Cannabis use has been increasing across the U.S. in recent years, as has cannabis use disorder (CUD). While there are a handful of evidence-based clinical psychotherapies for CUD, about 85% of people who would qualify for a CUD diagnosis never get treatment. Cost, geographic access, stigma, and a lack of knowledge of or belief in the efficacy of treatments can all serve as barriers.
There is some evidence, though, that people wanting to reduce or stop their cannabis use are increasingly turning to publicly available online support forums. Though researchers have explored online discussions of active cannabis use, less is known about virtual groups that focus on reducing that use. Better understanding of these groups and how effective their support is for those trying to reduce or stop their cannabis use could provide important information about non-clinical pathways and other interventions for cannabis users who want help quitting.
This study examined the level of engagement and content of an online community for cannabis cessation in 3 ways:
The number of posts per year in the group increased from 420 in 2011 to 35,841 in 2021, an 83-fold increase, with exponential growth since 2018.
The top 5 most-used terms across all posts were: smoke (2763 posts), “time (1756), weed (1738), day (1635), and feel (1456).
The top phrases were “I want to” (287), “a lot of” (173), “I need to” (140), “when I was” (118), “be able to” (117), and “I use to” (114).
The statements expressing “want” often referred to outcomes of cessation that an individual wanted to experience, like, “I want to feel happy,” “I want to remember my time,” and “I want to find a new job.” There were also multiple references to behaviors related to cessation, like “try/tried/trying to quit” (64) and “want to quit” (61).
Five major themes were identified in the group’s conversations:
There was substantial overlap between these 5 themes and 3 of SAMHSA’s 4 recovery domains: health (e.g., “I hoped the anxiety I felt would be over when I stopped using”), purpose (e.g., “I’ve been smoking daily for months. I feel lethargic and like my life isn’t moving forward”), and community (e.g., “My parents didn’t trust me anymore because I continuously lied to them about smoking…”). However, the domain of “home” was less commonly identified (e.g., “My behaviors when high were negatively impacting my entire family, and my parents were making changes to ensure a healthier environment for my siblings”).
These findings show that this Reddit forum and online support communities like it may be an important resource for people who want to change their cannabis use. The forum’s use increased by 8000% in the decade between 2011 and 2021, and the 5 major themes of discussion represented a clear narrative arc from proactive engagement in cannabis use, the negative consequences of use, strategies for changing behaviors, and the positive and negative outcomes of that change.
The significant overlap between these themes and SAMHSA’s 4 domains of recovery also shows that the community is engaging in meaningful conversations that correspond with aspects of clinically supported recovery.
Treatment providers and others who work with people who use cannabis may want to consider referring clients and patients to this group and/or others like it.