Is cannabis actually addictive?

Are you addicted to weed? Or do you feel in complete control of your consumption rituals?

Some cannabis users might not realize they’ve developed an addiction or dependency until they actually try to quit. Like with any substance that rewards the brain centres—from alcohol to drugs to nicotine or even sugar—addiction to cannabis is entirely possible.

 

 

“When it comes to cannabis, I think many people develop a dependence that they are unaware of, which then turns into Cannabis Use Disorder,” suggests Dr. Lawrence Weinstein, chief medical officer at American Addiction Centers, which is headquartered in Tennessee.

The term, first introduced in 2013 in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders from the American Psychiatric Association, has been adopted by the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA), too. This term is used for someone who might not fit the criteria for having a full-blown addiction, but is dependent enough that when he or she puts down the pipe or foregoes vaping for longer than usual, withdrawal symptoms like headaches, restlessness, change in mood, sleep and appetite are experienced.

What is a cannabis addiction?

So what’s an addiction? CPHA notes that a cannabis addiction differs from the disorder in that the individual is unable to quit using the substance, even though it is negatively impacting her or his life. In its report, Is cannabis addictive?, the CPHA found that one in 10 people who use cannabis will develop either the disorder or an addiction, though men look to be more likely to do so than women.

“There are many factors that play into the development of an addiction, such as a person’s genetics or their environment,” Dr. Weinstein says. “Those with addiction tend to struggle with maintaining dopamine levels, and when a chemical that spikes their dopamine is introduced, it makes that person feel amazing; that chemical could be alcohol or it could be cannabis. Dopamine stimulation activates the reward centres of the brain, which is why a person’s drug of choice is pleasurable to them,” he explains.

What’s the thinking on cannabis as a treatment?

Weed often winds up labeled as a natural way to alleviate countless disorders, ranging from anxiety to insomnia, PTSD and even Alzheimer’s, and while research that proves its medicinal merit is cropping up, so is research pointing to the reality of cannabis abuse and addiction.

Some cannabis users might not realize they’ve developed an addiction or dependency until they actually try to quit.

Dr. Weinstein points to a 2015 study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse done in the U.S., which found that almost four million people surveyed met the criteria for having a Cannabis Use Disorder. Researchers also found that of those people, 140,000 sought treatment. This suggests that cannabis addiction is “very possible,” says Dr. Weinstein.

Still, just as more large, scientific studies on the benefits of THC and CBD are needed, more information and data is required to understand the potential risks, too.

“There are many unknowns when it comes to marijuana, such as the effects of exposure to high concentrations of THC, the number of cannabinoids that exist and the ways they bind to receptors in the brain,” he notes. “Further research into this substance, and addiction as a whole, would be beneficial to all.”