Condition
Marijuana Withdrawal
Cannabis withdrawal is a recognized condition that follows when regular, heavy users stop or cut back, as a brain used to cannabis readjusts, causing discomfort that can lead to relapse. N-acetyl cysteine has the most support, with moderate evidence, since it acts on glutamate and was studied specifically in cannabis use disorder, while omega-3s have limited evidence. Other supplements have limited evidence too, and one cognition finding, in 24 people, was mixed.
- Supplements studied
- 1
- Graded outcomes
- 1
- Trials
- 2
- People studied
- 24
Evidence by supplement
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cognition Mixed effect | 24 people | |||||
| Food Intake | Changes; see studies | 2 studies | 24 people | |||
Studies that measured food intake | ||||||
| Tobacco Consumption | Improves (the measure goes up) | 2 studies | 12 people | |||
| Social Functioning | Improves (the measure goes up) | 12 people | ||||
Key findings
- Cognition
The Cannabis Withdrawal Support protocol
2 primary supplements · 5 supporting supplements
- NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine)1,200–2,400 mg daily in divided doses
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids2–3 g EPA+DHA daily
Studies cited
85 studies from PubMed
- Effects of oral, smoked, and vaporized cannabis on endocrine pathways related to appetite and metabolism: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, human laboratory study
- 1 -tetrahydrocannabinol, synhexyl and marijuana extract administered orally in man: catecholamine excretion, plasma cortisol levels and platelet serotonin content
- Acute effects of natural and synthetic cannabis compounds on prolactin levels in human males
- The effects of smoked marijuana on metabolism and respiratory control
- Effect of acute Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol administration on subjective and metabolic hormone responses to food stimuli and food intake in healthy humans: a randomized, placebo-controlled study
- Explorative Placebo-Controlled Double-Blind Intervention Study with Low Doses of Inhaled Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol Reveals No Effect on Sweet Taste Intensity Perception and Liking in Humans
- Short-term effects of cannabinoids on immune phenotype and function in HIV-1-infected patients
- A pilot study of the effects of cannabis on appetite hormones in HIV-infected adult men
- Smoked medicinal cannabis for neuropathic pain in HIV: a randomized, crossover clinical trial
- Acute and residual mood and cognitive performance of young adults following smoked cannabis
- Effects of acute marijuana smoking on pulse rate and mood states in women
- Assessment of Efficacy and Tolerability of Medicinal Cannabinoids in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
- Sativex ® as add-on therapy vs. further optimized first-line ANTispastics (SAVANT) in resistant multiple sclerosis spasticity: a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomised clinical trial
- Sativex(®) and clinical-neurophysiological measures of spasticity in progressive multiple sclerosis
- Cannabinoids in multiple sclerosis (CAMS) study: safety and efficacy data for 12 months follow up
- Multiple sclerosis and extract of cannabis: results of the MUSEC trial
- A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of Sativex, in subjects with symptoms of spasticity due to multiple sclerosis
- Do cannabis-based medicinal extracts have general or specific effects on symptoms in multiple sclerosis? A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study on 160 patients
- Long-term use of a cannabis-based medicine in the treatment of spasticity and other symptoms in multiple sclerosis
- Psychopathological and cognitive effects of therapeutic cannabinoids in multiple sclerosis: a double-blind, placebo controlled, crossover study
- A placebo-controlled, parallel-group, randomized withdrawal study of subjects with symptoms of spasticity due to multiple sclerosis who are receiving long-term Sativex® (nabiximols)
- Sativex long-term use: an open-label trial in patients with spasticity due to multiple sclerosis
- Cannabinoids for treatment of spasticity and other symptoms related to multiple sclerosis (CAMS study): multicentre randomised placebo-controlled trial
- A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of THC/CBD oromucosal spray in combination with the existing treatment regimen, in the relief of central neuropathic pain in patients with multiple sclerosis
- A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, enriched-design study of nabiximols* (Sativex(®) ), as add-on therapy, in subjects with refractory spasticity caused by multiple sclerosis
- Tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol oromucosal spray in resistant multiple sclerosis spasticity: consistency of response across subgroups from the SAVANT randomized clinical trial
- Randomized, controlled trial of cannabis-based medicine in central pain in multiple sclerosis
- Efficacy, safety and tolerability of an orally administered cannabis extract in the treatment of spasticity in patients with multiple sclerosis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study
- Short-term effects of smoking marijuana on balance in patients with multiple sclerosis and normal volunteers
- The effect of cannabis on urge incontinence in patients with multiple sclerosis: a multicentre, randomised placebo-controlled trial (CAMS-LUTS)
- Randomized controlled trial of Sativex to treat detrusor overactivity in multiple sclerosis
- Smoked marijuana effects on tobacco cigarette smoking behavior
- Abstinence symptoms following smoked marijuana in humans
- Abstinence symptoms following oral THC administration to humans
- Cannabidiol (CBD) content in vaporized cannabis does not prevent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-induced impairment of driving and cognition
- Acute and residual effects of smoked cannabis: Impact on driving speed and lateral control, heart rate, and self-reported drug effects
- Effect of cannabis use on cognitive functions and driving ability
- Cannabis smoking impairs driving performance on the simulator and real driving: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial
- Acute effects of smoking marijuana on hormones, subjective effects and performance in male human subjects
- The effects of orally administered delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol in man on mood and performance measures: a dose-response study
- Opioid antagonism enhances marijuana's effects in heavy marijuana smokers
- Cannabis use and driving-related performance in young recreational users: a within-subject randomized clinical trial
- Sex differences in the effects of marijuana on simulated driving performance
- Effect of Cannabidiol and Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol on Driving Performance: A Randomized Clinical Trial
- Subjective aggression during alcohol and cannabis intoxication before and after aggression exposure
- Cannabinoids for adult cancer-related pain: systematic review and meta-analysis
- An open-label extension study to investigate the long-term safety and tolerability of THC/CBD oromucosal spray and oromucosal THC spray in patients with terminal cancer-related pain refractory to strong opioid analgesics
- Comparison of the analgesic effects of dronabinol and smoked marijuana in daily marijuana smokers
- Multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of THC:CBD extract and THC extract in patients with intractable cancer-related pain
- Lack of analgesia by oral standardized cannabis extract on acute inflammatory pain and hyperalgesia in volunteers
- Dose-dependent effects of smoked cannabis on capsaicin-induced pain and hyperalgesia in healthy volunteers
- Amygdala activity contributes to the dissociative effect of cannabis on pain perception
- Nabiximols for opioid-treated cancer patients with poorly-controlled chronic pain: a randomized, placebo-controlled, graded-dose trial
- Sativex oromucosal spray as adjunctive therapy in advanced cancer patients with chronic pain unalleviated by optimized opioid therapy: two double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase 3 studies
- Results of a Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study of Nabiximols Oromucosal Spray as an Adjunctive Therapy in Advanced Cancer Patients with Chronic Uncontrolled Pain
- The Effects of Dosage-Controlled Cannabis Capsules on Cancer-Related Cachexia and Anorexia Syndrome in Advanced Cancer Patients: Pilot Study
- Effect of marihuana on intraocular and blood pressure in glaucoma
- Cannabis for dyskinesia in Parkinson disease: a randomized double-blind crossover study
- Regional cerebral blood flow after marijuana smoking
- The effects of smoking marihuana on physical performance
- Marijuana's dose-dependent effects in daily marijuana smokers
- Middle cerebral artery velocity during upright posture after marijuana smoking
- Association between marijuana exposure and pulmonary function over 20 years
- Acute effects of marihuana smoking on maximal exercise performance
- Cannabis induces a clinical response in patients with Crohn's disease: a prospective placebo-controlled study
- Effect of Inhaled Cannabis for Pain in Adults With Sickle Cell Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial
- Effect of sublingual application of cannabinoids on intraocular pressure: a pilot study
- Efficacy of Inhaled Cannabis on Painful Diabetic Neuropathy
- Randomized placebo-controlled double-blind clinical trial of cannabis-based medicinal product (Sativex) in painful diabetic neuropathy: depression is a major confounding factor
- Postural syncope after marijuana: a transcranial Doppler study of the hemodynamics
- A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel group study of THC/CBD spray in peripheral neuropathic pain treatment
- Sativex successfully treats neuropathic pain characterised by allodynia: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial
- Smoked cannabis for chronic neuropathic pain: a randomized controlled trial
- Ingestion of a THC-Rich Cannabis Oil in People with Fibromyalgia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of cannabis treatment for chronic pain
- A role for cannabinoids in the treatment of myotonia? Report of compassionate use in a small cohort of patients
- An experimental randomized study on the analgesic effects of pharmaceutical-grade cannabis in chronic pain patients with fibromyalgia
- Oral THC:CBD cannabis extract for refractory chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: a randomised, placebo-controlled, phase II crossover trial
- Cannabinoids for the treatment of mental disorders and symptoms of mental disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Acute effects of marihuana on luteinizing hormone in menopausal women
- Effect of Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol on nocturnal sleep and early-morning behavior in young adults
- Comparison of orally administered cannabis extract and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in treating patients with cancer-related anorexia-cachexia syndrome: a multicenter, phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial from the Cannabis-In-Cachexia-Study-Group
- Evaluating the Suitability and Potential Efficiency of Cannabis sativa Oil for Patients with Primary Burning Mouth Syndrome: A Prospective, Open-Label, Single-Arm Pilot Study
- Marijuana smoking and reduced pressure in human eyes: drug action or epiphenomenon?
- Impact of smoked cannabis on tobacco cigarette smoking intensity and subjective effects: A placebo-controlled, double-blind, within-subjects human laboratory study