Can you be addicted to weed?

It reminds me of that "Half-Baked" Bob Saget moment, "You ever sucked d@#$ for weed?" But what if i smoke everyday, at least once, sometimes up to 3 or 4 times. I have gotten to the point that I can function 'completely normally' while on it. But my memory has gotten worse, I spend to much money and time on it, and...I dont know, I dont feel like it is a problem, but if it is a habitual, everyday thing, then I guess it is? What do you think?

Thanks
Michael

Hi Michael,

Jmo, but I think people can be addicted to many things.
Many people think it means the hardcore street drugs, alcohol, opiates, etc..

If you are wondering about it then it's possible your mind is trying to tell you something...perhaps you need to listen to that voice.

Functioning normally are words I used when I was near bottoming out. It may feel like you are functioning normally, but you most likely are not...a portion of your brain is running on a drug and that means something in your life is not getting attention. I liken it to being physically present but being half-butt mentally.

You may be able to answer your own question, Michael.
Give it up for a month.
Totally. No quickies, nada...not even second hand smoke.
See what happens...

my best wishes to you,
Cap

well i can't say if you have a problem or not but here's what some told me when i was a drunk. if i used something to take away a feeling or used something to create a feeling, i probably had a problem. well that certainly fit me! it sort of put it in the proper perspective for me. just paying it forward if u can use this little ditty... it may help u find your answer, idk.

Yes, You can become addicted to cannabis, but similarly, you can smoke it long-term without becoming addicted. It all depends on the person. A person with an addictive personality would become addicted to whatever happens to be accessible at the time.
I know people who've smoked dope regularly for 20? 30? years, but are not addicted to it whatsoever, and others who can't go 2 days without the stuff.
It varies.

Hope this helped

BTDT, daily pot smoker for almost 10 years, saved $$$ by growing my own. I mostly only smoked at bedtime so I could get to sleep. All of a sudden about 25 yrs ago I decided that was stupid and quit.

Wow.

I ended up going for counseling to deal with it. That worked out well, I got through the (can't call it withdrawal) changes that happened to get completely over it.

There's probably no physical dependence as such, but there sure as heck is psychological need. I don't recall a single day since I quit tokin that I haven't wanted to try it once more for old times sake. A couple months ago an opportunity came up and I tried it once again. Yup, it was stupid, I don't need to try it again, but I still crave it every day.

Good luck getting straight, but don't underestimate what it's like to discard what has become a substantial part of your daily routine and personality.

filifera,

I so agree with your statement about it becoming a substantial part of our daily routine and personality.
Many people don't understand that concept, jmo. Quiting is just the beginning, and it can be a huge surprise finding out that life is so different without it. No quick fixes either...

Cap

I think it depends on the person. Some people become addicted to a substance and some don't. Also, some people become addicted much more easily than others. I don't know if marijuana is physically addictive, but I think anything (not just injested substances, but even acts) can be mentally addictive.

i was wondering the same thing as you. im in the same situation, i usually smoke before i go to bed so i can sleep and i realized that if i dont....now i can't sleep. some days i smoke more then others it just depends. but it brings me to this happy world. i feel like physically i dont need it, but my mind keeps telling me that i do. if that makes any sense at all.

just wanted to let you know your not alone

Try this on for size.......


But what if I brush my teeth every day, at least once, sometimes up to 3 or 4 times. I have gotten to the point that I can function 'completely normally' while on it. But my memory has gotten worse, I spend to much money and time on it, and...I dont know, I dont feel like it is a problem, but if it is a habitual, everyday thing, then I guess it is? What do you think?

What's the difference??????????? Riddle me that!

It is a matter of opinion, but the answer is yes in mine...it can be mentaly addicting, as any substances that make you form habits, you can even be addicted to peanuts

I've run across far more people addicted to alcohol, pot, meth, sex, nicotine, gambling, narcotics, etc than I ever have anyone addicted to toothpaste or peanuts!

Thank you, I have the same problem, I like where I go when I smoke and I cannot imagine not smoking...

it took rubbing off all the enamel on my teeth before I could kick that toothpaste habit..

just kidding, on a serious note though, as a teen I had a stint of experimentations, I never wanted to just take others word for how whatever made you feel.....so in my experiance, experiance was my best teacher, obviously nothin is good for us so...oh well, live , let live and just say no to drugs

i think marijuana is probably the easiest substance to stop using... when i was in my teens i just up and quit (never became addicted to it) .. as an adult, it leaves hardly any residual hangover.. a bit of tiredness that a few days of rest and some food cures quite well

Yes, it is possible to be addicted to weed.

it is actually possible to be addicted to just about anything.
However, marijuana is not physically addictive, in the sense that you will experience physical withdrawls. You will however, deal with psychological withdrawl..this is where the cravings come from.

You might try tapering down, instead of going cold turkey off it. This helps some people. For others it just leads to going off course.

((Bowzz))) i think you make a very good point.. it is possible that people who smoke weed do become addicted to certain aspects of 'the high' .. maybe its the relaxed feelings or maybe its the ability to 'drift away' to some other kinder place than reality.. isnt that true of all drugs or many mind altering meds? well, not saying that pot is better than sobriety... saying that for some, pot is not used as an escape, but a method.. like alcohol is used to achieve that (lack of better) free from pain feeling... only, with some meds and alcohol, the feeling is fleeting and many times the loss of personal judgment spirals beyond any control... with marijuana, one can learn to moderate emotions because a certain mindfulness becomes present when used.. granted, it is not natural mind organics and so, 'clean' is much better for us when we are able to achieve that state of mind...

im only comparing effects... for some, pot produces intense feelings of paranoia and for many, that experience alone is enough to encourage non use.. on the other hand, pot enhances some perceptions other than fear and might lead us towards an inner understanding about some things that our 'normal' mind is unable to grasp onto... when the effects of the THC have faded we can examine these thoughts and feelings.. they are real and a part of us tho they may have been 'medicinally' induced and in this way begin the long process of accepting and understanding something beyond our own self...

i accept that not everyone is going to agree with this point of view and i mean no harm in it... no way do i advocate abuse of any type drug

if anyones ever been a regular weed smoker then you know the felling when your bag starts to get low, though not a physical withdraw it stays on you mind till you reup

for me since I never smoked ciggarets, I quess it was just the habit of havin somethin to do when I was bored, it kicks in my creative side of my brain

so I understand your point nowhere, it does effect everyone on a diff level most I know either like it or they don't, so for each experiance there will be a diff opinion, but even most who I know who don't smoke it seem to think it should be legal

I smoked weed everyday, many times for many years. I had to quit when I started looking for a new job and I was very depressed for about 2 weeks. There's no physical withdrawal, but there's certainly a psychological one.

I have been smoking marijuana for 6 years daily, It became a very big routine for me most of my life and I'll admit, it still is now. I forgot to quote that person, but someone mentioned "the feeling when you get low in your bag" referring to weed, I definately know what that feeling is like.

I'm going to agree with others who say it definately is mentally addictive.

I'm also going to say that I found it frustrating and irritating for the first couple of days when I had quit and I had those thoughts of "oh..I wish i had some weed right now.." but those thoughts were easily pushed aside.

When i was working and stuff, I never really smoked it..but eventually..after like 2 months of not smoking, I ended up starting to smoke again. I smoked way more when i wasn't working than when I was working.

I find it kind of hard to stop smoking actually, I always have access to it because it is in my family. If it is always available, I just kind of do it..why not?

anyways, I just wanted to chime in and say that it is definately addictive if you are smoking alot, there is definately a mental addiction. I actually find it to be a huge motivational killer. I always feel way blah when I come down, and then the next thought is, "alright, joint time" ..yeah, bad, I know.

The ABCs - Cannabis (Marijuana, Hash)

Cannabis is the most widely used illegal drug in Canada. It is a mood-altering drug that comes from the Cannabis sativa plant. People use it in three forms: as marijuana (the dried leaf of the plant), hashish and hash oil (both from the plant resin).
Marijuana and hashish are usually smoked in cigarettes (called joints or reefers), in cigars (“blunts”), in pipes, or in water pipes (“bongs”). Hash oil is added to marijuana or tobacco cigarettes. Cannabis can also be cooked in foods, for example brownies.
The cannabis “high” comes from the chemical THC (delta-9-tetrahydro-cannabinol). In recent years, new growing methods have produced stronger marijuana. Hashish usually is stronger than marijuana, and hash oil is even stronger.
Short-Term Effects

• Using cannabis will probably make you feel more relaxed, free and open. Colours will seem brighter, sounds and smells more distinct. Some users feel happy and start talking a lot; others get quiet and withdrawn. Minutes can seem like hours, and ordinary objects seem to have special meaning. If you smoke cannabis, you will probably feel the “high” quickly, and it will last two to four hours. If you eat it, the high happens later, and you feel it for a longer time. Cannabis makes you clumsier and slow to react. Driving and operating machinery while stoned is not safe, especially if you combine cannabis with other drugs, including alcohol. While high on cannabis, you lose some of your ability to learn. You can forget things, and have trouble concentrating—a serious problem for students.Some users feel severe anxiety and high doses can cause panic attacks, fearful suspicious feelings (paranoia) and temporary psychosis. These effects usually disappear within hours. After very high doses, you might hallucinate, but this is unusual.
• Marijuana can be taken to decrease nausea caused by anti-cancer drugs and increase appetite in people with AIDS. In Canada, it is generally illegal to use marijuana for medical treatment. A few people have been granted permission through Health Canada’s Special Access Program.

Effects of Long-Term Use



Using cannabis heavily for a long time can have serious side effects:

• Cannabis smoke contains cancer-producing chemicals. Smoking cannabis damages the lungs and can lead to chronic coughing and lung infections. People who smoke both marijuana and tobacco may develop lung, neck and head cancers at a younger age than those who smoke only tobacco. Many people who use cannabis heavily for a long time have problems with short-term memory, concentration and abstract thinking. Most of these problems disappear after a few weeks without drugs, but some last for years.
• Some heavy cannabis users appear less active and ambitious than other people. We cannot say that cannabis causes this. However, frequent use can make people even less motivated.

Cannabis and Pregnancy

Women who use cannabis during pregnancy are more likely to have premature or underweight babies. As the children grow up, they may have some learning and behaviour problems.
Cannabis and Addiction

People who use cannabis often may find that they need more and more to get the same effect. Heavy users can become mentally and physically dependent, or addicted to how it makes them feel. They can’t stop using cannabis even when it causes serious problems.
Dependent users who quit may feel mild withdrawal symptoms like troubled sleep, irritability, anxiety, nausea, sweating and loss of appetite. These symptoms usually last less than a week, but craving can last longer.

Yes, i do believe one can. I am currently struggling with a psychological addiction to the tasty green herb. I started smoking when i was 10, shortly after my father died. Its been 16 years later and i have become very dependent on smoking pot. I smoke several times a day, when i only smoke once a day i get a little bit uncomfortable. In that 16 years, i think i quit twice (just to get a job).. It is a strong psychological addiction that I find myself with here. Not saying that i want to quit now... but maybe down the road? (maybe)

I think weed may have small compenents that are physically addiction, but much less serious than cigarettes for sure. I think what may be addictive about pot is the high itself, you know a mental thing. I don't smoke pot much now, on occasions, but back in the day I used to smoke it habitually and everytime I craved it, it was because I needed motivation to clean or study.

There is a flip side to cannabis, let's not forget, and that is the effects it gives to AIDS and cancer patients to aide the reduction in some side effects from medication, and it dulls pain, and it causes salivating (munchies) so that the seriously ill can keep their weight up while reducing the nausea side effect. It also helps reduce certain pains, relax muscles and help the patients in other ways.

It helps with glaucoma, and in other diseases as MS, etc., and also is being used in medical marijuana purchases from shops that are using the top quality buds.

It should be legal for these purposes ....

Peace,
Nightbird
xoxo

So, it has a purpose for the ill, and helps, so it has it's place.

Yes and no. Weed isn't truly an addiction in my opinion. For instance, a cocaine addict in most cases would literally give someone head or possiblyh resort to some sort of violence to get their fix if necessary. Same with meth, heroin, and crack. No one would do anything like this for weed so thus I wouldn't consider it an addiction. However, it is possible to be a habitual pothead and smoke pot recreationally but have a habit out of it in the same manner that someone could be "addicted" to coffee.

Marijuana is a wonderful thing. However, as someone who has smoked daily for over 20 years, I have to admit I believe my life would have gone better if I had not. I've spent way too much time smoking instead of going out and doing things with my life, and this is a challenge I'm presently wrestling with. Time to roll another joint..

It doesn't matter so much that it's not physically addictive because it is clearly psychologically addictive for many people. Like a big smokey hug.