Marijuana Withdrawal

The symptoms of marijuana withdrawal include irritability, anger, depressed mood, headaches, restlessness, lack of appetite, and cravings for marijuana. These withdrawal symptoms can make it hard for a habitual user of marijuana to stop. Symptoms of marijuana withdrawal first appear in serious habitual users within the first 8 hours and are the most noticeable during the first 10 days. However, withdrawal symptoms may last as long as 45 days. The marijuana withdrawal is identifiable by behavioral and emotional distress.

 

 

The symptoms of marijuana withdrawal include but are not limited to:

• anorexia
• anxiety
• decreases in appetite and mood
• increased aggression / anger
• insomnia
• irritability
• physical tension
• physical tension
• restlessness
• stomach pain
• strange dreams

Marijuana Withdrawal Symptoms Reported by Teens in Treatment
Treatment for marijuana dependence is on the rise, but, researchers have discovered there's a catch. Marijuana withdrawal symptoms are similar to those experienced by people quitting cigarettes, cocaine, or other drugs which may make abstinence more difficult to achieve.
A new study in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence shows that teens that use marijuana frequently also may face the same withdrawal symptoms that have been found to challenge adult marijuana users trying to quit.

Ryan Vandrey, a graduate student in psychology, and Alan Budney, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry and psychology at the University of Vermont, studied 72 adolescent marijuana users seeking outpatient treatment for substance abuse.

Participants in the study were heavy marijuana users ages 14 to 19, who were primarily male Caucasians, and who completed study questionnaires. Nearly two-thirds of the participants reported experiencing four or more symptoms of marijuana withdrawal, including anxiety, aggression, and irritability. More than one-third of participants reported four or more symptoms that occurred at a moderate or greater severity level.

Anxiety, Aggression, Irritability
"In the adolescents who provided information, we observed a lot of variability regarding the presence and severity of withdrawal symptoms, which is consistent with what we have seen in several studies of adults who use marijuana frequently," said Vandrey. "Overall, our research indicates that the majority of people who abruptly stop daily or near daily marijuana use experience some marijuana withdrawal symptoms. Though there is anecdotal evidence that marijuana withdrawal makes it more difficult to quit using marijuana and that people use marijuana to suppress withdrawal effects, we still need to more carefully investigate how withdrawal impacts the quitting process."

Budney's future research aims to address this and other questions related to the clinical importance of marijuana withdrawal and more generally to develop and test more effective methods for helping those who seek to stop using marijuana.

Name:
Age:
City:
State:
Phone:
Email:
Drug of Choice:
Looking for Treatment?:
Describe the situation: