Guides · 8 November 2026 · 5 min read

Low mood and no motivation after quitting weed

Nobody warns you about the flat bit. A week or two after you stop, food is dull, nothing feels fun and getting off the sofa takes effort. It is common, it is usually temporary, and there are things that move it along.

The short version

• Low mood, irritability and low energy are recognised parts of cannabis withdrawal. They tend to peak in the first one to two weeks.
• For many people mood improves over the following weeks. Some feel flat for longer, especially after years of heavy daily use.
• Withdrawal low mood is tied to the quit and tends to lift. If it does not, or it gets dark, see a doctor.
• Small, scheduled activity helps more than waiting to feel motivated.

Why it happens

Regular cannabis use changes how the brain handles its own cannabinoid system, which is involved in mood, appetite, sleep and reward. When you stop, the brain needs time to readjust. In the meantime the usual sources of pleasure can feel muted, and sleep is often disrupted, which drags mood down further. Weed may also have been your main way of unwinding, so you lose the coping tool and the chemistry together.

It helps to remember that this is a readjustment, not a sign that the quit is a mistake. The flatness is not who you are without weed.

What it feels like and how long it runs

• Days 1 to 3: irritability, restlessness, poor sleep, little appetite.
• Weeks 1 to 2: the low point for many people. Flat mood, low energy, low interest, vivid dreams.
• Weeks 3 to 4: sleep and appetite usually settle and mood begins to lift, unevenly.
• Beyond a month: some people still have patches of low motivation, particularly after years of daily use. This often improves gradually, but timing varies a lot.

These are typical patterns, not guarantees. Do not measure yourself against a set day.

What helps

• Act first, motivation second. Motivation often follows action. Pick one small thing a day and do it at a fixed time: a ten-minute walk, a shower, one email.
• Move your body. Walking or exercise has good evidence for lifting mood and helping sleep. It does not need to be hard.
• Protect sleep. Same wake time daily, no screens in bed, no caffeine late in the day. Poor sleep makes everything look worse. See weed withdrawal and vivid dreams.
• Eat regularly. Appetite can be low. Small meals on a schedule beat waiting to feel hungry.
• Get daylight. Fifteen minutes outside in the morning.
• Plan a reward that is not weed. Something you used to enjoy, scheduled in, even if you do not feel like it.
• Tell one person. Flat mood is easier when someone knows it is the quit and not you.

Is this depression?

Sometimes cannabis was covering low mood or anxiety that was there before. If the flatness is still heavy after about four weeks, or most days you have lost interest in everything, feel hopeless, or are sleeping far too much or too little, it is worth a proper assessment. Depression is common and treatable, and you do not have to wait until you feel worse.

When to see a doctor

• Any thoughts of harming yourself or that life is not worth living. Get help the same day: see a doctor, go to an emergency department, or call a helpline such as Befrienders in Malaysia.
• Low mood that is severe, or still heavy after four weeks.
• You have a history of depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder or psychosis, or you take psychiatric medication.
• You cannot work, eat or look after yourself.

If you slip

Using again will feel like the quickest fix because it works for a few hours. It also resets the clock on the readjustment. If it happens, do not treat it as a failure. Put the day in the log and restart the next morning with the small daily tasks above.

General information for adults 18+, not medical advice. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.

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