Marijuana Withdrawal Is Real
Last Updated: Wednesday July 28, 2021
(NIDA Blog Team) If someone is dependent or addicted, they may experience withdrawal if they stop using the drug all at once. Withdrawal can be very uncomfortable; it’s part of what makes it hard for someone to stop using a drug.
A study found that marijuana withdrawal is a reality for teens. Among teens who received drug use treatment at an outpatient clinic, 40 percent experienced symptoms of withdrawal when they stopped using marijuana.
The symptoms
You may have a mental image of drug withdrawal based on TV and movies: sweating, shaking, and being curled up in bed with unbearable discomfort and depression. These symptoms do occur in people addicted to drugs like opioids, alcohol, or cocaine. Marijuana withdrawal symptoms aren’t as pronounced as those for some other drugs, but they’re every bit as real.
The main behavioral symptoms of marijuana withdrawal include:
- Being irritable
- Feeling anxious or worried
- Feeling depressed
- Being restless