Marijuana Withdrawals, Quitting Smoking

Well to the guy who claims the ones who suffer WD are in a bad shape or lazy. I am an Endurance athlete, I´m a chronic too, smoked weed for 25 years straight. .....I have won many local and national titles (extreme triathlons, Mountainbike racing and long distance)  in a lapse of 12 years. I am 40, I still train everyday and I bet I´m in better phisical condition than you. I know whats to suffer and to train consistently buddy.

I have been off the weed for a couple of weeks, and let me tell u that I get horrible WD like everyone describes here, and I am no lazy slob,  I been training to get the cold turkey off, and still with 20 plus hours of excercise and cycling a week, I still feel like c**p. ok????

Try smoking for a decade at least, or like me, a quarter of a century, quit cold turkey and come tell me there´s no withdrawal, or that I´m weak, lazy or crazy. to me that´s an insult to my Intelligence and to the rest of the guests who evidently have esperienced Physical WD from cronic abuse of weed.

Let´s see: You smoke pot, you get stoned = PHYSICAL (or the cotton mouth, munchies and sleepness are just "in my imagination"?????????, do we agree in this one? YES. So when real pothead quits, why he should not feel PHYSICAL WD?? I dont understand, so the logic of the smartasses who claim we´re weak, lazy and crazy, is that weed does afffect but PHYSICALLY ONLY when we SMOKE IT but NOT when we QUIT? wtf???

So I suppose for the hollow stomach, the weeks of insomnia, the throwing up, the depression, etc are just part of my Imagination right?

I enjoyed weed, I mastered it, I grew it, I everything with it, I still love it, but the withdrawals from time to time made me think I´d be conditioned for life, like someone mentioned: being in a restaurant in a work situation, with a delicious plate, not being able to eat because I didn´t get stoned is ridiculous. Using weed just to eat or sleep. Come on. It´s ridiculous!

I wish I could smoke weed in moderation, but I can´t , I´m an addict, I have a very hard time stopping it, how can it not be addictive for christs sake if I have been craving it since the first day I smoked in september 1988???

Funny, I´ve seen the opposite side from the guy who recovered from hard drugs and claims weed is a breeze to quit: I have met hard drug users who have been able to quit everything EXCEPT Pot. How is that? well because we because they are used to getting smashed by crack or coke, whatever, but weed is a cunning bastard, since it has medicine properties and doesn´t kill, there is no tangible "destruction" unlike any other drug you abuse and clearly the damage is much more visible and real.

I went to rehab for a month last year, just to try out. I saw that I was the only 100% chronic MJ user there, the rest were hardcore drug users and alcoholics, and I noticed after a week of hell for them "harcore addicts", they were back to "normal" regarding the Physical WD: they could eat the nasty food given there with pleasure, some even ate the left overs, slept well, snort, fart, and do the scheduled activities with "normality".  I was an outcast, I was the only one with a shock in the system who couldn´t eat, sleep, fart, of function. They didn´t know how to deal with me, I found a great deal of Ignorance in reagrding how to treat a Chronic MJ user in recovery. When I finally fainted carrying a bucket on the 4th week, I simply left the place, I couldn´t take it any longer and I would´ve ended up in the hospital anyway. That was my longest stint of sobriety. 4 weeks of hell and became a litlle addicted to nicotine too, because everyone smoked like a chimney there.

I am in 2 weeks and some days sober, and this is very hard. I am not addicted to anything else, I hate drugs and Alcohol, I have been a "healthy" stoner for decades, no party, no drugs, just a different type of stoner I guess. But still today even when I train everyday and keep myself busy, suffer acute Physical and Mental WD from weed.

So stop the lies, lets speak the truth about weed, I am well qualified too on the matter.

Yours truly

"Panchito" from down south.

 

 

 

 

Well to the guy who claims the ones who suffer WD are in a bad shape or lazy. I am an Endurance athlete, I´m a chronic too, smoked weed for 25 years straight. .....I have won many local and national titles (extreme triathlons, Mountainbike racing and long distance)  in a lapse of 12 years. I am 40, I still train everyday and I bet I´m in better phisical condition than you. I know whats to suffer and to train consistently buddy.

I have been off the weed for a couple of weeks, and let me tell u that I get horrible WD like everyone describes here, and I am no lazy slob,  I been training to get the cold turkey off, and still with 20 plus hours of excercise and cycling a week, I still feel like c**p. ok????

Try smoking for a decade at least, or like me, a quarter of a century, quit cold turkey and come tell me there´s no withdrawal, or that I´m weak, lazy or crazy. to me that´s an insult to my Intelligence and to the rest of the guests who evidently have esperienced Physical WD from cronic abuse of weed.

Let´s see: You smoke pot, you get stoned = PHYSICAL (or the cotton mouth, munchies and sleepness are just "in my imagination"?????????, do we agree in this one? YES. So when real pothead quits, why he should not feel PHYSICAL WD?? I dont understand, so the logic of the smartasses who claim we´re weak, lazy and crazy, is that weed does afffect but PHYSICALLY ONLY when we SMOKE IT but NOT when we QUIT? wtf???

So I suppose for the hollow stomach, the weeks of insomnia, the throwing up, the depression, etc are just part of my Imagination right?

I wish I could smoke weed in moderation, but I can´t , I´m an addict, I have a very hard time stopping it, how can it not be addictive for christs sake if I have been craving it since the first day I smoked in september 1988???

Funny, I´ve seen the opposite side from the guy who recovered from hard drugs and claims weed is a breeze to quit: I have met hard drug users who have been able to quit everything EXCEPT Pot. How is that?

I went to rehab for a month last year, just to try out. I saw that I was the only 100% chronic MJ user there, the rest were hardcore drug users and alcoholics, and I noticed after a week of hell for them "harcore addicts", they were back to "normal" regarding the Physical WD: they could eat the nasty food given there with pleasure, some even ate the left overs, slept well, snort, fart, and do the scheduled activities with "normality".  I was an outcast, I was the only one with a shock in the system who couldn´t eat, sleep, or function. They didn´t know how to deal with me, I found a great deal of Ignorance in reagrding how to treat a Chronic MJ user in recovery. When I finally fainted carrying a bucket on the 4th week, I simply left the place, I couldn´t take it any longer and I would´ve ended up in the hospital anyway. That was my longest stint of sobriety. 4 weeks of hell and became a litlle addicted to nicotine too, because everyone smoked like a chimney there.

I am in 2 weeks and some days sober, and this is very hard. I am not addicted to anything else, I hate drugs and Alcohol, I have been a "healthy" stoner for decades, no party, no drugs, just a different type of stoner I guess. But still today even when I train everyday and keep myself busy, suffer acute Physical and Mental WD from weed.

So stop the lies, lets speak the truth about weed, I am well qualified too on the matter.

Yours truly

"Panchitos"

All the studies done on Marijuana in regards to physical dependence are outdated and no longer valid. Weed may not have had any physical withdrawal symptoms back when weed was like 4 or 5% THC but now that we have all this high quality potent pot with like 25 to 30% THC things have changed. I don't care what any doctor says, weed does have ability to make you go through withdrawal after quitting, if it didn't then why do so many people that have replied to this posting say they have gone through the same exact symptoms. Think about it, if you took 5 to 10 milligrams of vicodin as prescribed to you every day then you most likely will not become dependent on it, but if you start to abuse the drug and take say 40 to 50 milligrams of it everyday you will begin to build a tolerance to it because your body is getting to used to the drug being present. The same goes for weed, when you smoke more than 5 blunts everyday for years of really potent 25 to 30% THC pot then you will eventually become dependent on it. It is time to start some new studies on this subject and time to stop relying on old ones from the 60's when pot was a lot less potent.

So what ur saying is my lack of appetite from not smoking marijuana is psychological? No...I thought weed didn't have side effects either BUT obviously if u have tons of people who get the same side effects when trying to quit definitely sounds like withdrawal symptoms to me. I've been smoking cigs for 5 years and quite cold Turkey no side effect but one day without smoking green and I'm irritable sweating hungry as hell but can not eat and just in a funk. what kind of drug that's is so bad for u u don't give u side effects when smoking it? f**k what these doctors say Cuz I guarantee majority of them never raised a blunt to they lips so how wud they truly know what weed does to u? Everybody wanna go back and forth on whether or not weed have withdrawal symptoms but can't nobody solve the problem...how do I eat again! I'm freaking starving but food is so nauseating unless I smoke and I don't wanna be dependant on weed just to eat. So if anybody got a real solution please email me @mrmeadows2011.com. thank u.

I thought I'd chime in on this long thread to add my experience.  I started smoking when I was 16 years old and I'm now 33.

I've been sober from good ol' Mary Jane for almost a month now after continuous smoking for most of my adult life.  To get to the point, YES physical withdrawal symptoms do happen but my story is a bit more complex.  First I would like to add my primary addictions have always been tobacco and weed. I'd never really got into alcohol or hard drugs. But my story begins in my late 20's when I decided by the time I was 30 I was going to completely quit everything and become addiction free.  

On my 30th birthday I started with Cigarettes.  I had gone about a month cig-free and felt like I was on the right path but then I started feeling "weird" and "fatigued"  The fatigue got worse to where I was waking up and within a few hours needed a nap. Very weird.  I ignored this for awhile and continued to go to work and do my thing but I got sicker and sicker until finally I told my boss I would be gone indefinitely as I felt like I was literally dying.  Finally I was admitted to the hospital and after a 3 day stay and a load of tests I was diagnosed with glandular fever/mono at the rip age of 30.

 I wasn't just sick, I was more sick then I had been in my entire life, the diagnosis came after being sick for a whole month already and my symptoms where actually getting worse.  When I got out of the hospital i started smoking cigs again right away!  I figured somehow quitting mixed with stress and lack of sleep caused the glandular fever, and with nausea from liver inflammation SO INTENSE i needed the nicotine to help keep me sane. So my health plan backfired in a bad bad way.  

Recovery from Glandular fever has been an ongoing thing this last 3.5 years.  The first year was hell. Sick off and on, lost all my friends, lost my hobbies, exercise, everything. After a year of glandular fever I quit cigs again this time successfully and will be tobacco free 2 years come this August.  Over the course of the last 6 months I had drastically cut down on Marijuana to 1 or 2 hits a day. Then about a month ago I quit weed cold turkey..

Its hard to say what the withdrawal symptoms for me are.  I don't know anymore if it's glandular fever, anxiety, withdrawal or what.  So it's a bit depressing never being able to pinpoint why you feel how you feel because I never feel great. So consider yourself lucky if you're otherwise healthy and quitting.  I wish I could exercise to help with the quitting, but thanks to glandular fever can't do that anymore either. Just consider yourselves lucky that at least you know why you feel how you feel.  

But the good news for me is I know I'm done.  I'll never smoke again and hope that I haven't done to much damage to my mind or body over the years.  The last time I tried quitting Marijuana it was the insomnia that really brought me back to smoking again.  This time not even that will stop me.  Enough is enough.

 

im trying to quit weed i know its not the same as withdrawing from a heavy drug as i have had experience it doesnt leave your body and brain feeling as if u need it or ur going to die but it is still hard because it is now a routine for me to smoke pot, i get terrible headaches when i have tried to quit in the past and hot flashes and very irritable and its hard to want to eat without smoking. either way whether its physical or psychological its still a problem and ur still addicted physically or mentally addicted it is an addiction. and marijuana is a drug. so i believe there is both physical and psychological addiction with this drug.  

I'm attempting to quit for the third time, every time has been a bit different for me. The first time I experienced repressed emotions and found more energy. The second time I gained more energy but was always experiencing a weird headache sensation and when I smoked again I felt normal again. This time I'm feeling lethargic, depressed and a bit foggy in my brain, I've also experienced more intense irritability before my first cup of coffee (not sure if that's just the coffee or not). I'm on day 10 or so and this has been hardest one for me so far. The first few days I still felt high especially after eating. Sleeping and eating haven't been problems for me this time around but the first time I quit I experienced some serious insomnia. My hypothesis is that the side effects are greatly dependent on what your circumstances are emotionally, physically and mentally. There were many varying factor in each time I quit: the first time, I was just moving to a new state and had poor dieting habits, I still drank pop and ate fast food, the second time I was doing really good with my dieting habits drinking smoothies and eating mostly plant based foods and I was no longer drinking pop or eating fast food, this time (the third time), my eating habits have gone a bit down hill, even though I don't drink pop or eat fast food I have been going out to eat a lot more and I haven't been making my daily smoothie either. So I definitely would agree that the side effects could be somewhat related to diet but I also think emotions might have something to do with it as well. After all those three things are greatly connected (mind, body, and emotions).

 

  I'm a 36 year old single male pot smoker.  I'm 5'10 and 250 pounds. I have been smoking daily for 18 years.  I also play poker for a living...  so I could smoke while I work (I choose not to).  50 weeks out of the year I smoke between 3-7 grams a day, depending how long I play.  If I am able to do a quick hit and run...  I can enjoy the rest of my day smoking.  If it's a grind and I have to play for a longer period of time... I smoke less.  Still...  it's daily... and it's good weed.  What I'm here to discuss is the other two weeks out of the year when I don't smoke.

 In Las Vegas, possession of marijuana is a felony.  Amazing, huh?  lol  Additionally, the weather in Las Vegas is murder on your car, so when I hit LV for those two weeks a year... I fly.  So... another reason not to bring any weed.   My lifestyle for those two weeks in Vegas is simple:  Poker, alcohol and coffee for the first week... poker, alcohol, coffee and food for the second week.

  That's right.  I don't eat for a week.  Well...  I take that back.  I eat VERY little for that week... and only because I know I have to.  Yes...  the only side effect I have from quitting weed is a physical one.   

  Now...  I am in no way saying that there aren't psychological side effects.  Of course there are.  I'm writing this post more to counter the claim that there are no physical side effects.

  I attribute my lack of psychological withdrawals to three things:  Focus, atmosphere and my substitution of alcohol for weed.  If I'm not focused when I'm playing.. I lose.  Seeing as how I hate losing...  my mind focuses on my job rather than the fact that I'm not smoking a bowl.  As far as atmosphere goes... Las Vegas is a fun place to be.  Lots of positive energy.  Lots of people having a good time.  As anti social as I am...  I still find it difficult to NOT talk to people and NOT smile.  And, of course, the alcohol..  which relaxes me...  and will eventually help me sleep at the end of the night.

  Now.. for my lack of appetite and nausea.  It's there.  It exists.  And it's not psychological.  I am in a city where I could eat some of the best food in the world... yet for that first week...  eating is the furthest thing from my mind.  I crave nothing except my coffee... which is a whole other addiction in itself... but unfortunately...  has no nutritional value.  

  My first trip, in 2006, I experienced this full force.  We landed around 3 pm.  After that I took a shuttle to my hotel, checked in, got settled in my room... and immediately went downstairs to eat at the buffet.  I can't remember if I was actually hungry at the time if this was just out of habit, but either way, that's what I did.  I had smoked the night before my flight...  so I doubt I was feeling any withdrawal at this point.  I got a plate of ribs, mashed potatoes and fresh green beans, sat down, and ate the whole plate.  As I was getting up to get my second plate, which I planned to follow up with some dessert, I started feeling extremely full.  So... no second plate.  No dessert.  I was a little ticked at myself for wasting money at a buffet for just one plate...  but thought nothing else of it.  I went to the poker room, got in a game, ordered a beer and stayed there for the remainder of the evening.

  Day 2 was when it happened.  I woke up, got my coffee and went downstairs to get breakfast.  This I know was out of habit.. as I remember I wasn't hungry at all.  Yet, I knew I hadn't eaten since the buffet the day before, so I was due for a meal.  Instead of going to the buffet this time, I went to the dive restaurant they have in every casino.  Got a seat... sat down... and was IMMEDIATELY overcome with nausea by the smell of other people's food.  Which was odd, because the food didn't smell bad... the smell of it was just making me nauseous.  So I left... cursing my luck, as I thought I was coming down with a flu or something.  Played poker.  Drank... as no flu symptoms ever hit me.  Went to bed.

  Day 3:  Same thing.  Got coffee, went down for breakfast.. and immediately became nauseous by the scent of the delicious smelling food.  Now I was a bit concerned it was something else... as I was feeling no sickness of any other kind.  So I tried again around lunch... same thing.  Only this time.. I ordered something... and forced myself to eat it.  About a quarter of the way through my meal.. I was overcome by such nausea that I had to run to the bathroom to puke up what I just ate.  At that moment... I had my only psychological effect that I can note having:  I wanted to smoke a bowl.  Then it hit me:  these were the first two days I had not smoked one hit of weed in almost 10 years.  I hadn't thought about weed since I arrived at the airport 3 days previously.  

  So, for the next 4 days, my energy was derived from coffee and one a day vitamins (not good to take on an empty stomach...  but I figured the good outweighed the bad).  Every day I tried eating.. and every day I'd get the same nauseous feeling went I sat down to eat.  I literally had zero appetite.

  Good news is... Day 8...  I was much better.  Not 100%... but better.  When I sat down to eat breakfast, there was no nauseous feeling.  And when I got my food, I was actually a bit hungry.  I ate about 3/4ths of it and was full... but no sick feeling.  I did the same later that night for dinner.  Still only two meals, not fully finished, but much better than the day before.

  Day 9 I had three full meals.  No nauseous feelings.  

  Day 10 I was ravenous.  lol

  So, since then, I have changed things up a bit for my yearly trips.  I still smoke until the night before I leave... but I am able to manage my loss of appetite for that first week much better.  I've found that fruits and salads are much easier to eat than  meats and complex carbs.  I still can't eat more than a fruit cup and a side salad a day... but it's better than nothing... and at least it has some nutritional value.  But yeah... I know when I quit that I won't be eating regularly for a while.  Realizing it's the weed and knowing your appetite will eventually come back makes it much easier to take psychologically.  

  The posts from people claiming there are no physical effects from quitting weed are just wrong.  I was happy to see they were in the minority.  Here is a common sense question:  If smoking weed has a physical effect of increasing your appetite (cancer patients smoke medicinal marijuana for this reason)... wouldn't it be safe to say that it will have a physical effect on your appetite when you quit?  It's not psychological.  I wasn't thinking, "Man.. I miss weed because it makes food taste better... so I'm not going to eat."  I wanted to eat.  I made an effort to eat.  And each time, I was overcome by physical symptoms that made it impossible to eat.  

  This has not turned me off to marijuana.  I believe anything, if taken in excess, will have a physical affect on the human body.  Still... the side effects aren't enough to deter me from smoking when I return from my trips.  Plus... being 250 pounds...  the 10 pound weight loss I have during that week is sort of welcome (not really...  just staying positive.  lol)

  I enjoy it.  It makes me feel good.  So why stop?

  To those of you looking to quit permanently: I applaud you.  Go for it.  I happen to be in a lifestyle where it doesn't affect me as much negatively as it would others.  I know others aren't in the same boat.  Just know that whatever physical effects you are feeling are real... and they will eventually go away.  Try to eat nutritional food (and a vitamin for some extra energy) and focus on positive things.  I can't really speak for the psychological issues...  but taking a vacation to get away from your environment and have fun is probably a good option.  If that's not an option...  try to stay active and surround yourself with positive influences.  It's tough...  but you will get over it.

  I hope this helped.

I have looked through all these posts and i must say even just the thought of quiting can make anyone feel on edge but after 20 years of non stop smoking high grade weed. i believe its my time to stop and i have to. Its now day 3 and most of the problems people have been facing are so true and for those who say they dont have any problems kicking the habit havent got a clue or havent been a heavy user, i have a high tolerance levels to say the least and i have seen me smoke 10 double kingsize skinned joints a day from dawn to dusk.i am now 39 and im now wondering what damage i have done long term or how will all of this effect me in another 20 years or so.i must admit im not looking forward to the next couple of weeks,life will be hell on earth and for those around me but for those in two minds wondering if they can do it the answer is yes.the hardest bit for me is changing routine.instead of getting in from a stressful day at work ane skinning a big fat one up i need to find another way of relaxing. Dose anyone have any ideas and hats off for those who have done so already after years and years of addiction not just a couple of years like some other posts.

Face it, YOU really enjoy smoking! If you didn't care for it, it wouldn't be so hard to disregard,think of other examples. If you REALLY want to quit, you WILL! You have no addiction other than the one in your head

i was a heavy weed smoka but i quit becouse i found it stupid i was named weedy but i be true wiv ya quit before its to late

I have determined, when you quit smoking weed the side effects are different for everyone.  I've been smoking for 10 years and quit 4 days ago and I feel fine, but my boyfriend quit too and he can't sleep, can't eat, gets cold sweats, is irritable and is in a really bad way.  Chances are, he used weed to self medicate issues he already had before he started smoking ie) insomnia and eating issues. 

Do your best, keep it up, work hard at quitting and don't make excuses for yourself!  Get someone to support you because it is best if you don't feel alone and you have someone to express yourself to!

 

Gosh..I have read the postings here as I too am attempting to give up weed..smoked for 3 years..a little at first, then daily..at this stage..day 16 and counting..I cant tell if its getting better or worse..my moods are up and down like a jack in the box..continually changing my mind about things..cannot take any advice or criticism..think I'm going a little nuts..sleeping is fine and I've never had a great appetite anyway but..I doubt if I will give in at this stage given that I've come this far but I think crave it big time...,

Just thought that i'd add a little math to the conversation...

Im a volcano man... and avg about 1/8 everyday for the past 6 months.  Ive been a thc user daily for 3 years. I read from a couple sites that bud in the 70's and 80's avg about 5-10% thc.  The nug i run into is ~25% these days. I'll be using 10% and assuming that vaping consumes 95% thc and joints consume 40%.

Joint: 40% of 10% thc is 4% thc consumed

Vaping: 95% of 25% thc is 23.75% thc consumed

Thus... Vaping an 1/8 of nug @ 25% thc is the same consumption of thc as 20.8 1-gram joints @ 10% thc ... Thats ~41.6 1-gram joints @ 5% thc

Its time for some new studies...

I quit 3 days ago... Im throwing up almost everything, cant sleep, pretty irritable, and my thoughts are dropping off like the 1st time i smoked pot.  Consuming thc has effects on your dopamine(focus and reward), leptin(hunger), and circadian rhythm(sleep).  My body hasn't had to efficiently regulated any of those while i was under the influence.  I'm 24, i exercise 3 hours everyday, I have an insanely strict diet (vegan + fish, chicken and goat products), im retired (i have all day to myself and almost no stress).  Since ive quit... ive been doing 1.5 hours of bikram yoga, short rocky mountain hikes, watching movies, and singing inbetween.  My ability to experience happiness is beyond pathetic... not to mention focusing, eating, or sleeping.

No physical withdrawls?? lol

 

 

Ok people i have been smoking every day for 15 years. The past 2 years ive had to quit usually 2 times a year for random testing at my job. Weed is NOT physically addictive. Its all mental. U think its physically addictive because u r dependent on it. There are a few side effects that go away within a week. Lack of sleep, grumpy.. Its because its somthing that ur body is use to doing every day and when you just stop it will take time to not think about it. It is a proven FACT that its not physically addictive. Look it up!