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Marijuana Quit Kit

Quitting is tough but easier with support. We’re here to help.

This page includes what the first month after quitting marijuana usually looks like, what to do when cravings hit, and how to get help when you want it.

  • Read time: 8 minutes

Know what’s coming

What the first month looks like...

It is common to feel some withdrawal symptoms when quitting or cutting down, especially if you have been using marijuana for a while or using products with a lot of THC. Withdrawal symptoms can be uncomfortable, but they usually get better over time. Sometimes people go back to using marijuana to try to get rid of withdrawal symptoms. Have a plan for how you will cope with withdrawal symptoms, so you don’t get derailed. Talk to your doctor if withdrawal symptoms like sleep or mood changes become severe or start to interfere with your daily life.

One week

That’s usually the toughest stretch. Withdrawal often starts 24 to 48 hours after your last use and is hardest on days two through six. Then it starts easing, a bit more each week.

How marijuana withdrawal usually rises and falls over the first month A single curve shaped like a hill. Withdrawal climbs steeply from the day you quit, reaches its highest point between days two and six, then falls away — steeply through the first week, and more gently through weeks two, three and four, until it is low and mild by day 28. The peak · days 2–6
You quit Day 7 Day 14 Day 21 Day 28

Week 1

Getting through this week is the goal. It gets easier from here.

Week 2

Cough and phlegm often start improving if you smoke.

Week 3

Memory and attention often start to sharpen.

Week 4

Less daytime sleepiness. Mood often lifts.

This is a general pattern — not a promise. Some people barely notice withdrawal, others get hit harder, and the benefits arrive on their own schedule. Quitting is the only way to find out what your version looks like. If symptoms are severe or don’t let up, talk to your doctor.

Where are you in your quit?

Day 1of 28

See all four stages at once
1–2 daysIt starts

Withdrawal usually shows up 24 to 48 hours after your last use: irritability, nerves, trouble sleeping, less appetite, cravings. Heavy users sometimes get sweating, chills, or a headache. If you're a light or occasional user, you may barely feel this stretch at all.

2–6 daysThe peak — hardest stretch

Days two through six are usually the worst of it. Insomnia, irritability, restlessness and cravings hit their hardest. Some people experience sweating or chills but this is less common. Make a plan for this week — where you'll be, who you'll be with, what you'll do at your usual use time — this can help you get through any tough withdrawal symptoms.

1–2 weeksTurning

Physical symptoms start easing and sleep begins to settle. If you smoke, cough and phlegm often start improving within these first few weeks. Sleep can still be uneven and vivid or strange dreams are common. Low mood or irritability might still be around. If low mood is heavy or you're having thoughts of hurting yourself or anyone else, tell your doctor — and reach 988 any time, by call or text.

4 weeksClearing

Memory and attention often improve somewhere in the first one to four weeks — the "brain fog lifting" people talk about. Many notice less daytime sleepiness after two to four weeks. Mood improvements usually land in this window too. Quitting marijuana may also lower your risk of heart problems over time.

Daily, or almost-daily, users are more likely to have withdrawal symptoms. If that’s you, tapering toward a quit date might make symptoms less intense. However, if quitting is your ultimate goal, make sure you pick a quit date. Tapering without a quit date tends to become a long, low-grade version of using.

On the other side

What quitting makes room for

Everyone responds differently and research is still catching up. But these are the changes people report most. When you quit, pay attention to what changes.

Your head and body

  • Cough and phlegm often improve within weeks of quitting, if you smoke
  • Memory and attention typically sharpen over one to four weeks and keep improving
  • Quitting marijuana may support mental health
  • Deeper, more natural sleep, usually after the three-week mark
  • Less strain on your heart over time

Ask yourself

  • How would my life be better if my concentration, sleep, or mental health improved?

“I have the energy I need to exercise and focus at work.”

The people around you

A partner’s worry is one of the most common reasons people want to quit. So is this: what will my kids take from watching me?

You don’t have to be a parent for that to land. Nieces, nephews, grandkids, the teenager next door — young people learn by watching the adults nearby. Choosing to stop is one of the clearest signals you can send, just by living it.

Ask yourself

  • How am I seen by the people around me?
  • Am I a good role model for my kids?

“My kids are proud of me and my healthy choices.”

What you’re working toward

Focus, work and career goals are a common reason people tell us they want to quit. Marijuana can dull motivation, attention, and memory when you’re using regularly. When people quit, they often say the things they have been putting off got easier to start — there is less fog between them and the first step.

Ask yourself

  • What have I been putting off?
  • What would I start if this wasn’t in the way?

“I want to get after something, and this is in the way.”

Quit both at once or one at a time?

Quitting Marijuana & Nicotine

There’s no right strategy -- research doesn’t crown a clear winner. It leans slightly toward quitting both at the same time.12 Here’s the case for each so you decide what’s best.

Why both at once

  • The withdrawal symptoms overlap heavily — irritability, anxiety, bad sleep. Quitting once beats doing it twice.
  • They’re wired together. If you always smoke a cigarette with a blunt, one will keep triggering cravings for the other.

Why one at a time

  • You have a strong preference. The plan you’ll actually follow beats the theoretically better one.
  • You’re heavy on one and barely touch the other. Start with the heavy one.
  • You’re managing serious mental health symptoms that doubled-up withdrawal could aggravate. Talk about this with your doctor.

Whichever way you go, Kick It California is here to support you.
Chat with us  Mon–Fri  7am–9pm · Sat  9am–5pm. 

Ready when you are

Build your quit plan

Pick a quit day, work out what sets you off, and decide in advance what you’ll do instead. It takes a few minutes and nothing you enter is saved or sent anywhere.

Start my quit plan

You can come back to this page any time.

Keep going

You don’t have to do this alone

Give us a call — to build a plan, get support, or to start again after a slip. It’s free, confidential, and without judgment.

30%
of U.S. adults who use marijuana meet the criteria for cannabis use disorder

If stopping has been harder than you expected, that isn’t a character flaw. It’s common and it’s the exact thing coaching is built for.

Talk to a Quit Coach Chat online or call 1-800-300-8086 Mon–Fri 7am–9pm · Sat 9am–5pm. English and Spanish.
Chat online Call 1-800-300-8086

This page is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about anything to do with medications, pain, mental health or symptoms that don’t ease up — and tell them you’re quitting, because it can change how other treatments work.

If withdrawal brings on anything frightening — hallucinations, paranoia, or thoughts of harming yourself or others — that’s rare, but call your doctor right away. For mental health crisis support any time, day or night, call or text 988. In an emergency, call 911.

Other places to turn

More support, when you need it

SAMHSA

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), offers treatment options for substance use and mental health conditions. Visit SAMHSA

Find Treatment Now

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

For emotional or mental health support, call or text the 988 Lifeline to talk to someone today. Visit the 988 Lifeline.

Call Today
Sources Show all 12 sources
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