The question of whether or not marijuana is addictive has flared and subsided over several decades, ever since the drug was illegalized in the United States. Part of the argument against legalizing it comes from those who suppose the addictiveness of the drug to be very high indeed; those who are for legalization point out that its addiction potential is lower than that of alcohol. However, as one of the many alcoholics in the world can tell you: alcohol can be very addictive indeed, with a dangerous road to recovery and frequent relapse. The answer to the question of whether you can be addicted to marijuana is a complicated one, without a single straightforward or clear-cut solution.
Marijuana is Less Addictive Than Many Drugs
Studies of marijuana use have shown on more than one occasion that for the majority of those who use the drug—whether smoking it or consuming it in the form of candy or baked goods, or vaporizing it with the use of special devices—the drug is not addictive. The majority of marijuana users don’t become addicted, and even among those who do, the addiction is primarily psychological, with less severe withdrawal symptoms than are experienced by those who are quitting alcohol, prescription drugs, or illegal drugs like heroin.
THC, the main active chemical in marijuana, creates a series of psychological and physical effects in the body. By smoking it, users experience a quick-onset high that usually peaks within a half hour. In the brain, THC affects the cannabinoid receptors, which have an effect on coordinated movement, thinking, memory, pleasure and time perception. Marijuana’s effects include not just the dreamy, relaxed “high,” but also a set of other physiological symptoms, including dry mouth, increased heart rate, impaired coordination, delayed reaction time, and slowed memory and concentration. Some users also report paranoia and hallucinations.
THC is classified with an 8-10% dependence liability, meaning that it comes with a relatively low risk of tolerance and dependency. However, as many people can tell you, just because something has a low risk does not mean it has no risk at all.
It Is Possible To Be Addicted to Marijuana
While it is very rare, there are some individuals who become addicted to marijuana. The drug doesn’t have some of the unpleasant physical symptoms of addiction that are associated with drugs like Vicodin or cocaine; however, it can foster a very strong psychological addiction in some users. Most addiction specialists will explain that while people separate between physical addiction and psychological addiction, ultimately, the two are both addiction—and must be treated. Psychological addictions are not necessarily as directly damaging to a person’s health, but they have strong indirect effects on the quality of life of the person addicted. It’s very difficult to overdose on THC, for example (In part because the body is geared and set up to receive similar chemicals—cannabinoids exist in breast milk, for example, to stimulate infant appetite). However, psychological addiction to marijuana may lead to poverty and health problems resulting from lack of sleep, poor self-care, lung infections and more complications that arise from the method of taking the drug.
Symptoms most commonly associated with marijuana addiction include:
- Loss of control over consumption—needing increasingly larger amounts to get high
- Spending more and more time thinking about using
- Denial when confronted with frequency of use or other problem behaviors
- Substance use taking a central role in life—everything is related to procuring and consuming marijuana
- Continued use of marijuana in spite of negative consequences of increasing impact (loss of job, illnesses, etc.)
- Becoming irritable or agitated when there is no marijuana available.
While most of the extreme physical symptoms of withdrawal are absent from marijuana users who get clean, they may experience increased anxiety and insomnia, loss of appetite, excessive salivation, irritability and mood swings, and aggressive behavior. These gradually go away as they will with any withdrawals, provided the addict continues on a path to recovery.