What are the advantages of temporarily quitting cannabis?
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Temporarily quitting cannabis? More and more people are taking a so-called tolerance break, a T-break. However, there is little research on its effectiveness, says Robert Page, Ph.D., professor at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Colorado at Aurora.
Cannabis users expect to return to getting high at lower doses during the temporary break. However, current research does not answer the question of whether temporary abstinence works effectively. According to studies, marijuana use increases the risk of heart attack, heart failure, and stroke. Because marijuana use puts people at increased risk for poor health outcomes, such as heart attacks and strokes, cutting back or taking a temporary break may seem like a good idea, said Dr. Robert Page, professor of clinical pharmacy and physical medicine/rehabilitation at the University of Colorado. However, T-breaks carry certain risks.
T-breaks are temporary periods of abstinence and the primary goal is to reduce tolerance so that you can use a smaller amount of cannabis to achieve the same effect. From a pharmacological point of view, this makes sense. As mentioned above, little is known about it. Why does it lead to fewer health risks?
Cannabis withdrawal symptoms.
The biggest concern is withdrawal symptoms. This can cause people to go back to using immediately, perhaps even at a higher dose. Cannabinoids stay in the body for 3 to 4 weeks because they are fat soluble. There is also a good chance that people will start vaping or smoking.
Slow tapering is the best option by reducing the dose both in terms of interval and frequency. And if someone suffers side effects and needs to increase the dose again, they should taper even more slowly. Page: “One of the things I’m very supportive of from a public health perspective is transparency, and that’s honestly sharing your cannabis use with your healthcare provider. I think having a joint decision-making conversation about this is absolutely crucial. Because you should treat cannabis like any other prescription drug.”
Source: edition.cnn.com (EN)
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