Marijuana Withdrawal Symptoms
As marijuana becomes increasingly accepted and legalized in many parts of the world, it’s easy to overlook the potential risks associated with its use. The question “is marijuana addictive” has become widely debated. While often considered less harmful than other substances, marijuana can lead to dependency and addiction for some users. The reality is that, like any substance that alters the brain’s chemistry, marijuana can create a pattern of use that’s difficult to break. For many individuals, what begins as occasional recreational use can evolve into a serious problem that impacts their health, relationships, and daily life.
Is Marijuana Addictive?
There is still considerable debate on if marijuana is addictive, what defines “marijuana addiction,” and how many users have it. However, medical experts agree that marijuana use disorder (also called cannabis use disorder) is real, and a real problem for many people. In fact, recent research has revealed that over 30% of those who have used marijuana have a marijuana use disorder. Additionally, over 300,000 Americans seek professional help each year to quit marijuana, often after six or more attempts to stop on their own.
Signs of Marijuana Addiction
It is common to wonder if you or a loved one may have a dependency on the drug. Signs of marijuana addiction include but are not limited to:
- You regularly spend more money on marijuana than you budgeted
- You use marijuana in situations where you know it’s illegal or otherwise banned
- Your marijuana use is interfering with work, relationships, or daily routines
- You’ve ever gotten high enough to cause an accident or injury
- You go on binges—smoking excessive amounts until you become fully detached from reality
- You’re developing “brain fog” problems (poor memory, lack of self-control, or difficulty concentrating)
- You have withdrawal symptoms when you go without marijuana for longer-than-usual periods.
Marijuana Withdrawal Symptoms
Mild withdrawal is not necessarily proof of all-out addiction: virtually everyone experiences some perceptible discomfort when trying to quit any ingrained habit. Even people who use marijuana for purely medical reasons have withdrawal symptoms. (Important note: if you take any marijuana-derived prescription, get your doctor’s advice before discontinuing it.)
Withdrawal from marijuana usually takes 1–2 weeks, though it can take as long as four weeks for the brain to fully adjust to the new normal. Symptoms are typically at their worst between the first three days, then begin to subside. However, detox and withdrawal is different for each individual. While it is not the case for everyone, some people also experience post-acute withdrawal symptoms for several weeks or months.
Typical marijuana withdrawal symptoms include:
- Lack of appetite
- Nausea or stomach pain
- Heavy perspiration, chills, or (occasionally) fever
- Muscle tremors
- Severe headaches
- Difficulty concentrating
- Insomnia
- Vivid dreams or (occasionally) waking hallucinations
- Irritability or short temper
- Restlessness or anxiety
- Depression
- Desperate cravings to return to marijuana use
Quitting Marijuana
If you or a loved one are thinking about quitting marijuana, the good news is that marijuana withdrawal is not particularly dangerous, as addiction withdrawals go. It is closer to the classic discomforts of nicotine withdrawal (“quitting smoking”) than to the agonies of opiate withdrawal or the potentially life-threatening effects of alcohol withdrawal. Many people have succeeded in quitting marijuana by pure willpower or by tapering off, without experiencing major problems.
However, many people do need professional help to quit marijuana, and even after quitting, relapse is always a potential risk. Long-term therapy and peer support (there’s a Marijuana Anonymous just as there is an Alcoholics Anonymous) are recommended for everyone. Anyone who has been using marijuana daily for years, uses additional drugs, or has co-occurring mental health disorders is at risk for particularly severe symptoms and should seek direct medical supervision during withdrawal.
Whether quitting on your own or choosing a treatment facility, there are steps that you can personally take to to ease withdrawal symptoms:
- Consult a doctor before you begin voluntary withdrawal.
- Eat healthy and drink plenty of water. Avoid sugar, caffeine, processed foods, and anything with stomach-irritating potential.
- Get all the sleep and rest you can.
- Exercise daily to release endorphins and help calm jittery emotions.
- Have a circle of supportive loved ones stay on hand to encourage you.
- And remember: this too shall pass, and soon you’ll feel much better for the short and the long term.
Marijuana Detox at Hope by the Sea
While not everyone with marijuana use disorder needs medical supervision to quit, many people find professional help invaluable. Treatment and guidance can be especially useful when it comes to managing marijuana withdrawal symptoms and focusing on relapse prevention. Hope by the Sea can help you make it through marijuana detox (or more complicated withdrawals from other addictions) and learn to live a rewarding, drug-free life.
Contact us with any questions that you may have, to request admission, or begin a consultation. Hope Starts Here!
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