Last updated: May 25, 2020
These days, more and more individuals have become interested in learning about the physical and psychological effects that long-term use of marijuana can have on them. Specifically, many people want to know whether they can become addicted to marijuana. By reading the information provided below, you can attain an answer to this important question as well as several others that pertain to the subject of marijuana.
Marijuana Basics
Marijuana (which is also referred to by slang terms like weed, pot, grass, and Mary Jane) is a mixture of flowers from Cannabis sativa and dried, shredded leaves. Some marijuana users smoke the product in the form of cigarettes referred to as joints. Others use water pipes (bongs), marijuana cigars (blunts), or pipes. Additionally, marijuana can be brewed as tea, especially when the product is consumed for a medicinal purpose. Marijuana can also be mixed into edible food substances like candy, cookies, and brownies.
Can You Get Addicted To Marijuana?
As many health experts know, people can become addicted to marijuana. After using the drug repeatedly for an extended period of time, over-stimulation of the user’s endocannabinoid system can result in brain changes that precipitate addiction. Although understood broadly, addiction is generally understood to be a concept and reality in which the user cannot cease using a drug despite the fact that it has adverse consequences on his or her daily life. Research indicates that 9% of the individuals who use the drug will become addicted to it. This number rises to around 17% among those who begin using the drug in their teenage years, and it goes up to 25-50% among those who use the product on a daily basis. Research also indicates that 4.2 million of the 6.9 Americans who are estimated to abuse illicit drugs are dependent on marijuana.
In discussing marijuana addiction, it is important to note that dependence has been linked to mild withdrawal symptoms. Specifically, individuals who cease using the drug report the experience of decreased appetite, sleep difficulties, restlessness, cravings, irritability, and various manifestations of physical disease. The symptoms typically reach a peak during the first week of abstinence and go on for up to fourteen days.
Getting Help
Individuals who are currently addicted to marijuana will almost always find it advantageous to attain professional assistance as they strive to get on the road to recovery. There are a wide range of services available, including professional detoxification services as well as rehabilitation services. Although the success rate resulting from the use of these services will vary, it’s important to note that people who attain professional help in attempting to overcome marijuana addiction tend to be far more successful in accomplishing their objective than those who don’t.
Conclusion
As made plain by the information outlined above, individuals who opt to use marijuana are at risk of becoming dependent on the drug. Once this happens, a variety of negative physiological consequences can result. However, individuals who become addicted to the drug can attain professional help in order to begin leading a healthier, more productive life.
