In general, the withdrawal effects from a substance are the opposite of the effects that the substance creates. For example: caffeine stimulates the brain… so withdrawal creates headaches. This is also true with side effects. A side-effect of opiates is constipation… withdrawal involves pooping (a lot).

Consider what it feels like when you are high. If being high makes you feel more relaxed, then right now you might feel a bit more jumpy or irritable. If being high felt calming, you might be feeling more anxious now. And, if as a side-effect, being high helped you feel more connected to people, you might be feeling lonelier now. This week, we’re going to look at these feelings.

One other thing: there seems to be something cumulative about THC. We know that it builds up in our system. There seems to be a point at which cannabis stops working for some people…or even, a point when they report getting high in reverse. (Feeling anxious when high, even when that never happened before.)

This may come after a long period of heavy use. It may feel as if something has changed. The feeling of being high goes from special -> to routine -> to maintenance. Cannabis begins to have less and less impact, then none. And then maybe an opposite impact.

If that is not your experience, that’s positive. But with increases in THC potency, this is just something to keep in mind. It invites partaking in moderation. And it certainly suggests that a tolerance break (like you are doing now) is a good thing.