Medical Marijuana Withdrawal
Trying to taper off the weed, but as a result, not sleeping well, upset digestion, daily panic, etc. Anyone ever go through this? Any suggestions? It’s quite unpleasant.
@idiopath
I am on day 9 of a tolerance break. This is the second time in the past year I've stopped using mj because my tolerance was intefering with the desired effects.
Crazy vivid dreams, night & day sweats, mild headaches, low appetite, insomnia, and more are symptoms of the withdrawal process and will drop sharply after 1 to 2 weeks of zero mj use and be entirely gone by 30 days. THC is stored in fat which is why it takes so long to eliminate from your body.
I use an app called Grounded to keep me on track and record the daily changes in symptoms. Tapering doesn't work for me. Many people suggest plain CBD or 1:1 ratio CBD to help but I prefer to tough it out and go cold turkey because I'm stupid that way.
I find using exercise during the day to tire my body and reading more to tire my mind helps a lot with the insomnia. I avoid screens after 9PM. I tend to wake in the night but pick up a real book to read instead of using my phone or tablet. I also choose a book I know and enjoy but isn't too riveting as that helps me get drowsy enough to get back to sleep easier.
Mj is a wonderful drug and helps many people but you will experience withdrawal symptons after prolonged heavy use. The good news it that after you've "reset" your CBD receptors with 30 days or more of abstinence, you will again enjoy its good qualities. After that, the trick is learning to moderate your usage to maintain that beneficial aspect. Or plan on taking tolerance breaks when you notice its effectiveness isn't what it used to be.
Good luck.
Thank you, Kat. I’ve been smoking it since 1988, but never had such unfettered access before it was legalized in my state. Unlike you, I can’t manage cold Turkey, maybe my underlying anxiety is too powerful, I don’t know. I appreciate your reply!
@idiopath
Yeah, I tend to do things the hard way to prove what a bad-*ss I am. /eyeroll Really I just have poor moderation skills.
I did some googling and reading and then spoke to the budtenders at my fave shop about the tolereance issue and they suggested changing the method of delivery. If you smoke or vape, try edibles or tinctures and vice versa. With infused sodas or lozenges, you can titrate your dosage 5mg at a time and taper gently.
I have also had good results with delta-8 edibles. Delta-8 binds to different receptors than delta-9 and produces a very different high, more in your head than a body high. Might not be the best for anxiety but everyone is different.