Get Help
I want to change my cannabis use
If you want to quit or cut back your cannabis use, there are many options for finding help. Some people want to find a counselor and start treatment with someone trained in addressing cannabis use disorders and other issues. Others are looking for help to quit or cut back on their own. This page contains a variety of free options that could be useful depending on your needs.
Free Online Tools for Quitting or Cutting Back
Tips for Reducing Your Cannabis Use on Your Own
This short guide was developed by the University of Washington’s Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute to help you reduce your cannabis use on your own terms.
T-Break: Take a Cannabis Tolerance Break
This guide was developed and evaluated by a team at the University of Vermont to help people who want to take a break from their cannabis use. It offers a 21-day guide with daily tips to support people looking for balance in their use.
Knowing Your Limits with Cannabis
This practical guide for assessing your cannabis use was designed by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction. It includes tips and tools to help you reduce your use and reduce some of the health risks associated with cannabis use.
Lower Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research contracted with The Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse to create this helpful guide. It is for people who know they want to use cannabis, and are interested in using as safely as possible.
10 Ways to Reduce Risks to Your Health When Using Cannabis
This tool contains 10 scientific based recommendations for how to use cannabis more safely. It was created by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and The Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse.
Helplines & Community Resources
If you are interested in talking to someone about your use, whether a health care professional or a community of people with similar substance use goals, consider these options.
Washington Recovery Help Line
This free 24-hour telephone help line can assist with substance abuse, problem gambling, and mental health concerns. A service of the Crisis Clinic of King County, the Help Line serves residents in Washington State. Staff can talk to cannabis users about harm reduction, quitting, or cutting back on their use. They can also help callers find substance use counselors in their area. Call 1-866-789-1511.
Smart Recovery
This program offers an evidence-based alternative to 12-step programs. Smart Recovery helps people recover from all types of addiction and addictive behaviors, including substance use, gambling, sexual addiction and more. The program includes face-to-face meetings around the world, daily online meetings, an online message board, and 24/7 chat rooms.
Marijuana Anonymous
This self-help fellowship of men and women offers support for those who wish to quit cannabis. Look at Marijuana Anonymous’ 12 Questions to see if this might be a good fit for you. Meetings are both in-person and online.
Locate Treatment Facilities (SAMHSA)
Find treatment options using the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator. It is a confidential and anonymous source of information for persons seeking treatment facilities in the U.S. for substance abuse/addiction and/or mental health problems. Call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or 1-800-487-4889 (TDD).
Reddit Communities
There are several subreddits focused on changing cannabis use. For a community of people taking a break from cannabis, try r/Petioles. For a Reddit community focused on cannabis abstinence, try r/leaves
Teen Link
This telephone-based, confidential, anonymous, and non-judgmental help line is answered by teens every day from 6-10pm. Teen volunteers are trained to address drug/alcohol use as well as other mental health issues such as suicide, eating disorders, or violence. Teen Link is a program of the Crisis Clinic. Call 1-866-833-6546
Visit our teens page for more teen-specific resources.
I want to help someone else
It’s difficult to see friends and family members get hurt by their cannabis use. For people over 21 in Washington State, it’s ultimately up to them whether or not they use. However, friends and family may still be worried.
A first step to offering support is to begin a conversation telling this person that you are concerned and saying why. Showing concern can go a long way. It’s important to approach this conversation without anger and to listen without interruption.
It can be helpful to communicate exactly what your concerns are. Has your loved stopped doing activities they used to enjoy because of their use? Have they missed school or work, or are in trouble with the law? Have important relationships been damaged by continued use?
What if the person I want to help doesn’t want to quit?
Not everyone who experiences problems with their cannabis use is ready to quit. It’s important to listen to how the person you want to help views their own use, and to understand what their goals are. Restate what you hear them say, so they know you understand where they are coming from. Even if they aren’t ready to quit, they may be interested in using less, using less potent products, or limiting use to certain safe situations, like when they won’t have to drive. You can share resources from this page with them that might help them think about their use.
Knowing Your Limits with Cannabis
This practical guide for assessing your cannabis use was designed by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction. It begins with a self-assessment that might be helpful in encouraging people to think about their use.
I want to learn how to talk to youth about cannabis
The best thing adults can do to reduce youth cannabis use is to maintain open communication, something that isn’t always easy. There are many resources available to help parents, and other adults with kids in their lives, have meaningful conversations about cannabis.
Visit our parents page for information about youth cannabis use and tips on starting conversations with youth.
Start Talking Now
This program was funded by the WA State Health Care Authority to support community engagement in cannabis use prevention. Their parent guide, Every Conversation Counts, includes questions kids might ask. It also includes responses adults can provide to give kids accurate information and reduce the risk of starting cannabis use.
Good Conversations Lead to Healthy Decisions
Check out these cannabis talking tips on the Responsibility Grows Here website from the Colorado Dept of Public Health & Environment. Their section on conversations teaches how to talk to your kid about cannabis, and the consequences of cannabis use that matters to them.
The Cannabis Conversations Toolkit
Check out this toolkit from Youth Now to learn more about different types of conversations for different age groups from 8 to 21.
Marijuana Talk Kit: What You Need to Know to Talk With Your Teen About Marijuana
This talking points toolkit was created by The Partnership to End Addiction. It offers guidance on talking with your teen.
What's the Deal: Talking with a Young Person About Cannabis
This resource was created by the National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre. It is for parents and friends wanting to talk to a young person about quitting or reducing their cannabis use.
I need help now
Washington Poison Center
Call 1-800-222-1222
The Washington Poison Center provides immediate, free, and expert treatment advice and assistance regarding exposure to poisonous, hazardous, or toxic substances – including accidental ingestion of cannabis by children. All calls are confidential.
For accidental ingestion by pets or other animals, contact the 24-hour ASPCA Pet Poison Help Line at 1-888-426-4435 (a $65 consultation fee may be applied to your credit card).
Note about how resources were chosen: Our goal is to include scientifically proven resources as much as possible. We have included some resources that have not been studied because they provide support that some people may find useful. For example, the effectiveness of online forums has not been researched and is likely to vary by group. However, some may find it very helpful to participate in a community of people engaged in similar goals.
This page does not include all available resources. There are many additional tools beyond those that we have selected. If you know of resources that you feel we should consider including, or if any of the above suggestions are no longer available, please email us at adai@uw.edu.
Last updated February 2024.