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Comparative Study
. 2008 Dec;35(4):362-8.
doi: 10.1016/j.jsat.2008.01.002. Epub 2008 Mar 14.

Comparison of cannabis and tobacco withdrawal: severity and contribution to relapse

Alan J Budney  1 , Ryan G Vandrey, John R Hughes, Jeff D Thostenson, Zoran Bursac
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Comparison of cannabis and tobacco withdrawal: severity and contribution to relapse

Alan J Budney et al. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2008 Dec.

Abstract

This naturalistic telephone survey study compared perceptions of withdrawal severity in 67 daily cannabis users and 54 daily tobacco cigarette smokers who made quit attempts during the prior 30 days. A Withdrawal Symptom Checklist assessed the severity of abstinence symptoms and a Likert scale assessed perceived relations between abstinence symptoms and relapse. A composite Withdrawal Discomfort Score did not differ significantly between groups (M = 13.0 for cannabis, vs. M = 13.2 for tobacco). Individual symptom severity ratings were also of similar magnitude, except craving and sweating were slightly higher for tobacco. Both groups reported that withdrawal contributed substantially to relapse, and the strength of these ratings was similar across groups. The diverse convenience sample examined in this study adds external validity and generalizability to prior studies that included only users not planning to quit or excluded many common types of cannabis users. The comparable withdrawal experience from these heterogeneous cannabis and tobacco users supports previous findings from controlled laboratory studies and indicates that real-world, frequent cannabis users perceive that withdrawal symptoms negatively affect their desire and ability to quit.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Group mean severity scores for the WDS (refer to Y-axis scale on left side of figure) and individual symptoms on the Withdrawal Symptom Checklist (refer to Y-axis scale on right side of figure). Asterisk indicates a significant difference between groups after controlling for age, gender, race, and Global Symptom Index score from the Brief Symptom Inventory in the linear regression models.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Percentage of participants from each group that reported each withdrawal symptom, i.e., scoring greater or equal to 1 on the 0-3 point Withdrawal Checklist Scale. Asterisk indicates significant differences between groups on chi square analysis (p < .05).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Budney AJ, Novy P, Hughes JR. Marijuana withdrawal among adults seeking treatment for marijuana dependence. Addiction. 1999;94:1311–1322. - PubMed
    1. Budney AJ, Radonovich KJ, Higgins ST, Wong CJ. Adults seeking treatment for marijuana dependence: A comparison to cocaine-dependent treatment seekers. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology. 1998;6(4):419–426. - PubMed

Publication types