Marijuana may be as addictive as alcohol. In studies, approximately 10% of people who smoke marijuana will get addicted to it. Marijuana is not a harmless herb. Users may have difficulty controlling their use, and they will continue to use even though it has negative consequences to their life. Every day people enter rehab programs or go to a support group (i.e.,12 step) to deal with their marijuana addiction.

People have refused clinical treatment for alcohol dependence because they would have to abstain from marijuana use while in treatment. “Give up smoking weed… even for a few weeks? No way… That’s not my problem.” People in prison have admitted that their judgment was impaired when making behavioral decisions about committing crimes. Many admitted an inability to stop smoking marijuana, even when they could give up other drugs, including alcohol.

One study looked at 2,446 young adults between the ages of 14-24, and followed them for a period of 4 years. Approximately 10% met the criteria for marijuana addiction. 17% experienced withdrawal when they stopped using, 14% had difficulty controlling their use, and 13% continued to use even though they had health problems due to their marijuana use.(1)

Look at the self-test questionnaire page to see if you have an addiction.

Cross Addiction

Marijuana is one of the most difficult drugs to give up. Not because it’s more addictive than other drugs, but because addicts are more reluctant to let it go. They see it as their final vice.

If you want to recover from addiction, you also have to stop using marijuana. If you continue to use marijuana, you’re saying that you don’t want to change your life and you don’t want to learn new ways to relax, escape, and reward yourself, which means nothing will have changed.

The Consequences of Marijuana Use

Marijuana users are 4 times more likely to develop depression. One study looked at 1,920 people, and followed them for 16 years. It discovered that people who smoked marijuana were 4 times more likely to develop depression.(2)

Another study looked at 1601 students aged 14-15 and followed them for seven years. Approximately 60% of the students had used marijuana by the age of 20, and 7% had become daily users. The young women of the group who were daily users had a five time greater chance of developing depression.(3)

Marijuana almost triples the chance of developing psychotic symptoms. A 3-year study followed 4,045 psychosis-free people. It came to the conclusion that marijuana smokers are three times more likely to develop psychotic symptoms (including bipolar disorder) than non-smokers.(4)

Post-acute withdrawal. Look at the post-acute withdrawal page to learn about those symptoms and how to deal with them.

The broader consequences of addiction. Look at the disease of addiction page to learn more about the broader consequences of addiction. (Reference: www.AddictionsAndRecovery.org)

Marijuana and Pain Control

Marijuana is no more effective in controlling pain than codeine. One study reviewed 9 clinical trials that compared marijuana with other pain medication in a total of 222 patients. The study looked at 5 cancer pain trials, 2 chronic non-malignant pain trials, and 2 acute postoperative pain trials. The review showed that marijuana was no more effective in controlling pain than 60-120 mg codeine. But it also showed that marijuana had more side effects than codeine including the fact that it caused more depression.(5)

K2, called Spice (alternative Marijuana)

K2 can be a dangerous drug, considering the often unknown chemical additives used to produce it. K2 users have been known to develop psychotic symptoms in the brain that can to some degree become permanent with continued use, impairing the user to the point of jeopardizing quality of life.

“Spice” refers to a wide variety of herbal mixtures that produce experiences similar to marijuana (cannabis) and that are marketed as “safe,” legal alternatives to that drug. Sold under many names, including K2, fake weed, Yucatan Fire, Skunk, Moon Rocks, and others — and labeled “not for human consumption” — these products contain dried, shredded plant material and chemical additives that are responsible for their psychoactive (mind-altering) effects.

For several years, Spice mixtures have been easy to purchase in head shops and gas stations and via the Internet. Because the chemicals used in Spice have a high potential for abuse and no medical benefit, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has designated the five active chemicals most frequently found in Spice as Schedule I controlled substances, making it illegal to sell, buy, or possess them. Manufacturers of Spice products attempt to evade these legal restrictions by substituting different chemicals in their mixtures, while the DEA continues to monitor the situation and evaluate the need for updating the list of banned cannabinoids.

Spice products are popular among young people; of the illicit drugs most used by high-school seniors, they are second only to marijuana. (They are more popular among boys than girls — in 2012, nearly twice as many male 12th graders reported past-year use of synthetic marijuana as females in the same age group.) Easy access and the misperception that Spice products are “natural” and therefore harmless have likely contributed to their popularity. Another selling point is that the chemicals used in Spice are not easily detected in standard drug tests.

How Is Spice Abused?

Some Spice products are sold as “incense,” but they more closely resemble potpourri. Like marijuana, Spice is abused mainly by smoking. Sometimes Spice is mixed with marijuana or is prepared as an herbal infusion for drinking.

How Does Spice Affect the Brain?

Spice users report experiences similar to those produced by marijuana—elevated mood, relaxation, and altered perception—and in some cases the effects are even stronger than those of marijuana. Some users report psychotic effects like extreme anxiety, paranoia, and hallucinations.

So far, there have been no scientific studies of Spice’s effects on the human brain, but we do know that the cannabinoid compounds found in Spice products act on the same cell receptors as THC, the primary psychoactive component of marijuana. Some of the compounds found in Spice, however, bind more strongly to those receptors, which could lead to a much more powerful and unpredictable effect. Because the chemical composition of many products sold as Spice is unknown, it is likely that some varieties also contain substances that could cause dramatically different effects than the user might expect.

What Are the Other Health Effects of Spice?

Spice abusers who have been taken to Poison Control Centers report symptoms that include rapid heart rate, vomiting, agitation, confusion, and hallucinations. Spice can also raise blood pressure and cause reduced blood supply to the heart (myocardial ischemia), and in a few cases it has been associated with heart attacks. Regular users may experience withdrawal and addiction symptoms.

We still do not know all the ways Spice may affect human health or how toxic it may be, but one public health concern is that there may be harmful heavy metal residues in Spice mixtures. Without further analyses, it is difficult to determine whether this concern is justified.

• Alcohol addiction
• Nicotine/tobacco addiction
• Cocaine addiction
• Amphetamine addiction
• Opiate/Opioid addiction (includes heroin and prescription pain medicine)
• Tranquilizers and benzodiazepines