Long-term marijuana use can cause dependence and addiction, and negatively impact physical and mental health. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) shows that individuals who mix Sobriety marijuana with alcohol or other drugs increase the risks of impaired judgment, accidents, and other health issues. This pattern is thought to occur due to the way marijuana affects the brain’s reward system, potentially creating a pathway to further drug experimentation.

Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET)

Marijuana also causes blood vessels to expand, causing your eyes to appear bloodshot. Research shows that approximately 30 percent of individuals who abuse marijuana have a problematic relationship with it. Besides marijuana, laboratory-synthesized chemical compounds that bind to cannabinoid receptors are also used for recreational purposes. These synthetic cannabinoids also referred to as “synthetic marijuana” and tend to be more potent than natural marijuana and can contain harmful chemicals. Synthetic cannabinoids are more potent with a higher chance of inducing toxic effects including cardiovascular toxicities, psychosis, organ damage and death. This physical dependence may become severe enough to interfere with social and occupational activities, resulting in cannabis addiction.

• Contrary to popular belief, people can become addicted to cannabis.
• In 2019, there were 48.2 million Americans using it.1 The number of people using marijuana is also on the rise.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps to identify and modify damaging thinking and behavior, can also help people overcome addictions.
• When you are trying to stop smoking marijuana, it is essential to get rid of any marijuana-related paraphernalia in your home.
• On a related note, the combination of marijuana and alcohol increases driving impairment more than either substance alone.
• People develop cannabis dependence for different reasons, so it’s important to address any underlying issues.

Building up a tolerance

Cannabis use disorder, or marijuana use disorder, is when a person continues to use the substance even though they experience negative health or life effects from use. Symptoms include excessive focus on marijuana use; ignoring school, work, or relationships; other problems caused by marijuana use such as an inability to resist cravings; and more. While some people can try and use marijuana without becoming addicted, it can also be addictive for some people. Marijuana use disorder, also known as cannabis use disorder, is when the use of marijuana negatively impacts a person’s health or life but they continue to use it anyway. 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.

Why Do People Smoke Marijuana?

Some people may use cannabis to avoid negative experiences, such as trouble sleeping, anxiety, or depression. This may spur people to use it regularly over a longer term, increasing the risk of CUD and addiction. Individuals who obtain the drug illegally can still use it for relatively harmless reasons like treatment and recreation. Unfortunately, it also opens byways for marijuana abuse, especially among teenagers.

Benefits to Treatment

Marijuana addiction has been a controversial topic in addiction research, but experts now agree that it is possible to develop a marijuana addiction. These complications can be both mental, including higher levels of anxiety, fear, or paranoia, and physical, including damage to the heart, liver, lungs, and kidneys. The length of time that marijuana is detectable in a drug test depends a lot on how high of a dose and how frequently a person uses marijuana. A person’s metabolism can also impact how long marijuana stays in the system.

Mental Health Risks of Marijuana Abuse

When marijuana is smoked or ingested, THC enters the person’s bloodstream. The short-term effects of marijuana can vary from person to person, and they could include mood changes, impaired memory and altered sense of time, among others. Marijuana addiction can include the compulsive need to consume the drug, for example, or behaviors that involve getting, using, and hoarding the drug. Even in states where marijuana use is legal and regulated, individuals may struggle with compulsive marijuana use and find that they have become dependent on the drug to help manage social interactions or stress and anxiety. Psychotherapy is the most common and effective form of treatment for marijuana addiction. Recent studies suggest that smoking high-potency marijuana daily can increase an individual’s chance of developing psychosis by almost five times more than a person who does not use marijuana.

Symptoms of Marijuana Addiction

While synthetic cannabinoids are intended to produce marijuana addiction effects similar to those of marijuana, they are not the same. They are also often falsely marketed as an alternative to marijuana. Synthetic cannabinoids are not safe and can impact the brain more powerfully than natural marijuana.