Paranoid and Dysphoric Cannabis Experiences Were the Strongest Predictors of Wanting to Quit

Paranoid/dysphoric intoxication effects were the strongest predictors of abstinence motivation. Psychosis-like effects such as hallucinations were less predictive. Past users reported significantly more unpleasant and fewer positive experiences than current users retrospectively. Current users intending to stop had significantly more paranoia/dysphoria than those not intending to stop.

Mixed methods online survey of 441 current and past cannabis users analyzing predictive impact of different intoxication effects on abstinence motivation/cessation, controlling for craving, consumption patterns, and sociodemographics.

Understanding what makes people want to quit cannabis has practical implications for treatment. If paranoia and dysphoria are the key drivers of cessation motivation, treatment programs can leverage these experiences rather than focusing solely on psychosis education.

This study supports the "discontinuation hypothesis": as cannabis potency increases, more users experience unpleasant effects that drive them to quit, which may partially explain why schizophrenia incidence has not risen in proportion to cannabis use and potency increases.

Cross-sectional and retrospective design. Online survey may attract non-representative sample. Past users' recall of experiences may be biased by the outcome (quitting). Cannot determine whether negative experiences caused quitting or quitting changed retrospective recall.