Is marijuana addicting? A caller to my talk show today talked about how his son was addicted to smoking pot and that he doesn’t seem to have the ability to quit.
When I smoked pot in the past, I never felt any withdrawal of any kind if I ran out of pot and had to wait for the next shipment to come in. During a period in my life when I drank every day, and sometimes a significant amount, I remember beginning to feel the symptoms of withdrawal the next day if I didn’t have a drink. Marijuana was different and based on my personal experience with both pot and alcohol, I did not believe that smoking pot was addictive, but I have come to learn that it can be addicting.
The potency of marijuana has changed significantly since I smoked pot in the 70s and 80s. I was a regular user, but I was working on a successful career and I never allowed smoking to derail my career or stop me from preparing for the next day’s show. But I did smoke the best that was available at the time: Acapulco Gold, Panama Red, and Maui Wow Wee.
Even though I smoked the most potent pot available, if I didn’t have a new supply after running out and didn’t smoke I can honestly say that I never felt any withdrawal symptoms. As I mentioned, when I was drinking every day I would feel the beginning of withdrawal the next day if I didn’t have a drink.
The information out today on the possibility of marijuana addiction is presented in a cautious way. Becoming addicted to marijuana seems mostly psychological rather than physical, but heavy use of pot can lead to an addiction. It seems that people tend to be more addicted to the habit or routine of smoking pot every day over a physical addiction to the plant, but addiction does happen.
According to recent stats, about 1 in 10 adults who smoke pot will become addicted. That increases to 1 in 6 if pot smoking begins before the age of 18. However, about 30% of marijuana users might have some degree of Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD). With daily smokers the percentages go up to an estimated 25% to 50%.
It’s important to recognize that in our society many groups and organizations benefit from the idea that people can become addicted to pot and studies can be formulated to yield a certain outcome that is determined prior to the study being done. But considering the potency of marijuana today, I’m sure it is possible for some degree of addiction or CUD to result from heavy smoking.
Marijuana addiction cannot be compared to addiction to alcohol, for example. Consider the common symptoms of withdrawing from smoking marijuana: anxiety, irritability, decreased appetite, anger, depressed mood, insomnia, but never death. Compare those symptoms to the common symptoms of withdrawing from alcohol: headaches, anxiety, irritability, insomnia, excessive sweating, upset stomach, heart palpitations, increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, difficulty walking, tremors, confusion, hallucinations, seizures, delirium, and in extreme cases death.
The symptoms of withdrawal correspond to the seriousness of the addiction and the withdrawal symptoms from smoking marijuana are not nearly as serious as the symptoms from alcohol.
The caller who talked about his 16-year-old son changing his interest in high school wrestling to hanging out with new friends and smoking pot was convinced his son could not quit. When I asked about conversations with his son about smoking pot he said that his son would always say he would try harder, but he seemed intent on pursuing his new lifestyle. Did smoking pot change the teenager or did the teenager decide to choose a different lifestyle that included smoking pot? That’s the question that needs to be answered. It may not have been the pot that was the catalyst to the change. It may have been a desire to change and the pot supported the change.
Either way I empathized with the father who is dealing with a teenage son who has discovered smoking pot and that now defines his life. I asked the father if he was honest with his son about his use of pot when he was young and the father said he was honest with his son and told him that he did smoke pot when he was young. I think being honest with kids is important. The father said that he does drink wine every night and his son may think that if dad is drinking wine and smoked pot when he was young then I can do the same thing. It’s a tricky position for parents to be in, but parents can try to use their experience and how pot smoking did not help them when they were young.
Conversations about marijuana are important considering the number of places where pot is not legal, but like with alcohol, there are age restrictions of the sale of pot.
Teenagers are going to discover pot and alcohol and each parent is challenged with the right way to address smoking and drinking with their kids. Remember, there’s no handbook that fits raising all kids.
Please check out my conversation with the father in the audio player above.