Marijuana Addiction

There is a common misconception that marijuana is not addictive, and for many people, this is true. According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 42% of Canadians report having used marijuana at some point in their lives, but many of them only tried it once or twice. However, marijuana has the same addictive potential as any other substance.

Much like alcohol, marijuana affects people in a wide variety of different ways. Some people become relaxed and “mellow”, while others become more energetic and talkative. In large doses, it can cause toxic psychosis, in which the individual experiences hallucinations, paranoia and self-deception.

Marijuana addiction is a very real problem which is often aggravated by use of the drug in conjunction with other substances.

Actually, most marijuana has a higher health risk than tobacco. Not only does it contain more tar than tobacco, it has over four hundred chemicals in it, many of which are known to cause cancer.

Regular smoking of marijuana can result in chronic coughs and bronchitis, and for those with asthma, it can increase the severity and frequency of attacks. It increases the risk of several cancers, and it can aggravate the symptoms of several conditions, including schizophrenia.

Many people believe that marijuana is “good for you” because of its increasing use for medical purposes. While some medical benefits have been established, these apply to specific strains of marijuana which are used to treat a small number of conditions. The fact that certain kinds of marijuana have a medical use does not mean that marijuana is healthy for general everyday use.