How Long Do Marijuana Withdrawal Symptoms Last?

The marijuana withdrawal symptoms are not very intense and usually include chills, fever, shakiness, and anger that subside within 7–8 days. But, abusing weed with alcohol, nicotine, or any other substance can make the detox from marijuana uncomfortable, bringing severe symptoms such as aggression, hallucinations, vivid dreams, and muscle tension. 

Withdrawal is just the beginning of recovery from addiction. Maintaining long-term abstinence requires seeking therapy, and aftercare to keep abstaining from marijuana. Reach out to ChoicePoint to enter an outpatient or inpatient rehab in NJ to overcome addiction 844.445.2565.

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Marijuana Withdrawal Timeline

Quitting marijuana (which comes from the cannabis plant) after regular and long-term use results in withdrawal symptoms, that may not always be severe, but are certainly unpleasant. Whether you have been smoking weed, vaping cannabis, or taking marijuana edibles, here is what the withdrawal timeline for marijuana looks like: 

Stage 1: Symptoms start appearing within 24–48 hours of cessation

Stage 2: Withdrawal hits the peak at 2–6

Stage 3: Signs begin disappearing at day 7 but may last up to 3 weeks

The exact duration of withdrawal symptoms however will depend on your frequency of marijuana. 

What Causes Marijuana Withdrawal Symptoms?

Marijuana or weed is the dried stem and leaves of the cannabis plant, consisting of THC (aka delta 8). THC is the main psychoactive component that binds to brain cells (called cannabinoid receptors) that relieve pain and control appetite. While medical marijuana for pain is safe, long-term and recreational use of cannabis is a problem. Here is what causes the withdrawal: 

1. Constant exposure to THC disrupts the normal functioning of the brain.
2. Your brain becomes dependent on THC for better mood, pain relief, and controlling appetite.
3. Quitting cannabis cold turkey dysregulates your brain’s cannabinoid receptors, resulting in withdrawal signs. 

Usually, THC withdrawal does not result in severe outcomes. However, depression and anxiety may impact your relationships, so it’s important to manage marijuana detox professionally. 

Mild Withdrawal Symptoms

The most common marijuana withdrawal symptoms are:

• Irritability
• Anger
• Nervousness
• Mood swings
• Shakiness
• Abdominal pain
• Headaches
• Fever
• Chills
• Sleep disturbances

Severe Withdrawal Symptoms

People who have become dependent on marijuana for years would find it more difficult to flush weed out and may experience excruciating symptoms lasting for 2–3 weeks, including: 

• Anxiety
• Hallucinations
• Psychosis
• Aggression
• Depression
• Muscle tension
• Weed overdose
• Vivid dream

Medication To Manage Weed Withdrawal Symptoms

There isn’t any FDA-approved medication for treating marijuana addiction yet, but certain cannabis agonists are used off-label to alleviate the intensity of withdrawal symptoms. Some of these are however under research, such as:

• Dronabinol: Reduces the severity of withdrawal symptoms as measured by the MWC scale. 
• Nabiximols: Improved treatment retention and reduced the severity scored on the CWS scale.
• Gabapentin: Decreases THC withdrawal symptoms, including mood swings and insomnia.
• Nabilon: Improves mood and sleep patterns.

Never use these or any other medications without a prescription. Consult an addiction medicine specialist to know what interventions will help you deal with the withdrawal process. 

Weed Withdrawal

Cannabis Withdrawal Scale

A cannabis withdrawal scale is used to monitor the intensity of withdrawal symptoms in a healthcare setting and eventually helps your doctor decide what treatment should be administered. The table below mentions three common scales:

nosis. 

The most common and validated scale however is DSM-V.

First-line Treatment To Coping With Marijuana Detox

In the absence of FDA-approved medications, psychoeducation, and skill training are the first line of treatment to help detox from marijuana. 

1. Psychoeducation

Psychoeducation provides information about addiction to marijuana, the psychoactive component THC, and how it affects brain functioning. These sessions are delivered as lectures, presentations, readings, or online meetings to help you:

• Understand the impact of substance use disorder
• Recognize your symptoms 
• Improve your sleeping patterns
• Adapt healthier nutrition
• Learn exercises to get involved in
• Promote treatment adherence
• Prepare you for the next step of treating addiction

2. Coping Skills Training 

Since marijuana cravings are highest during the detox phase, these skill training interventions are focused primarily on helping you learn the tools to control your urges. This can include therapies to help you cope with the constant urges. This training often uses cognitive behavior therapy techniques such as

3. Motivational Approach

The motivational approach particularly involves using motivational enhancement therapy (MET), which encourages people to change and supports them throughout their recovery. It helps you develop empathy towards your condition, so you can take measures to improve your symptoms. MET when used in combination with CBT reduces cannabis consumption by 25%. 

4. Emotional Regulation

One of the common techniques that help regulate your emotions during the detox process. While marijuana detox is not very intense, it can be emotionally exhausting. With DBT techniques, you will learn to accept your behavior but also get ready to change it at the same time. However, DBT might or might not work for you. That’s why working with a professional therapist is important to know what therapy will work for you. 

Free Addiction Assessment

Please note this assessment is an initial self-screening, and it is not meant to be a medical assessment or clinical diagnosis of addiction. For proper diagnosis and treatment, schedule an appointment with ChoicePoint.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Most of the time, people abusing marijuana experience mental disorders such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety. The co-existence of mental disorders and substance use disorder is called dual diag

That’s why it is important to seek medically supervised detox by contacting a marijuana addiction treatment center. An addiction rehab will evaluate your condition and may ask you to enter one of the following programs according to your needs and marijuana withdrawal symptoms:

a. Inpatient Program (IP)

An inpatient program requires you to stay in the rehab for more than one night, providing you with 24/7 care to help you detox from weed and also provide therapy to get over dual diagnosis.

b. Outpatient Program (OP)

Outpatient rehab allows you to detox and get over the addiction symptoms without even staying at a rehab center. 

c. Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)

IOP rehab is a structured program providing a flexible schedule that requires you to attend treatment sessions for 9 hours and 3 days a week. 

d. Partial Care

In case you cannot reside in the addiction center but still need high-intensive care for managing detox, partial care might be better for you to address physical and psychological symptoms. 

Contact ChoicePoint Marijuana Addiction Treatment Center in NJ

ChoicePoint is a co-occurring addiction treatment center in New Jersey. Our addiction specialists are authorized to provide in-person and virtual addiction treatment services throughout NJ. They will closely monitor your condition to provide a personalized plan that meets your needs. Here is how you can get admitted to ChicePoint rehab in NJ:

1. Call us at 844.445.2565
2. Register yourself online
3. Verify your insurance
4. Meet your addiction doctor

We Accept Most Insurance Programs

More Information On Marijuana Withdrawal Symptoms

Read what others are asking about marijuana and edibles addiction treatment:

What Is Considered Heavy Marijuana Use?

Heavy marijuana users constantly take it for months and years and increase the dose with each use to get the desired high. 

What Are The Signs Of Marijuana Use Disorder?

Here are a few signs that you have developed a dependence on Marijuana/Cannabis Use Disorder:

• Using marijuana despite mental and physical weakness 
• Withdrawing from friends and family
• Poor productivity
• Taking loans
• Increasing the marijuana dose with every use

How To Deal With Nightmares Associated With Cannabis Withdrawal?

Nightmares are the symptoms of severe Cannabis Use Disorder. Experiencing severe symptoms upon cannabis cessation requires seeking medically supervised rapid detox from an addiction rehab. A rehab will help you deal with these symptoms under the supervision of addiction professionals. They also provide the following services to help you address nightmares and other withdrawal signs:

• Psychoeducation
• Psychotherapy
• Aftercare

Can Marijuana Help With Alcohol Withdrawal?

Medical Marijuana has been found to help people reduce the intake of alcohol, but it does not treat specific alcohol withdrawal symptoms. A study conducted on 973 participants with an alcohol abuse history reported that marijuana helped people reduce drinking alcohol. However, FDA has not indicated the use of marijuana for alcohol withdrawal.

How To Get THC Out Of Your System?

You can get rid of THC through medical THC drug detox under the supervision of an addiction professional. They will help you make the withdrawal process comfortable by prescribing medications for nausea, insomnia, and other THC withdrawal signs and providing therapy to help you get over the addiction. Follow these steps to detox from THC:

1. Contact a rehab center for medical detox
2. Discuss your addiction history
3. Begin the detox process
4. Attend therapy sessions

References

1. National Institute of Mental Health. Understanding Psychosis
   https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/understanding-psychosis
2. Addiction (Abingdon, England). 2019. Heavy cannabis use, dependence and the brain: a clinical perspective
   https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7027478/
3. Addiction. 2022. Clinical management of cannabis withdrawal
   https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9110555/