Marijuana Withdrawal Symptoms: Every Symptom Explained
Key Takeaways
- Marijuana withdrawal is a real medical condition recognized in the DSM-5, affecting roughly 47% of regular users
- Symptoms span emotional, cognitive, sleep, and physical categories because THC affects receptors throughout your entire body
- Most symptoms peak between days 2 and 6, then steadily improve over the following weeks
- Sleep disturbances tend to last the longest, sometimes up to 45 days
- Every symptom on this list has a biological explanation and a predictable endpoint
You stopped using weed and now your body is doing things you did not expect. Maybe you are drenched in sweat at night. Maybe you snapped at someone you love over nothing. Maybe your stomach is wrecked and you cannot eat and you are wondering if something is seriously wrong. Nothing is wrong. Your brain and body adapted to regular THC, and now they are readjusting without it. What you are feeling has a name, a cause, and an end date.
This is a complete list of marijuana withdrawal symptoms, both the ones officially recognized by psychiatry and the ones that millions of people report but rarely see validated. For each one, you will find what it actually feels like, why your body is producing it, and roughly how long it lasts.
Why There Are So Many Symptoms
Before getting into the list, it helps to understand why withdrawal touches so many different systems in your body. THC works by binding to CB1 receptors, which are part of your endocannabinoid system (your body's built-in cannabis-like signaling network). These receptors are not just in your brain. They are in your gut, your lungs, your skin, and your peripheral nerves.
When you use cannabis regularly, your body reduces the number and sensitivity of these receptors everywhere. A 2012 study in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology confirmed that CB1 receptor density drops significantly with chronic use and takes approximately 28 days to normalize after quitting. During that gap, every system that relied on those receptors is temporarily dysregulated. That is why withdrawal is not just "feeling bad." It shows up in your mood, your sleep, your digestion, your body temperature, and your thinking.
The DSM-5 (the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the standard reference used by psychiatrists) recognizes seven categories of cannabis withdrawal symptoms. But the clinical list does not capture everything people actually experience. This guide covers both.
Emotional and Mood Symptoms
Irritability, Anger, and Aggression
This is the single most commonly reported withdrawal symptom. It often catches people off guard because the intensity feels disproportionate. Small things that normally would not bother you suddenly feel enraging. You might snap at a coworker, lose patience with your kids, or feel a simmering anger that has no specific target.
Why it happens. THC activates CB1 receptors in your amygdala (the brain region that processes threat and emotional reactions) and your prefrontal cortex (the region responsible for impulse control and emotional regulation). With regular use, your brain relies on THC to keep these systems in balance. Without it, your amygdala becomes hyperactive while your prefrontal cortex is temporarily underperforming. The result is an emotional response system with the volume turned up and the filter turned off.
How long it lasts. Irritability typically peaks around days 3 to 5 and noticeably improves by week 2. Most people report it fully resolving within 3 to 4 weeks.
Anxiety and Nervousness
You might feel a low-grade hum of anxiety that follows you through the day. Or it might come in waves, with your heart racing and your chest tightening for no clear reason. Some people experience something closer to panic attacks, especially in the first week.
Why it happens. Your endocannabinoid system plays a direct role in regulating your stress response. THC was artificially dampening activity in your amygdala and modulating your body's release of cortisol (your primary stress hormone). Without THC, both systems overcorrect. A 2019 study in the journal Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews found that cannabis withdrawal produces measurable increases in cortisol and heightened amygdala reactivity, which is the biological signature of anxiety. For a deeper look at this specific symptom, see the full guide to weed withdrawal anxiety.
How long it lasts. Anxiety typically peaks in the first week and gradually subsides over 2 to 4 weeks. People with pre-existing anxiety conditions may notice a longer tail.
Depressed Mood
Not everyone experiences this, but for those who do, it can be one of the most difficult symptoms. The world feels flat. Things you normally enjoy feel pointless. You might feel sad without a clear reason, or just emotionally numb.
Why it happens. This is closely tied to changes in your dopamine system. THC increases dopamine release by roughly 20 to 30 percent. When you quit, that artificial boost disappears, but your brain's dopamine receptors are still turned down from chronic exposure. The result is a temporary state called anhedonia (the inability to feel pleasure from normally rewarding activities). Your serotonin system, which also interacts with CB1 receptors, is simultaneously recalibrating.
How long it lasts. Depressed mood typically emerges in the first week, peaks around days 4 to 7, and improves steadily through weeks 2 to 4. Full dopamine normalization can take 8 to 12 weeks for heavy users.
Emotional Flooding and Crying Spells
This one is not in the DSM-5, but it is extremely common. You might find yourself crying at a commercial, or overwhelmed by emotions that seem to come from nowhere. Some people describe it as feeling everything at once after feeling nothing for months.
Why it happens. THC numbs emotional processing by suppressing activity in the limbic system (the brain's emotional center). When that suppression lifts, your brain begins processing a backlog of emotions that were muted during use. It is similar to the mechanism behind REM rebound, where your brain catches up on suppressed dream activity. Emotional flooding is your brain catching up on suppressed emotional processing.
How long it lasts. This is most intense in the first 1 to 2 weeks and typically stabilizes by week 3 or 4.
Sleep Symptoms
Insomnia and Sleep Difficulty
Insomnia is one of the most disruptive and longest-lasting withdrawal symptoms. You might lie awake for hours, unable to fall asleep. Or you might fall asleep fine but wake up at 2 or 3 AM and not be able to get back down. For a detailed breakdown of this symptom and specific strategies, see the weed withdrawal insomnia guide.
Why it happens. THC is a sedative that accelerates sleep onset by binding to CB1 receptors in the hypothalamus (your brain's sleep-wake control center). Your brain adapted to this external sedation and partially shut down its own sleep-initiation processes. Without THC, those processes need time to reboot.
How long it lasts. Sleep difficulty typically peaks in the first week, improves through weeks 2 to 4, and fully resolves by day 45 for most people. This is the longest-lasting symptom category.
Vivid Dreams and Nightmares
A few nights in, the dreams start. They are not normal dreams. They are cinematic, emotionally intense, sometimes terrifying, and so real that you wake up confused about whether they happened. This is one of the most universally reported withdrawal experiences.
Why it happens. THC suppresses REM sleep (the dreaming stage) by 20 to 30 percent in regular users. When you stop, your brain overcorrects with extended, intensified REM periods. This is called REM rebound. The full explanation, timeline, and coping strategies are covered in the THC and REM sleep rebound guide.
How long it lasts. Vivid dreams peak in weeks 1 to 3 and typically resolve within 45 days.
Night Sweats
You wake up soaked. Your sheets are damp. This can happen multiple nights in a row during the first week or two.
Why it happens. Your endocannabinoid system helps regulate body temperature through the hypothalamus. THC was influencing your thermoregulatory set point. Without it, your autonomic nervous system (the system that handles involuntary functions like temperature, heart rate, and sweating) temporarily loses calibration. Night sweats are your body's attempt to regulate temperature through a system that is still recalibrating.
How long it lasts. Night sweats are typically most intense in the first 5 to 10 days and resolve within 2 to 3 weeks.
Cognitive Symptoms
Brain Fog and Difficulty Concentrating
You might find yourself reading the same paragraph three times without absorbing it. Conversations slip away mid-sentence. Tasks that require sustained focus feel impossible. It can feel like thinking through wet cement.
Why it happens. CB1 receptors are densely concentrated in the hippocampus (memory processing) and prefrontal cortex (executive function, planning, and focus). Both regions are temporarily underperforming while receptor density rebuilds. A 2018 study in JAMA Psychiatry found that cognitive function, particularly verbal memory and processing speed, improves measurably within 72 hours of quitting and continues improving over several weeks.
How long it lasts. Brain fog is worst in the first week, noticeably better by week 2, and largely resolved by weeks 4 to 6.
Derealization and Depersonalization
This is less common but deeply unsettling when it happens. You might feel disconnected from your surroundings, like the world is not quite real. Or you might feel detached from yourself, watching your own actions from a distance. Some people describe it as "living behind glass."
Why it happens. These dissociative sensations are linked to anxiety system overactivation combined with disrupted sensory processing in the parietal and temporal cortices. Your brain is recalibrating how it integrates sensory input with your sense of self. High anxiety states, which are common in early withdrawal, can trigger derealization as a protective mechanism.
How long it lasts. When caused by withdrawal, derealization typically subsides as anxiety decreases, usually within 1 to 3 weeks. If it persists beyond a month, it is worth talking to a doctor.
Physical Symptoms
Decreased Appetite and Weight Loss
Food sounds unappealing. Nothing tastes right. You might go an entire day and realize you have barely eaten. Some people lose several pounds in the first two weeks.
Why it happens. THC is famous for stimulating appetite (the "munchies" effect) by activating CB1 receptors in the hypothalamus that regulate hunger signals. With chronic use, your brain partially outsources appetite signaling to THC. When it is gone, your natural hunger signals need time to come back online.
How long it lasts. Appetite typically begins returning in the first week and normalizes within 2 to 3 weeks.
Stomach Pain, Nausea, and GI Issues
Your gut might feel off in multiple ways. Nausea, cramping, diarrhea, or general stomach discomfort are all reported. Some people describe it as a persistent, low-grade stomachache.
Why it happens. Your gastrointestinal tract has its own dense network of CB1 receptors that regulate motility (the speed at which food moves through your system), acid secretion, and inflammation. THC was modulating all of these. Withdrawal disrupts gut function temporarily while these receptors recalibrate. This is sometimes called the "gut-brain axis" effect because your enteric nervous system (the nervous system in your gut) is closely linked to your central nervous system.
How long it lasts. GI symptoms are usually worst in the first week and resolve within 10 to 14 days.
Headaches
Dull, persistent headaches are common in the first few days, sometimes accompanied by pressure behind the eyes or general head heaviness.
Why it happens. CB1 receptors modulate blood vessel dilation in the brain and influence pain signaling pathways. Withdrawal temporarily disrupts vascular regulation and lowers your pain threshold. Dehydration, which is common when appetite is suppressed and night sweats increase fluid loss, compounds the problem.
How long it lasts. Headaches typically peak in days 2 to 5 and resolve within 7 to 10 days.
Sweating, Fever, and Chills
Beyond night sweats, some people experience daytime sweating, low-grade fever, or chills. It can feel like you are coming down with something.
Why it happens. These are all thermoregulatory symptoms caused by your autonomic nervous system adjusting without THC's influence on the hypothalamus. Your body temperature set point is temporarily unstable. The slight fever some people experience is not infection. It is your thermostat recalibrating.
How long it lasts. These symptoms are generally limited to the first 7 to 10 days.
Restlessness
You cannot sit still. Your legs feel like they need to move. You might pace around your house or feel a persistent, uncomfortable internal energy that you cannot burn off.
Why it happens. Restlessness is linked to the combined effects of heightened norepinephrine (your body's alertness chemical) and disrupted GABA signaling (GABA is the neurotransmitter responsible for calming neural activity). THC was enhancing GABA's calming effects. Without it, your nervous system runs temporarily hot.
How long it lasts. Restlessness peaks in the first week and improves significantly by weeks 2 to 3.
Coughing and Lung Recovery
If you smoked or vaped, you might develop a cough after quitting, which feels contradictory. You expected your lungs to feel better, not worse.
Why it happens. When you stop inhaling smoke or vapor, your lungs begin a cleanup process. The cilia (tiny hair-like structures lining your airways that sweep out debris) were suppressed by chronic smoke exposure. They reactivate after you stop, and the cough is your body physically clearing accumulated tar, mucus, and debris. This is a sign of healing, not worsening.
How long it lasts. The cough can begin within a few days of quitting and may persist for 2 to 6 weeks depending on how long and heavily you smoked.
Fatigue and Lethargy
Despite the restlessness, you might also feel deeply tired. These two can alternate or even coexist, leaving you feeling simultaneously wired and exhausted.
Why it happens. Your brain is doing significant repair work, rebuilding receptor networks, recalibrating neurotransmitter levels, and restoring disrupted sleep architecture. This consumes energy. Combined with poor sleep quality from insomnia and REM rebound, physical fatigue is a predictable result.
How long it lasts. Fatigue is worst in weeks 1 to 2 and usually resolves as sleep quality improves, typically by weeks 3 to 4.
Tinnitus
Some people report ringing, buzzing, or hissing in their ears during withdrawal. This is less commonly discussed but shows up frequently in online recovery communities.
Why it happens. The exact mechanism is not fully established, but CB1 receptors are present in the auditory processing areas of the brain. Withdrawal-related changes in neural excitability may temporarily increase auditory sensitivity or produce phantom sounds. Heightened anxiety, which amplifies awareness of bodily sensations, likely plays a role as well.
How long it lasts. When linked to withdrawal, tinnitus usually fades within 2 to 4 weeks. If it persists, see a doctor to rule out other causes.
When to Seek Professional Help
Everything on this list is a normal part of withdrawal and resolves on its own. But there are situations where you should talk to a doctor or mental health professional.
Seek help if your depressed mood includes thoughts of self-harm or suicide. Seek help if anxiety is severe enough to prevent you from functioning at work or caring for yourself. Seek help if symptoms are not improving at all after 4 weeks, or if they are actively getting worse after the first week. Seek help if you have a pre-existing mental health condition that is significantly destabilized by withdrawal.
You do not need to go through this alone. The SAMHSA National Helpline is free, confidential, available 24/7, and can connect you with local support. Call 1-800-662-4357.
For a broader look at cannabis withdrawal syndrome as a clinical condition, or a detailed day-by-day breakdown, see the weed withdrawal timeline.