Cannabis Dependence and Withdrawal

Placeholder slot. This is article #1 — replace with the specific paper you found on Perplexity if it differs from this topic.

Roughly one in three people who use cannabis daily develop cannabis use disorder (CUD), as defined by the DSM-5. Stopping after sustained heavy use produces a withdrawal syndrome — most commonly irritability, sleep disturbance, decreased appetite, anxiety, and craving — that peaks within the first week and resolves over 2–4 weeks. The withdrawal is real, well-documented, and one of the main reasons people slip back into use.

This page is a draft. The full 1500-word writeup is in progress and will cover the diagnostic criteria, the withdrawal timeline day by day, what the data says about who develops dependence, and what evidence-based support looks like.

Sources

• DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) — Cannabis Use Disorder criteria.
• Budney AJ et al. (various). The cannabis withdrawal syndrome — clinical features and treatment implications.