AddictionsFor yourself30 min read

Cannabis: taking stock

A joint in the evening to switch off, then two, then the day that starts with one. This guide helps you take stock without judgement: what cannabis actually does, how to tell whether your use has become a problem, how to choose between cutting down and stopping, what withdrawal looks like, and how to get through cravings without relapsing.

Reviewed on October 3, 2026
Dr Zayan Al-Falasi, psychiatrist

In short

This guide is for adults who have questions about their cannabis use: those who simply want to see clearly, those who want to cut down, and those who have decided to stop. It sets out what research has established — dependence, sleep, anxiety, memory, the risk of psychosis — without dramatising or minimising. It then offers a concrete method: measuring, weighing up the pros and cons, choosing a goal, preparing to stop, getting through withdrawal and cravings, and knowing what to do about a slip.

Topic: Addictions
Who it's for: For yourself
Languages: FR · EN · DE · IT · ES · ZH · AR

Français · English · Deutsch · Italiano · Español · 中文 · العربية

The programme

This guide is psychoeducational content. It does not replace a consultation. If you hear voices, feel watched or persecuted, or if those close to you find your words strange, see a doctor promptly: see section 16. If you have repeated vomiting that goes on, seek medical advice; it may be an effect of cannabis itself. If you are thinking about dying, call your doctor the same day or, in immediate danger, the emergency services. Allow thirty minutes to read.

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1. Before you begin

Perhaps you smoke in the evening, to relax or to sleep. Or from the moment you wake, without thinking about it. Perhaps nothing worries you, but someone made a remark. Perhaps you tried to stop and sleep brought you back.

Three things, straight away.

Taking stock commits you to nothing. You can read this guide without having decided to stop. Understanding your own use is already a change.

Cannabis is neither harmless nor diabolical. Many people use it with no visible consequence; some develop dependence, and certain effects are well established, particularly in people who start young and in those who use daily.

Stopping is easier when you know what to expect. Withdrawal exists, it is unpleasant, it is short. Cravings last a few minutes. This guide describes both.

2. What cannabis does

The main molecule

The main active ingredient in cannabis is THC. It acts on a system present throughout the brain, which takes part in regulating appetite, mood, sleep, memory and pain. That is why its effects touch so many areas at once.

Immediate effects

Relaxation, euphoria, altered sensations.
Hunger.
Slowed reactions and coordination.
Difficulty remembering what happens while under the influence.
Sometimes the opposite of what you were looking for: anxiety, racing heart, the feeling that others are judging you, more rarely ideas of persecution.

What has changed in thirty years

Analyses of products seized in several countries show that the average THC content has risen markedly over the decades, in herbal cannabis as in resin. A joint today is not a joint from the nineties. Someone who used when young and picks it up again at forty is not using the same product.

Tolerance

With regular use the body adapts: it takes more for the same effect, and the effect you were after — relaxation — gradually gives way to simply returning to normal. Many daily users no longer smoke to feel good, but to avoid feeling worse.

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What the rest contains

3. Where does my use stand?
4. What research says
5. Why stopping is difficult
6. Measuring before deciding
7. Weighing up the pros and cons
8. Cut down or stop?
9. Preparing to stop
10. Withdrawal: what to expect
11. Cravings: riding the wave
12. Sleeping without cannabis
13. Risky situations, and what to say
14. Slips and relapses
15. If you choose to cut down
16. When cannabis hides something else
17. When to seek help, and what to ask for
18. Frequently asked questions
19. Key points
20. Sources and foundations

Frequently asked questions

How long does cannabis stay detectable? Much longer than its effects. In a daily user, urine tests can stay positive for several weeks after stopping, which does not mean you are still under the influence.

Is cannabis really addictive? Yes, for some users: around one in ten, and more among those who started young or who use daily. Dependence is recognised by loss of control and by withdrawal, not by quantity.

I only smoke in the evening — is that serious? "Serious" is not the right question. Look instead at whether the amount is rising, whether you could go a week without, and what it costs you. Daily use, even limited to the evening, carries a greater risk of dependence.

Can CBD help me stop? CBD is another substance found in cannabis, one that does not get you "high". The available data do not support recommending it as a treatment for dependence. What has proved itself is psychological approaches and support.

Am I going to become psychotic? For the great majority of users, no. The risk rises with frequency, the potency of the product, early use, and above all a family history. If those factors apply to you, stopping is the most prudent decision.

I've had repeated vomiting for months — could it be related? It could. Prolonged bouts of vomiting, relieved by very hot showers, are a known syndrome in regular users, sometimes after less than a year of use. Seek medical advice, and mention cannabis: without that information, the diagnosis is often missed.

My teenager is using. What should I do? Talk to them without dramatising or making light of it, take an interest in what the drug gives them, and suggest a service for young users. Early, daily use carries the most risk. You can also seek advice on your own.

Should I stop all at once or gradually? Where there is dependence, stopping completely on a set date generally gives better results, because each use relaunches craving. Gradual reduction suits occasional use better, or works as a deliberate first step.

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