Advice on Setting a Marijuana Quit Date

Setting a marijuana quit date gives you a week or two to prepare and get ready for success.

Picking Your Marijuana Quit Date

Try to slot your quit day on a day you have little else going on – so you can focus all of your attention on quitting.

Good Times for a Quit Date

• On ‘milestone’ dates, such as your birthday or New Year’s Day.
• On the first day of your vacation.
• During a low-stress time at work or school.
• When suffering through a negative symptom that makes smoking difficult or unpleasant (such as a sore throat, cough or sore lungs, for example.)
• When you have another friend or relative to quit with.

Periods to Avoid

Ideally, you pick a quit date to maximize your odds of success. With this in mind, avoid trying for major life change during difficult periods of the year. Avoid setting your quit date:

• During high stress times at work or school.
• When feeling depressed.
• Just before a holiday – The extra stress and relapse temptation of holidays makes for perilous quit times.
• During times when you won’t have the support of friends and family.
• When grieving a major loss, like the death of a loved-one.

Deciding on Your Quit Date

You don’t want to set your quit date for the stressful week before Christmas, but at the same time, once you decide to stop using marijuana, you want to get on with quitting reasonably quickly.

• A quit date set too far in advance is as good as meaningless. Too many months between you and stopping gives you too many opportunities to change your mind or lose your resolve.
• A week or 2, gives you enough time to prepare. Try not to set your quit date later than 1 month in the future.

Once You’ve Picked a Quit Date

To solidify your plans:¹

1. Write the date down and circle it on your calendar. Set alerts for your phone or tablet for the days leading up to your date.
2. Tell friends or loved ones about your plan to quit and your quit date. 

Remember, just as it’s important to pick a quit date and stick with it, it’s also great to celebrate meeting your goals.² Plan a little reward for yourself after:

• The first 24 hours.
• The first week (once marijuana withdrawal symptoms are dissipating or gone.)
• The first month.