Weed Withdrawal Is a Real Thing and It's Hell
Alex Fraser
This article originally appeared on VICE UK . I gave up smoking cannabis eight years ago . I ’ d been promoted — from telemarketing supervisor to the noble heights of telemarketing manager — and I couldn ’ t come to work high anymore . My abiding memory of the following week was a nightly stream of terrifying dreams . It was like I was dreaming in stereo   as my brain experienced the novelty of truly deep sleep for the first time in years . Within a week   once the night terrors and the cold sweats had stopped   my short - term memory started to improve . I was more sociable in and outside of work . I left the job within a few months and started doing something I loved . Everything about my life improved . But giving up weed isn ’ t so easy for everyone   and for some   it ’ s fraught with acute problems — physical   mental   and emotional . " Stopping my consumption of cannabis used to mean a lot of pain : vomiting   diarrhea   and not being able to sleep or eat  " says  Alex Fraser   26  .  Alex  has Crohn ’ s disease   which was diagnosed when  he  was 19 .  He  just had an ileostomy   in which a diseased part of  his  bowel was removed . This has drastically improved  his  quality of life   but he ’ s still hugely reliant on cannabis to keep  him  up and running . " Despite the surgery   I still have issues with eating   nausea   and sleep  "  he  says . " If I don ’ t have cannabis   I end up using meds like Zopiclone for sleep and Oxycodone for pain . But nothing particularly helps my nausea or appetite   except cannabis ." WATCH : The Safest Possible Way to Use Weed Alex   who generally vapes but occasionally smokes and eats marijuana   also relies on it to keep his mental health in check . " It ’ s extremely helpful with the mental health issues I ’ ve had since surgery . Anxiety attacks   self - esteem issues   and my energy levels are all improved or eliminated with cannabis  " he explains . Jon Liebling is a Director of the United Patient ’ s Alliance   which is currently lobbying hard for the legalization of medical weed in the UK . Liebling has a long history of profound mental health issues and has recently been diagnosed with complex PTSD . " I ' ve been managing my anxiety   depression   and suicidal thoughts most of my life   but have kept myself relatively happy with the use of cannabis  " says Liebling . " About two years ago   I had a number of traumatic events take place in a rather short period of time . I realized I needed a bit more help   so I asked my doctor to refer me to a therapist . When I informed him I used cannabis   he refused to refer me unless I stopped using . He prescribed me Prozac and Diazepam . I ’ ve always had suicidal thoughts   but what ’ s kept me alive is my dissatisfaction with them . Prozac made my thoughts happier   but also   made me happier with those suicidal tendencies . So I acted on them for the first time in 20 years ." Liebling went back to his doctor and found that a locum was working that day . She immediately removed him from his Prozac prescription and referred him to talking therapy . She also told him to return to managing his condition with cannabis   and he ’ s thankfully still here to tell the tale . Unfortunately   beyond anecdotal evidence   it ’ s quite hard to back up Alex and Liebling ’ s comments with science because currently   there just isn ’ t much out there . Plus   their personal health conditions — despite being undoubtedly severe — are not indicative of the population as a whole . A 2010 paper called " Assessment and management of cannabis use disorders in primary care " suggests that to differentiate between a psychiatric disorder and chronic cannabis intoxication   a patient should cease cannabis use for two to four weeks . In a small 20 - person impatient study of withdrawal   it found that " mean baseline depression symptom scores reduced to normal levels after four weeks of abstinence ." One of the study ’ s creators was Professor Adam Winstock   founder of the Global Drug Survey — a study of how the world consumes drugs — and a consultant psychiatrist and addiction medicine specialist . Between these two roles   he ’  s  analyzed the drug - taking habits of approximately 500   000 people   and 300   000 cannabis users .  He  ’ s extremely well - placed to advise on dealing with the more established effects of cannabis withdrawal . For most people   as it was with me during my promotion back in the mid - 2000s   that means : a ) insomnia and vivid dreams ; and b ) nicotine withdrawal . A huge part of the first problem comes from an unlikely source . " Lots of people who smoke lots of weed drink too much caffeine : Red Bull   tea   coffee   fizzy drinks . This is often to offset the sedating effects of weed . If you keep drinking 15 cups of tea when you ’ ve given up weed   this is going to worsen your insomnia   which will make you agitated  " says Winstock . If you ’ ve grown up smoking joints with tobacco in them   there ’ s a good chance you will also experience cravings from the nicotine withdrawal . For those looking to give up weed   Winstockadvocates giving up cannabis and nicotine at the same time — but adds that   crucially   you should gradually reduce your tobacco intake in the run - up to quitting . This will have an unexpected second benefit in the fight against withdrawal sleeplessness . It breaks it down  " he explains . " So when you stop smoking tobacco   your caffeine levels go through the roof . You ' re left with this double whammy : of not only taking a stimulant drug [ caffeine ] that you likely drink too much of anyway   but you ' re taking a stimulant drug whose levels are going to go through the roof because tobacco is no longer breaking it down ." Winstock also says that the intensity of your withdrawal will likely be affected by the type of weed you smoke . " If you smoke a high THC cannabis   then I think the insomnia would be worse — your weird dreams would be worse   your craving would be worse   and your low mood would be worse ." Withdrawal symptoms with weed peak around day two or three and are generally over after seven . Sleeplessness and vivid dreams may last for two weeks   but Winstock ’ s absolute gold standard advice for giving up weed is to " get into good sleep hygiene ." Admittedly easier said than done   but there are some common sense habits that will help . " Exercise is probably the best thing you can do  " he says . " Obviously   you shouldn ' t over - exert yourself   but if you ’ re exhausted when you go to bed   you ’ re much more likely to sleep well . Turn off screens a couple of hours before bed   and avoid caffeine . And don ’ t give up and call your dealer if you don ' t sleep well ! It will get easier soon ." Follow David Hillier on Twitter . To take part in this year ' s Global Drug Survey   an anonymous study on how the world uses drugs   click here .
This article originally appeared on VICE UK . I gave up smoking cannabis eight years ago . I ’ d been promoted — from telemarketing supervisor to the noble heights of telemarketing manager — and I couldn ’ t come to work high anymore . My abiding memory of the following week was a nightly stream of terrifying dreams . It was like I was dreaming in stereo   as my brain experienced the novelty of truly deep sleep for the first time in years . Within a week   once the night terrors and the cold sweats had stopped   my short - term memory started to improve . I was more sociable in and outside of work . I left the job within a few months and started doing something I loved . Everything about my life improved . But giving up weed isn ’ t so easy for everyone   and for some   it ’ s fraught with acute problems — physical   mental   and emotional . " Stopping my consumption of cannabis used to mean a lot of pain : vomiting   diarrhea   and not being able to sleep or eat  " says  [TGT]   26  .  Alex  has Crohn ’ s disease   which was diagnosed when  he  was 19 .  He  just had an ileostomy   in which a diseased part of  his  bowel was removed . This has drastically improved  his  quality of life   but he ’ s still hugely reliant on cannabis to keep  him  up and running . " Despite the surgery   I still have issues with eating   nausea   and sleep  "  he  says . " If I don ’ t have cannabis   I end up using meds like Zopiclone for sleep and Oxycodone for pain . But nothing particularly helps my nausea or appetite   except cannabis ." WATCH : The Safest Possible Way to Use Weed Alex   who generally vapes but occasionally smokes and eats marijuana   also relies on it to keep his mental health in check . " It ’ s extremely helpful with the mental health issues I ’ ve had since surgery . Anxiety attacks   self - esteem issues   and my energy levels are all improved or eliminated with cannabis  " he explains . Jon Liebling is a Director of the United Patient ’ s Alliance   which is currently lobbying hard for the legalization of medical weed in the UK . Liebling has a long history of profound mental health issues and has recently been diagnosed with complex PTSD . " I ' ve been managing my anxiety   depression   and suicidal thoughts most of my life   but have kept myself relatively happy with the use of cannabis  " says Liebling . " About two years ago   I had a number of traumatic events take place in a rather short period of time . I realized I needed a bit more help   so I asked my doctor to refer me to a therapist . When I informed him I used cannabis   he refused to refer me unless I stopped using . He prescribed me Prozac and Diazepam . I ’ ve always had suicidal thoughts   but what ’ s kept me alive is my dissatisfaction with them . Prozac made my thoughts happier   but also   made me happier with those suicidal tendencies . So I acted on them for the first time in 20 years ." Liebling went back to his doctor and found that a locum was working that day . She immediately removed him from his Prozac prescription and referred him to talking therapy . She also told him to return to managing his condition with cannabis   and he ’ s thankfully still here to tell the tale . Unfortunately   beyond anecdotal evidence   it ’ s quite hard to back up Alex and Liebling ’ s comments with science because currently   there just isn ’ t much out there . Plus   their personal health conditions — despite being undoubtedly severe — are not indicative of the population as a whole . A 2010 paper called " Assessment and management of cannabis use disorders in primary care " suggests that to differentiate between a psychiatric disorder and chronic cannabis intoxication   a patient should cease cannabis use for two to four weeks . In a small 20 - person impatient study of withdrawal   it found that " mean baseline depression symptom scores reduced to normal levels after four weeks of abstinence ." One of the study ’ s creators was Professor Adam Winstock   founder of the Global Drug Survey — a study of how the world consumes drugs — and a consultant psychiatrist and addiction medicine specialist . Between these two roles   he ’  s  analyzed the drug - taking habits of approximately 500   000 people   and 300   000 cannabis users .  He  ’ s extremely well - placed to advise on dealing with the more established effects of cannabis withdrawal . For most people   as it was with me during my promotion back in the mid - 2000s   that means : a ) insomnia and vivid dreams ; and b ) nicotine withdrawal . A huge part of the first problem comes from an unlikely source . " Lots of people who smoke lots of weed drink too much caffeine : Red Bull   tea   coffee   fizzy drinks . This is often to offset the sedating effects of weed . If you keep drinking 15 cups of tea when you ’ ve given up weed   this is going to worsen your insomnia   which will make you agitated  " says Winstock . If you ’ ve grown up smoking joints with tobacco in them   there ’ s a good chance you will also experience cravings from the nicotine withdrawal . For those looking to give up weed   Winstockadvocates giving up cannabis and nicotine at the same time — but adds that   crucially   you should gradually reduce your tobacco intake in the run - up to quitting . This will have an unexpected second benefit in the fight against withdrawal sleeplessness . It breaks it down  " he explains . " So when you stop smoking tobacco   your caffeine levels go through the roof . You ' re left with this double whammy : of not only taking a stimulant drug [ caffeine ] that you likely drink too much of anyway   but you ' re taking a stimulant drug whose levels are going to go through the roof because tobacco is no longer breaking it down ." Winstock also says that the intensity of your withdrawal will likely be affected by the type of weed you smoke . " If you smoke a high THC cannabis   then I think the insomnia would be worse — your weird dreams would be worse   your craving would be worse   and your low mood would be worse ." Withdrawal symptoms with weed peak around day two or three and are generally over after seven . Sleeplessness and vivid dreams may last for two weeks   but Winstock ’ s absolute gold standard advice for giving up weed is to " get into good sleep hygiene ." Admittedly easier said than done   but there are some common sense habits that will help . " Exercise is probably the best thing you can do  " he says . " Obviously   you shouldn ' t over - exert yourself   but if you ’ re exhausted when you go to bed   you ’ re much more likely to sleep well . Turn off screens a couple of hours before bed   and avoid caffeine . And don ’ t give up and call your dealer if you don ' t sleep well ! It will get easier soon ." Follow David Hillier on Twitter . To take part in this year ' s Global Drug Survey   an anonymous study on how the world uses drugs   click here .