Many regular and heavy marijuana smokers go through withdrawal symptoms when they first quit marijuana. The detoxification period tends to last anywhere from 10 days to a month, and is worse at first. Quitting marijuana can cause both physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms. The most common symptoms are discussed in detail below.
Anxiety and Restlessness – All dressed up and nowhere to smoke!
Anxiety is one of the biggest obstacles in the first two weeks of quitting. The anxiety you feel when you quit smoking is usually less than a full-blown panic attack, but it’s constant! You must be prepared to deal with the emotional and mental state you will be in for the first few weeks after you quit. Some of you will know what I’m talking about. I’ve searched through couch cushions, trash and everywhere else just to find a roach or a little nugget to feel at peace. I describe it as something missing, and needing to return to a high state so you can relax again. You may notice that you have a lot of tension and are not breathing well for the first week. Keeping busy will help a little, but it won’t make this feeling go away.
Insomnia and racing thoughts
Insomnia is a big problem in the first two days of not smoking cannabis. There have been times when I haven’t slept for a couple of days. This always happens. If smoking marijuana relaxes you and makes you tired, not smoking can stress you out and make your mind race. Your sleep patterns may take a while to return to normal. Usually within a month you will have more regular sleep patterns and sleep through the night. It is important to maintain a regular sleep and wake schedule when you are in marijuana withdrawal.
vivid dreams and nightmares
As any smoker knows, marijuana seems to interfere with the sleep mechanism of consciousness, preventing you from dreaming or preventing you from remembering them. When you give your body a break from marijuana, the dreams come back, and sometimes with a bang. If you haven’t dreamed in weeks, months, or even years, this aspect of marijuana withdrawal is very strange. Memories from years ago can resurface in the form of a dream. I remember having a dream of high school classmates I hadn’t seen in over 10 years!
Nightmares are common when going through marijuana withdrawal. These can be incredibly vivid and involve people and places you know. I’ve had several dreams where I thought the world was about to end and woke up in a sweat earlier.
Some people dream of marijuana and some people smoke marijuana in their dreams. This is completely normal and part of the detoxification process.
loss of appetite
One of the most common symptoms of marijuana withdrawal is a lack of appetite. This usually lasts 3-4 days after you last smoked. You can almost think it’s the opposite of munchies. Fast food doesn’t taste the same with Mary Jane!
Don’t be surprised if your appetite decreases or you are not interested in food for a couple of days. You may even lose some weight when you go through cannabis withdrawal. Lack of appetite may be part of a more general feeling of illness that has been described as low-level flu-like symptoms. Very few people report diarrhea or nausea, but it exists for some of us.
When I stopped smoking marijuana, my diet improved. I have experienced loss of appetite and even racing during the first week of quitting.
The Sweats – Did someone turn up the heat?
This is one I have experienced only a couple of times after not having weed for a few days. I think it was caused by stress, tension and anxiety from not smoking marijuana. I know that after smoking (succumb to temptation) the sweats go away immediately. One trick when it comes to this is to think of it as a cleanse and that your body is cooking the THC and you are speeding up your recovery. If you’re going to get horny, you might as well enjoy it!