Is Marijuana Addictive?

Marijuana is a drug made from the dried flowers, leaves and stems of the Cannabis sativa plant. The main active ingredient in marijuana is THC, a fat-soluble substance that remains in the lungs and in brain tissue for as long as three weeks. In recent decades the potency in terms of THC content has increased dramatically in marijuana.

There are hundreds of slang words for marijuana, but the most common are pot, grass, mary jane, chronic, herb, weed, loco weed, and ganja. Marijuana can be smoked by rolling in cigarette papers, smoked in a pipe or water bong, or eaten by being baked into such items as brownies and cookies.

Recent research indicates that regular marijuana use undermines your ability to learn and to remember information. When people are “stoned” they are less able to focus, sustain, and shift attention, which are essential components of learning and storing information. One study found that long-term marijuana use reduced the ability to organize and integrate complex information.

Heavy marijuana smokers tend to show short-term memory impairment as well as decreased motivation. One study showed that even small doses of marijuana impaired users ability to recall a list of words a mere 20 minutes later.

In men, long-term marijuana use can result in impotence issues and reduced fertility.

The most persistent myth about marijuana is that it is not addictive. Although it might not be as quickly addicting as alcohol or cocaine, animal and human studies show physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms from marijuana, including irritability, restlessness, insomnia, nausea and intense dreams. Tolerance to marijuana also builds up quickly. Heavy marijuana users need much higher doses of the drug to get the same effects as those who smoke only occasionally.

For some, marijuana can be highly addictive. Researchers estimate that approximately 10-14% of marijuana users develop serious dependency. Every year over 100,000 people in the United States seek treatment for their marijuana addiction. Because of long-standing cultural beliefs about the “harmlessness” of marijuana, many people with addiction do not recognize the impairment caused by the drug and delay or never seek treatment.

Treatment for Marijuana Addiction

Support groups and cognitive-behavioral therapy are effective in helping people who are struggling with marijuana dependency. One of the issues with addiction to marijuana is that many people who smoke tend to hang out with others who smoke, it being a “social” drug like alcohol. This can make it difficult for the user to abstain for any length of time unless they make a decision not to spend time with those still using the drug.

Medical Marijuana Abuse

In recent years, the medicinal value of marijuana has largely been scrutinized and contested. Proponents of the drug argue that cannabis provides help for individuals with life-threatening illnesses; opponents contend that there isn’t enough medical evidence to prove that marijuana has any positive effects on patients, and that the drug could actually cause further complications and ailments. As the debate over medical marijuana continues, a new cause for concern has developed—are individuals using this new prescription drug just to get high?

Marijuana, or cannabis, is the most widely abused illicit drug in the United States, and it is currently listed as a Schedule I drug under the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970. Marijuana comes from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa, and it is one of the oldest known psychoactive plants in the world—some approximate that it appeared as early as 2700 B.C. In the early years of its existence in the United States, the plant was cultivated and farmed, and its hemp was used in the production of rope and clothing.

During the 1800s, the drug was slowly introduced into the medical world and became a common ingredient in medicine. The early 1900s brought regulation of the drug, thus bringing an end to the legality of marijuana—until now. There are currently 14 states that have legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes and a handful of others are considering the proposition.

Although medical research is still up for debate, studies suggest marijuana is helpful in treating illnesses such as nausea, glaucoma, migraines, and asthma. It can also be useful in treating rheumatoid arthritis, epilepsy, Parkinson’s, and AIDS. If marijuana can bring pain relief to individuals in need, why does legalizing the drug still cause so much controversy? Well, as with any prescription drug, there runs the risk of individuals misusing it. Given how popular marijuana already is in America, abuse is likely.

When legalizing marijuana was first proposed, it was under the premise that the drug would be strongly regulated and it would be prescribed to patients with serious medical conditions. Fast-forward ten years and it has become apparent that patients are no longer using marijuana to relieve serious pain, but instead to get high. In California, where pot dispensaries or “potshops” are legal, it is quite common to see the waiting rooms filled with people with a variety of “painful” ailments who don’t appear to be sick at all. While under California law it is not illegal for a physician to prescribe marijuana, there is little discretion taken as to which patients are prescribed the drug versus those patients who really need it.

While supporters of legalizing marijuana argue the health benefits it has for patients, opponents are worried that by legalizing the drug, it opens the door for all narcotics to become legal. Legalization will also pose problems for law enforcement agencies that will be faced with the challenge of regulating the distribution and sale of marijuana. One final concern addressed by opponents is the social implications. Legalizing marijuana may lead teens to believe that marijuana is safe to use recreationally and the increased availability of the drug will make it easier to come by.

As more states weigh the options of legalizing marijuana for medical purposes, it is safe to say the debate will continue. Several states are already hard at work tightening their medical-marijuana bill to avoid abuse in the future.

Sullivan Returns to Washington, Opens Up About Alcohol Abuse

US Representative John Sullivan is returning to Congress after a month-long stay at the Betty Ford Clinic in California for alcohol addiction. He plans to seek another term in office.

The 44-year-old Oklahoma Republican told Tulsa World that his announcement in late May to seek treatment was not triggered by a single incident. He says he experienced “one of those moments of just clarity” that people struggling with addiction often have.

“I know people were thinking some shoe was going to drop — I got a DWI, did something awful,” said Sullivan, who now admits he is an alcoholic and a “periodic binge drinker.” “I had just a lot of negative feelings, guilt, shame, remorse about it, and I just want to be a better person, better man, better husband, better father,” he added.

He told Tulsa World that his drinking—which he sometimes abstained from for years at a time—was impacting his family. “I was snappy with my kids, yelling at them, arguing with my wife in front of them,” he said. “It just got worse. My kids saw it. I was setting a horrible example.” He called his battle with alcoholism the “most challenging time of my life.”

Sullivan checked himself in to the Betty Ford Center on May 28 and said his stay there was one of the best experiences of his life and that his time there strengthened him. He said his treatment changed his perspective on alcoholism, saying he used to think “an alcoholic was a guy under a bridge cooking a squirrel on a stick.”

He said he also learned that his body processes alcohol differently than others, which played a role his sporadic binge drinking. He added that he now knows that total abstinence is his only acceptable option with alcohol.

Sullivan wrote in a statement, “My time at the Betty Ford Center gave me the opportunity to reflect on my life and afforded me a clearer perspective on what is truly important: God, family, friends, and service to others. Although this was certainly not what I had planned for my life it has turned out to be something that has strengthened me. I am already back to work. All of you have stood by me in this difficult time and I will stand stronger than ever for you in the US Congress.”
Sullivan said serving in Congress was not a factor in his drinking and that he wants to run for re-election next year.