518 Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders
1. Irritability, anger, or aggression.
2. Nervousness or anxiety.
3. Sleep difficulty (e.g., insomnia, disturbing dreams).
4. Decreased appetite or weight loss.
5. Restlessness.
6. Depressed mood.
7. At least one of the following physical symptoms causing significant discomfort: ab-
dominal pain, shakiness/tremors, sweating, fever, chills, or headache.
C. The signs or symptoms in Criterion B cause clinically significant distress or impairment
in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
D. The signs or symptoms are not attributable to another medical condition and are not
better explained by another mental disorder, including intoxication or withdrawal from
another substance.
Coding note:  The ICD-9-CM code is 292.0. The ICD-10-CM code for cannabis withdrawal
is F12.288. Note that the ICD-10-CM code indicates the comorbid presence of a moderate
or severe cannabis use disorder, reflecting the fact that cannabis withdrawal can only oc-
cur in the presence of a moderate or severe cannabis use disorder. It is not permissible to
code a comorbid mild cannabis use disorder with cannabis withdrawal.
Diagnostic Features
The essential feature of cannabis withdrawal is the presence of a characteristic withdrawal
syndrome that develops after the cessation of  or substantial reduction in heavy and pro-
longed cannabis use. In addition to the sympto ms in Criterion B, the following may also be
observed postabstinence: fatigu e, yawning, difficulty concentrating, and rebound periods
of increased appetite and hypersomnia that follo w initial periods of loss of appetite and in-
somnia. For the diagnosis, withdrawal symptoms  must cause clinically significant distress