What Makes Marijuana So Addictive? 5 Contributing Factors
There are no FDA-approved medications to treat marijuana use disorder specifically, but medications can help address accompanying issues like insomnia or co-occurring mental health disorders like depression or anxiety. Marijuana use disorder is a growing problem, but fortunately, addiction treatment can be effective in addressing marijuana addiction. Like other drug abuse treatments, the treatment programs for marijuana use disorder are tailored to the individual and their unique use patterns, history, and possible co-occurring disorders. Cannabis use disorder can range from mild to moderate to https://ecosoberhouse.com/ severe. Like other addictions, cannabis use disorder can cause problems with physical or mental health and serious disruptions to work, school, or interpersonal relationships.
Marijuana Withdrawal
The resinous trichomes (small, hair-like structures) found on the flowers and leaves contain cannabinoids, which are the active compounds responsible for the psychoactive and medicinal effects of marijuana. Additionally, the cannabinoids in the plant interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system, influencing various physiological processes in the body. Although further research is necessary (Box 1), the findings summarized here indicate that neurobiological changes in CUD seem to parallel those in other addictions, albeit to a lesser extent in some brain systems. This is critical in light of recent findings demonstrating an increase in cannabis use and CUD and a corresponding decrease in the perceived risk of cannabis (Carliner et al. 2017; Hasin 2018). The preoccupation/ anticipation stage is implicated in the reinstatement of substance use following abstinence. Executive control over craving and impulsivity is key in maintaining abstinence and is mediated by the PFC.
Disorders
Its potency varies and is determined by the strain of plant, form, and method of consumption. It can be smoked, brewed in teas, consumed in products such as brownies and gummies known as “edibles,” and used in vaporizers. Marijuana can also have side effects, such as impaired memory and cognition, increased heart rate, and anxiety, particularly when consumed in high doses or by individuals sensitive to its effects. And so, folks who are using cannabis and smoking tobacco may have a more difficult time in quitting. And so, keeping these things in mind, are they struggling with anxiety?
Signs of cannabis use disorder
Like any drug used medicinally, the potential risks of use are weighed against the potential benefits when deciding what should and should not be tried. Learn more about marijuana addiction, risk factors, effects on the brain, and more. Chronic cannabis abuse is modeled in animals with repeated treatments of cannabis (through smoke exposure) or THC and other cannabinoids (typically intravenous injections). And then alcoholism treatment I try to talk about what are actual evidence-based options to truly help them with that. So, there’s a lot of overlap in terms of why people are presenting for treatment and the risk of cannabis in terms of trying to treat those symptoms. What we do know, though, is that usually the use of cannabis can make those symptoms worse over time.
- If this happens to you, talk to your doctor about how to treat these symptoms.
- Volkow thinks that this decreased response to dopamine is likely caused by marijuana use.
- Cannabis use disorder can range from mild to moderate to severe.
- For instance, those who use marijuana to cope with anxiety, depression, or sleep disorders can find more appropriate treatment types—including lifestyle changes, therapy, and medication—to help relieve their symptoms.
- So, increased ER visits and poison center calls have been related to cannabis, especially among children and youth.
Though it is true that cannabis does have an effect on the body whenever it’s used, symptoms that would suggest physical dependence are not common. If smoking tobacco is harmful because of all the chemicals released by the combustion process, why would someone think smoking weed is harmless? Cannabis smoke contains many of the same chemicals as tobacco smoke, and cannabis users tend to hold the smoke in their lungs longer, leading to significantly more exposure. Medications such as antidepressants may be prescribed to treat co-occurring mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression. You can consult your healthcare professional to see if this is a viable treatment option.
Medical Detox
One of the biggest risk factors of marijuana addiction may be age. People are up to seven times as likely to experience marijuana use disorder when they start using before the age of 18. Additionally, men are twice as likely as women to experience marijuana use disorder. While some people can try and use marijuana without becoming addicted, it can also be addictive for some people.
Effects of Cannabis on the Brain
If you have trouble sticking to self imposed limits, it may indicate a problem. Meditation or other stress relieving activities may also help you use less. THC, which stands for tetrahydrocannabinol, is why is weed so addicting the part of the cannabis plant that causes the mental effect.
- Thus, adolescent cannabis use may affect brain development and result in enduring alterations in the GABA/glutamate balance in the PFC (Renard et al. 2016).
- They may be able to recommend a different kind or dose or whether you should be using it at all.
- It’s like a mental gym workout, helping you build the muscles you need to resist cravings and develop healthier coping mechanisms.
- People who use marijuana a lot are more likely to be jobless and not happy with life.
- For a long time, marijuana was thought to be primarily psychologically addictive but not physiologically (physically) addictive.
- Though it is true that cannabis does have an effect on the body whenever it’s used, symptoms that would suggest physical dependence are not common.
- One of the biggest risk factors of marijuana addiction may be age.
- One marijuana user, Conrad, age 47, of San Francisco, said that when he can’t smoke, he drinks more.
- The effects of marijuana vary, but tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound in marijuana, can cause feelings of euphoria, changes in sensory perception, and increased appetite.
“By focusing on synaptic density, we may eventually develop therapies that enhance social function and quality of life for those affected.” Researchers used advanced brain scanning technology to study about 50 participants aged 16 to 30, including those with recent psychotic symptoms and those considered at high risk. “Cannabis appears to disrupt the brain’s natural process of refining and pruning synapses, which is essential for healthy brain development,” study co-author Romina Mizrahi explained. The study, conducted at McGill University and published in Jama Psychiatry, could pave the way for better psychosis treatments targeting symptoms missed by current medications. Support groups and 12-step programs can be lifelines for many people struggling with addiction.