Nearly Two-Thirds of Adolescent Cannabis Treatment Seekers Reported Withdrawal Symptoms

Cross-sectional questionnaire study of adolescents presenting for outpatient substance abuse treatment with cannabis as their primary substance. Participants reported presence and severity of withdrawal symptoms during past periods of abstinence. Correlations were examined between withdrawal severity and current emotional, behavioral, and substance use problems.

This was among the few published studies examining cannabis withdrawal specifically in adolescents. The finding that a majority of treatment-seeking teens experienced withdrawal symptoms supports the reality of cannabis dependence in this age group, with implications for treatment planning and expectations during quitting.

Cannabis withdrawal was not included in the DSM until 2013. Studies like this one contributed to the evidence base that eventually led to its recognition as a formal diagnosis. The finding that adolescents experience withdrawal, even if less severely than adults, informed clinical approaches to adolescent cannabis treatment.

Retrospective self-report of withdrawal symptoms is subject to recall bias. The sample was limited to treatment seekers, who may not represent all adolescent cannabis users. No biological confirmation of abstinence periods. The absence of a comparison group of non-treatment-seeking adolescent users limits generalizability.