Marijuana Addiction

Marij uana Add iction (Do y ou belon g?) Pr ev en tio n M et hod and Co ntr ol

Marijuana addiction is the consequence of habitual use of marijuana. It can be described as chronically making the decision to quit using marijuana followed shortly by a relapse due to overwhelming cravings for it. Marijuana is considered to be both mentally and emotionally addictive. Users come to believe that they need it to function normally and have fun. This misconception is very common among those who use marijuana on a daily basis. Many of these habitual marijuana users find that they must be high on marijuana to enjoy themselves and to feel normal, even though marijuana itself is not physically addictive. Marijuana addiction is just like any other addiction. The user eventually feels they "need" the drug, finding themselves unable to quit using it for fear of withdrawal symptoms. Marijuana addiction, like other drugs come with a long list of side effects and withdrawal symptoms. How Marijuana Affects the Body Some immediate physical effects of marijuana include:

- a faster heartbeat and pulse rate bloodshot eyes - dry mouth and throat No scientific evidence indicates that marijuana improves hearing, eyesight, and skin sensitivity. Marijuana use increases the heart rate as much as 50 percent, depending on the amount of THC. It can cause chest pain in people who have a poor blood supply to the heart - and it produces these effects more rapidly than tobacco smoke does. Scientists believe that marijuana can be especially harmful to the lungs because users often inhale the unfiltered smoke deeply and hold it in their lungs as long as possible. Therefore, the smoke is in contact with lung tissues for long periods of time, which irritates the lungs and damages the way they work. Marijuana smoke contains some of the same ingredients in tobacco smoke that can cause emphysema and cancer. In addition, many marijuana users also smoke cigarettes; the combined effects of smoking these two substances creates an increased health risk. "Burnout" is a term first used by marijuana smokers themselves to describe the effect of prolonged use. Young people who smoke

marijuana heavily over long periods of time can become dull, slow moving, and inattentive. These "burned-out" users are sometimes so unaware of their surroundings that they do not respond when friends speak to them, and they do not realize they have a problem.

that, in addition to aggression, marijuana smokers experience other withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, stomach pain, and increased irritability during abstinence from the drug. "These results suggest that dependence may be an important consequence of repeated daily exposure to marijuana," says NIDA.

How Marijuana Affects the Mind Laboratory studies have shown that animals exhibit symptoms of drug withdrawal after cessation of prolonged marijuana administration. Some human studies have also demonstrated withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, stomach pain, aggression, and anxiety after cessation of oral administration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), marijuana's principal psychoactive component. Now, NIDA-supported researchers at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, and Columbia University in New York City have shown that individuals who regularly smoke marijuana experience withdrawal symptoms after they stop smoking the drug. Studies at Columbia University in New York City have demonstrated

Signs of Marijuana Abuse Some noticeable signs of Marijuana abuse include: - Rapid, loud talking and bursts of laughter in early stages of intoxication. - Sleepy or stuporous in the later stages. - Lack of concentration and coordination. - Forgetfulness in conversation. - Inflammation in whites of eyes. - Odor similar to burnt rope on clothing or breath. - Distorted sense of time passage - tendency to overestimate time intervals. - Craving for sweets. - Increased appetite. Use or possession of paraphernalia including roach clip, packs of rolling papers, pipes or bongs.

Marijuana Addiction Treatment There is no medication used to treat marijuana addiction. A person experiencing marijuana withdrawal will usually encounter mood swings, agitation, aggressiveness, insomnia, and a craving for the drug. Medication can be prescribed to reduce these marijuana withdrawal symptoms, but rest and talk therapy is usually the best addiction treatment. After about three to five days the actual cravings for the drug will diminish, although the affected individual will still experience thoughts about using the drug. Generally speaking, those affected by marijuana addiction should enroll in outpatient programs. These programs are specifically designed to assist in the development of effective coping skills rather than turning to marijuana use. If the individual continues to return to the use of marijuana or other drugs, they should seek admission to one of many inpatient addiction programs. Final comment Although marijuana use has been common in many segments of the American population for two

generations, and many adults and teenagers know marijuana users who have not developed addiction even to prolonged use, the potential for the development of addiction is almost certainly greater today than in the 1960s or ’70s. The marijuana of today is different. It’s not just much more expensive; it also contains significantly more THC. In fact, the THC content of today’s pot is several times higher than that of even strong “weed” from the ’60s. This makes it more potent, but also more likely to induce tolerance and true addiction. -

Respect yourself Love your family Enjoy life Make life more productive Never, ever get addicted to prohibited drugs Stay close to god QUIT…Quit…