The rise of cannabis use in the USA has been accompanied by a rise in cannabis withdrawal symptoms. Researchers from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Columbia University Irving Medical Center have determined that 12 percent of frequent cannabis users experienced cannabis withdrawal syndrome (C. Their study was published in the journal, Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
"In a rapidly changing landscape of marijuana laws and attitudes, cannabis use continues to increase among American adults. As a result, more information on the prevalence and correlates of clinical withdrawal in the general population is of critical importance," said Deborah Hasin, PhD, professor of Epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health.
CWS symptoms were associated with numerous psychiatric disorders including anxiety disorders, social phobia, agoraphobia, and panic disorder, personality disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder. Among withdrawal symptoms, the most commonly reported were nervousness/anxiety at 76% of participants.
"Cannabis withdrawal syndrome is a highly disabling condition," continued Hasin. "The syndrome's shared symptoms with depressive and anxiety disorders call for clinician awareness of cannabis withdrawal symptoms and the factors associated with it to promote more effective treatment among frequent cannabis users."