Is Weed Addictive? Who Gets Addicted to Marijuana & Why

Now that marijuana is becoming increasingly legal across the country, there’s debate about how harmful the drug is or if it’s even harmful at all. Some point to its potential for abuse, while others tout its potential health benefits. Some people consider it harmless fun. Some people look at the bigger, long-term picture. When it comes to weed, the risks need to be weighed against the benefits.

What Are the Risks Involved With Weed?

Understanding the risks involved with marijuana use begins with understanding how marijuana works. THC is the active ingredient in weed. It interrupts normal brain function and neurotransmitter communication and affects many different parts of the brain and nervous system. Each of these parts plays a different role in how people think and feel. Some of the many effects of weed include the following:

THC affects areas of the brain related to memory and focus. A person using marijuana may have trouble learning and remembering.
THC impacts coordination and balance. This is why driving under the influence is dangerous. Users may have other accidents, falls or injuries as a result. They may also have trouble with physical tasks.
THC affects the reward system. It causes the brain to release more dopamine than usual, producing the “high” many users look for.

Marijuana affects body and mind. It changes how users think, act and feel. But can it cause addiction?

Is Weed Addictive?

Because marijuana changes how individuals feel and think and acts directly on the brain and nervous system, it can be addictive. No, this doesn’t mean everyone who uses marijuana becomes addicted. A lot of people who use painkillers, drink alcohol or even try completely illegal drugs like cocaine or heroin don’t become addicted, either. However a lot of people do. The National Institute on Drug Abuse explains, “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.” Given this data, when does this use disorder become addiction? When a person feels like he or she can’t stop or doesn’t want to stop using. When use continues even though the drug is starting to cause problems in a person’s life.

How Addictive Is Weed?

Developing a weed addiction is a real possibility. However it may not be as likely as becoming addicted to other substances. It’s not surprising that weed is less addictive than powerful painkillers or recreational drugs like cocaine and heroin. But it turns out that weed is also less addictive than other legal substances—alcohol and tobacco. According to an article in The Atlantic, “Of all the people who smoke pot, about 9 percent will become dependent. But of all the people who drink, about 16 percent will become alcoholics.” Further, a story in the New York Times cites that 32 percent of people who use tobacco will become dependent. This doesn’t mean weed is harmless. Nine percent is still a large portion of users. It is a huge number of U.S. citizens—NIDA points out that “In 2015, about 4.0 million people in the United States met the diagnostic criteria for a marijuana use disorder;3 138,000 voluntarily sought treatment for their marijuana use.”

Who Gets Addicted to Weed?

Anyone can struggle with addiction. Don’t think it happens to only certain types of people. Don’t buy into stereotypes about who does and doesn’t struggle with substance abuse. Anyone who uses weed can become addicted to weed. Further, some factors make addiction even more likely. A personal or family history of substance use puts a person at risk. Mental health does, too. Healthline interviewed one treatment professional who estimates that, of the marijuana abusers he has treated, 50 to 60 percent suffer from an underlying mental illness, with the majority having depression, anxiety, PTSD or schizophrenia. Mental health issues and psychological effects of addiction can be hard to spot, but they need to be identified to better understand how addiction develops—and how to treat it.. So how can someone tell if they are addicted? There’s no weed addiction test, but there are signs and symptoms to look for.

Am I Addicted to Weed?

Withdrawal is often a clearer, and more commonly used, sign of dependence and addiction. Marijuana doesn’t have the same dramatic withdrawal symptoms as some substance, but it does cause physical and psychological dependence in many users. NIDA points out that marijuana users who quit frequently “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.” Not everyone who is addicted will also be dependent on the drug or experience these symptoms. This means withdrawal signs aren’t the only sign of addiction. The best way to identify addiction is to pay attention to hunches and worries. The best way is to ask questions and get a professional, in-depth assessment. Fill out WeRecover’s quick, easy and confidential questionnaire, and get immediate access to the resources needed to identify, understand and address weed addiction today.