First – Is cannabis really addictive? The simple answer to that question is YES!
You came to this website looking for help, because you think that cannabis is a problem in your life. But these people over here say this about weed while these other people over there say something else. So who are you supposed to believe?
O.K. Say you go to buy a used car and you ask the seller “how does this car run” and the seller told you that the car runs like shit would you believe him? Or would you by the car anyway?
All these governments that sell weed will tell you that cannabis is addictive and that it’s problematic? One because it’s true and two if you become addicted to weed the government can say we told you it was addictive but you used it anyway so don’t come trying to blame us because weed screwed your life up we tried to tell you it was addictive you just didn’t listen!
CANADA:
The federal Cannabis Act came into effect on 17 October 2018 and made Canada the second country in the world, after Uruguay, to formally legalize the cultivation, possession, acquisition and consumption of cannabis and its by-products. Canada is the first G7 and G20 nation to do so.
The Government of Canada, Cannabis laws and regulations, Cannabis health warning messages
Part 1: Health warning messages for cannabis products that are dried cannabis or cannabis accessories that contain dried cannabis
WARNING: Cannabis smoke is harmful. Harmful chemicals found in tobacco smoke are also found in cannabis smoke.
WARNING: Do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding. Using cannabis during pregnancy may harm your baby and result in low birth weight.
WARNING: Do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding. Substances found in cannabis are also found in the breast milk of mothers who use cannabis.
WARNING: Do not drive or operate machinery after using cannabis. More than 4,000 Canadians were injured and 75 died from driving after using cannabis (in 2012).
WARNING: Do not drive or operate machinery after using cannabis. After cannabis use, coordination, reaction time and ability to judge distances are impaired.
WARNING: Cannabis can be addictive. Up to half of people who use cannabis on a daily basis have work, social or health problems from using cannabis.
WARNING: Cannabis can be addictive. 1 in 11 people who use cannabis will become addicted.
WARNING: Cannabis can be addictive. Up to 1 in 2 people who use cannabis daily will become addicted.
WARNING: Regular use of cannabis can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia. Higher THC content can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia.
WARNING: Regular use of cannabis can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia. Higher THC content can lower the age of onset of schizophrenia.
WARNING: Regular use of cannabis can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia. Young people are especially at risk.
WARNING: Adolescents are at greater risk of harms from cannabis. Early and regular use increases the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia.
WARNING: Adolescents are at greater risk of harms from cannabis. Using cannabis as a teenager can increase your risk of becoming addicted.
WARNING: Adolescents are at greater risk of harms from cannabis. 1 in 6 people who start using cannabis in adolescence will become addicted.
Part 2: Health warning messages for all other cannabis products
WARNING: Do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding. Using cannabis during pregnancy may harm your baby and result in low birth weight.
WARNING: Do not use if pregnant or breastfeeding. Substances found in cannabis are also found in the breast milk of mothers who use cannabis.
WARNING: Do not drive or operate machinery after using cannabis. More than 4,000 Canadians were injured and 75 died from driving after using cannabis (in 2012).
WARNING: Do not drive or operate machinery after using cannabis. After cannabis use, coordination, reaction time and ability to judge distances are impaired.
WARNING: Cannabis can be addictive. Up to half of people who use cannabis on a daily basis have work, social or health problems from using cannabis.
WARNING: Cannabis can be addictive. 1 in 11 people who use cannabis will become addicted.
WARNING: Cannabis can be addictive. Up to 1 in 2 people who use cannabis daily will become addicted.
WARNING: Regular use of cannabis can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia. Higher THC content can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia.
WARNING: Regular use of cannabis can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia. Higher THC content can lower the age of onset of schizophrenia.
WARNING: Regular use of cannabis can increase the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia. Young people are especially at risk.
WARNING: Adolescents are at greater risk of harms from cannabis. Early and regular use increases the risk of psychosis and schizophrenia.
WARNING: Adolescents are at greater risk of harms from cannabis. Using cannabis as a teenager can increase your risk of becoming addicted.
WARNING: Adolescents are at greater risk of harms from cannabis. 1 in 6 people who start using cannabis in adolescence will become addicted.
ALASKA:
Cannabis in Alaska is legal for recreational use, following a successful 2014 ballot initiative. Cannabis had been previously decriminalized in 1975, then legalized by an Alaska Supreme Court decision one week later.
Alaska’s cannabis labeling and packaging guidelines include the following:
3 AAC 306.345. Packaging and labeling.
(a) A retail marijuana store shall assure that:
(3) any marijuana or marijuana product sold at a retail marijuana store must be packaged in opaque, re-sealable, child-resistant packaging when the purchaser leaves the retail premises; the packaging must be designed or constructed to be significantly difficult for children under five years of age to open; but not normally difficult for adults to use properly.
(b) In addition to labeling requirements provided in (a) of this section, a retail marijuana store shall affix a label to each package of marijuana or marijuana product that
(1) identifies the marijuana retail store selling the marijuana product by name or distinctive logo and marijuana establishment license number; and
(2) states the total estimated amount of THC in the labeled product, and (3) contains the following statements:
(A) “Marijuana has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming and addictive;”
(B) “Marijuana impairs concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under its influence;”
(C) “There are health risks associated with consumption of marijuana”
(D) “For use only by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of the reach of children;” and
(E) “Marijuana should not be used by women who are pregnant or breast feeding;”
For more information, please refer to the full text of the Act to Tax and Regulate the Production, Sale and Use of Marijuana.
https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/Portals/9/pub/MCB/StatutesAndRegulations/3AAC306.pdf
CALIFORNIA:
Cannabis in California is legal for both medical and recreational use. In recent decades, the state has been at the forefront of efforts to reform cannabis laws, beginning in 1972 with the nation’s first ballot initiative attempting to legalize cannabis. Although Proposition 19 was unsuccessful, California would later become the first state to legalize medical cannabis with the passage of the Compassionate Use Act of 1996 (Proposition 215). In November 2016, California voters approved the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (Proposition 64) to legalize the recreational use of cannabis.
Dependency and Other Substance Use
Approximately 9 percent of marijuana users become addicted to marijuana. This rate rises to 17 percent for those who started using marijuana in adolescence and 25 percent to 50 percent for daily users.
Compared with persons who begin to use marijuana in adulthood, those who begin in adolescence are approximately two to four times more likely to have symptoms of marijuana dependence within two years after first use.
Over 50 percent of marijuana dependent persons are diagnosed with a further mental disorder or health impairment from consumption of other substances at some point in their lives.
Studies of twins have found that the twin who had used marijuana was more likely to have used other illicit drugs than the co-twin who had not.
COLORADO:
Cannabis in Colorado refers to cannabis (the legal term for marijuana) use and possession in the state of Colorado. The Colorado Amendment 64, which was passed by voters on November 6, 2012, led to legalization in January 2014.
Marijuana
Addiction: Marijuana use can, in some cases, lead to addiction. This means a person can’t control or stop marijuana use even though it interferes with daily life. Youth who begin using marijuana regularly are more likely to become addicted than those who wait until adulthood to use.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA:
In Washington, D.C., cannabis is legal for recreational and medical uses, but is barred from commercial sale. Though the drug was fully legalized in the District following a 2014 ballot referendum, the United States Congress exercises oversight over the government of the District of Columbia, preventing the local government from regulating cannabis sales like other jurisdictions with authority derived from a U.S. state.
Dependence and Addiction
Although marijuana is generally less addictive than opiate prescription drugs, it is possible for individuals to become addicted. On average, 8.9% of marijuana users will transition from casual use to dependence. In comparison to other drugs, addiction occurs for roughly 67.5% of nicotine users, 22.7% of alcohol users, and 20.9% of cocaine users. Although the statistics on marijuana may appear low, the risk of addiction increases with earlier onset of use. Among individuals who began using
the substance as teenagers, their risk of dependence is about 17%.
While rates of use have remained relatively stable, marijuana use disorders increased by 18% from 1992 to 2002. This trend was most notable among young African American men and women and young Hispanic men. Individuals with marijuana dependencies may also experience various symptoms of withdrawal, including anxiety, decreased appetite, depression, irritability, difficulty sleeping, and stomach pain. In the District of Columbia, from 2011 through the third quarter of the fiscal year 2015 there were 4,701 individuals enrolled in treatment services for primary and secondary marijuana use. The majority of these individuals were male and African American, and between 26 and 64 years old. Ward 8 also experienced the highest proportion of individuals in treatment
MAINE:
In the U.S. state of Maine, marijuana (cannabis) is legal for recreational use. It was originally prohibited in 1913. Possession of small amounts of the drug was decriminalized in 1976 under state legislation passed the previous year. The state’s first medical cannabis law was passed in 1999, allowing patients to grow their own plants. The cities of Portland and South Portland decriminalized the possession and recreational use of marijuana in 2013 and 2014, respectively.
Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention
Marijuana messes with attention, motivation, memory, and learning. The teen brain is still growing and drug use can really cause some damage. Regular heavy marijuana use by teens can lead to an IQ drop of up to 8 points – that’s a lot.
Starting to use when you’re a kid leads to an increased risk of future drug use. Of those who do start young, one in six will go on to be dependent on marijuana.
Withdrawal symptoms are real and can include: anxiety, feeling restless, having trouble sleeping, not wanting to eat, stomach pain and moodiness.
Marijuana can be addictive. It affects the brain in the same way as other drugs and the earlier someone starts to use, the more likely they may become addicted.
Compared to nonusers, heavy marijuana users more often say they have: more relationship problems, lower life satisfaction, poorer physical health, and less academic and career success.
https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/population-health/prevention/youth/beyourself/
MASSACHUSETTS:
Cannabis in Massachusetts relates to the legal and cultural events surrounding the use of cannabis. A century after becoming the first U.S. state to criminalize recreational cannabis, Massachusetts voters elected to legalize it in 2016.
Addiction
Most people do not become addicted, but research shows that some heavy users can show signs of dependence — the more often they use marijuana, the more they need it. They may continue to use it even when it causes problems with their life, health, work, family, and friends. When they try to quit, they can have real withdrawal symptoms like cravings, trouble sleeping, anxiety, or loss of appetite.
At this time, there is less information about how long it takes for symptoms to begin after stopping use of edibles or how long they might last.
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/health-effects-of-marijuana#addiction-
MICHIGAN:
Cannabis in Michigan is legal for medical use and recreational use, after passing a ballot initiative in 2018. Regulated stores are expected to open early in 2020.
Marijuana
Is it possible for someone to become addicted to marijuana?
Yes, about 1 in 10 marijuana users will become addicted. For people who begin using younger than 18, that number rises to 1 in 6.1-3 For more information visit CDC’s section on addiction or the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s pages on addiction science.
https://www.michigan.gov/marijuana/0,9306,7-386-89869-484723–,00.html
VERMONT:
Cannabis in Vermont as of May 2004 is legal for medical usage, and legal for recreational usage as of July 1, 2018.
National data shows that more Vermonters (ages 12 and up) are using marijuana compared to the country overall. The number of Vermonters who try marijuana for the first time between the ages of 12 and 17 is also higher in our state than in the country overall.
Early and continuous use of marijuana significantly increases the risk of not completing high school, not enrolling in or completing college, low educational achievement, lower income, unemployment and welfare dependence as an adult, premature workforce retirement due to disability, and reduction in IQ in middle adulthood.
It is important to look at the reasons why more Vermonters on average are using marijuana and beginning marijuana use earlier than most other states. The Health Department is monitoring how our efforts are making a positive difference with marijuana use, especially among young people in Vermont.
http://www.healthvermont.gov/alcohol-drug-abuse/alcohol-drugs/marijuana
WASHINGTON:
Cannabis in Washington relates to a number of legislative, legal, and cultural events surrounding the use of cannabis (marijuana, hashish, THC, kief, etc.). On December 6, 2012, Washington became the first U.S. state to legalize recreational use of marijuana. The state had previously legalized medical marijuana in 1998. Under state law, cannabis is legal for medical purposes and for any purpose by adults over 21.
Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board
General Information about Marijuana
What are the short-term effects of using marijuana?
The effects of marijuana may include:
- A happy, relaxed or “high” feeling
- Slower reactions
- Dizziness
- Trouble with thinking, learning and memory
- Confusion, anxiety, panic or paranoia
- Fast heart rate
- Increased blood pressure
- Less interest in normal activities
- Hunger
- Dry mouth
- Red eyes
- Psychosis (rarely) – seeing or hearing things that are not real.
These effects typically last two to three hours after marijuana is smoked or inhaled. When consuming edibles, the effects take longer to be felt (possibly up to two hours) and may last 4 to 10 hours.
Is marijuana addictive?
Contrary to common belief, marijuana is addictive. Estimates from research suggest that about nine percent of users become addicted to marijuana; this number increases among those who start young (to about 17 percent, or 1 in 6) and among people who use marijuana daily (to 25-50 percent). (National Institute on Health)
United States Government:
National Institute on Drug Abuse
Is marijuana addictive?
Marijuana use can lead to the development of problem use, known as a marijuana use disorder, which takes the form of addiction in severe cases. Recent data suggest that 30 percent of those who use marijuana may have some degree of marijuana use disorder. People who begin using marijuana before the age of 18 are four to seven times more likely to develop a marijuana use disorder than adults.
Marijuana use disorders are often associated with dependence—in which a person feels withdrawal symptoms when not taking the drug. People who use marijuana frequently often report irritability, mood and sleep difficulties, decreased appetite, cravings, restlessness, and/or various forms of physical discomfort that peak within the first week after quitting and last up to 2 weeks. Marijuana dependence occurs when the brain adapts to large amounts of the drug by reducing production of and sensitivity to its own endocannabinoid neurotransmitters.
Marijuana use disorder becomes addiction when the person cannot stop using the drug even though it interferes with many aspects of his or her life. Estimates of the number of people addicted to marijuana are controversial, in part because epidemiological studies of substance use often use dependence as a proxy for addiction even though it is possible to be dependent without being addicted. Those studies suggest that 9 percent of people who use marijuana will become dependent on it, rising to about 17 percent in those who start using in their teens.
In 2015, about 4.0 million people in the United States met the diagnostic criteria for a marijuana use disorder 138,000 voluntarily sought treatment for their marijuana use.
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/marijuana-addictive