Abc News-Study Helps Marijuana Smokers Kick The Habit

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Story on ABC news wedsite

 

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Study helps marijuana smokers kick the habit

By Lindy Kerin

 

 

 

Map: Sydney 2000 Researchers at the University of New South Wales have begun a study to try and better understand cannabis withdrawal.

 

Unlike withdrawal from other drugs, like heroin and cocaine, there is no recognised medical syndrome for people who give up cannabis.

 

The researchers hope the study will help develop better treatment programs and eventually lead to a pharmacological substitute to help kick the marijuana habit.

 

Up until three weeks ago Daniel Csatlos says he was smoking a lot of cannabis.

 

"I've been smoking for like five years, pretty much every day, all day," he said.

 

"I used to smoke probably about an ounce or an ounce-and-a-half a week, which is a pretty decent amount."

 

The 20-year-old moved to Woolloomooloo in Sydney's inner city six months ago. He says his cannabis habit started dominating his life.

 

"I usually would come home and I wouldn't be able to stop myself from going down that street to buy some, cause if you walk down there they pretty much just ask you if you want it," he said.

 

But without a job maintaining a $150-a-week habit became difficult.

 

That is when Mr Csatlos noticed an ad about a new study on cannabis withdrawal at the University of New South Wales.

 

 

Problems ignored

 

Dr Melissa Norberg from the university's National Cannabis Prevention and Intervention Centre is leading the research.

 

She says problems with cannabis withdrawal are often ignored.

 

"Because people don't die from cannabis withdrawal and it doesn't seem as horrible as withdrawing from heroin, people have ignored it," she said.

 

"We have a manual called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and so when people abuse other drugs, [like] cocaine or opiates, all of those drugs of abuse have a withdrawal syndrome noted in that manual. But cannabis does not."

 

The participants in the study can smoke marijuana as normal for seven days. Then they have to give up for two weeks and keep a daily diary.

 

Dr Norberg says generally symptoms of withdrawal kick in within 24 hours of giving up.

 

"Some of the most common symptoms that previous literature has already found are items like weight loss, headaches, having mood changes [like] feeling depressed or anxious during the withdrawal syndrome," she said.

 

 

Drug dependence

 

Around 200,000 Australians depend on cannabis.

 

Dr Norberg says she is hoping her research will help reduce the rate of relapse among those trying to give up the drug.

 

"When people are starting to feel these symptoms, they want them to go away, because they're aversive, so they'll use cannabis," she said.

 

"Some research has found that they'll also use nicotine and alcohol to alleviate the symptoms and so it is very important to recognise that it is contributing to further drug use.

 

"Then, once we begin to understand that more and what the syndrome does look like, we can possibly develop pharmacological interventions to help alleviate it."

 

Mr Csatlos finished the study just over a week ago.

 

"I'd felt like, completely normal, except for one thing. I'd wake up in a pool of sweat and I'd get stressed out really easy and just get angry at people for really small things," he said.

 

Mr Csatlos has not smoked for three weeks now and he has just started an apprenticeship to become an electrician.

 

For him, giving up is not on his agenda just yet.

 

"I'll never stop. I love it. But yeah, I just wanted to control the amount that I smoke and be able to save a bit of money and do the things I want to do like travel and whatever," he said.

 

The study will continue for another month before the results are analysed and published.

[jimbojones5678]

"I used to smoke probably about an ounce or an ounce-and-a-half a week, which is a pretty decent amount."

 

But without a job maintaining a $150-a-week habit became difficult.

 

I'd like to know where he's buying an oz and a half for that kind of money!

 

So they want to replace a natural, non-harmful drug with a man made synthetic drug?

 

I go without occasionally to give the lungs a breather and have never had any kind of withdrawals or side effects - I personally think people who complain of withdrawal symptoms are imagining it, or are just freaked out by the sudden reality that being straight sux.

 

Hahahahahahaha!!!!!!

 

Jimbo

[Olly]

I'd like to know where he's buying an oz and a half for that kind of money!

 

So they want to replace a natural, non-harmful drug with a man made synthetic drug?

 

I go without occasionally to give the lungs a breather and have never had any kind of withdrawals or side effects - I personally think people who complain of withdrawal symptoms are imagining it, or are just freaked out by the sudden reality that being straight sux.

 

Hahahahahahaha!!!!!!

 

Jimbo

 

Me too Jimbo... He must be buying leaf...

 

Natural Vs Synthetic... Ghee I wonder which one nature intended?

 

As for the withdrawals. Like the man said... he's a grumpy turd now (don't we all get a bit grumpy without? ) & as Jimbo has stated probably realised that being straight sux.

 

Anything anyone wants to use in helping to "kick the habit"... whatever floats your boat I guess.

 

I think we've got enough synthetics in our lives already without adding yet another one.

 

Olly

[Reverend]

Yes I would like to know his dealer as well.

 

I wonder which government's kitty this is being funded by.

[Fibrofeend]

Well what to say? All posts prior has pretty much said it.

 

More ground breaking research from University of New South Wales.

I wonder how much of their funding for these studies actually ends up going into the studies?

 

I bet they just fudge a few figures here and there so they can keep getting an easy source of $$

from the anti cannabis honey pot, then keep putting out shit like this.

 

Articles like this just piss me off no end now...

[Radic]

this is gov propaganda and miss information

supported $12m bucks of our money

that sux

the stats they base all their data on is corrupted by the courts forcing the defendant to go to the program or jail or fine

what would you chose?????????

actually there is only 2% of all their clients are voluntary, seeking help

98% of all the people they service are sent there by the courts

so the data they collect is false and corrupted BS

their agenda is to bring the oz cannabis consumer population stats down

$12 mill is their budget

thats what they get paid to do

do not trust them

they are licensed by the gov to lie

Edited September 18, 2010 by Radic

[The Hash Nibbler]

This report has been brought to you by the letter B .........For bullshit. Who are the muppet, munted idiots who think this type of shit flies? Oh, thats right it's our government keeping us safe from the devistating effects of THC. My life is a mess, i lost everything, the kids, the wife, the house, my job............This is usually the cry of the Alcoholic.

Never heard a stoners life ruined like that, unless they got Busted =). Court appointed help for people who don't need it or want it, as Radic said.

 

HELP!!!!! ,reform me.....I need to be saved from being happy and eating too many CC's. Jerks. gh72.

[Sylar420]

fucken joke, it pisses me off to know my tax dollar are being spent on this useless shit in an attempt to discredit cannabis, for fuck sake spend it on the ever growing meth problem we are facing. Just another way pharmaceutical company can peddle you another pill to cure your woes.

I can tell you how to overcome THC withdrawal, get some concrete mix and sprinkle it over your wheat bix in the morning and HARDEN THE FUCK UP

[cybergenesis]

Hahaha mood changes are not nessasarily caused by withdrawal, but the only people who are "addicted" to cannabis, simply are emotionally dependent on it, and they get emotional when their "routine" in changed in their comfort zone.

 

I mean if we study the withdrawal symptoms of cannabis, we should really be preparing for treatment for caffeine withdrawal, I mean it has just as much physical withdrawal as cannabis.

 

I honestly smoke more than this guy in the article, I am more around 2 ounces per week- and I really am. I spend a LOT of money for that, not a dubious "$150" per week (this make me very skeptical of the story). I have also been smoking longer than the guy in the article.

 

I do not suffer withdrawal, and quiting coffee to me is worst than running out of cannabis.

 

Honestly people that claim they are addicted to cannabis are pathetic, you are emotionally dependent- NOT addicted. Only an extremely impulsive / emotionally volatile / unbalanced sort of person would be incapable of giving up pot on their own, except if they mix it with tobacco- this is part of the story almost always left out. If they mix with tobacco, and don't otherwise smoke, no wonder they are addicted.

 

Oh and one last thing, going from a massive dose of cannabis to nothing in 24 hours- big surprise if your body and brain doesn't like such a drastic change. Many perscription antidepressants have documented WORST withdrawal than marijuana, they don't make you go off them cold turkey, you cut down for a bit. If you want to quit pot from 2 ounces a day, cut down for a few days to a week. Just smoke 1-2 medium session per day, then further reduce. Its not that bloody hard.

Edited September 19, 2010 by cybergenesis

[Al B. Fuct]

Read this story a couple of days ago and it simply didn't pass the sniff test, not least of all had to do with the NCPIC as a story source. NCPIC is a govt funded anti-cannabis propaganda spin factory, co-located with UNSW.

 

First, the quantity. If you're smoking cones, you'll go through about a gram a day (3-5 cones). I could only see an oz a week if you're rolling several fat spliffs a day.

 

Second, the '$150 for 1-1.5oz/week' tale- my opinion meets consensus in this thread- we'd all like to meet that dealer selling 1.5oz for $150. Not in Sydney, that's for sure. Let's give this joker the benefit of the doubt and say he was misquoted- and was smoking 1.5GRAMSper week. If he was buying off the street in KX, he might pay $50 for a .5g bud, enough to roll a joint or have a few cones. A frugal smoker could make that last a couple of days. If he wants to get high every day, he might indeed spend $150 by buying three $50 buds at the worst price possible each week. However, if he's going through 1.5g/week, he's a pretty light smoker.

 

Third, as cybergenesis notes, any withdrawal symptoms (certainly those described in the news item) would be easily attributable to tobacco. Cannabis use cessation doesn't produce a physiological withdrawal. It can certainly produce a psychological withdrawal, though. Mind, a person who is accustomed to having a newspaper delivered each morning may experience symptoms of psychological withdrawal when the paperboy is in bed with the flu.

 

Any way you look at it, NCPIC have found a worst case and blown it way out of proportion. Rather shocked Jan Copeland didn't manage to work 'cannabis induced psychosis' into this tawdry sad-sack tale. Copeland is a straight 'Reefer Madness' type zero-tolerance conspiracy theorist and should be dismissed with contempt and laughter.