Marijuana

Marijuana addiction is a real challenge many individuals face. Although more states are coming to legalize marijuana, it may be important to recognize that marijuana addiction can still become an issue. Recreational drug use can add a serious risk of developing addiction, especially in younger people while their brains are still developing. Knowing the warning signs of addiction could benefit you. Please know that there are also treatment options if you are facing marijuana addiction. Overcoming marijuana addiction is possible, and it is always brave to reach out for support when you need it.

Marijuana has been legalized in many places, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't have risks. Many people believe that cannabis is not addictive, but that's farther from the truth. Marijuana can be highly addictive, and marijuana addiction presents a variety of risks. In this blog, we're going to discuss the risks of marijuana addiction and why cannabis should be avoided.

Marijuana addiction, or marijuana use disorder, is a dangerously overlooked issue for many. Despite plenty of assertions that the drug is neither addictive nor capable of causing an overdose, research has proven that this isn't the case. Unlike other drugs, identifying a marijuana addiction may be more difficult. Learn how to recognize if someone is abusing the drug and how to lower the risk of overdose.

Marijuana addiction is often debated because of the belief that marijuana doesn’t cause physical dependency. While researchers are still exploring this topic, it’s been proven that a person can become psychologically dependent on marijuana – yet because it’s not as easily seen, it’s often easy to deny. If you believe your loved one may be struggling with marijuana dependency, consider the following signs:

Marijuana addiction has been a long-debated topic over the past few years, as many people believe that since it’s considered a “natural herb”, it doesn’t have addictive properties. If you ask a large number of people, however, you might receive different stories; in 2015, writer Kitty Gray shared her story via Vice on how she struggled with marijuana dependency. She explained that for 6 years in a row, she’d deliberately smoke marijuana three times a day; she described her dependence as this: “I can now admit that I’ve been psychologically addicted to weed for the past decade-plus. If I need to eat, sleep, be amused, calm down, forget a horrible experience, practice self love, run errands of any kind, watch TV or create something: I smoke.”    No matter what your relationship to marijuana has been in the past, it’s important to know the facts. While marijuana may not be considered physically addictive, it’s psychologically addictive. Individuals who go through this dependence stage with marijuana tend to think about using a lot – and if they’re not able to use it in an effort to control how they want to feel, they’re likely to become disappointed. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) explains that those who use marijuana frequently already tend to report symptoms like irritability, cravings, restlessness, decreased appetite, sleep issues and more – and this is because the brain adapts to the effects that marijuana produces. The earlier that a person begins using marijuana – especially if they start using before the age of 18 – the more likely they are to develop marijuana dependency as an adult. If you’ve been struggling with marijuana or another substance, speak with a professional from Avalon Malibu today. Recovery is possible – and you deserve to get back control over your life.

As stated by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), marijuana use can lead to the development of marijuana use disorder; research estimates that 30% of people who use marijuana have some degree of this disorder. Furthermore, individuals who use marijuana before the age of 18 are four to seven times more likely to develop marijuana use disorder when they get older. As such, marijuana use disorder is classified as a dependency to marijuana; although many people believe a person cannot become dependent or addicted to the drug, it is possible. A 2014 study conducted by researchers from Harvard University Medical School found that marijuana abusers show lower positive and higher negative emotionality scores along with greater stress and irritability, which is related to the fact that more marijuana use can lower a person’s sensitivity to rewards that would typically cause pleasure. When marijuana is consumed, an influx of “feel good” chemicals in the brain, otherwise known as dopamine, are released. The brain becomes used to this influx so when it is taken away because the person is no longer using the drug, the brain experiences less pleasure – giving an individual more negative emotion reactivity. These physiological reactions are like other addictions, as the brain becomes used to an increase in dopamine production from the drug itself.

Thus far in the recorded history of marijuana consumption, there has not been an overdose to date. Despite emergency police calls of paranoia due to THC edibles consumption, and concern that someone unconscious from smoking too much marijuana might be dead, the natural herb has never caused an overdose death. Marijuana consumption can, however, cause a chemical dependency, which led professionals to create the marijuana use disorder diagnosis.

Called “legal weed” “synthetic weed” or more technically named “cannabinoid alternative” synthetic marijuana types have gained popularity as well as notoriety in recent years. Clusters of overdoses, isolated overdose events, and chronic addiction has resulted from the widespread availability of synthetic marijuana. Perhaps the most striking difference between synthetic and normal marijuana is the overdose. To date, there are no reported overdoses on marijuana. Marijuana can cause a disruptive impairment of judgment and perception which can lead to accidental deaths. Compared to synthetic marijuana, the effects are minimal. Like other synthetic drugs, the chemical formula of synthetic marijuana is easy to manipulate. As a result, it is challenging for government agencies and law officials to stay ahead of the drug. Regularly adding forms of synthetic marijuana to the list of officially banned substances is helpful, but does not eliminate the problem. Sold as “natural” home products like potpourri and incense, synthetic marijuana is advertised as having natural elements, though it contains few. Instead, the harsh concoctions of chemicals can lead to severe side effects including heart failure, seizure, intense hallucination, and episodes of psychosis. These side effects mirror many other synthetic drugs, yet are more common in synthetic marijuana. According to data released in the Global Drug Survey of last year, 2016, synthetic marijuana will lead to more emergency room medical treatments than any other drug. Considering the recent devastating effects of volatile synthetic drugs like Flakka, Krokodil, and crystal meth, that makes synthetic marijuana a dangerous substance. Why Is Synthetic Marijuana Addicting? Regularly experiencing psychosis, seizure, hospitalization, and other severely adverse effects might not sound like an appealing draw to synthetic marijuana. However, many become extremely addicted to the drug. Any synthetic substance creates a powerful surge of dopamine, the neurotransmitter in the brain which sends signals of pleasure to other areas of the brain. Quickly, the brain develops a tolerance and a dependency on the drug. It does not take many uses of synthetic marijuana for addiction to develop.