Addiction Is Everywhere
Many of those who smoke marijuana are constantly wondering whether or not the plant is addictive. This is a tough question to answer and most testing results so far have been inconclusive. One recent study shows that of recreational pot users, around ten to thirty percent will develop some form of dependency with the substance. Furthermore, nine percent of these users will develop problems consistent with serious addiction. While most people can smoke a little weed on the weekends and not have to worry about long term consequences like addiction, the fact is that a small percentage of users are at risk for these consequences. Even though it is easily one of the least harmful substances out there today, the fact that users can become addicted should raise some serious red flags for those who smoke cannabis without fear.
One of the main reasons that people believe marijuana to not be addictive is the lack of serious withdrawal symptoms when attempting to get off the drug. This lack of symptoms enables users to quit more easily than if they were to try kicking another substance like nicotine or cocaine. Some of the withdrawal symptoms reported when trying to quit marijuana are sleep disturbances, nausea, anxiety, and depression. In short, the reason that most believe that marijuana is not addictive is because getting off of other, harder substances is much more difficult. But given the right circumstances, it is possible for users of cannabis to become addicted. Abuse of any given substance is what usually leads one down the path of addiction. If users would simply practice moderation, we might have far fewer addicts in the world.
New Cannabis, Old Studies
Much of our knowledge about marijuana comes from old outdated studies that do not apply to newer, more potent strains of marijuana. With the invention of the internet and countless other technological advances, growing pot can now be completely controlled resulting in much higher THC concentration in today’s marijuana strains. When one compares how addictive cannabis is to other substances known to be addictive, it does not seem that bad. For example, thirty-two percent of tobacco smokers will become addicted as well as twenty-three percent of those who use heroin. Cocaine users have a seventeen percent chance to become addicted and alcohol users have fifteen percent chance. Still, marijuana addiction should not be taken lightly.
To get down to the point, marijuana is not addictive for a large percentage of the user population. But for that ten or so percent of people who can become addicted, it is a very real and scary thing. Using any substance in moderation is much better than abusing it, and this holds true for marijuana as well. If someone smokes cannabis each and every day and another does so only on the weekends, the former is at much greater risk of addiction. For some, marijuana can ruin relationships and work much like many harder substances are known to do. But as long as users moderate their intake of the drug, we can all live much happier lives knowing that addiction is running a little less rampant in the marijuana community.
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