<img src="//bat.bing.com/action/0?ti=5014317&amp;Ver=2" height="0" width="0" style="display:none; visibility: hidden;">

How to Quit

Follow the steps below to build your Quit Plan.

0 of 6

  • Go
  • Go
  • Go
  • Go
  • Go
  • Go

Your Reasons

Your reasons for quitting are what keeps you going

When a craving hits, it is helpful to remember all of the reasons you have for quitting like, "I want to be alert for Saturday morning with my kid". What is most important to you in life and how does quitting help you move closer towards that?

Here’s some common reasons people say they want to quit. Tap the ones that are true for you.

Why I’m quitting

    Nothing picked yet.

    These carry down into My Plan at the end of this page, along with your quit day and the strategies you choose.

    Weigh it up

    Your reasons, weighed

    Most people who want to quit are holding two true things at once. Marijuana does something for you — it takes the edge off, it helps you sleep, it makes things more enjoyable. And it is costing you something. Quitting is not about pretending the first list is empty.

    It is also not about which list is longer. Mark how much each one matters to you and see which way the rope moves. One reason that really matters can outpull three things you would barely miss.

    Using 0 Pull toward using nothing added
    Quitting 0 Pull toward quitting nothing added
       
    Winning Winning

    Both sides are empty.

    What I like about marijuana

    Be honest, then mark how much each one really matters

      Nothing added yet.

      What I don’t like about it

      Your reasons from above are already here — mark how much each one matters

        Nothing added yet.

        Add a few to each side, mark how much each one matters, and see which way the rope moves.

        Make a plan

        Plan for your triggers

        A quit plan helps you prepare for what you will do when a craving hits. It’s deciding — now, not when you are craving marijuana — what you’ll do instead in the specific moments you already know are coming. Open the ones that might be helpful for you to plan for.

        The 4 D’s

        Your coach may have run through these already. Cravings usually last 10 to 15 minutes, so most of the work is riding out the wave rather than fighting it.

        Delay

        Wait at least 10 minutes before acting on the urge. Most cravings have passed by then.

        Distract

        Move your attention onto something else. Decide what that will be before you need it.

        Deep breathe

        Slow your breathing right down. Longer out-breath than in-breath.

        Do something else

        Get up and change what you are doing. Hands busy, scene changed.

        Having a distraction ready beats improvising in the moment — especially in the first two to three weeks.

        Tap a trigger that might cause you to go back to using, then pick the strategies you will try instead of using. Both go into your plan at the bottom.

        Know the pattern

        The moments that trip people up

        Triggers come from three directions — how you are feeling, what you are doing, and who you are with. It’s common to experience multiple triggers a day, which is why quitting is a run of small decisions rather than one big one.

        How to escape the withdrawal loop

        Lots of people run into this. Make a plan to get through it without going back to using.

        Tap a step to see what is going on underneath it.

        Sleep“It was helping me sleep”

        At first marijuana might help you feel sleepy or fall asleep faster — but with regular use, sleep quality tends to drop, not rise. The bad nights after you quit might not be your old sleep problem coming back, it might be withdrawal.

        Make sure you talk to your doctor and work on healthy sleep practices. Some examples of healthy sleep practices include going to bed and waking up at the same time, limiting screens before bed, and eating a healthy diet.

        Stress“I need it to cope”

        If marijuana is how you handle a hard day, you might start to think that you need marijuana to cope. Plus, marijuana withdrawal can cause you to feel irritable or down for a bit. This might make you think you need marijuana to feel okay. But, if you can stay quit, these mood changes usually get better in a few weeks.

        Pick a Quit Date

        Picking a day and getting ready for it makes the first week easier. 

        Not sure yet? Pick a rough date. You can change it.

        Put it together

        My Plan

        This fills itself in from what you picked further up the page. Add your quit day, then take a screenshot so you have it on your phone when you need it.

        My Plan

        Kick It
        California

        I am quitting marijuana

        Motivation + Planning = Success

        My reasons for quitting

        What keeps me going when it gets tough

          Pick your reasons near the top of this page and they will appear here.

          Triggers

          Times I will want to use

          Strategies

          What I will do instead

          Pick the moments you want to be ready for, just above, and the strategies you would use.

          My quit day is not picked yet

          Nothing here is saved when you close the page, so take a screenshot to keep it.

          Email this plan to myself

          This opens your own email app with the plan filled in — nothing is sent anywhere until you press send.

          Kick It California · 1-800-300-8086

          Part 3

          How to stay quit

          Quitting is a huge accomplishment. Staying quit takes a bit of planning, and knowing what a slip actually means is a large part of it.

          When things don’t go as planned

          A slip is information, not a failure

          Most people who come to us for help with marijuana have tried to quit before. Not once — several times. These aren’t failures. Each time you try quitting you learn something new.

          So if you use again, the useful question isn’t ‘what’s wrong with me?’ It’s: ‘what was happening in the twenty minutes before I used? Who was there, what was the feeling, what time was it?’ This helps you build your next plan — and it’s information you didn’t have last week.

          Quitting is a climb, not a straight line A mountain. A climbing route rises from the bottom left toward the summit, dipping three times along the way. Each dip is marked, but every one is followed by a longer climb, and the route finishes at a flag on the peak with a climber just below it.
          Each circle is a slip. Look where the line ends up. Even with a few slips, you’re still further than where you started!

          Then set a new date and try again. The people who quit for good are the ones who keep going after this exact moment.

          Keep going

          You don’t have to do this alone

          Give us a call — to build the plan, get support on your quit day, or to start again after a slip. It’s free, it’s confidential, and there’s no lecture waiting on the other end.

          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.

          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.

          Kick It app

          Kick It: Quit Smoking | Vaping App

          Free, customizable quit plans, progress tracking, and craving support to help you quit smoking or vaping.

          Download Now