Last Updated: October 28, 2022

In spite of the legalization of marijuana that has occurred in many states throughout the U.S., its use continues to be a controversial topic. Regardless of your feelings on the legality of the substance, it’s important to understand that those who use it chronically or excessively may develop marijuana addiction issues.

People addicted to the drug may be afraid to stop using it if they are unsure about marijuana withdrawal symptoms they may experience. Or, they may not know what the marijuana detox process will be like.

Marijuana Withdrawal

There are generally no severe marijuana withdrawal symptoms the way there are with opiates or alcohol. However, there are still withdrawal symptoms that can occur when someone who is a regular user of the substance stops using marijuana. 

Many of the symptoms of marijuana withdrawal are psychological. There’s also the issue that many people who use marijuana are also using other drugs. The detox process might also involve detox from another substance, complicating withdrawal.

Marijuana Withdrawal Symptoms

The symptoms of marijuana withdrawal will largely differ depending on how long and how frequently it has been used. For example, a chronic user may experience more intense symptoms like chills, fever and sweating, whereas someone who is only a casual user of the substance may only experience mild symptoms like restlessness, agitation and headaches.

Some common marijuana withdrawal symptoms people experience include:

• Aggression
• Anger
• Craving
• Decreased appetite
• Headaches
• Irritability
• Mood effects
• Nausea
• Nervousness
• Restlessness
• Shakiness
• Sleep difficulty
• Stomach pain
• Strange dreams
• Sweating

Marijuana Withdrawal Timeline

Typically, the marijuana withdrawal timeline will go something like this:

• After someone uses marijuana for the last time, they will likely experience anxiety, agitation and sleep problems over the next two days.
• On days 2–6, peak symptoms may occur. This can include cravings, chills, sweating and stomach pain.
• Most people will see an improvement in symptoms from days 4–14. 

While most symptoms have dissipated by day 15, some psychological symptoms like depression and anxiety can stick around for several months, especially if the person was using marijuana to mask or treat these conditions.

How Long Does Marijuana Stay in Your System?

The major active ingredients in cannabis are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), and they can stay longer in the bodies of more frequent users. A 2012 study found THC remained up to 13 days, while it only remained for 1.3 days in infrequent users. 

Marijuana is a unique drug of abuse because its metabolites can remain in the body and be detected for extremely long periods of time. Most methods of detection are looking for a major metabolite of THC called THC carboxylic acid (THC-COOH). 

THC-COOH readily absorbs into fat cells of the body and can remain there for up to 25 days in chronic users of marijuana. After a single dose, THC-COOH is detectable for up to three days in the urine. The detection period can be longer in people with heavier use and more potent strains of marijuana.

Hair testing can look back the farthest and detect usage up to 90 days ago. However, the test is expensive, and there is a high rate of false-negative results, so it is not often used.

Marijuana Detox

Detox refers to the time when a drug is cleared from a person’s body by their liver and other organs. They typically experience withdrawal symptoms during this time. Withdrawal symptoms are often a trigger for people, so this period has a high risk for relapse.

When searching for information about marijuana detox, it’s likely that you will come across marijuana detox kits and marijuana detox drinks. While these kits are often used when people are trying to pass a drug test, you need to know a couple of things before you purchase one.

Marijuana Detox Kits

There is no convincing evidence that detox kits work, and they may actually be harmful. Most of the time, detox kits require the person to drink large amounts of water, which is the primary reason people see supposed results from them.

Additionally, the kits don’t help you manage marijuana withdrawal symptoms. They will not do anything to address the psychological symptoms, and a person using these kits will still go through withdrawal. 

Marijuana Detox Drinks

Detox drinks are similar to detox kits and typically require the person to drink large amounts of water. Detox drinks are designed to pass drug tests and are not designed to help with the actual detox process. Taking one of these products will not help alleviate withdrawal symptoms.

Marijuana Detox Center

In contrast to drinks and kits, a medical detox center is designed to treat addiction and not to beat a drug test. A detox center is part of a larger treatment center to help people with addiction. One of the challenges with treating marijuana addiction is that it often comes along with other mental health conditions.

Many people use marijuana to self-medicate to deal with mental health issues like anxiety and depression. While a marijuana detox kit may get you through the detox process, therapy and treatment are required to overcome these issues.

Marijuana Detox Center in Ohio

Many marijuana detox options are available in Ohio. For people who are just casual or recreational marijuana users, an outpatient detox program may suffice. There will be structured programs available for patients participating in outpatient marijuana detox.

For those who are heavy or long-term users of marijuana or those who are addicted to several drugs, an inpatient marijuana detox programmay be the most suitable.

If you are interested in marijuana detox, it’s important that you are safe throughout the process. There are detox centers that specialize in medically supervised detox programs. However, opting for a professional rehabilitation facility like The Recovery Village Columbus is the smartest thing to do. After a medically supervised detox is over, patients can directly enter into an evidence-based inpatient or outpatient marijuana treatment program.

If you or someone you love has an issue with marijuana addiction, it’s important that you get the treatment you deserve. Call us today.