them with healthier habits of thinking.
How Do You Maintain Sobriety During Stressful Life Changes?
DBT has proven to be effective in treating and managing CUD. It is especially effective for people who have difficulty managing and regulating their emotions.
At Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, we offer CBT, DBT, holistic, somatic, and experiential therapies in a natural environment where you can begin recovering from substance use disorder. Our addiction treatment curriculum incorporates the way of aloha, drawing together nature, spirit, and community in a serene, small-group environment.
When to Seek Treatment
When Should I Seek Professional Help for Withdrawal Symptoms?
If your withdrawal symptoms become severe and impair your daily life, you should seek professional help. Impairments can include significant anxiety, insomnia, mood swings, or aggression.
Additionally, if you find it difficult to stop using marijuana despite wanting to, this may indicate cannabis use disorder. CUD recovery requires professional support.
What Can I Expect in a Marijuana Addiction Treatment Program?
Cannabis addiction treatment programs help clients develop coping skills and healthy routines to replace substance abuse. Clients and clinicians collaborate to ensure the best possible outcome.
Some of the most effective treatment options for cannabis use disorder include:
- Psychotherapy
- Psychiatry
- Peer support
- Alternative holistic therapies
- Prescription medication to manage underlying mental health symptoms
How Does Therapy Support Recovery From Marijuana Addiction?
CUD benefits from CBT’s structured, goal-oriented examination of thoughts and emotions.
During structured sessions with a therapist, patients learn practical skills to manage their thoughts and emotions. Skills are practiced through techniques like cognitive restructuring and behavioral experiments. Alongside your therapist, you will identify negative mental and behavioral patterns and work to unlearn and replace them with healthier habits of thinking.
DBT, motivational interviewing, adventure, and art therapies are also excellent modalities for developing mindfulness skills. Holistic and somatic practices by your care team at Exclusive Hawaii Rehab will support you in creating an ongoing care plan that includes at-home coping methods for long-term wellness.
When Is Residential Treatment Appropriate for Marijuana Addiction?
If you or your loved one is unable to stop using marijuana without support and experiences significant problems due to its use, residential treatment for marijuana addiction is appropriate.
Residential treatment provides a structured, low-stress environment with activities and evidence-based therapeutic options that support recovery while addressing the underlying issues relating to addiction. For example, many individuals who experience substance use disorder (SUD) have co-occurring mental health disorders or a history of trauma. Directly treating these concerns increases an individual’s likelihood of long-term recovery.
Can You Recover From Long-Term Marijuana Use?
It is possible to overcome many of the long-term effects of marijuana use through marijuana cessation and medical intervention.
Marijuana impacts the respiratory, cardiovascular, and immune systems while also reducing working memory, executive function, and psychomotor function. Further, its impact ripples out into your relationships and mental health, lowering your ability to manage depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia.
Many individuals with cannabis use disorder notice changes in motivation, finding themselves less excited about previously enjoyable activities, or less ambitious overall. These effects ripple out, impacting social and professional relationships, and can result in legal issues.
FAQs
The most effective method is to stop using marijuana and allow your body time to metabolize and eliminate THC naturally, which can take from a few days to several weeks depending on usage frequency.
You can support this process with healthy habits like staying hydrated, exercising, and getting enough sleep. Still, there are no quick fixes or detox products that reliably speed up THC elimination.
Early research suggests CBD may help reduce anxiety and cravings during marijuana withdrawal, but only at high doses of pharmaceutical-grade CBD products.
Current studies on the effectiveness of CBD’s ability to positively impact withdrawal from weed are small, and further study is needed.
Because only approximately 31% of commercial CBD products contain the amount of CBD indicated, and many contain THC themselves, these products are not the best source of cessation support.
Marijuana primarily affects the brain, where its active ingredient THC connects to receptors and can impair memory, learning, attention, and coordination.
This substance affects both brain development and brain function. In the short term (within 24 hours), it can affect thinking, attention, memory, coordination, and time perception, and in the long term, starting use in youth (before age 18) may affect how the brain builds connections and can have effects that last a long time.
It also harms the lungs when smoked, causing chronic cough, phlegm, and increased infection risk.
Yes, marijuana withdrawal symptoms can return after they initially improve, especially if a person experiences stress or resumes using marijuana.
This can lead to a cycle of withdrawal and relapse, making it important to seek support during recovery.
Exclusive Hawaii Rehab provides a safe and serene space where you can heal from cannabis dependence in private. Our facility provides 24/7 clinical supervision for detox with medication-assisted treatment (MAT) when appropriate to reduce withdrawal symptoms such as difficulty sleeping and vivid dreams, and decrease your risk of relapse. In our low-pressure, structured daily programming, you can uncover the root causes of your addiction in a supportive, judgment-free environment.
If someone you love is experiencing cannabis withdrawal syndrome, you can support them by first educating yourself on addiction.
Learning that addiction is a disease rather than a choice will help you listen to them without judgment, building trust between you so they can articulate their needs. It will also aid you in setting any necessary emotional or financial boundaries to prevent enabling their addiction while you provide support.
Ask your loved one about their symptoms. You can also offer to submit insurance verification forms to any facilities they are interested in attending during their recovery. Providing or arranging transportation to and from care can remove barriers to accessing care. Finally, work to make their living space safe for them to return to after care is complete. This will reduce the likelihood of relapse.
At Exclusive Hawaii Rehab, we recognize substance use disorder as a family disorder. During treatment and before graduation, our clinical team collaborates with each client to establish a comprehensive aftercare plan tailored to their home environment.
Our facility offers ongoing remote individual therapy sessions, structured relapse prevention strategies, and robust alumni networks. Additionally, our clinicians provide family systems support and virtual check-ins to educate loved ones on addiction, establish healthy boundaries for ongoing care, and maintain the integrity of clinical gains so that lasting healing extends far beyond a residential stay.
