What to expect when quitting marijuana - PAWS timeline

BruceLeeroy wrote:I'm sorry you feel so negative about this post, Tokeless. But it would seem that you're injecting something into it that doesn't exist. I've also seen you start conflict in other threads before. So I just hope the best for you in your quit.

God bless!

tokeless wrote:

BruceLeeroy wrote:I'm sorry you feel so negative about this post, Tokeless. But it would seem that you're injecting something into it that doesn't exist. I've also seen you start conflict in other threads before. So I just hope the best for you in your quit.

God bless!

Not at all. I have a right to question advice or information on this forum as do us all. Perhaps instead of accusing me of starting conflict, you could tell me where or how what I have posted is wrong.
P.s I don't need blessings from God thanks.

BruceLeeroy wrote:I used to think people in this forum who quit marijuana were just being overly dramatic, overthinking it, and giving too much attention to PAWS (Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome). Boy was I wrong. Too often, people think quitting weed is easy because it is quite easy -- that is, in the first 2 weeks. But when I finally did my first real quit of OVER 2 weeks, PAWS hit me hard like walking out in front of a semi-truck late on delivery.

This is just a general list of some things to expect on your quit journey. The exact timelines and symptoms may differ from person to person. Some people may go through a longer and tougher time, and some may experience quite the opposite. Everyone's experience will be unique, but hopefully this list can be comprehensive enough to help keep everyone on top of PAWS throughout their quit process.

Please remember, quitting weed means no longer taking any marijuana/cannabis product at all -- whether flower, vape, hash, oil, shatter, dab, edibles, gum, etc. no matter if it’s CBD or THC dominant. If you do go and decide to take any weed product, understand that you just RESET yourself back to day one.

Sorry, but people who find the need to quit weed CANNOT continue to do it just once in a while, no matter how much your brain tries to trick you into it. Your “once in a while” will eventually ramp back up to daily consistent use. You have an addictive sickness/disease associated with marijuana much like an alcoholic does with alcohol or a cigarette smoker does with nicotine. You can’t have just one fix or else you’re going to go full blown again. If you do find yourself still looking for reasons to do marijuana after your quit, you are simply not ready yet. It’s ok, just come back when you are -- you'll eventually come to terms with quitting for good and be overwhelmingly glad that you did.

Please add on below if you feel there's anything missing. This list can’t be complete without everyone’s contribution. I gathered the info here from various different posts in this forum in the midst of my own quit. As I scoured all of these threads for my own selfish motivation, I decided I can try to help someone else by putting all of the knowledge I found into one place. A sincere and humble thank you goes out to everyone who's shared their experiences of quitting in this forum. You are the real MVP!

Marijuana PAWS symptoms after quitting

1-2 Weeks:
Brain fog starts to fade. Head begins to clear up. Headaches. Brain tingles. Eyes don’t feel as heavy. Short and long term memory begin to return. Dreams return vividly. Libido fades. Not so difficult to deal with.

2-6 Weeks:
Cilia in lungs clean out the marijuana which flushes up the back of your throat. Headaches continue. Brain tingles continue. Cold/night sweats with insomnia and heavy heart palpitations. High blood pressure possible. Vivid, nightmarish dreams if you can fall asleep for a few hours. Ringing ears develop. Teeth grinding develops. For women, much tougher PMS period and bad cramps may develop. Anxiety, Depression, Depersonalization/Derealization, and Intrusive thoughts start to enter. Schizophrenic-like and/or OCD-like symptoms may show. Lethargy, dissociation with life, and anhedonia creep in. Paranoia may occur. Panic Attacks may occur (or occur earlier during use). Libido gone. Difficulty of quit begins to show.

1.5-3 Months:
Marijuana metabolites now completely flushed out of your system, unless you carry more fat cells in which case will require more time to get rid of. Also, it will take a longer time if marjuana was ingested instead of smoked or vaped. Vivid dreams subside. Headaches continue, but may be more subtle. Ringing ears continue. Teeth grinding continues. Heart palpitations occur more frequently, possibly due to the body adjusting to adrenaline no longer being numbed out by weed. High blood pressure may continue. For women, tough PMS and bad cramps may continue. Insomnia, Anxiety, Depression, Depersonalization/Derealization, Intrusive thoughts, Paranoia, Schizo-like and OCD-like symptoms PEAK. Panic attacks possible. Get used to getting little sleep most of the time. Libido sneaks back, but still very low. Very difficult to deal with.

3-6 Months:
Your true emotions start to return. Sleep returns. Symptoms mostly remain, but all of them begin to subside and life becomes much more bearable. Anxiety and depression loosen their grip. Intrusive thoughts appear farther and fewer in between. Psychosis-related symptoms become weaker and have less control over your inner self. Physical symptoms start to return back to normal, like how they were before marijuana. Though still not exactly 100% yet, libido comes back. The worst is behind you now.

6 Months - 1 Year:
Adjusting back to normal and getting in touch with your true feelings and emotions, before they were numbed out by marijuana, become the ultimate part of your experience. All symptoms quickly fade away. Your head is clear. Your body is active. Your spirit is thriving. You start feeling good again. Actually, you feel great.

1-2 Years:
Symptoms disappear, but may creep back in here and there when least expected. Stay on guard.

2-3 Years:
Symptoms are gone for good. Congratulations and stay quit!