If you have been taking marijuana (an illegal compound in the United Kingdom unless prescribed for medicinal use) and come off of it, you may experience numerous withdrawal symptoms. Indeed, marijuana contains THC, which is a psychedelic compound that causes numerous different symptoms in your life. When you come off of marijuana, it stands to reason then that you’ll experience several signs of cannabis withdrawal. However, there are ways to cope with marijuana withdrawal symptoms, and one option you could consider is CBD oil.
But how can CBD oil help with marijuana withdrawal symptoms? Might this be the right option to add to your own recovery process? We’ve outlined some key things you need to know about taking CBD oil to help with marijuana withdrawal symptoms as follows to hopefully help.
What are the Common Symptoms and Signs of Marijuana Withdrawal?
Before we go any further, we first need to define some common signs and symptoms of marijuana withdrawal. Generally speaking, marijuana withdrawal is most often seen in cases where people have taken illegal marijuana for a longer, regular duration. Their severity will vary from person to person, and you may experience some, all, or potentially even none of the following effects:
- Difficulty sleeping
- Confusing, worrying, or strange dreams when sleeping
- Feelings of depression and anxiety
- A general restlessness that makes it hard to focus
- Feelings of frustration, anger, and irritability
- Appetite reduction
- Sweats or chills (potentially interchanging between the two)
These symptoms may be severe, but don’t worry – they shouldn’t last for too long! With that being said, while most people will stop experiencing marijuana withdrawal symptoms in around one week to ten days, these symptoms can continue for around three or four weeks in some cases.
Can CBD Oil Help with Marijuana Symptoms?
At this point, we’ve summarized some of the most common symptoms of marijuana withdrawal. But might CBD oil be able to help with reducing the symptoms or severity of marijuana withdrawal?
Well, there may be some benefits associated with taking CBD supplements. CBD supplements can help ease the transition during your marijuana withdrawal period in two ways.
CBD Oil May Help with Sleep Quality
Firstly, CBD oil may be able to help improve your quality of sleep at night. Having a poor night’s sleep could significantly reduce your ability to focus during the day, which can have numerous consequences. Of course, being unable to focus can lead to you getting behind on your tasks or work. In turn, this may increase your feelings of stress, creating a vicious cycle where you’re too tired to work, to overworked to relax, and too stressed to sleep.
A poor night’s sleep will slow your recovery from injuries, make it harder to focus, and may leave you feeling stressed, irritable, and frustrated – all common with marijuana withdrawal. As such, by adding CBD Oil to your routine, you may be able to enjoy some benefits in this regard.
While a better night’s sleep won’t fix everything, it can definitely help ease your symptoms somewhat. And, since many people experiencing withdrawal from marijuana experience a poor night’s sleep, it’s safe to say that any change to tackle this issue could also benefit the rest of your symptoms.
CBD May Support Relaxation
Did you know that a growing number of people, rather than taking CBD orally, are using topical CBD supplements and oils instead? CBD oil may have numerous benefits when applied to the skin and gently massaged in. Massaging a sore area (potentially from sleeping badly at night) can help relieve pain and stiffness, which could exacerbate your symptoms.
Furthermore, it’s worth considering that massages, by their nature, are often incredibly relaxing and soothing. As such, if you are feeling stressed, worried, anxious, or irritable as a result of your marijuana withdrawal symptoms, CBD oil massages may help ease these tensions, helping you feel a little better and happier.
What the Research Says
It’s all well and good looking at the theoretical benefits of CBD oil for marijuana symptoms, but what does the research say? Unfortunately, due to the sensitive and niche nature of the topic, CBD oil for marijuana withdrawal symptoms isn’t highly researched. However, a study by Crippa et al. (2012) found that CBD had benefits for cannabis withdrawal when supplemented over a ten-day recovery window.
Furthermore, Shannon and Opila-Lehman (2015) concluded that CBD oil at a low dosage offered support in preventing a relapse back onto marijuana. The patient also reported reduced anxiety and better sleep quality, which may also help your own symptoms.
Always Seek Professional Support First
As such, if you’re looking to take CBD oil for marijuana withdrawals, this could potentially be a good option to consider. However, before doing so, you should always seek professional medical guidance first, as CBD oil can interfere with other medications you might be taking on prescription. Your doctor or support worker may also be able to help refer you to additional support to help with your marijuana withdrawal symptoms.
This can seem like a difficult and scary time, but remember: you are not alone in this! As such, if you’ve been feeling unwell or worried due to your marijuana withdrawal symptoms, try to reach out to someone close to you for support. It’s better to be safe than to suffer alone, after all.
Will I Experience Withdrawal Effects When I Come Off CBD Oil?
If you decide to take CBD oil for marijuana withdrawal symptoms, there are not any known side effects of stopping CBD use (other than the loss of any benefits you may experience). As such, taking CBD oil for marijuana withdrawal symptoms shouldn’t result in you trading one addiction for another. CBD oil does not contain addictive compounds, if prepared properly and sourced from an FDA-approved brand.
If you’ve just stopped taking marijuana it’s worth looking at the different options to overcome your potential symptoms and CBD may be one of those to help ease into the new transition. And if you're looking to buy CBD oil, Provacan has a range of options available.