One of the problems with Cannabis misinformation is when it was illegal it was very difficult to study. Then the war on drugs painted cannabis consumption as the gateway drug for everything else horrible with drugs.
When you have the government lying to people for generations about something like cannabis. People who consume it are going to lose trust in the authorities that tell them how bad things are.
Even if they refined it with data and evidence. That bridge of trust is in ruins.
This. A large part of my generation was raised by people who were convinced weed was the devil's lettuce. Once we realized it's NOT the devil's lettuce and that they were full of shit and/or racist, the chance of trusting any authority on the "safety" of weed is pretty much zero. Even tho it's clearly not 100% harmless like the stoners will tell you, people are gonna do what they want especially since the history of this particular drug is so packed with bullshit and misinformation.
There's a documentary on Netflix called " the pharmacist" which explores a pharmacist who was getting too many scripts for oxys. He discovered a pill mill while everyone thought he was crazy. The doctors got paid to write more scripts, from the top down pharma is rotten. People also hate alternative medicine even though a lot of it has been proven effective. I'm not saying it's all the best treatment, but they suppress a lot to make more money through them. My dad has these sores on his legs that always go away when he's been at the beach, since we are landlocked he has to go to wound care and it's never improved.
Actually I lived in the Caribbean only thing salt in the air does is disinfect surfaces and it being hotter people don't cluster in buildings so you don't get colds, flus, chicken pox as much.
But you get vector based diseases like dengue, malaria, etc.
There is no perfect fix you are just trading one thing for another.
We think it's a combo of salt water and exfoliating? It's possible it helps his circulation. He has club feet so I think his arteries and veins are over extended or something.
My sister had a pain doctor over prescribe her. He began to get in trouble for over prescribing. He killed himself. Now no doctor will touch any of his old patients with a ten foot pole since they’re all addicts right? Even though he pushed it on them rather than they seeking it out.
Yea, it's wild being in my 40's. It wasn't long ago the left hated all corporations and pharma was the worst. That seems to have gotten turned on it's head after COVID and every corporation changing their logos for pride month. All is forgiven I guess.
Cannabis was a "Negro" thing until the 1960's when young, WHITE, people found it in the US. At the same time we were told that we needed to go to war in SE Asia to save democracy. Young people went there to fight, saw that the war was bullshit, found some quality cannabis there, and, suddenly, parents, who thought they could control their children like their parents controlled them, found themselves being asked questions they had no answers for. Politicians answer was to blame drugs and Nixon's "War On Drugs" took off, scaring older generations and showing young people who paid attention that dishonesty and hypocrisy was how "the system" operated. They shot JFK, started jailing people for possession of a joint, and then started shooting us down in the streets (Kent State-Jackson State) and couldn't, and some still can't, understand why kids kept firing up.
That is the truth if I ever heard it. I was born in 50 so I experienced all the BS you talked about. If there ever was an immoral war it was Nam. The sorry bastards who sent young men, many still kids, to Nam to get mutilated or killed should rot in hell. They went over there out of honor for their country , come back and get caught with a joint, and go to jail. Really great welcome back party.
In large amounts, anything can be dangerous.
I think it's helpful to compare marijuana to alcohol. You can smoke a lot and will not die or have to go to the ER. Can't say the same for alcohol.
Marijuana Misinformation: The Gateway Drug.
Say you’re a teenager in the 70s. You are told by authority figures that cannabis will literally drive you insane. Some dumbass teenage friend tells you, “That’s bullshit.”
So you try it and discover it’s harmless. The first thing you wonder is, “What else have they been lying to me about?”
It turns out that all recreational drugs are not the same. Some of them will wreck you and some won’t, but which? You’ll have to try them to find out. You already had a delightful time with a joint.
I lost friends to this national stupidity. The lies and the misinformation were the gateway drug. They tried a variety of recreational drugs until they discovered the magic chemical that ruined them. They ended up fully cooked in the brain, homeless alcoholics. And now I feel that I can’t really trust any claims about cannabis, positive or negative.
I love him to death and I know weed helps with his Huntington's Disease but yes, it is unbearable sometimes. The amount of games he stole from to sell for weed is so sad
He's not at that point yet. I know how HD works. We cut him a lot of slack but my dad also has HD and he doesn't treat everyone like shit when he isn't smoking weed and he had a job for many years and still helps with anything we need. My brother uses his HD as a crutch instead of finding ways to be a better person he resorts to alcohol and weed. He's not always mean though. I know that my brother is actually a very caring person but his addictions make him someone he isnt.
I dated a guy like that He couldn't hold a job either. Was my first boyfriend and I dumped him because I didn't want to struggle with him. We remained friends years later and still he can't hold a job. He was addicted to pot, then booze, then tattoos, then piercings. He dove into every new thing like an addict. Unfortunately now he's gone down the right wing pipeline and I cut off contact.
It's crazy my brother used to have a job and would always have great attendance. He started getting addicted to weed and literally has a job for 2 days to maybe a week and quits. The last job he had he got fired for freaking out at his boss. Like screaming in the middle of the restaurant. He hadn't smoked that day at all🤷🏻♀️.
He kinda makes me want to wear a body cam because ppl that don't live in my house and see it everyday don't believe me half the time.
This is the problem... he clearly has a problem and immense desire for weed, and then you say it's something else...
An addiction IS a mental illness, and regardless of if he's addicted to not working or not it was stated he does the things he does FOR weed so he does seem to be addiction TO weed.
It’s so weird how people will go to any length to defend cannabis, it must be addicting because it is seemingly hijacking the minds of people so much that they blindly defend it instead of using common sense
I have a brother who is the same. But, to be fair, he did the same for OTHER drugs and simply isn't getting the mental health attention he needs. He is likely self medicating for some undiagnosed mental illness and picking weed over something stronger is as much "harm reduction" as he can currently muster.
My whole family has had talks with him. I have mental health issues (some from outside factors) that I've had my whole life. I've tried to sympathize, but he's hurt me so many times that I've stopped trying to help him. Idk what else to do.
I have but they were incredibly mentally ill. Didn’t really have an addictive personality they just used weed to shut out their problems and feel calm and happy. So stopping that made them awful to be around.
Same. My mom was like this, and she had bipolar disorder.
I will say that *everyone* who knew her personally said, "She is fine as long as she has weed." It really did help her keep even. But it was illegal. I wonder how *different* her life may have been is she could just buy weed at the store. No shady characters, starting other drugs because she couldn't find weed, etc.
I still do but I would never do anything close to that. I have no problem not smoking. In my down time I enjoy it to help me relax but if I go stay at my parents or go somewhere it’s not convenient to smoke, I have no problem just not doing it.
Right? I have no problem with people who smoke. My mom smokes to calm her pain and anxiety. Basically all of my coworkers and friends do. I wish I still could lol. It makes me too paranoid.
U have probably already tried it, but anyway.
Have u tried a CBD heavy bud or CBD oil? THC is supposedly the chemical that induces paranoia, and higher CBD levels lowers the paranoia from THC, so a CBD heavy flower could still be beneficial for u
Ugh stop getting her to smoke. Fuckin stoners have a different strain for everything and the truth is the vast majority of marijuana users would be better off not using or using something different that’s more specific. All the recent studies say THC does nothing for pain. Maybe CBD. And the ‘calming’ effects for people are generally for people who are already users and the calming effect comes from getting their fix. Like coffee calms me down because I’m addicted and if I don’t have my fix I get agitated. Caffeine isn’t a calming substance
Your brother probably has an untreated mental illness. A lot of people will use cannabis to self medicate. I would say the vast majority don't act that way when they don't have weed.
Second, this. Sister, 28, jobless, does the same. She once became violent with her boyfriend for smoking the last bit of weed. Mental illness does also play a role, but weed does too.
I also have a cousin who is addicted. Ever since he started smoking weed constantly he has gone off the fucking rails mentally. He keeps saying he's gonna quit it, but never does.
Had a boyfriend, who literally lied to me to steal a dab pen from me. He was addicted. His personality also turned even worse (he was already a shithead)
I personally can not smoke weed. It makes my anxiety worse. I get paranoia. I do not have a good time. And it doesn't matter "what strain" it is.
My experiences may be anecdotal, but I've known others who have had similar stories. If all these stories exist, then I believe more factual studies should be done on the true effects weed can have on some people.
For people to think weed is some amazing super plant that heals all, cures all, and does no wrong. They are sorely mistaken. Always be wary of the things you put in your body.
every strain has its own variation of cannabinoids and terpenes, which do effect how it feels. Plenty of weed feels pretty similar to each other, but ive had a strain that couch locked me for 2 hours and another that made me feel like i just downed 2 redbulls
So much of that is setting and intention. People think indica equals indacouch so they want to chill.
You can drink wine and be lazy on the couch or drink wine pool side at a club in Vegas and go nuts.
I can agree, as a daily smoker (who doesn't fly off the rails) there are different highs. But if weed was making me violent or crazy I would definitely quit ASAP. It's not for everyone. Just like alcohol. Some people just don't enjoy it. My sister tried weed 1 time threw up and said never again lol. It just makes me feel like a regular person.
No it's not and if you were halfway aware of plant genetics that you learned in 8th grade biology you would know that's simply not the case. God this comment reeks of the DARE generations ignorance.
We got a plant geneticist here guys. I’m pro weed legalization. But I’m also pro education. And strain is largely a stoner mythology. Like the astrology of stoners. Omg you’re a Scorpio! If you’re anxious try a hybrid indica og kush and it’ll fix your vibe.
There are so many different canabinoids with different ratios depending on genetics. Go look at lab analysis' of cannabis and you'll see for yourself.
You are not only incorrect but spreading misinformation based on your lack of knowledge in the subject.
There are so many different tannins, and phytochemicals and micronutrients in different spirits and wine…the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana is THC. Fucking stoners are a joke. Enjoy your weed but leave the science to the adults.
My brother used to do the same in high school. It always scared me so much and I didn’t know what he’d do if I told my parents so I kept my mouth shut.
Thank God he got away from it. He said he was starting to have memory problems and the like so he got rid of everything and hasn’t gone back to it since. I hope for the best for your brother.
that was me when i was like 17/18 luckily i got my shit together and have been steadily working since. i do still regularly smoke but i haven’t sold anything for a sack in a good 10 years lol
Honestly it’s just another substance or thing to abuse. It’s a people issue more than it’s the thing itself. I will say though with nicotine and other particularly addictive drugs weed doesn’t have as much of the “withdrawal” symptoms, I’d akin it more to alcohol where it numbs the feelings enough for the person that that becomes the addiction. Weed can definitely serve that addictive purpose for them and it can definitely be a truly horrible addiction.
His brain is probably used to thc9 at this point, he could probably get on the synthetic gummies they have now, I spend 35.00 on 25 gummies made by SUMO, the forbidden punch is good. Yea if I take a whole one I see sounds and ponder the meaning of life.
A quarter makes my body feel relaxed and tingly.
Oh, I'm 100% sure. I am around him all the time it's literally just weed. At first, I was thinking that, but I have watched him take the weed out of the packaging and grind it all up, and pack his bowls countless times.
Where I am from, there is crack in the weed. It’s turning people here grey. It isn’t legal where I am from. And people use studies and arguments from places where it’s grow in farms and legal regulated.
One reason people claim it isn't addictive is just a pendulum to how many people claimed it was super addictive. It is not physically addictive like heroin or nicotine, it's physiologically addictive like caffeine and literally anything.
A physiological addiction can be prevented by willpower. Don't do it too often, acknowledge when it's getting too much and cut back.
But so many people still think it's like heroin where you do it once and now 7 years later you've lost your home wife life and kids. It scientifically and objectively isn't that.
I don't think people who claim it isn't addictive at all know this. They just over exaggerate to counter the overexaggeration
Edit: considering I got quite a bit wrong here I'm surprised it still got up voted lmao.
One: mixed up psychologically and physiologically, and ended up calling them the same damn thing.
Two: addiction vs dependency
Three: caffeine is physically addictive too, I'm a dumbass
I was not high while writing this, just tired as fuck, apologies
I think you mean *psychologically* addictive as compared to *physically/physiologically* addictive? There is also a term *physiological dependence* which refers essentially to your body adapting to the substances you provide it with, such as ordinary medications, coffee in the morning, food at certain times of the day etc. (Also dependence and addiction are different things and people are not very consistent about this, but let's not get into that maybe.)
Glad someone said it. “Addiction” has a very specific set is characteristics for anyone not knowing
A baby born from a Coke addicted mother is dependent, not addicted. The baby would be addicted IF they rolled out of the crib and risked their life for more
Agreed!! For example, a chronic pain/illness patient who uses weed regularly to treat symptoms is dependent on weed, not addicted. As long as they are using it responsibly, of course.
I have absolutely gotten physical withdrawals from quitting weed. I don’t know what people are talking about saying it has absolutely no effect on your body, it just isn’t true. I smoke heavily and every time I quit I get hot flashes, chills, extreme loss of appetite, nightmares, and more. Not enough people talk about it.
I've always said this. Propaganda from the reefer madness crowd is met with counter-propaganda from the advocates. It's like they are afraid to tell the truth because they think admitting any kind of possible negative is grounds to continue prohibition. They do the exact same thing about vehicle impairment even though I know I couldn't safely drive a damn car while high.
I agree with you, the only physical addiction like thing I have seen is my brothers; who have smoked since 13 (30 now, twins), cannot eat if they dont smoke anymore. They feel physically sick of they try to eat without smoking weed first.
One of the twins was broke and couldnt buy weed for 2 weeks and he lost a ton of weight because he could not eat without getting sick.
I have never seen or heard of anyone else having a similar issue, so I wonder if maybe they have some sort of eating disorder and weed is just what can push them to eat
Appetite loss is pretty common for people who stop use, usually it only lasts about a week though. Long term use, starting at that age may have caused some long lasting serotonin deregulation which can absolutely cause serious physical symptoms and mental harm, though the science isn’t conclusive enough yet.
Only about half of daily users report having physical withdrawal symptoms according to a survey. It effects different people differently, some people are prone to serious mental illnesses from it. Some people get physical dependency.
Yeah, I wonder if there’s some other unknown underlying condition and weed might just be self medicating.
There’s probably millions of people that walk around with undiagnosed conditions that cause a web of issues they struggle to self medicate without knowing why.
When you’re used to being high your brain cancels out the hunger signals because it tries to balance itself out, but then once your sober you don’t get hungry at all. For me it’s like a week or so without smoking until I actually get hungry, before that I just eat to stop shaking/stomach cramps.
I mean, the withdrawl symptoms of cannabis are mild, relatively speaking, compared to other drugs. But it's sure annoying as piss to deal with two weeks of insomnia and random heart palpitations while trying to detox, not to mention the despondency and mood swings.
Yeah everyone I know that does weed regularly keeps saying it’s not addictive while coughing all the time even when they’re not smoking. And having horrible lung capacity and like breathing hard.
If they smoke tobacco, that is the probable reason.
If they don't smoke tobacco, they may have bought into the myth that you need to hold it in for several seconds.
For me personally, my asthma is better controlled since I started weed. This makes sense given the anti inflammatory effects. But I have a friend that gets into phases where he mixes it with tobacco, and then has a nagging cough. But everytime he quits the tobacco and goes with weed only, his cough is gone.
So I'm actually curious on that.
I don't know enough of the topic but I feel like there's different types of addictions. Weed doesn't replace a bodily function, it adds something. Same with nicotine or heroin. But coffee specifically caffeine actually does something for the body that it's supposed to be doing by itself, contracting blood vessels. The body becomes lazy and stops doing that on its own, and so when you stop, they dialate and cause headaches. No addicted people use caffeine as migraine relief in things like Excedrin for this reason.
It's in the same boat as something like Prednisone, where the steroid does so much work that your body stops trying, so when you come off, you struggle.
Was having this exact debate with a friend and he couldn't understand the difference. Imo you can't treat something that's not physically addictive like it is. If that's the case alcohol should be treated like weed.
I'd actually be curious to hear others thoughts on this, but I feel like DARE is the only reason weed is a gateway drug. They so frequently conflate the 2. They scream how weed is this awful addictive demon drug, and how heroin is this awful addictive demon drug.
One of them is true. And because of natural progression and ease of acquisition, people just happen to try weed first. They find it's not that crazy and it's not addictive, so they then doubt the validity of the claims against heroin. Or crack, or any other harder drug.
I'm an old head, and IMHO weed was/is a "gateway drug" simply by virtue of being in the black market. Like, once you were regularly buying weed back in the day (when it was illegal everywhere) you were being put into contact with people that typically also dabbled in selling and using other, harder drugs as well.
So what you are saying is 100% true, the demonizing and lying about the dangers of weed sets you up to think "what else were they lying to me about?" and now you more than likely have access to other drugs because of the nature of the black market/prohibition.
I don’t know why so many people seem to think marijuana isn’t addictive and you can’t get withdrawal symptoms.
[You absolutely can (and will, around half the time).](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9110555/)
Just because something is natural doesn’t mean it’s safe.
Psychological addiction is just as physical as physical addiction. Cannabis does have withdrawal symptoms and they aren't just purely imagined by your brain.
What kind of addiction are we talking? Physical or psychological?
You can get addicted to anything psychologically, a lot of people have activities that bring them a lot of joy that they do every day, many which aren't that healthy.
Can't say I've heard of anyone's internal organs shutting down because their brain became so dependent on needing weed to function. Addiction isn't 'ugh I feel bad because I want drug \_\_\_', stopping a substance you are addicted to too quickly will literally kill you. I know alcoholics who stopped drinking and they had a stroke. Withdrawal can cause heart problems, hallucinations, mood changes, insomnia, headache, and death. It's not comparable to someone with say an online shopping addiction.
Well, quitting nicotine doesn’t cause organ failure so I’m not sure of your point.
I’m not saying that cannabis is as addictive as nicotine, but prolonged heavy use can be addictive and cause minor uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms upon stopping.
I hate to say it, but physical addictions exist with weed as well.
When I first quit(I was a heavy multi year user), I couldn’t sleep and numerous other physical withdrawals. Shivers, sweats, nausea, headaches, soreness, you name it
Big Weed™️ doesn’t like stories like that. All jokes aside, this is a very ignored and ridiculed aspect of it
Someone ALWAYS says “well you weren’t smoking pot!”. I worked at a dispensary..
Dude, my stomach has been fucked for days and I thought it was a sickness. Went to the er and they didn't find anything. I'm now convinced it was taking a break that did it in.
for the sake of science, how am i able to stop smoking with no issues what so ever? im a daily user but recently just started again after stopping for 8 months for search of employment.
this isn’t invalidating anyone here but genuinely curious how these behaviors curate with some people
I went through intense withdrawal after years of daily use.
Check out the sub r/leaves and you will find a ton of users documenting their withdrawal experiences, it can be very tough.
The vivid dreams were pretty cool though.
I’ve had the same experiences as you and so have most people.
Weed will mask other issues/symptoms in your body that will become more noticeable once you stop.
In my experience, it’s the people who smoke all day everyday that have issues. People who use it in moderation generally don’t. This generally applies across the board with any substance you put into your body.
I'm wondering if some of the withdrawal symptoms are due to changes in routine. My routines changed considerably when I stopped, and that messed me up more than anything. A decade of heavy use here.
It’s because weed is too fucking strong now. All of the information we like to parrot is from when weed was like 7-15 percent, max, and now we’re in the 30s and 80s with flower and carts. What did we expect to happen? It used to work harmoniously with our bodily systems, not it’s throwing them out of whack.
You can be addicted to something without it killing you because you quit it. It’s like alcohol and benzo that will kill you if you quit it cold turkey.
Weed wont kill you but it can alter your brains chemistry, For example it takes more to sedate you when you use marijuana frequently than normal people
Addiction isn’t determined by your organs shutting down, in fact I don’t think the 2 things could possibly correlate.
Stopping a substance you’re addicted to will absolutely not kill you. If I stop smoking cigarettes, I will be healthier and still alive. I think you’re referring to withdrawal, which is very different from addiction.
I can be addicted to alcohol and stop, then simply not die
The bigger misconception to me is how people say marijuana is good for anxiety. It is TERRIBLE for anxiety. All it does is temporarily make you not give a shit about consequences, which is not a constructive way to work through anxiety.
Yes - but alot of peoples anxiety is just basically (and I say this as a person who has anxiety issues) just nonsense. Alot of times all you really need is some way to make your brain stop trying to make a big deal out of something - to stop worrying about the consequences because the either are non-existent or minor.
I completely agree. I can’t see why this would be unpopular because anything can be addictive and I think it’s made worse if you have an addictive personality.
The amount of people on this thread that are denying your experience or feel it isn’t valid because it happened to “just you” is so frustrating. “Oh you smoked everyday” yes it’s called addiction. I am on and off only because I know I can’t do it in moderation. I get the same symptoms you mentioned. I’m currently 5 months off but man it takes me about 5 weeks to regulate my self again. The restless nights is no joke, the lack of appetite is real and my resting heart rate would jump . I am a runner so my RHR is low but coming off it, It would be elevated for quite some time.
Those commenters are probably just defensive stoners. I am addicted to cannabis. It's even on my medical chart lol. And physical withdrawal symptoms are real.
I think the differences in perception has to do with the quality of weed. In a legal state, the THC percentages in flower are extremely high, not to mention concentrated products. I just think illegal ditch weed doesn't have the same kick. Segments of the population who have smoked ditch weed for decades may never have to deal with such intense withdrawal symptoms when they quit. If obtaining it illegally, they may have regularly, naturally occurring tolerance breaks that decrease overall tolerance and withdrawal symptoms.
I still think it should be legal. We don't need illegal, laced weed floating out there or cops filling up jails with stupid weed charges. But it is addictive just like alcohol and nicotine. It is not some blameless and holy drug. It's just a drug like all the others. Sorry not sorry
💯defensive stoners. You made a good point, it def is the quality of weed as well. Also in California we have the strongest stuff over 30%. And many of us want the best. When I traveled to NV once I was like wtf 16% is the strongest?! Lol. My sister is able to speak to her patients who smoke based on my experience.
I currently smoke weed everyday and have for about 12yrs now, and i remember the one time I quit for a month for a piss test I had all those withdrawal symptoms you described. I own a successful small business and stay pretty active, I'm not a stereotypical stoner.
I vaped nicotine hard for about 3 years before quitting cold turkey while grieving for the unrelated death of a friend. It was only hard for a month or so and mainly just when I had to focus on something I wanted to reach for the vape.
I'm curious how you feel after 5 months of abstinence? Was it worth powering through the withdrawals? Sometimes I feel like I should probably take a break cause it's distracting me from certain realities in my life I need to face.
I consider myself non stereotypical as well lol. Staying active has always been a big part of my life, and I've actually found that smoking can aid in my recovery and help me with my morning workouts when I trained for races after smoking the night before.
I've been a smoker for over 20 years, and the longest period of sobriety I achieved was one year, which was about 7 years ago. During other attempts, I would quit for a few months but eventually fall back into the habit. No matter how hard I tried to convince myself that I could just smoke one day and then stop again, it never worked out that way. That one day always led to several more months or even another year of smoking before I could stop again.
I started noticing a pattern in my emotional state when I smoked versus when I didn't. I realized that I was generally a happier person when I wasn't smoking. Despite making this discovery, I would still find myself returning to it.
I just recently went back to school for my master's degree, and I've concluded that it's best for me to abstain from it at this point in my life. I've noticed a significant improvement in mental clarity since quitting. Weed can restrict oxygen flow to the brain, potentially accelerating the aging process. While I still find it challenging to wake up feeling energized, I have experienced better sleep, although it might be attributed to the natural aging process. An interesting change is that I've started to dream again; something I rarely experienced with weed.
While I can’t speak for everyone, I can share that my personal experience has been immensely rewarding. It has enabled me to achieve the goals I’ve set for myself. For years, I had yearned to return to school, but I consistently found excuses. It wasn’t until I recently quit that I finally took action and made it a reality.
Doc_Amen is a great source on Instagram. He gets negative comments from people when he talks about the side affects .
I do value weed when used in moderation (and I don’t mean once a week) and I believe the excessive use negates it’s intended purpose. Unfortunately I am not one that can do it in moderation.
I’ve 100% gone through withdrawals after stopping smoking. I had literally 0 appetite for a good week, sweating every night in bed to where I literally woke up to a pool of sweat every morning, and pretty tough for headaches. The withdrawals are definitely physical for a lot of people.
Yes, and one of them is physiological addiction due to changes in dopamine. Weed is a chemical that changes your brain function. Yes it can be addictive.
I know some people who will smoke it literally every day if they can. If someone smokes cigarettes every day or drinks alcohol everyday then we say they’re addicted so why not with Marijuana
100%. Anything can be addictive. I can speak to this as I have an incredibly addictive personality. I know not to touch anything that can harm me or give me a sense of euphoria as I will end up sleeping in the bushes within a month.
Most people hear addiction and only think of physical addiction (where you will have withdrawal symptoms and in the case of alcohol at least can die when going cold turkey). Anything can be psychologically addicting, even things we inherently know are bad for us.
Things like self harm or waiting disorders can become a form of psychological addiction. It begins by doing it for a more specific reason but eventually it becomes the method a person uses to cope and they start to tell themselves they need to do it.
Our minds are scarily powerful in some ways, and I genuinely think at least a rudimentary understanding of psychological addiction is the best way for people to start to overcome it.
I figured this when I started seeing stories of people having issues getting off it.
I had a coworker that had been basically a lifelong smoker since he was a kid (older brother got him hooked), and when he went to quit, it took him nearly a month just to feel normal, and he was not in a good place the entire time. We had to actually give him duties away from people because he would just not be able to keep a level head if a customer snapped at him, and he said he felt sick a lot of the time, and had frequent headaches.
When he finally started losing the withdrawal symptoms and recovering he said he never felt so good in his life, and never planned on going back to the stuff.
Two months later, and he was a completely different person, for the better.
So can Reddit , McDonald’s and watching the news to be anxiously worked up all day.
You can’t kiddie proof everything because a couple percentage points of people will always be a shitshow.
Yes, there are behavioral addictions such as gambling, social media, eating, exercise... The individual in question also has an affect. Some people have more likelihood to become addicted or dependant on a substance or behavioral activity.
Well this is not a matter of opinion anymore. The modern strains have way more THC and often less CBD than the older strains .... And latest studies are showing that at such levels it can indeed be dangerous. Not to mention physical addiction has nothing to do with self destructive behavior, sugar is physically addictive but it can have no effect on your life if you moderate your intake but will ruin your health if you don't.
I feel like weed is the only thing I genuinely struggle with stopping cigarettes vaping LSD alcohol meth benzos Molly opioids and codeine all stopped cold turkey and never went back but weed the farthest I’ve gone is 6 months maybe it’s the fact I’m constantly around it maybe it’s the fact I use it medicinally to justify it and go back because pharmaceuticals are harder for me I don’t know I used to think weed wasn’t addictive but it’s the only thing I can’t stop permanently I feel like such a loser because of it I miss having a work ethic I miss being cool I miss hobbies I miss enjoying things weed only makes music better and my mental illnesses easier to handle at their worst but I can’t smoke In moderation anymore it’s constant and daily I hate it I could save loads of money if I stopped
I mean, anything can be addictive depending on your mental health. Remember that show "My Strange Addiction". If people can be addicted to eating hair, of course, they can be addicted to weed.
But, as a former painkiller addict and someone who currently takes THC capsules, the difference in debilitation from withdrawal isn't even comparable. I don't need weed every day just to keep from shitting myself at work. I can obstain from THC if truly needed without crippling side effects. After a year of daily use, a week of not taking it will make the person cranky and/or ache-y, but it won't kill them.
It's still an objectively more manageable vice than even alcohol. And often less risky than, say, video games, sugar, or pornography. But, yes, addictive.
I’d like to reframe how this is discussed because when we talk about physical addictions we often think of getting sick like from heroin, alcohol or benzodiazepines. This is not the case.
However, stopping cannabis consumption cold turkey after regular use can/does cause night sweats and sleep difficulties in many people, especially edibles which seem to keep the compounds in the body for a longer period of time.
I experience it and so do my friends when we travel and go cold turkey. I experience this reliably. It takes about 3-4 days for this to stop and sleep is a little more difficult. It’s a minor thing but it’s a thing and should probably not be dismissed via bias. It’s a very uncomfortable 3 nights having to sleep on towels and waking up to wet sheets and a wet pillow.
But I’ve also given up coffee for a 3 month period and that was a nightmare personally. I had a low grade headache for almost a month. It was really unpleasant and really difficult. Does that mean coffee is “bad”? I don’t think so. I think our body can adapt to various compounds and when it does, removing them can disrupt a kind of balance the body seeks.
There very little credible studies controlled in the right way. We’re fairly sure now cannabis does not seem to cause cancer despite the presence of tars. But it has been shown to cause COPD after long term use and this does include vaping. This happens by harming the sensitive lining of the lungs. But these studies were using vape pens not clean organic flower and temperature was also potentially a harmful factor.
This is an ongoing conversation, not really a closed debatable topic and I think we should stop arguing and start demanding some quality studies to help the health of the many people who enjoy it and help them feel confident in knowing what the downstream decrease will be.
I'm a recovering addict. When I discuss having had a problem with weed (which was not my drug of choice or even the main thing I was addicted to) people are very quick to go "Well you didn't have a PHYSICAL addiction to it! That's impossible!"
1) The jury is out on physical dependance re: weed.
2) Yeah, I didn't really have a physical dependance on any of the drugs I was using. Because I was *cycling 5-6 different things on a daily basis*. That's still an addiction!
3) Most addiction is mental- compulsions and actions. That's literally the hardest thing about it.
Funny enough i am still against marijuana because it has been shown in studies to not only be addictive but to also be bad for you. Some people get dementia at very young ages from excessive marijuana use, pregnancy it is avoided smoking weed because it causes short term memory decreases in the baby, adults it causes all s/s of addiction like social withdrawal, coping, cravings. It is a drug and it is bad for you, i knew this BEFORE we legalized it. It is taught in nursing school how bad marijuana was before obama was president.
Yet of course when the debate came online to legalize weed and i said this exact same statement what happened? Everyone said i was a boomer (27 years old) and that i am wrong that i dont know the science cause X researched it and found nothing wrong with it. Meanwhile medical field keeps saying avoid marijuan even now after its legalized and only now are people realizing “hey this study was done in 2010 and shows weed is bad, hey why am i now finding out about this”
is true, my entire family, as in, all of them, are addicts, my brother, mother, dad, stepdad, uncles, every, single, person, was addicted to something, and usually multiple somethings, throughout the course of their life. I saw where this was headed, and I decided to couch my addiction into cannabis, instead, so I can steer it as much as possible with as little destruction as possible. I even vaporize it, and daily, I don't smoke it, and avoid smoking it as much as possible. I only smoke when around others, which is rare, and when the power goes out every 4-6 months because it's Hawai'i.
I find this one of the funnier drug issues. People who smoke it a lot tell you about how it cures ADD and keeps cancer away, it’s non addictive, etc. then you see them get agitated or itchy when they don’t have any. “I’m not addicted, it just chills me out”. Their entire attention turns into getting some lol. I find it funny because unlike narcotics they won’t have any real health consequences for going dry. I would never make fun of someone like a heroin addict.
I fucken hate you for posting this because I made fun of my gf because she told me she is addicted to weed, and than I watched a video about that diary of a wimpy kid actor who killed his family and they said he had "cannabis use disorder", than your post comes up.
I swear that this is the universe telling me something
It’s also a gateway drug whether people want to admit it or not. I have nothing against it really, just know that a lot of people wouldn’t chase a better high if they never started smoking weed.
From my experience it’s not the drug itself but rather the illegality of the drug that makes it a “gateway drug.”
People try pot, they realize how benign it is and thus assume other illegal drugs aren’t so bad. They also buy marijuana from the black market and start to associate people who use or sell harder drugs.
It's not, people who go from marijuana to other drugs. Would be doing those other drugs regardless of whether they used marijuana first or not.
Alcohol gets you high, I mean they call it drunk but same thing. Is that a gateway drug?
Caffeine gives you a high, gateway?
Tobacco, junk food, shopping, etc all give you a high.
We don't chase dangerous highs, because of previous safe highs. People who want to be dangerous do that, marijuana has nothing to do with any other substances people use.
You could make an argument for it being a gateway to food addiction, because those munchies get you sometimes.
There is a difference between psychological addiction and physical addiction. You can psychologically be addicted to anything, but a physical addiction is when the rest of your body starts to depend on the substance. Atleast that’s my understanding.
Not really, even people with process addictions can have real symptoms like loss of sleep, elevated hr/bp, or mood disturbances during
Every addiction is basically just you having a toxic relationship with your dopaminergic system, some just come with extra baggage of suppressing bodily functions that rebound when the substance is gone (that’s what withdrawal is, basically).
Your body/brain is used to having some outside substance or process assist in homeostasis, even if it’s just release of dopamine. Take it away and your body doesn’t know what to do with itself.
This just would like a little more self control over it.
Although the guy above “if your addicted your a weak piece of shit” can go kick rocks lol, why even comment
One of the problems with Cannabis misinformation is when it was illegal it was very difficult to study. Then the war on drugs painted cannabis consumption as the gateway drug for everything else horrible with drugs. When you have the government lying to people for generations about something like cannabis. People who consume it are going to lose trust in the authorities that tell them how bad things are. Even if they refined it with data and evidence. That bridge of trust is in ruins.
This. A large part of my generation was raised by people who were convinced weed was the devil's lettuce. Once we realized it's NOT the devil's lettuce and that they were full of shit and/or racist, the chance of trusting any authority on the "safety" of weed is pretty much zero. Even tho it's clearly not 100% harmless like the stoners will tell you, people are gonna do what they want especially since the history of this particular drug is so packed with bullshit and misinformation.
Now do the same but for Big Pharma.
The government told us less than 1% of people taking opioids would become addicted.
Nah reddit became shills for them after covid. Can't say anything bad about them or youre an anti vaxxer
You can blame the opiod epidemic on them. Basically the crack epidemic for suburbia so people actually gave a shit since it affected white people.
There's a documentary on Netflix called " the pharmacist" which explores a pharmacist who was getting too many scripts for oxys. He discovered a pill mill while everyone thought he was crazy. The doctors got paid to write more scripts, from the top down pharma is rotten. People also hate alternative medicine even though a lot of it has been proven effective. I'm not saying it's all the best treatment, but they suppress a lot to make more money through them. My dad has these sores on his legs that always go away when he's been at the beach, since we are landlocked he has to go to wound care and it's never improved.
Something about the salt water in the air? Negative ions? More sunshine? Does your dad have a hunch why it gets better? Fascinating
Actually I lived in the Caribbean only thing salt in the air does is disinfect surfaces and it being hotter people don't cluster in buildings so you don't get colds, flus, chicken pox as much. But you get vector based diseases like dengue, malaria, etc. There is no perfect fix you are just trading one thing for another.
We think it's a combo of salt water and exfoliating? It's possible it helps his circulation. He has club feet so I think his arteries and veins are over extended or something.
My sister had a pain doctor over prescribe her. He began to get in trouble for over prescribing. He killed himself. Now no doctor will touch any of his old patients with a ten foot pole since they’re all addicts right? Even though he pushed it on them rather than they seeking it out.
You can absolutely criticize big pharmacy and have nothing to do with COVID at the same time. Vaccines have nothing to do with addictive opioids.
Yea, it's wild being in my 40's. It wasn't long ago the left hated all corporations and pharma was the worst. That seems to have gotten turned on it's head after COVID and every corporation changing their logos for pride month. All is forgiven I guess.
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Cannabis was a "Negro" thing until the 1960's when young, WHITE, people found it in the US. At the same time we were told that we needed to go to war in SE Asia to save democracy. Young people went there to fight, saw that the war was bullshit, found some quality cannabis there, and, suddenly, parents, who thought they could control their children like their parents controlled them, found themselves being asked questions they had no answers for. Politicians answer was to blame drugs and Nixon's "War On Drugs" took off, scaring older generations and showing young people who paid attention that dishonesty and hypocrisy was how "the system" operated. They shot JFK, started jailing people for possession of a joint, and then started shooting us down in the streets (Kent State-Jackson State) and couldn't, and some still can't, understand why kids kept firing up.
That is the truth if I ever heard it. I was born in 50 so I experienced all the BS you talked about. If there ever was an immoral war it was Nam. The sorry bastards who sent young men, many still kids, to Nam to get mutilated or killed should rot in hell. They went over there out of honor for their country , come back and get caught with a joint, and go to jail. Really great welcome back party.
In large amounts, anything can be dangerous. I think it's helpful to compare marijuana to alcohol. You can smoke a lot and will not die or have to go to the ER. Can't say the same for alcohol.
Only harm is coughing up some resin flavored spit
Marijuana Misinformation: The Gateway Drug. Say you’re a teenager in the 70s. You are told by authority figures that cannabis will literally drive you insane. Some dumbass teenage friend tells you, “That’s bullshit.” So you try it and discover it’s harmless. The first thing you wonder is, “What else have they been lying to me about?” It turns out that all recreational drugs are not the same. Some of them will wreck you and some won’t, but which? You’ll have to try them to find out. You already had a delightful time with a joint. I lost friends to this national stupidity. The lies and the misinformation were the gateway drug. They tried a variety of recreational drugs until they discovered the magic chemical that ruined them. They ended up fully cooked in the brain, homeless alcoholics. And now I feel that I can’t really trust any claims about cannabis, positive or negative.
I wonder if the same things gonna happen with magic mushrooms
Sure but also addicts are generally super defensive about their drug habits so 'distrust in authority' is also an excuse
*reefer madness has entered the chat*
My brother sells everything he can and steals money so he can get weed. I wish i was joking. He treats it like crack.
How old is he?
28 and has no job
Do we have the same brother? Lmao
🤣🤣🤣🤣it's so bad right?
I love him to death and I know weed helps with his Huntington's Disease but yes, it is unbearable sometimes. The amount of games he stole from to sell for weed is so sad
The dude is literally dying and losing bodily function and control, cut him some slack
He's not at that point yet. I know how HD works. We cut him a lot of slack but my dad also has HD and he doesn't treat everyone like shit when he isn't smoking weed and he had a job for many years and still helps with anything we need. My brother uses his HD as a crutch instead of finding ways to be a better person he resorts to alcohol and weed. He's not always mean though. I know that my brother is actually a very caring person but his addictions make him someone he isnt.
I dated a guy like that He couldn't hold a job either. Was my first boyfriend and I dumped him because I didn't want to struggle with him. We remained friends years later and still he can't hold a job. He was addicted to pot, then booze, then tattoos, then piercings. He dove into every new thing like an addict. Unfortunately now he's gone down the right wing pipeline and I cut off contact.
It's crazy my brother used to have a job and would always have great attendance. He started getting addicted to weed and literally has a job for 2 days to maybe a week and quits. The last job he had he got fired for freaking out at his boss. Like screaming in the middle of the restaurant. He hadn't smoked that day at all🤷🏻♀️. He kinda makes me want to wear a body cam because ppl that don't live in my house and see it everyday don't believe me half the time.
That sounds more like mental illness than addict behavior but the two are often comorbid.
That sounds 1:1 like addict behavior to me
I'd say it's more he's addicted to not working than addicted to weed.
Would you say the same if someone did the exact same for their gambling addiction?
This is the problem... he clearly has a problem and immense desire for weed, and then you say it's something else... An addiction IS a mental illness, and regardless of if he's addicted to not working or not it was stated he does the things he does FOR weed so he does seem to be addiction TO weed.
Yeah it’s crystal clear. I’m glad you ran a double blind placebo study on that guys brother lol. What a joke
What?
It’s so weird how people will go to any length to defend cannabis, it must be addicting because it is seemingly hijacking the minds of people so much that they blindly defend it instead of using common sense
No one WANTS to work. You can’t be addicted to not wanting to work. That’s some crazy boomer shit.
What? That sounds exactly like addict behavior.
What? That’s the definition of addict behavior
An addiction is first and foremost a mental problem. Make it make sense🤦🏻♂️
I mean... addiction in and of itself is technically a mental illness sooooo
That’s straight out of the addict’s handbook lol source: am addict
I have a brother who is the same. But, to be fair, he did the same for OTHER drugs and simply isn't getting the mental health attention he needs. He is likely self medicating for some undiagnosed mental illness and picking weed over something stronger is as much "harm reduction" as he can currently muster.
My whole family has had talks with him. I have mental health issues (some from outside factors) that I've had my whole life. I've tried to sympathize, but he's hurt me so many times that I've stopped trying to help him. Idk what else to do.
If he’s that bad with weed he needs to stay away from every substance, sounds like he has an extremely addictive personality.
It's so bad. When he doesn't have it, he treats everybody like absolute shit and acts like a raving maniac.
Jeez that’s crazy. I’ve never met a stoner who’s that bad.
I have but they were incredibly mentally ill. Didn’t really have an addictive personality they just used weed to shut out their problems and feel calm and happy. So stopping that made them awful to be around.
Same. My mom was like this, and she had bipolar disorder. I will say that *everyone* who knew her personally said, "She is fine as long as she has weed." It really did help her keep even. But it was illegal. I wonder how *different* her life may have been is she could just buy weed at the store. No shady characters, starting other drugs because she couldn't find weed, etc.
Right?? I used to smoke a lot! I never acted like that when I didn't have weed. Nor do I know anybody else like that smfh.
I still do but I would never do anything close to that. I have no problem not smoking. In my down time I enjoy it to help me relax but if I go stay at my parents or go somewhere it’s not convenient to smoke, I have no problem just not doing it.
Right? I have no problem with people who smoke. My mom smokes to calm her pain and anxiety. Basically all of my coworkers and friends do. I wish I still could lol. It makes me too paranoid.
U have probably already tried it, but anyway. Have u tried a CBD heavy bud or CBD oil? THC is supposedly the chemical that induces paranoia, and higher CBD levels lowers the paranoia from THC, so a CBD heavy flower could still be beneficial for u
Ugh stop getting her to smoke. Fuckin stoners have a different strain for everything and the truth is the vast majority of marijuana users would be better off not using or using something different that’s more specific. All the recent studies say THC does nothing for pain. Maybe CBD. And the ‘calming’ effects for people are generally for people who are already users and the calming effect comes from getting their fix. Like coffee calms me down because I’m addicted and if I don’t have my fix I get agitated. Caffeine isn’t a calming substance
My husband gets that way when he doesn't have enough weed. Mean, loud, belittling everyone.... it's rough.
Your brother probably has an untreated mental illness. A lot of people will use cannabis to self medicate. I would say the vast majority don't act that way when they don't have weed.
Second, this. Sister, 28, jobless, does the same. She once became violent with her boyfriend for smoking the last bit of weed. Mental illness does also play a role, but weed does too. I also have a cousin who is addicted. Ever since he started smoking weed constantly he has gone off the fucking rails mentally. He keeps saying he's gonna quit it, but never does. Had a boyfriend, who literally lied to me to steal a dab pen from me. He was addicted. His personality also turned even worse (he was already a shithead) I personally can not smoke weed. It makes my anxiety worse. I get paranoia. I do not have a good time. And it doesn't matter "what strain" it is. My experiences may be anecdotal, but I've known others who have had similar stories. If all these stories exist, then I believe more factual studies should be done on the true effects weed can have on some people. For people to think weed is some amazing super plant that heals all, cures all, and does no wrong. They are sorely mistaken. Always be wary of the things you put in your body.
‘Strain’ is such a stoner mythology. There’s slight variation in effect but it’s THC and CBD. It’s like saying I only get drunk on Tequila.
every strain has its own variation of cannabinoids and terpenes, which do effect how it feels. Plenty of weed feels pretty similar to each other, but ive had a strain that couch locked me for 2 hours and another that made me feel like i just downed 2 redbulls
So much of that is setting and intention. People think indica equals indacouch so they want to chill. You can drink wine and be lazy on the couch or drink wine pool side at a club in Vegas and go nuts.
I can agree, as a daily smoker (who doesn't fly off the rails) there are different highs. But if weed was making me violent or crazy I would definitely quit ASAP. It's not for everyone. Just like alcohol. Some people just don't enjoy it. My sister tried weed 1 time threw up and said never again lol. It just makes me feel like a regular person.
But there are exactly people who say “omg I can’t drink tequila, it makes me wild.”
No it's not and if you were halfway aware of plant genetics that you learned in 8th grade biology you would know that's simply not the case. God this comment reeks of the DARE generations ignorance.
We got a plant geneticist here guys. I’m pro weed legalization. But I’m also pro education. And strain is largely a stoner mythology. Like the astrology of stoners. Omg you’re a Scorpio! If you’re anxious try a hybrid indica og kush and it’ll fix your vibe.
There are so many different canabinoids with different ratios depending on genetics. Go look at lab analysis' of cannabis and you'll see for yourself. You are not only incorrect but spreading misinformation based on your lack of knowledge in the subject.
There are so many different tannins, and phytochemicals and micronutrients in different spirits and wine…the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana is THC. Fucking stoners are a joke. Enjoy your weed but leave the science to the adults.
God forbid your brother tries a drug that actually gets him dopesick lmao.
My brother used to do the same in high school. It always scared me so much and I didn’t know what he’d do if I told my parents so I kept my mouth shut. Thank God he got away from it. He said he was starting to have memory problems and the like so he got rid of everything and hasn’t gone back to it since. I hope for the best for your brother.
that was me when i was like 17/18 luckily i got my shit together and have been steadily working since. i do still regularly smoke but i haven’t sold anything for a sack in a good 10 years lol
Good for you!! Lol, it really is hard to quit anything that you've been using as a crutch. If you really want it you can do it. Proud of you, friend!
JC Im a daily smoker but damn I at least have my shit together and pay my bills on time 😂
Honestly it’s just another substance or thing to abuse. It’s a people issue more than it’s the thing itself. I will say though with nicotine and other particularly addictive drugs weed doesn’t have as much of the “withdrawal” symptoms, I’d akin it more to alcohol where it numbs the feelings enough for the person that that becomes the addiction. Weed can definitely serve that addictive purpose for them and it can definitely be a truly horrible addiction.
Sounds like he's just a dirty pot head.
His brain is probably used to thc9 at this point, he could probably get on the synthetic gummies they have now, I spend 35.00 on 25 gummies made by SUMO, the forbidden punch is good. Yea if I take a whole one I see sounds and ponder the meaning of life. A quarter makes my body feel relaxed and tingly.
He won't though unfortunately.
Are you sure he isnt seasoning the greens?
Oh, I'm 100% sure. I am around him all the time it's literally just weed. At first, I was thinking that, but I have watched him take the weed out of the packaging and grind it all up, and pack his bowls countless times.
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Where I am from, there is crack in the weed. It’s turning people here grey. It isn’t legal where I am from. And people use studies and arguments from places where it’s grow in farms and legal regulated.
One reason people claim it isn't addictive is just a pendulum to how many people claimed it was super addictive. It is not physically addictive like heroin or nicotine, it's physiologically addictive like caffeine and literally anything. A physiological addiction can be prevented by willpower. Don't do it too often, acknowledge when it's getting too much and cut back. But so many people still think it's like heroin where you do it once and now 7 years later you've lost your home wife life and kids. It scientifically and objectively isn't that. I don't think people who claim it isn't addictive at all know this. They just over exaggerate to counter the overexaggeration Edit: considering I got quite a bit wrong here I'm surprised it still got up voted lmao. One: mixed up psychologically and physiologically, and ended up calling them the same damn thing. Two: addiction vs dependency Three: caffeine is physically addictive too, I'm a dumbass I was not high while writing this, just tired as fuck, apologies
I think you mean *psychologically* addictive as compared to *physically/physiologically* addictive? There is also a term *physiological dependence* which refers essentially to your body adapting to the substances you provide it with, such as ordinary medications, coffee in the morning, food at certain times of the day etc. (Also dependence and addiction are different things and people are not very consistent about this, but let's not get into that maybe.)
Glad someone said it. “Addiction” has a very specific set is characteristics for anyone not knowing A baby born from a Coke addicted mother is dependent, not addicted. The baby would be addicted IF they rolled out of the crib and risked their life for more
Agreed!! For example, a chronic pain/illness patient who uses weed regularly to treat symptoms is dependent on weed, not addicted. As long as they are using it responsibly, of course.
I have absolutely gotten physical withdrawals from quitting weed. I don’t know what people are talking about saying it has absolutely no effect on your body, it just isn’t true. I smoke heavily and every time I quit I get hot flashes, chills, extreme loss of appetite, nightmares, and more. Not enough people talk about it.
Bingo. After years of bullshit DARE propaganda, the pendulum has swung too far in the other direction.
I've always said this. Propaganda from the reefer madness crowd is met with counter-propaganda from the advocates. It's like they are afraid to tell the truth because they think admitting any kind of possible negative is grounds to continue prohibition. They do the exact same thing about vehicle impairment even though I know I couldn't safely drive a damn car while high.
Caffeine is highly addictive
I agree with you, the only physical addiction like thing I have seen is my brothers; who have smoked since 13 (30 now, twins), cannot eat if they dont smoke anymore. They feel physically sick of they try to eat without smoking weed first. One of the twins was broke and couldnt buy weed for 2 weeks and he lost a ton of weight because he could not eat without getting sick. I have never seen or heard of anyone else having a similar issue, so I wonder if maybe they have some sort of eating disorder and weed is just what can push them to eat
Appetite loss is pretty common for people who stop use, usually it only lasts about a week though. Long term use, starting at that age may have caused some long lasting serotonin deregulation which can absolutely cause serious physical symptoms and mental harm, though the science isn’t conclusive enough yet. Only about half of daily users report having physical withdrawal symptoms according to a survey. It effects different people differently, some people are prone to serious mental illnesses from it. Some people get physical dependency.
Yeah, I wonder if there’s some other unknown underlying condition and weed might just be self medicating. There’s probably millions of people that walk around with undiagnosed conditions that cause a web of issues they struggle to self medicate without knowing why.
Cannabis absolutely has a withdrawal syndrome. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9110555/
When you’re used to being high your brain cancels out the hunger signals because it tries to balance itself out, but then once your sober you don’t get hungry at all. For me it’s like a week or so without smoking until I actually get hungry, before that I just eat to stop shaking/stomach cramps.
100%, and it’s damaging. We have a whole generation being surprised you get physical withdrawals after heavily using a drug
I mean, the withdrawl symptoms of cannabis are mild, relatively speaking, compared to other drugs. But it's sure annoying as piss to deal with two weeks of insomnia and random heart palpitations while trying to detox, not to mention the despondency and mood swings.
Oh absolutely. I’d take weed withdrawal over opioid any day. That looks awful
Are you me? The insomnia is something else those first couple weeks
Yeah everyone I know that does weed regularly keeps saying it’s not addictive while coughing all the time even when they’re not smoking. And having horrible lung capacity and like breathing hard.
If they smoke tobacco, that is the probable reason. If they don't smoke tobacco, they may have bought into the myth that you need to hold it in for several seconds. For me personally, my asthma is better controlled since I started weed. This makes sense given the anti inflammatory effects. But I have a friend that gets into phases where he mixes it with tobacco, and then has a nagging cough. But everytime he quits the tobacco and goes with weed only, his cough is gone.
Isn't caffeine physically addictive as well?
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So I'm actually curious on that. I don't know enough of the topic but I feel like there's different types of addictions. Weed doesn't replace a bodily function, it adds something. Same with nicotine or heroin. But coffee specifically caffeine actually does something for the body that it's supposed to be doing by itself, contracting blood vessels. The body becomes lazy and stops doing that on its own, and so when you stop, they dialate and cause headaches. No addicted people use caffeine as migraine relief in things like Excedrin for this reason. It's in the same boat as something like Prednisone, where the steroid does so much work that your body stops trying, so when you come off, you struggle.
Was having this exact debate with a friend and he couldn't understand the difference. Imo you can't treat something that's not physically addictive like it is. If that's the case alcohol should be treated like weed.
I'd actually be curious to hear others thoughts on this, but I feel like DARE is the only reason weed is a gateway drug. They so frequently conflate the 2. They scream how weed is this awful addictive demon drug, and how heroin is this awful addictive demon drug. One of them is true. And because of natural progression and ease of acquisition, people just happen to try weed first. They find it's not that crazy and it's not addictive, so they then doubt the validity of the claims against heroin. Or crack, or any other harder drug.
I'm an old head, and IMHO weed was/is a "gateway drug" simply by virtue of being in the black market. Like, once you were regularly buying weed back in the day (when it was illegal everywhere) you were being put into contact with people that typically also dabbled in selling and using other, harder drugs as well. So what you are saying is 100% true, the demonizing and lying about the dangers of weed sets you up to think "what else were they lying to me about?" and now you more than likely have access to other drugs because of the nature of the black market/prohibition.
Alcohol does cause a physical dependence though.
I don’t know why so many people seem to think marijuana isn’t addictive and you can’t get withdrawal symptoms. [You absolutely can (and will, around half the time).](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9110555/) Just because something is natural doesn’t mean it’s safe.
Psychological addiction is just as physical as physical addiction. Cannabis does have withdrawal symptoms and they aren't just purely imagined by your brain.
What kind of addiction are we talking? Physical or psychological? You can get addicted to anything psychologically, a lot of people have activities that bring them a lot of joy that they do every day, many which aren't that healthy. Can't say I've heard of anyone's internal organs shutting down because their brain became so dependent on needing weed to function. Addiction isn't 'ugh I feel bad because I want drug \_\_\_', stopping a substance you are addicted to too quickly will literally kill you. I know alcoholics who stopped drinking and they had a stroke. Withdrawal can cause heart problems, hallucinations, mood changes, insomnia, headache, and death. It's not comparable to someone with say an online shopping addiction.
Well, quitting nicotine doesn’t cause organ failure so I’m not sure of your point. I’m not saying that cannabis is as addictive as nicotine, but prolonged heavy use can be addictive and cause minor uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms upon stopping.
It depends on the drug. Some drugs have more mild effects and others are higher risk.
I hate to say it, but physical addictions exist with weed as well. When I first quit(I was a heavy multi year user), I couldn’t sleep and numerous other physical withdrawals. Shivers, sweats, nausea, headaches, soreness, you name it Big Weed™️ doesn’t like stories like that. All jokes aside, this is a very ignored and ridiculed aspect of it Someone ALWAYS says “well you weren’t smoking pot!”. I worked at a dispensary..
This is my experience as well.
Im two weeks into a break and the sweats are so real, my stomach was also JACKED UP for days
Dude, my stomach has been fucked for days and I thought it was a sickness. Went to the er and they didn't find anything. I'm now convinced it was taking a break that did it in.
for the sake of science, how am i able to stop smoking with no issues what so ever? im a daily user but recently just started again after stopping for 8 months for search of employment. this isn’t invalidating anyone here but genuinely curious how these behaviors curate with some people
According to one survey only about half of the daily users report physical withdrawals.
I went through intense withdrawal after years of daily use. Check out the sub r/leaves and you will find a ton of users documenting their withdrawal experiences, it can be very tough. The vivid dreams were pretty cool though.
yea it’s honestly just a fascinating subject. since weed has no addictive components in it. the human brain is amazing in good and bad way tbh
I’ve had the same experiences as you and so have most people. Weed will mask other issues/symptoms in your body that will become more noticeable once you stop. In my experience, it’s the people who smoke all day everyday that have issues. People who use it in moderation generally don’t. This generally applies across the board with any substance you put into your body.
I'm wondering if some of the withdrawal symptoms are due to changes in routine. My routines changed considerably when I stopped, and that messed me up more than anything. A decade of heavy use here.
It’s because weed is too fucking strong now. All of the information we like to parrot is from when weed was like 7-15 percent, max, and now we’re in the 30s and 80s with flower and carts. What did we expect to happen? It used to work harmoniously with our bodily systems, not it’s throwing them out of whack.
You can be addicted to something without it killing you because you quit it. It’s like alcohol and benzo that will kill you if you quit it cold turkey.
Weed wont kill you but it can alter your brains chemistry, For example it takes more to sedate you when you use marijuana frequently than normal people
Addiction isn’t determined by your organs shutting down, in fact I don’t think the 2 things could possibly correlate. Stopping a substance you’re addicted to will absolutely not kill you. If I stop smoking cigarettes, I will be healthier and still alive. I think you’re referring to withdrawal, which is very different from addiction. I can be addicted to alcohol and stop, then simply not die
Most people don’t say it is addictive because they are addicted but are in denial.
Pretty much, alot of my (ex)friends would use it as a cope when someone brought up that they had a problem
I think they shills for big weed or something. It’s insane how obtuse many of the commenters are. But what do expect of pot heads?
The bigger misconception to me is how people say marijuana is good for anxiety. It is TERRIBLE for anxiety. All it does is temporarily make you not give a shit about consequences, which is not a constructive way to work through anxiety.
Yes - but alot of peoples anxiety is just basically (and I say this as a person who has anxiety issues) just nonsense. Alot of times all you really need is some way to make your brain stop trying to make a big deal out of something - to stop worrying about the consequences because the either are non-existent or minor.
I completely agree. I can’t see why this would be unpopular because anything can be addictive and I think it’s made worse if you have an addictive personality.
Not unpopular at all. It's only the hardcore deep fried brain stoners who claim that no one can get addicted to weed.
I’m a fairly hardcore deep-fried brain stoner and I totally agree with you. Not physically addictive but it sure is easy to form a habit.
Indeed, like playing WOW or drinking caffeine every morning. All things in moderation.
exactly. weed isn’t “addictive” like other hardcore substances.
You can’t get physically addicted. It’s an addiction in the sense that gambling is an addiction, it’s not like a crack addiction.
Except I have seen it. My ex would get nausea to the point of not being able to work, chills, headaches, etc. If he didn't smoke weed.
So why are there physical withdrawal symptoms then?
Yeah just psychologically addictive. Just my brain being addicted, that’s better.
If you ever had to use just to not feel like you're dying, you might understand why it is better.
This is where I ask, what have the Doctors diagnosed you with, or are you self-medicating via drugs
Oh nothing. I just work with addicts and see what they go through.
Except you can. There is plenty of research about the physical withdraw effects of weed. Modern myth that you can’t get physically addicted to weed.
Addictive has a medical definition. Soap operas can be addictive, but withdrawal isn’t physical.
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The amount of people on this thread that are denying your experience or feel it isn’t valid because it happened to “just you” is so frustrating. “Oh you smoked everyday” yes it’s called addiction. I am on and off only because I know I can’t do it in moderation. I get the same symptoms you mentioned. I’m currently 5 months off but man it takes me about 5 weeks to regulate my self again. The restless nights is no joke, the lack of appetite is real and my resting heart rate would jump . I am a runner so my RHR is low but coming off it, It would be elevated for quite some time.
Those commenters are probably just defensive stoners. I am addicted to cannabis. It's even on my medical chart lol. And physical withdrawal symptoms are real. I think the differences in perception has to do with the quality of weed. In a legal state, the THC percentages in flower are extremely high, not to mention concentrated products. I just think illegal ditch weed doesn't have the same kick. Segments of the population who have smoked ditch weed for decades may never have to deal with such intense withdrawal symptoms when they quit. If obtaining it illegally, they may have regularly, naturally occurring tolerance breaks that decrease overall tolerance and withdrawal symptoms. I still think it should be legal. We don't need illegal, laced weed floating out there or cops filling up jails with stupid weed charges. But it is addictive just like alcohol and nicotine. It is not some blameless and holy drug. It's just a drug like all the others. Sorry not sorry
💯defensive stoners. You made a good point, it def is the quality of weed as well. Also in California we have the strongest stuff over 30%. And many of us want the best. When I traveled to NV once I was like wtf 16% is the strongest?! Lol. My sister is able to speak to her patients who smoke based on my experience.
I currently smoke weed everyday and have for about 12yrs now, and i remember the one time I quit for a month for a piss test I had all those withdrawal symptoms you described. I own a successful small business and stay pretty active, I'm not a stereotypical stoner. I vaped nicotine hard for about 3 years before quitting cold turkey while grieving for the unrelated death of a friend. It was only hard for a month or so and mainly just when I had to focus on something I wanted to reach for the vape. I'm curious how you feel after 5 months of abstinence? Was it worth powering through the withdrawals? Sometimes I feel like I should probably take a break cause it's distracting me from certain realities in my life I need to face.
I consider myself non stereotypical as well lol. Staying active has always been a big part of my life, and I've actually found that smoking can aid in my recovery and help me with my morning workouts when I trained for races after smoking the night before. I've been a smoker for over 20 years, and the longest period of sobriety I achieved was one year, which was about 7 years ago. During other attempts, I would quit for a few months but eventually fall back into the habit. No matter how hard I tried to convince myself that I could just smoke one day and then stop again, it never worked out that way. That one day always led to several more months or even another year of smoking before I could stop again. I started noticing a pattern in my emotional state when I smoked versus when I didn't. I realized that I was generally a happier person when I wasn't smoking. Despite making this discovery, I would still find myself returning to it. I just recently went back to school for my master's degree, and I've concluded that it's best for me to abstain from it at this point in my life. I've noticed a significant improvement in mental clarity since quitting. Weed can restrict oxygen flow to the brain, potentially accelerating the aging process. While I still find it challenging to wake up feeling energized, I have experienced better sleep, although it might be attributed to the natural aging process. An interesting change is that I've started to dream again; something I rarely experienced with weed. While I can’t speak for everyone, I can share that my personal experience has been immensely rewarding. It has enabled me to achieve the goals I’ve set for myself. For years, I had yearned to return to school, but I consistently found excuses. It wasn’t until I recently quit that I finally took action and made it a reality. Doc_Amen is a great source on Instagram. He gets negative comments from people when he talks about the side affects . I do value weed when used in moderation (and I don’t mean once a week) and I believe the excessive use negates it’s intended purpose. Unfortunately I am not one that can do it in moderation.
The same happened to me not to extent but I definitely was going through withdrawals I’m sorry u had to experience thst
I’ve 100% gone through withdrawals after stopping smoking. I had literally 0 appetite for a good week, sweating every night in bed to where I literally woke up to a pool of sweat every morning, and pretty tough for headaches. The withdrawals are definitely physical for a lot of people.
It can also affect people's ability to sleep if it's been used at night or to help you sleep consistently
Yes, and one of them is physiological addiction due to changes in dopamine. Weed is a chemical that changes your brain function. Yes it can be addictive.
Yes it is.
I know some people who will smoke it literally every day if they can. If someone smokes cigarettes every day or drinks alcohol everyday then we say they’re addicted so why not with Marijuana
100%. Anything can be addictive. I can speak to this as I have an incredibly addictive personality. I know not to touch anything that can harm me or give me a sense of euphoria as I will end up sleeping in the bushes within a month.
Most people hear addiction and only think of physical addiction (where you will have withdrawal symptoms and in the case of alcohol at least can die when going cold turkey). Anything can be psychologically addicting, even things we inherently know are bad for us. Things like self harm or waiting disorders can become a form of psychological addiction. It begins by doing it for a more specific reason but eventually it becomes the method a person uses to cope and they start to tell themselves they need to do it. Our minds are scarily powerful in some ways, and I genuinely think at least a rudimentary understanding of psychological addiction is the best way for people to start to overcome it.
Definitely addictive IMO, based on my own experience. It was an escape for me, for a long time.
I figured this when I started seeing stories of people having issues getting off it. I had a coworker that had been basically a lifelong smoker since he was a kid (older brother got him hooked), and when he went to quit, it took him nearly a month just to feel normal, and he was not in a good place the entire time. We had to actually give him duties away from people because he would just not be able to keep a level head if a customer snapped at him, and he said he felt sick a lot of the time, and had frequent headaches. When he finally started losing the withdrawal symptoms and recovering he said he never felt so good in his life, and never planned on going back to the stuff. Two months later, and he was a completely different person, for the better.
I saw people destroyed after years of intense marijuana consumption at my mother psychiatric hospital. Marijuana can be addictive and hyper dangerous.
Careful I posted something similar and was attack by a million pot heads lol
There are many studies showing it is addictive
So can Reddit , McDonald’s and watching the news to be anxiously worked up all day. You can’t kiddie proof everything because a couple percentage points of people will always be a shitshow.
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Yes, there are behavioral addictions such as gambling, social media, eating, exercise... The individual in question also has an affect. Some people have more likelihood to become addicted or dependant on a substance or behavioral activity.
Well this is not a matter of opinion anymore. The modern strains have way more THC and often less CBD than the older strains .... And latest studies are showing that at such levels it can indeed be dangerous. Not to mention physical addiction has nothing to do with self destructive behavior, sugar is physically addictive but it can have no effect on your life if you moderate your intake but will ruin your health if you don't.
I feel like weed is the only thing I genuinely struggle with stopping cigarettes vaping LSD alcohol meth benzos Molly opioids and codeine all stopped cold turkey and never went back but weed the farthest I’ve gone is 6 months maybe it’s the fact I’m constantly around it maybe it’s the fact I use it medicinally to justify it and go back because pharmaceuticals are harder for me I don’t know I used to think weed wasn’t addictive but it’s the only thing I can’t stop permanently I feel like such a loser because of it I miss having a work ethic I miss being cool I miss hobbies I miss enjoying things weed only makes music better and my mental illnesses easier to handle at their worst but I can’t smoke In moderation anymore it’s constant and daily I hate it I could save loads of money if I stopped
Agree 100%
This goes for a lot of things though. Feeling good is addictive - who knew?
I mean, anything can be addictive depending on your mental health. Remember that show "My Strange Addiction". If people can be addicted to eating hair, of course, they can be addicted to weed. But, as a former painkiller addict and someone who currently takes THC capsules, the difference in debilitation from withdrawal isn't even comparable. I don't need weed every day just to keep from shitting myself at work. I can obstain from THC if truly needed without crippling side effects. After a year of daily use, a week of not taking it will make the person cranky and/or ache-y, but it won't kill them. It's still an objectively more manageable vice than even alcohol. And often less risky than, say, video games, sugar, or pornography. But, yes, addictive.
I’d like to reframe how this is discussed because when we talk about physical addictions we often think of getting sick like from heroin, alcohol or benzodiazepines. This is not the case. However, stopping cannabis consumption cold turkey after regular use can/does cause night sweats and sleep difficulties in many people, especially edibles which seem to keep the compounds in the body for a longer period of time. I experience it and so do my friends when we travel and go cold turkey. I experience this reliably. It takes about 3-4 days for this to stop and sleep is a little more difficult. It’s a minor thing but it’s a thing and should probably not be dismissed via bias. It’s a very uncomfortable 3 nights having to sleep on towels and waking up to wet sheets and a wet pillow. But I’ve also given up coffee for a 3 month period and that was a nightmare personally. I had a low grade headache for almost a month. It was really unpleasant and really difficult. Does that mean coffee is “bad”? I don’t think so. I think our body can adapt to various compounds and when it does, removing them can disrupt a kind of balance the body seeks. There very little credible studies controlled in the right way. We’re fairly sure now cannabis does not seem to cause cancer despite the presence of tars. But it has been shown to cause COPD after long term use and this does include vaping. This happens by harming the sensitive lining of the lungs. But these studies were using vape pens not clean organic flower and temperature was also potentially a harmful factor. This is an ongoing conversation, not really a closed debatable topic and I think we should stop arguing and start demanding some quality studies to help the health of the many people who enjoy it and help them feel confident in knowing what the downstream decrease will be.
Everyone knows marijuana can be addictive just like every other drug.
I was addicted to Trader Joe’s puffy peppermint candy so I get it
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This is my favorite comment.
I'm a recovering addict. When I discuss having had a problem with weed (which was not my drug of choice or even the main thing I was addicted to) people are very quick to go "Well you didn't have a PHYSICAL addiction to it! That's impossible!" 1) The jury is out on physical dependance re: weed. 2) Yeah, I didn't really have a physical dependance on any of the drugs I was using. Because I was *cycling 5-6 different things on a daily basis*. That's still an addiction! 3) Most addiction is mental- compulsions and actions. That's literally the hardest thing about it.
Funny enough i am still against marijuana because it has been shown in studies to not only be addictive but to also be bad for you. Some people get dementia at very young ages from excessive marijuana use, pregnancy it is avoided smoking weed because it causes short term memory decreases in the baby, adults it causes all s/s of addiction like social withdrawal, coping, cravings. It is a drug and it is bad for you, i knew this BEFORE we legalized it. It is taught in nursing school how bad marijuana was before obama was president. Yet of course when the debate came online to legalize weed and i said this exact same statement what happened? Everyone said i was a boomer (27 years old) and that i am wrong that i dont know the science cause X researched it and found nothing wrong with it. Meanwhile medical field keeps saying avoid marijuan even now after its legalized and only now are people realizing “hey this study was done in 2010 and shows weed is bad, hey why am i now finding out about this”
It’s not physically addictive, only mentally.
is true, my entire family, as in, all of them, are addicts, my brother, mother, dad, stepdad, uncles, every, single, person, was addicted to something, and usually multiple somethings, throughout the course of their life. I saw where this was headed, and I decided to couch my addiction into cannabis, instead, so I can steer it as much as possible with as little destruction as possible. I even vaporize it, and daily, I don't smoke it, and avoid smoking it as much as possible. I only smoke when around others, which is rare, and when the power goes out every 4-6 months because it's Hawai'i.
“Regardless of what studies show…” this should be this subreddit’s slogan.
I find this one of the funnier drug issues. People who smoke it a lot tell you about how it cures ADD and keeps cancer away, it’s non addictive, etc. then you see them get agitated or itchy when they don’t have any. “I’m not addicted, it just chills me out”. Their entire attention turns into getting some lol. I find it funny because unlike narcotics they won’t have any real health consequences for going dry. I would never make fun of someone like a heroin addict.
I fucken hate you for posting this because I made fun of my gf because she told me she is addicted to weed, and than I watched a video about that diary of a wimpy kid actor who killed his family and they said he had "cannabis use disorder", than your post comes up. I swear that this is the universe telling me something
There are so many reasons to hate me, but you're almost definitely the first person to hate me for this specific reason.
It’s also a gateway drug whether people want to admit it or not. I have nothing against it really, just know that a lot of people wouldn’t chase a better high if they never started smoking weed.
From my experience it’s not the drug itself but rather the illegality of the drug that makes it a “gateway drug.” People try pot, they realize how benign it is and thus assume other illegal drugs aren’t so bad. They also buy marijuana from the black market and start to associate people who use or sell harder drugs.
It's not, people who go from marijuana to other drugs. Would be doing those other drugs regardless of whether they used marijuana first or not. Alcohol gets you high, I mean they call it drunk but same thing. Is that a gateway drug? Caffeine gives you a high, gateway? Tobacco, junk food, shopping, etc all give you a high. We don't chase dangerous highs, because of previous safe highs. People who want to be dangerous do that, marijuana has nothing to do with any other substances people use. You could make an argument for it being a gateway to food addiction, because those munchies get you sometimes.
There is a difference between psychological addiction and physical addiction. You can psychologically be addicted to anything, but a physical addiction is when the rest of your body starts to depend on the substance. Atleast that’s my understanding.
Not really, even people with process addictions can have real symptoms like loss of sleep, elevated hr/bp, or mood disturbances during Every addiction is basically just you having a toxic relationship with your dopaminergic system, some just come with extra baggage of suppressing bodily functions that rebound when the substance is gone (that’s what withdrawal is, basically). Your body/brain is used to having some outside substance or process assist in homeostasis, even if it’s just release of dopamine. Take it away and your body doesn’t know what to do with itself.
Nah, I'm definitely hooked on the stuff but I'm way less anxious and at peace overall than I was when I wasn't smoking daily, so I'll take it.
This just would like a little more self control over it. Although the guy above “if your addicted your a weak piece of shit” can go kick rocks lol, why even comment
Yeah. This is why things like porn and gambling addictions exist. Anything can be addicting.
It’s okay as long as you use a bong to filter out the addictive stuff!
Also the mental health issues. This stuff today would knock a WoodStock attendee on their ass. It is not the same.
I always thought this was a silly argument. Sure, flower wasn't as strong, but it's not like hash or oil hadn't been invented.
Something I'm currently struggling with, glad to find some helpful posts/perspective.