[ShiningSkull]

Cannabis "Withdrawal" Syndrome Short-Lived, Affects Few, Study Says

October 1, 2009 - Halle, Germany

Halle, Germany: Symptoms associated with so-called "cannabis withdrawal" among marijuana "dependent" subjects are relatively mild, short-lived, and "may only be expected in a subgroup of ... patients," according to the results of a prospective clinical study to be published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

Investigators at four separate German universities assessed the self-reported withdrawal symptoms of 73 subjects diagnosed with "cannabis dependence."

"The intensity of most self-reported symptoms peaked on day one and decreased subsequently," authors reported. "Most symptoms ranged on average between low to moderate intensity. The most frequently mentioned physical symptoms of strong or very strong intensity on the first day were sleeping problems (21 percent), sweating (28 percent), hot flashes (21 percent), and decreased appetite (15 percent). ... Other often highly rated psychological symptoms included restlessness (20 percent), nervousness (20 percent), and sadness (19 percent)."

Overall, less than 50 percent of the trial subjects reported physical or psychological withdrawal symptoms.

"Only a subgroup experienced a cannabis withdrawal syndrome of clinical significance despite the fact that all patients had a diagnosis of cannabis dependence according to DSM-IV criteria," investigators concluded. "Significant associations of personality characteristics with psychological withdrawal symptoms suggest that at least some of the elevated symptoms are related to factors other than cannabis consumption."

The trial is the first study to prospectively investigate cannabis withdrawal symptoms in an inpatient sample of cannabis dependent subjects.

A 1999 review by the US National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine reported that marijuana's withdrawal symptoms, when identified, are typically "mild and subtle" compared to the profound physical and psychological syndromes associated with most other intoxicants, including alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine.

Cannabis "Withdrawal" Syndrome Short-Lived, Affects Few, Study Says - NORML

For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org. Full text of the study, "Cannabis withdrawal severity and short-term course among cannabis-dependent adolescent and young adult inpatients," will appear in Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

updated: Oct 01, 2009

[VooDoo Chile]

Bah! That article MUST be false because my D.A.R.E. officer told me that Marijuana is the same as crack!

How D.A.R.E. you post such nonsense S.S.!

[CarlSagan]

Originally Posted by ShiningSkull

Cannabis "Withdrawal" Syndrome Short-Lived, Affects Few, Study Says

...and sadness (19 percent)."

I get sad when I dont have mmj either...But fortunately it is low to moderate sadness!

(as for trouble sleeping...well thats partially why I need mmj...I suppose one of the withdrawal from any sleep aide would be trouble sleeping...)

[Smilodon]

Hmmm.... wonder how many of those symptoms were why people were medicating in the first place. I noticed the list of symptoms match conditions MMJ is used for and wondered how they handled the spurious causality.

[VooDoo Chile]

Originally Posted by CarlSagan

I get sad when I dont have mmj either...But fortunately it is low to moderate sadness!

(as for trouble sleeping...well thats partially why I need mmj...I suppose one of the withdrawal from any sleep aide would be trouble sleeping...)

Mr. Sagan, I'm assuming you're trying to suggest that insomnia is a side effect of ALL sleep aides. I can only conclude that this represents your marie-juana addiction talking!

Shame on your logic, I said FOR SHAME!

[Pico Collective]

I stopped a few times during the last decade or so and I get fairly bad side effects for about 72 hours. No appetite, depression, irritability, itching, sweating. I spoke to several people and they don't get these symptoms other than lack of appetite. The good part is 48 hours to 72 hours later all is gone.

PC

[Smilodon]

Originally Posted by VooDoo Chile

Mr. Sagan, I'm assuming you're trying to suggest that insomnia is a side effect of ALL sleep aides. I can only conclude that this represents your marie-juana addiction talking!

Shame on your logic, I said FOR SHAME!

Other than Mr. Sagan's shameful attempt at logic, lol, it seems clear that there are some effect from stopping use of MMJ. For me it is way better than the headache I get from coffee withdrawal. As a matter of fact I have never noticed anything except the urge to smoke and get relief, hehe.

It is true that studies should be aimed at what people are self-medicating for rather than do you get dizzy when you smoke.

[custom]

i just get irratable and i cant eat regularly


but i couldnt eat before i started smoking so its kind of a moo point lol

[xanadeau]

After 30 years I stop for a couple days and feel very little side effects at all.

[CarlSagan]

Originally Posted by VooDoo Chile

Mr. Sagan, I'm assuming you're trying to suggest that insomnia is a side effect of ALL sleep aides. I can only conclude that this represents your marie-juana addiction talking!

Shame on your logic, I said FOR SHAME!

You're right...

The primary difference between insomnia and mmj withdrawl would be how long the sleeplessness lasts.

The articles says mmj withdrawl lasts about a day. For insomniacs like me, sleeplessness lasts longer than a day...

But the sample size here was 76 people (this is unreasonably small...how hard can it be to find a few hundred people who recently stopped smoking pot, for at least a day?) and there is no way to tell from this report which symptoms last longest...or why these 76 folks were taking mmj to begin with (to treat an ailment, or because getting stoned and listening to the refrigerator buzz is some peoples idea of recreation).

Let alone the question of whether or not someone can think they are smoking pot for fun (because its relaxing) when they actually have an underlying condition that weed medicates (anxiety, for example). Is this possible? I don't know...but my point is that the methods here are not very rigorous and the sample size is not robust...Having said that, I do like the findings and they seem to "ring true" with anecdotal evidence. The parts of the brain that control vital functions (circulation, respiration, etc) have receptors for caffeine, alcohol, opiates, nicotine, etc...but not THC and the other "goodies" in marijuana...Thats why you can't die from taking too much marijuana and (my guess here) why the withdrawal symptoms a relatively minor and (more significantly) do not seem to be related to vital functions (no withdrawal seizers, hallucinations here!)


As for me I confess that I am an addict. I am addicted to sleeping. I need it every night. I used to function on less than three hours a night...but now I need more and more sleep. I'll even break laws (current federal, and formerly state laws) to buy substances to get me more sleep because I am addicted to sleep. Why am I so greedy?

[LongBeach]

I have found that when I stop medicating it makes my conditions worse (temporarily 3-5 days). My insomnia and anxiety actually get worse upon ceasing mmj. I find that I only experience withdrawals when I have been medicating A LOT. Oh yeah, when I stop medicating for like 3-5 days after I feel insanely irritable. I just wanna smash shit!!

So now instead of blazing every night, I am trying to guide my body into a more regular sleep pattern. But, if you don't think that mmj has no withdrawal I recommend you a take a 5 day break and get back to me. (of course most people can't take a break because of the illness they medicate for or because they can't admit to themselves that marijuana might have more power over them than they comfortable with)


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0124145015.htm

^ take a look at this study ( I feel more like these people when I stop medicating)

[Smilodon]

Originally Posted by CarlSagan

because getting stoned and listening to the refrigerator buzz is some peoples idea of recreation.

First off, I want Carl to quit peeking in my kitchen window!

Important point that has been made is that by the definition physicians are taught in med school, marijuana is NOT physically addictive. Addictive drugs create a multiplicity of receptor sites in the brain that requires more of the drug to achieve the same effect every time you take it. That is physical addiction. Marijuana does not create a multiplicity of receptor sites, instead it REDUCES the number which is why tolerance skyrockets for new users so fast.

Psychological addiction, and indeed the way MJ effect us for withdrawal and other ways needs a great more study. The one thing that is easily demonstrated is the fact that marijuana is not physically addictive.

[VooDoo Chile]

Originally Posted by Smilodon

First off, I want Carl to quit peeking in my kitchen window!

Important point that has been made is that by the definition physicians are taught in med school, marijuana is NOT physically addictive. Addictive drugs create a multiplicity of receptor sites in the brain that requires more of the drug to achieve the same effect every time you take it. That is physical addiction. Marijuana does not create a multiplicity of receptor sites, instead it REDUCES the number which is why tolerance skyrockets for new users so fast.

Psychological addiction, and indeed the way MJ effect us for withdrawal and other ways needs a great more study. The one thing that is easily demonstrated is the fact that marijuana is not physically addictive.

For real. And this whole notion of "psychological addiction" seems like one giant line of bullshit to me. Virtually anything can be labeled "psychologically addicting" from watching tv, studying, working, you name it, it can be DANGEROUSLY ADDICTING!

[Smilodon]

Once again, VDC is right, and lwien couldn't figure out why I sided with her, hehe. Poor lwien, he is actually right a lot!

With the advent of Popular Psychology the masses began to believe that they understood the psyche as well as trained professionals, well it happens in every field. Psychological Dependencies are a much more serious matter than do I watch too much tv or not, but the media has made everything a dependence issue as if life itself was addictive, hmm, well maybe it is, but you know what I mean.

It reminds me of a murder trial in which I was an expert witness. The man bludgeoned to death his wife while he was in a blackout. As an addictive expert I testified he was addicted to alcohol and cocaine as based on my interview. The prosecution pointed out that the DSM III (this was several years ago) listed caffiene dependence as well as alcohol and cocaine. That was his case, that since caffeine addiction was harmless the other addictions were of no consequence. I did not stick around for sentencing, but he was convicted of man-slaughter since his addiction ruled out premeditation, you can't premeditate while in a blackout.

The bottom line is that the definitions that have been used in the past for serious illness have been co-opted by the media because the words addiction and dependence are sexy for some people and they pay attention. Use some of VDC's skepticism when you hear someone talking about dependence, but not all of it cause you will probably scare people.

[VooDoo Chile]

Originally Posted by Smilodon

Once again, VDC is right, and lwien couldn't figure out why I sided with her, hehe. Poor lwien, he is actually right a lot!

With the advent of Popular Psychology the masses began to believe that they understood the psyche as well as trained professionals, well it happens in every field. Psychological Dependencies are a much more serious matter than do I watch too much tv or not, but the media has made everything a dependence issue as if life itself was addictive, hmm, well maybe it is, but you know what I mean.

It reminds me of a murder trial in which I was an expert witness. The man bludgeoned to death his wife while he was in a blackout. As an addictive expert I testified he was addicted to alcohol and cocaine as based on my interview. The prosecution pointed out that the DSM III (this was several years ago) listed caffiene dependence as well as alcohol and cocaine. That was his case, that since caffeine addiction was harmless the other addictions were of no consequence. I did not stick around for sentencing, but he was convicted of man-slaughter since his addiction ruled out premeditation, you can't premeditate while in a blackout.

The bottom line is that the definitions that have been used in the past for serious illness have been co-opted by the media because the words addiction and dependence are sexy for some people and they pay attention. Use some of VDC's skepticism when you hear someone talking about dependence, but not all of it cause you will probably scare people.

LOL. Some folks NEED to be scared.

[DankJews]

Yeah Huh! Haha. Thanks For That info Smilodon. It's Funny To Hear People Say Its Addictive. I've Stopped A Couple Times For Vacation Out Of Country And Things Of Such And Had No Issues What So Ever. Maybe A Bit Harder To Fall Asleep But Nothing Drastic.

.:Stay Medicated:.