Marijuana Tolerance Breaks: 5 Ways to Pass the Time With Ease and in Better Health

I still take marijuana tolerance breaks approximately every three months for a week (a good rule of thumb from my doctor at Medicann), so I don’t have to use as much cannabis to achieve the same effects and as my own private fuck you to prohibitionists who say marijuana is highly addictive.

I have never had an issue putting and keeping the proverbial pipe down cold turkey.

Some frequent/heavy cannabis users *may* experience some withdrawal symptoms during this process, others say they experience none. The symptoms experienced are certainly minor compared to many other substances, e.g. caffeine withdrawal hits me many-fold harder.

Doing a little research for this post, I found it both interesting and saddening how some in the cannabis community are downright hostile and/or in denial that even relatively minor cannabis withdrawal symptoms occurs to some percentage of the population.

As someone who tracks calories and nutrition intake daily, consistently exercises 3-5 times per week and generally keep good tabs on my health, I am highly attuned to changes in my body. Being on the stoic side, I’m also highly attuned to changes in my disposition.

My personal experience, particularly if my usage has been on the longer side and my marijuana tolerance break slips to 5-6 months, I occasionally experience some of the withdrawal symptoms listed below. They are by no means debilitating and I appreciate the benefits enough to take 2-4 marijuana tolerance breaks per year.

The most frequently cited withdrawal symptoms that heavy cannabis users may experience some (or none) of are:

• Appetite Changes: Some users mention they eat more, but most who experience appetite changes eat less while on a tolerance break. Some also say food doesn’t taste as good or it simply tastes different.
• Excessive Sweating: Some marijuana tolerance breaks I have night sweats on my upper body the first 3-4 evenings, but only while sleeping. Slightly annoying, but part of the purging process.
• Irritability: I may have some minor crankiness the first 1-2 days. I’m cognizant of it, so a piece a cake. Some mention much stronger stress, anxiety and/or anger, but I’ve never personally experienced it.
• Sleeplessness: Often cited is sleeping less, waking up during the night and/or having more vivid dreams. I’ve never slept much and is one of the reasons I use cannabis. During breaks, I turn in about 2 hours later, wake up maybe once or twice briefly, and still wake up at the same time. Somewhat surprisingly, I never feel any more fatigued, and have no issues keeping up my exercise routine or my mental sharpness.

Here are some of the healthier ways I minimize any symptoms from marijuana tolerance breaks, as well as accelerate/increase the benefits of them:

• Exercise: Triple win. First, the endorphins released, aka “runner’s high“, helps me stay positive and focused mentally and emotionally (tolerance break or not). Second, THC is stored in your fat cells and since my appetite decreases during these breaks typically, I’ll target to shed a pound during this week (~3,500 calories). Lastly, exercise can also help with the sleeplessness.
• Sex: What a great reason (excuse) to schedule a little more play time during tolerance breaks. Endorphins, exercise, etc. all in one package. (Safe) sex is good for one’s health and it certainly helps me during my cannabis down times.
• Hydration: Between the night sweats and regular exercise, I make sure I’m taking in ample water during my tolerance breaks. Since I tend to go to sleep later during these time periods, I also swap out some of my daily caffeinated beverages for plain old water as well.
• Nutrition: For those who don’t track nutrition as precisely, it’s important to keep in mind if you’re experiencing appetite changes during marijuana tolerance breaks that you’re still getting an appropriate daily intake of those good ‘ol vitamins and minerals. For me, food tastes the same, but I’m simply not as hungry during my week long breaks.
• Activities/Schedule: Folks have different reasons and times of day they use cannabis. For me, it’s simply to help unwind from the mental and physical exertions of the day and to stay in good total health. I plan my breaks for when I’m not sitting around too idle and have some fun/engaging activities planned with my friends and family. Try something new that’s caught your eye, even reading a book that engages your mind will likely help you sleep better.

If you take marijuana tolerance breaks and experience zero of the relatively minor withdrawal symptoms, fantastic. For those that do, I hope this information is useful and please share your personal experiences, tips and tricks.