Temporarily quitting cannabis? More and more people are taking a so-called tolerance break, a T-break. However, there is little research on how effective that is, says Dr. Robert Page, professor at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Colorado in Aurora.
Cannabis users hope to achieve a high again with lower doses during the temporary break. However, current research does not answer the question of whether temporary abstinence works effectively. Marijuana use increases risk of heart attack, heart failure and stroke, studies say. Because marijuana use puts people at greater risk for bad health outcomes such as heart attack and stroke, reducing use or taking a temporary break may sound 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 aim is mainly 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 before, little is known about it. Because it leads to less health risks?
Cannabis withdrawal symptoms
The biggest concern is withdrawal symptoms. This can lead to people immediately starting using again, perhaps even at a higher dose. Cannabinoids remain 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 choice by reducing the dosage both in terms of interval and frequency. And if someone suffers from side effects and needs to increase the dose again, they should taper off even more slowly. Page: “One of the things I'm very supportive of from a public health perspective is transparency, and that is 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)
