Can you be addicted to marijuana?

Question

I am curious if marijuana is addictive?
Also how can you tell if someone is or not?

Answer 1

What is marijuana

How is marijuana used?
Marijuana is usually smoked, using a pipe, a bong or by rolling a joint. Blunts are cigars that are emptied of tobacco and refilled with marijuana, sometimes in combination with other drugs. It can also be eaten in food, for example, by baking it in brownies.

Why do people use marijuana?
Smoking marijuana can relax a person and elevate their mood. This can be followed by drowsiness and sedation. Other effects include heightened sensory awareness, euphoria, altered perceptions and feeling hungry ("the munchies"). High concentrations of THC may produce a more hallucinogenic response.

Are there short-term dangers of smoking marijuana?
Discomforts associated with smoking marijuana include dry mouth, dry eyes, increased heart rate and visible signs of intoxication such as bloodshot eyes and puffy eyelids. Other problems include:

Impaired memory and ability to learn
Difficulty thinking and problem solving
Anxiety attacks or feelings of paranoia
Impaired muscle coordination and judgment
Increased susceptibility to infections
Dangerous impairment of driving skills. Studies show that it impairs braking time, attention to traffic signals and other driving behaviors.
Cardiac problems for people with heart disease or high blood pressure, because marijuana increases the heart rate
It is virtually impossible to overdose from marijuana, which sets it apart from most drugs.

Are there long-term consequences to smoking marijuana?
Respiratory problems
Someone who smokes marijuana regularly can have many of the same respiratory problems as cigarette smokers. Persistent coughing, symptoms of bronchitis and more frequent chest colds are possible symptoms. There are over 400 chemicals that have been found in marijuana smoke. Benzyprene, a known human carcinogen, is present in marijuana smoke. Regardless of the THC content, the amount of tar inhaled by marijuana smokers and the level of carbon monoxide are 3 to 5 times higher than in cigarette smoke. This is most likely due to inhaling marijuana more deeply, holding the smoke in the lungs and because marijuana smoke is unfiltered.

Memory and learning
Recent research shows that regular marijuana use compromises the ability to learn and to remember information by impairing the ability to focus, sustain, and shift attention. One study also found that long-term use reduces the ability to organize and integrate complex information.

In addition, marijuana impairs short-term memory and decreases motivation to accomplish tasks, even after the high is over. In one study, even small doses impaired the ability to recall words from a list seen 20 minutes earlier.

Fertility
Long-term marijuana use suppresses the production of hormones that help regulate the reproductive system. For men, this can cause decreased sperm counts and very heavy users can experience erectile dysfunction. Women may experience irregular periods from heavy marijuana use. These problems would most likely result in a decreased ability to conceive but not lead to complete infertility.

Is marijuana addictive?
No one would argue that marijuana is as addictive as alcohol or cocaine. However, it's wrong to say that it is not at all addictive. More and more studies are finding that marijuana has addictive properties. Both animal and human studies show physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms from marijuana, including irritability, restlessness, insomnia, nausea and intense dreams. Tolerance to marijuana also builds up rapidly. Heavy users need 8 times higher doses to get the same effects as infrequent users.

For a small percentage of people who use it, marijuana can be highly addictive. It is estimated that 10% to 14% of users will become heavily dependent. More than 120,000 people in the US seek treatment for marijuana addiction every year. Because the consequences of marijuana use can be subtle and insidious, it is more difficult to recognize signs of addiction. Cultural and societal beliefs that marijuana cannot be addictive make it less likely for people to seek help or to get support for quitting.

How do I recognize a problem with marijuana?
Some warning signs are:

More frequent use
Needing more and more to get the same effect
Spending time thinking about using marijuana
Spending more money than you have on it
Missing class or failing to finish assignments because of marijuana
Making new friends who do it and neglecting old friends who don't
Finding it's hard to be happy without it

Answer 2

Often marijuana smokers will argue it is not addictive and this is in some way true. The chemical that gets you high THC itself is not actually addictive unlike nicotine and many other drugs. However, there is an element of mental addiction, this can happen with anything, good or bad. You can be addicted to sugar, exercise or anything as it becomes such a routine you develop a mental dependence which can be just as hard to kick.
Often pot smokers are addicted to the act of smoking not the high. I find myself I only really smoke now because I feel I need to to sleep and eat because of habit and I'm addicted to the ripping of a bong.
Quitting would be hard for me and I'd definitely say it's a full addiction I've kept up for years

Answer 3

I think you can be- look at all the "stoners" out there who live for smoking up. You can tell if someone is addicted to something if they can't get through a day without it, if it affects their relationships negatively and they are planning their weekends around when they can use, etc. Marijuana makes many people lethargic and not ambitious. It's also illegal, whether you think it should be or not, so you're setting yourself up for problems if you have it on you. It's also inhaling SMOKE which is not good for anyone. Marijuana smoke is more harmful than cigarette smoke.

Answer 4

Oh my god, Did you see Celebrity Rehab? There was a girl in there for marijuana use!! Oh that cracked me up. Then on the other hand, I believe it makes a mockery of REAL drug addicts, of course intervention would never air an episode of someone who smokes pot! That would be bad for ratings and man would it be boring, what, they;d show the dude hitting a pipe, eating doritos and laughing at "Antique Roadshow?" Oh that makes me laugh, yeah, marijuana is addictive, lol

Answer 5

I started smoking weed daily at the start of my junior year in high school, 4 years later I had to get drug tested for a job, stopped completely, I won't lie, it was kinda weird not smoking bud but I didn't have any trouble kicking the habit, so don't listen to the people that say its addictive because it's not.

Answer 6

I've smoked for 5 years now, and I have stopped for months at a time, I felt the same, never craved pot, but I have met some stoners who can't quite very easily

Answer 7

Of course. But I'm addicted to caffeine, what's your point?

Answer 8

Yes, and it can also cause schizophrenia (or other mental problems) according to a recent study done in England. It makes people lazy and stupid and smell like burning rags.

If you're worried about being addicted to marijuana, chances are you already know the answer. In my line of work, I've seen many "pot heads" move on from marijuana to harder drugs.

Answer 9

Anything is addictive if you have too much of it.
Someone who is addicted to anything means they cannot go a day without having it. When they dont have it the are pretty much miserable

Answer 10

You can't be addicted because if you were to stop after being stoned everyday for a couple of months you wouldn't have withdrawals like you would with alcohol or tobacco, also I see it more as a habit not addiction.

Answer 11

No you can not be addicted to marijuana, addiction lies in the person, not the substance.