Quitting Pot Can Cause Withdrawal, Too

Study rejects notion drug isn't addictive
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Suggested by crafter67
Posted Sep 27, 2012 2:03 PM CDT
Quitting Pot Can Cause Withdrawal, Too
This Sept. 15, 2009 file photo shows marijuana plants in Seattle at a medical marijuana growing operation.   (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

Heard that pot isn't addictive? Not so, says a new study: Quitting can lead to withdrawal symptoms "very similar to what people experience with tobacco," says one of the study's authors. "It makes you irritable. It makes you restless. It makes it hard to sleep." In the study, some 50 subjects experienced two weeks off the drug; researchers reported on their symptoms before, during, and after that period, ABC News reports.

They learned that heavier users often suffered worse withdrawal symptoms; in such cases, they' were more likely to return to the drug during the abstinence period. Worse symptoms also prompted subjects to use more pot in the month after that period. Contrary to popular belief, marijuana "behaves just like other drugs of abuse," says a psychiatry professor. Symptoms tend to be worst four days after quitting; they often continue for two weeks, though a craving for the drug can go on longer, notes another expert. (More marijuana stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X