Cannabis Addiction - What do you make of it?

[thesimple]

I will say that marijuana has a dependency attached to it. When there is no smoke it becomes hard to eat, maintain a healthy outlook, extremely hard to sleep. As Matt stated above, I find the elation after smoking a J when I may have been troubled about something asinine was extremely useful in letting go.

[Count Zero]

I dunno, I've been smoking weed for close to 40 years, still smoke every day when I can but when I travel on vacation or whatever (sucks you can't bring it with anymore) I go 4,5,6,7 days with no noticable ill effects. Maybe it's like done, I have so much thc built up in my system that I'm not really going without it even if I don't smoke for a few days.
Agree that weed can make you get over some trifling shit that's been bothering you but it can also make me introspective, which can lead to what I call "the parade of regrets" where I end up reviewing all the shit I've done in my life that I wish I hadn't etc-not that that stops me from smoking more.

[FreeTwistLlama]

I thought I was addicted to weed.....Then I got addicted to oxy!

[jaupoon]

I think there is such a thing as cannabis addiction however i think it is more psychological than physical. Not telling the OP what to do but maybe youre just feeling burnt out. I smoke herb not every day but around every other day and generally at nights. Maybe you should just lay off it a bit, a lot of people have fun waking and baking and toking up all day but its not good to do that all the time IMHO itll make you a lazy bastard, and youll enjoy smoking pot less as instead of a treat its a regular thing you have to do.

[Michael]

I don't understand people will nod sympathetically when they hear about "cocaine addiction" but scoff at an addiction to pot. What's the difference between the two? The only one I can tell is coke or stims might seem more addictive because you get into that cycle of "using stimulants, they wear off and you become tired, use more to compensate, rinse & repeat"

Personally, before I used opiates heavily, I smoked a lot of pot. I would have friends over all the time and we'd watch movies / listen to music all day and night, 7 days a week while smoking weed constantly. We used to smoke what we called "chop" - it's weed placed into a chop glass with a small amount of tobacco and cut up very finely so it burns fast. You smoke bongs of it and the tobacco in the pot gives it an extra kick & makes it go a little further.

As I started shooting more and more often, weed took a backseat til I stopped entirely for a year. I still love it but I just don't like to shell out for it like I used to. But in the old days, If i mentally decided I was going to be smoking that day/night and we couldn't score, I'd be pissed off. The night would be ruined, nothing would fill the place as well.

[opi8]

the counselors at the rehab I just went to claim that since THC stays in your fat cells and takes so long to clear out of your body that there is a physical withdrawel but its mild since it takes 20-30 days to leave the system, I call BULLSHIT but...

[candy]

There is so much misinformation out there on marijuana use. I have never experienced any type of physical withdrawal from marijuana and I don't even crave it when I don't smoke. I recently read an article that was done on regular marijuana use and it's affects on the lungs and it was found that it did not cause harm to the lungs as once thought. I would have to search to find the article, but I believe it to be true and in my opinion, marijuana is a safe and effective drug in treating many people with various types of medical needs; pain is number one, increasing appetite in those who cannot eat or can not keep on weight due to disease is another great reason, glaucoma.

And counselors in rehabs will tell you all kinds of crap to keep you from using, which is fine, but I believe that before they give anyone information in rehab, make sure the information is correct and not misleading.

If marijuana is a problem for some people with addiction; then avoid it's use. But I do get tired of hearing so much misleading information associated with the herb.

[FreeTwistLlama]

I dunno, smoking heavily does take a toll on the lungs. I used to smoke 3-5 times a day for years and my lungs definitely hurt. A few years ago a switched over to a vaporizer and now I have zero issues with the lungs. I used to get sharp stabbing pains randomly and lots of congestion. Not anymore!

[alowishus]

There is so much misinformation out there on marijuana use. I have never experienced any type of physical withdrawal from marijuana and I don't even crave it when I don't smoke. I recently read an article that was done on regular marijuana use and it's affects on the lungs and it was found that it did not cause harm to the lungs as once thought. I would have to search to find the article, but I believe it to be true and in my opinion, marijuana is a safe and effective drug in treating many people with various types of medical needs; pain is number one, increasing appetite in those who cannot eat or can not keep on weight due to disease is another great reason, glaucoma.

And counselors in rehabs will tell you all kinds of crap to keep you from using, which is fine, but I believe that before they give anyone information in rehab, make sure the information is correct and not misleading.

If marijuana is a problem for some people with addiction; then avoid it's use. But I do get tired of hearing so much misleading information associated with the herb.

I read that thing about pot and lungs - and I agree with you about it, I believe it.
But I do think there are some very mild things that can come about after heavy heavy use is stopped; shits, headaches, being tired.
Nothing that isn't almost everyday stuff and in no way would I call it WD...

Maybe its that you need to go through true WD's first to see what craving really is.

[candy]

Well, I have been in true withdrawals, being a heroin addict. So, I know about cravings as well. I just never experienced any thing myself with herb. Maybe some people respond differently.

And I too use a vaporizer most times (which I love), but before always used a bong or pipe and never had any issues with congestion or anything. Other than the burn of taking that hit, that was really it.

Everyone is different and might have different experiences, but most people I know and have talked too that are heavy pot smokers rarely complain of any effects at all. The only complaint seems to be when you can't find any really good herb!

[alowishus]

Well, I have been in true withdrawals, being a heroin addict. So, I know about cravings as well. I just never experienced any thing myself with herb. Maybe some people respond differently.

And I too use a vaporizer most times (which I love), but before always used a bong or pipe and never had any issues with congestion or anything. Other than the burn of taking that hit, that was really it.

Everyone is different and might have different experiences, but most people I know and have talked too that are heavy pot smokers rarely complain of any effects at all. The only complaint seems to be when you can't find any really good herb!

I know you know what wd's are all about - I was just saying that for someone whom thinks they's hooked on pot they need to see what being hooked is really about, like the youtube vid, "did you ever suck dick for weed...?"
Now if you did that for some hydro - maybe you are addicted....

I think what you said about persons with that personality trait also could believe themselves to be hooked, but that's just an under-educated presumption.

OT on that same website as the pot & lung thing, did you see the one about the new study on METH and how it's not as bad as it has been played to be, the doc's said its even good in small doses - like ADHD meds are for helping us fucking short attention span, can't hold a thought, backward- dyslexic motherfuckers....

I guess it could be like the movie refer madness,

[upstate_007]

"did you ever suck dick for weed...?"

Whenever anyone says anything about addiction to weed that is my argument.

As an abuser of any and everything at one point or another, I have a pretty good scope of addiction. Weed is plain and simple not addictive physically. Mentally maybe. But that is a whole different world than hope to die heroin withdrawal.

[alowishus]

Whenever anyone says anything about addiction to weed that is my argument.

As an abuser of any and everything at one point or another, I have a pretty good scope of addiction. Weed is plain and simple not addictive physically. Mentally maybe. But that is a whole different world than hope to die heroin withdrawal.

Abso-FUCKING-lutely!!

I forget what yr it was but did you see that one of Dr Drew celeb rehab where the young girl was in for weed addiction... oh my fuckin' gwad... the sad stories of her life and the hitting of rock bottom where such a great contrast to the others.
"I smoked so much I was eating more then I wanted."
"I forgot things."

[OpiatedChronically]

Abso-FUCKING-lutely!!

I forget what yr it was but did you see that one of Dr Drew celeb rehab where the young girl was in for weed addiction... oh my fuckin' gwad... the sad stories of her life and the hitting of rock bottom where such a great contrast to the others.
"I smoked so much I was eating more then I wanted."
"I forgot things."

I saw that one, she played a daughter on Family Matters (better known as the show with Steve Urkel)

I cannot believe how much she complained about the weed negatively affecting her life!! She HAD to be full of shit (just doing it to make her family happy, save face, etc...) Who the FUCK goes to rehab for WEED.

And that counselor, Bob Forrest, I think he's got a really good heart and good intentions, but when I see him telling patients that WEED is addicting and they need to stay away from it "because it's a drug" really pisses me off. He was always getting on Steven Adler's ass when he caught him smoking pot, making it out to be as bad as his heroin addiction.....GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE WITH THAT SHIT!!

Him and Dr. Drew lump cannabis into the same category as hard drugs, and it's complete bullshit. Dr. Drew is a top notch douchenozzle, saying that pot activates the same receptors as every other addictive drug, and that every drug addict always CRAVES weed the most when they're trying to quit drugs.

....I think he KNOWS that cannabis isn't physically addicting, but he gets paid massive amounts of money to spout off that propaganda in order to stay on T.V and keep his pockets fat, because he wants to keep that "good doctor" image for ALL the parents of the children watching, so that he doesn't appear to be soft on anything to do with drugs and addiction.....it's all so fucking lame.

If weed was so fucking addicting, we wouldn't be so willing to share it with our friends when we smoke, we'd hoard the shit to ourselves... It's not fucking crack or dope. Sure, it's got the potential to be PSYCHOLOGICALLY addicting, but that can even be subjective, and varies among individuals.

I have yet to hear about a person laying in bed for days, sweating, shaking, crying from the intense pain in every inch of their body, geeking out from hot/cold flashes, nose dripping, serial sneezing, feeling like jumping out of their skin, all because they haven't smoked a bowl in 12 hours.

What's the worst that happens when someone doesn't have any weed? .... "Damn, I wish I had some weed right now." ........End of story.

[duck]

All I know is its sure nice having sourcecod taking a hiatus lately.

[Thanat0s]

please take that absurd title off this thread!

cannabis 'addiction?!?!'

WTF. thats a fucking joke.
its a beneficial herb, ill be addicted to anything possible and cannabis has never been anything but positive.

'addiction,' you fucking retarded?




puking yer dinner 'addictive' too?
how about shoe shopping?
oh im SOOOO addicted to brushing my teetch.
get fuckt.

dont abuse the term.

[candy]

+10000^^^^^ Cannabis addiction. I have been smoking weed for years and have never felt anywhere near addicted. It helps me relax, sleep better, helps my pain, and makes somethings just more enjoyable! What I think of it.....A joke!

[digby]

For all those docs that think weed is addicting, perhaps they would put their prescription pad where there mouth is and prescribe copious amounts of methadone to come off a "killer" marijuana addiction. Oh, and some Xanax for the anxiety and night terrors associated with coming off a weed habit.

[Michael]

Okay, while addicting may not be the appropriate phrase, what would you use. I know some people who treat weed like it's air. They smoke it all day, every day. They do little to nothing, maybe making a few food runs or drive to score / sell pot but nothing productive to speak of. If they can't get any, they'll whine worse then anything you've heard and sulk. Without pot, they claim to not be able to sleep, eat or enjoy themselves and are clearly highly irritable.

I still don't understand why people will refuse to say it's even slightly habit forming because there's no physically addictive properties, yet there's plenty of drugs people class as addictive without them. Like cocaine for example and meth.

[mac]

Sure it's potentially habit forming, or perhaps psychologically addictive, although anything can be psychologically addictive. There are sex addicts, video game addicts, food addicts, any number of things can be addicting. However, plenty of people have sex, play video games, eat food, but never get what might be defined as "addicted." However, if anyone uses heroin or other opioids enough, they will get physically dependent when they stop. There's no speculation or debate regarding that.

I would relate pot addiction more to sex addiction or the others I listed rather than to addiction to heroin. Whereas heroin undoubtedly has the potential to cause dependence in anyone who uses it enough, pot, like sex or video games, needs a certain person with a certain psychological makeup to cause addictive behavior in them.

[Count Zero]

As someone who has been smoking as every day as possible for 40 years, I think ^ sums it up quite nicely. The sole manifestation of my reefer "addiction" that I'm aware of is that when I don't have any I think, damn, I wouldn't mind smoking some weed and then go do something else. I don't even really consider it a drug anymore, more like salt or pepper, something I use on a daily basis that usually improves my life temporarily and has no negative effects if used in anything approaching moderation.

[jaupoon]

True that Count Zero