How to quit smoking weed: honest help when cannabis has become a problem

Many people who look up how to quit smoking weed have already tried at least once. Maybe one joint at the end of the day became two, and now it’s the thing you need before you can sleep. Maybe you stopped for a week and found yourself back at it because the evenings felt empty without it. None of that makes you weak. It means the habit has a real grip, and that grip can be loosened with the right support.

You’re far from alone. In England and Wales, 6.5% of people aged 16 to 59 used cannabis in the last year, rising to 12.5% of 16 to 24 year olds (ONS, 2025). Most of those people won’t have a problem. If you’re here because you want to stop smoking weed every day and are finding it harder than you expected, this page is for you.

Signs cannabis has become a problem

FRANK, the national drugs advice service, says heavy users often get cravings and find it hard not to use. These are some of the signs to look out for:

• You smoke most days, often before you’ve really decided to
• You get cravings, and find it hard not to use when it’s there
• You need more than you used to for the same effect
• When you stop, you feel moody, irritable or sick, or struggle to sleep or eat
• It leaves you anxious or paranoid, and you carry on anyway
• It’s getting in the way of work, study, money or the people close to you

Cannabis can also affect your mental health. FRANK says it can cause a serious relapse for people with psychotic illnesses, and can increase the chances of developing illnesses like schizophrenia, especially if there’s mental illness in your family and you started smoking in your teens. If that applies to you, please talk to your GP.

Where to get help in the UK

• Your GP. A good, confidential place to start. They can check how you are, including your mental health, and refer you to local services.
• FRANK. Confidential advice 24 hours a day on 0300 123 6600, or text 82111. Read FRANK’s guide to cannabis.
• Local drug services. Free and confidential, and you can contact one yourself without going through your GP. Find support near you
• Support groups. Narcotics Anonymous runs meetings across the UK, in person and online, with a helpline on 0300 999 1212 (10am to midnight). SMART Recovery runs free meetings too.
• For family and friends. Addiction Family Support runs a helpline on 0300 888 3853, and Adfam has guidance for families.

Where hypnotherapy fits

Hypnotherapy is not a treatment for cannabis dependence, and I don’t offer it as one. If you’re using heavily, or it’s affecting your mental health, your GP or a drug service needs to be part of your recovery.

Where I can help is alongside that care. A lot of people smoke weed to switch off, to get to sleep or to take the edge off anxiety, and those needs are still there when the weed isn’t. In sessions we can work on winding down without it, getting to sleep, the long evenings and the cues that pull you towards it, like the sofa, certain friends or the end of the working day. You still have to do the work yourself, but it can make saying no on a hard evening a little easier.

Before we work together I’ll ask whether you’re getting support from your GP or a drug service, and how your mental health has been. If I think you need that support first, I’ll tell you honestly.

Things that can help day to day

• Pick a date and tell someone. Saying it out loud to one person you trust makes it more real, and gives you someone to text on a hard night.
• Clear out the kit. The stash, the grinder, the papers and the dealer’s number. The fewer reminders in the house, the fewer decisions you have to make.
• Plan the first hour of the evening. The time you’d normally light up is usually the hardest. Put something else there, like a walk, a shower, cooking or a call.
• Expect a rough patch. Irritability, poor sleep and low mood are common when heavy users stop. Knowing that in advance makes it easier not to read it as failure.
• Look after your sleep. Keep regular times, put your phone away and skip caffeine in the 6 hours before bed. The NHS has more sleep advice.
• Think about the tobacco too. If you smoke spliffs, FRANK says you can also be addicted to nicotine. Free NHS stop smoking support can help, and my page on stopping smoking explains how I work with cigarettes.

Common questions

How do I stop smoking weed every day?

Start by noticing when and why you smoke, then change the routine around those moments. Most daily habits hang on a few fixed points, like after work or before bed. If you’ve been using heavily for a long time, or it’s affecting your mood, talk to your GP or a drug service first so you have support while you stop.

Is cannabis addictive?

It can be. FRANK says heavy users often get cravings and find it hard not to use, and some feel moody, irritable or sick and struggle to sleep when they stop. If you mix it with tobacco, you can become addicted to nicotine as well.

Can hypnosis help me quit weed?

No one can honestly promise that, and you should be wary of anyone who does. Hypnotherapy can support the decision you’ve made, and help with the stress, sleep and habits around smoking. The change itself is yours. Sessions are one to one over Zoom, and you get a recording of the hypnosis to listen to afterwards.

Is it confidential?

Yes. What you tell me stays between us. As with any therapist, the only exception is if I believed you or someone else were at serious risk of harm.

I’m worried about someone else’s cannabis use. What can I do?

Adfam and Addiction Family Support are set up for the people around someone who uses drugs, and FRANK can give you information too. Stopping has to be their decision, but you can still get support for yourself in the meantime. If they also drink heavily, my page on alcohol has more places to turn.

Talk it through

If you’re already getting support and want help alongside it, book a £49 consultation call. We’ll talk about whether sessions would help with what you’re already doing. You can also see how I work and what sessions cost.

Written by Adam Cox, clinical hypnotherapist. Sources: FRANK, cannabis; NHS inform, cannabis; ONS, Drug misuse in England and Wales, year ending March 2025; NHS, drug addiction: getting help. Checked October 2026.