Cannabis Use Disorder What it is, Symptoms, and Causes

marijuana addiction

Whether you’re waiting with bated breath, shaking your head or shrugging your shoulders, Ohio recreational marijuana sales are expected to begin soon for adults who are 21 and older. None of this means that NSDUH respondents who qualify for the CUD label have not experienced marijuana-related problems. But those problems cover a broad range and are typically „mild,” contrary to the impression that Lehman leaves. He experiences tolerance, requiring larger doses to achieve the same effect. Start talking with your child at an early age about the dangers of marijuana use.

What are the treatment options for cannabis use disorder?

This can include missing work or school, getting in trouble with the law or school authorities, or putting oneself in dangerous situations. Regardless of how THC is ingested, the substance acts specifically on the brain cell’s cannabinoid receptors. These receptors—ordinarily activated by THC-like chemicals produced naturally by the body—are part of the neural communication network, called the endocannabinoid system, which plays an important role in normal brain development and function. If you need surgery and use cannabis, make sure to tell your doctor about your use. Whether you use it recreationally or medically, it can affect how your anesthesia works. If your doctor is aware of your use, they’ll be able to take the steps to make sure you stay sedated, or „asleep,” for the entire surgery.

  • People who use tobacco or other substances are more likely to experience withdrawal when they stop smoking marijuana.
  • You may not always know how potent your recreational marijuana might be.
  • If you need more anesthesia to fall asleep because of your pot use, you’re at a higher risk of low blood pressure and a delayed wake-up after surgery.
  • The chronic relapsing nature of addiction seems to involve underlying neurophysiological changes in reward, stress, and executive function circuits (Koob and Volkow 2016).

Know the Risks of Marijuana

Many people consider marijuana use to be relatively harmless, because they believe that it isn’t addictive, and because the drug can be beneficial when used for a medically prescribed purpose. Studies have shown, however, that chronic use of marijuana can be dangerous, leading to dependence, tolerance, and addiction. Long-term marijuana use can cause adverse effects both physical and psychological dependence, making it difficult to stop using, and even creating withdrawal symptoms in its users. To diagnose cannabis use disorder, a healthcare provider assesses the person’s history. This includes whether they or their immediate family members have a history of substance abuse or mental health issues and also includes their medical history and exposure to environmental stress. Cannabis use disorder involves continued use of the substance even though the person experiences negative health or life effects from it.

marijuana addiction

Withdrawal Symptoms

  • If you’ve been using marijuana for an extended period, you are more likely to go through a more extended detox period and experience more severe withdrawal symptoms.
  • Regardless of how THC is ingested, the substance acts specifically on the brain cell’s cannabinoid receptors.
  • Reach out to your doctor or find a mental health professional who specializes in treating addictions.

Your doctor may prescribe medications to help manage specific withdrawal symptoms, and some research has found that the off-label use of some medications, such as gabapentin and bupropion, may help relieve some withdrawal symptoms. What doesn’t help in your recovery, however, is holding on to the people, places and things that may contribute to marijuana use and addiction. If you’re serious about moving on from drugs or alcohol, it’s important to maintain a supportive environment and find people to connect with.

Signs and symptoms

marijuana addiction

No two people are likely to go through marijuana withdrawal in the same way. As mentioned, a marijuana detox causes unpleasant symptoms known as withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms are temporary and will cease when you are done with your detox. marijuana addiction When a person who frequently uses large amounts of marijuana suddenly stops, they can go into withdrawal. As with many other drugs, marijuana withdrawal can be very uncomfortable and often causes people to begin using the drug again.

marijuana addiction

Support Your Recovery

About 30% of people who use marijuana may have some level of marijuana use disorder. Those who started using it before age 18 are 4 to 7 times more likely to than people who started later. Paranoia is also a common symptom of marijuana use, although friends and family members of the individual suffering from marijuana addiction are more likely to notice this effect than the user. Only after they are in recovery do most individuals realize the degree to which marijuana-induced paranoia has been negatively impacting their lives. However, a positive drug test does not necessarily mean the person has cannabis use disorder and a negative drug test does not rule it out. Instead, it is more important to look at reported cannabis intake compared to the amount that is in the blood.

Research suggests that you will likely begin experiencing symptoms about a week after you stop using the drug. Around the ten-day mark, you are most likely to witness a peaking of your withdrawal symptoms, after which you’ll experience a decline in the severity of your symptoms over the following 20 days. However, the length of time you are likely to experience these symptoms is highly individual.

marijuana addiction

What Is Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD)?

  • That means you may need to use more of the drug to feel “normal,” or you may feel stressed out when you’re not using it.
  • Affirmations are positive statements a person says about themselves that promote a positive mindset and outlook.
  • A 2020 study found that people have „genetic liability” with cannabis use disorder, meaning they are born with specific genes that increase their risk.
  • In other words, people who have used large amounts of marijuana for a long time may have more severe withdrawal symptoms.
  • More research about the short-term and long-term effects of marijuana is needed.

It makes the world more interesting to counteract the loss of pleasure in depression. For those with PTSD who experience nightmares, it shuts down the process by which dreams form in the brain. Studies of identical twins raised in different families support this theory. They have higher rates of an addiction co-occurring, which means that if one of them develops an addiction, the other is at greater risk for developing one, than fraternal twins raised apart.

marijuana addiction

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