Addicted to weed?

[AustinTheAspie]

Hi, my name is Austin, and I am 22 years old. I have been smoking marijuana since the age of 13, and using it every day since 15. I am currently 4 days sober off it, and while the first 3 days were fine, I'm having "withdrawal" symptoms such as tension and such. Can you actually get addicted to marijuana, or is this all in my head? Weed has always been a special interest and pretty much an obsession for me, and the reason I'm quitting is because my dad told me that it would stunt by brain development. Is he right? Any advice would help, thanks.

 

[Southern Discomfort]

I don't know about addiction with cannabis but I do know that with a large variety of drugs you can get with-drawl effects from their use. I wouldn't be surprised if you're mistaking with-drawl for addiction. It will take you a few days or maybe weeks to get yourself clean of its effects.

 

[jamesaldrin]

I think that you should listen to your dad.

I don't know if weed has withdrawal symptoms, but try to quit!

 

[Rocco]

The possible stunted brain growth would most likely have already occurred, if at all, while your body was developing. In childhood while using. You are adult now, right, 22 years? In addition, I would like to see proven medical data that supports such a hypothesis as stunted brain growth. I don't belive it.

There is a difference between chemical dependency and habit. You will feel different as cannabinoids leave your body. You will most likely experience agitation, irritated, less sleep and such, as your body adjusts to a complete chemical absence.

This all very different than withdrawing from hard addictive substances like alcohol, heroin, opioids, and speed (cocaine and methamphetimine) these things can cause severe medical issues like physical pain, vomiting, hallucinating, and sometimes death, while in withdrawal.

Cannabis is not physically addictive in the way that real narcotics are. It's a different chemical family.

Good luck.

 

[Blast off]

I love to ingest cannabis in any form. What it can do to your brain is form a fatty layer between brain cells that interrupts your synapses. (The communication between brain cells). This can cause short term memory loss. That being said if you quit within a few months the fatty layer around your braincells will dissipate and you'll recover completely. Unlike alcohol and other drugs which actually kill your braincells. That being said, I am still a great advocate for cannabis and I think when used responsibly its a good thing for people, especially when orally ingested. Its been proven to halt and even stop cancer and I've met quite a few people that have survived years with cancers that medical doctors told them they had weeks or months to live... Much about what you hear or cannabis is propaganda. While I love smoking a good doobie, I haven't had any for over a year and I can say that not smoking makes me in general a little sharper mentally. Also, after the agitation stage of quitting you'll find out that perhaps your levels of anxiety may go down. There are pros and cons to anything we put into our bodies and I'd say that for almost anyone the pros out weight the cons on the topic of cannabis.

 

[Questella]

A hiatus won't hurt you... I love weed but have it less and less because we'll it's EXPENSIVE x_x I've gone many months here and there without for various reasons, doctors, trying to get a job, money, pregnancy... you'll notice your not really addicted if you're not out scouring the streets for it, you just realay like it and yeah it's nice... but if you're not selling all your possessions or stealing your probably fine... now... but 13 is way young... don't try to encourage any other minors to partake.... it really should be kept for adults like alcohol and cigarettes. Which are actually addictive, I've never smoked cigarettes because I always watched my dad spend a fortune every month on them even now he spends a good 500$+ a month on them. except there can never just be a hiatus from...

 

[ksheehan88]

It can become addictive. I know a few people who are addicted to weed and either can't function full stop without it or struggle badly to.

It can also trigger those who having underlying mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, but it does not CAUSE them.

Having said that, as long as you aren't committing crimes to get a smoke, it isn't impacting your daily life ie school/work and you can afford it, puff away.

 

[Full Steam]

It can be addictive, especially ifyou are in the UK and you smoke it with tobacco.

I smoked every day from about 18 to 30 years of age, and it was ok at first, but then skunk came on the scene and everything turned quite sucky, as it's very psychoactive.

I've not smoked for well over ten years, and I almost certainly won't again, I don't want that in my life again.

The hardest part of quitting for me was the circle of friends I have, everyone of which was like me, and my quitting was seen as a challenge to their way of life, and none of them helped, most made it harder.

I left town and I think that was the one thing that made it certain that I'd stop eventually.

None of my old friends have quit as far as know, and they are all well into their 40's.

I also got a new interest that was not compatible with weed - motorcycles. At the time I'd rather have a great and safe ride than have a night in smoking spliffs.

I don't think the health effects of smoking weed are the worst part, I think the worst part is the lost time, and the abandoned dreams. I've won my dreams back, but my old friends have given up on theirs.

 

[Full Steam]

It can also trigger those who having underlying mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, but it does not CAUSE them

That's true, but who knows the outcome of long term smoking and psychoactive drugs?

 

[Blast off]

It can be addictive, especially ifyou are in the UK and you smoke it with tobacco.

I smoked every day from about 18 to 30 years of age, and it was ok at first, but then skunk came on the scene and everything turned quite sucky, as it's very psychoactive.

I've not smoked for well over ten years, and I almost certainly won't again, I don't want that in my life again.

The hardest part of quitting for me was the circle of friends I have, everyone of which was like me, and my quitting was seen as a challenge to their way of life, and none of them helped, most made it harder.

I left town and I think that was the one thing that made it certain that I'd stop eventually.

None of my old friends have quit as far as know, and they are all well into their 40's.

I also got a new interest that was not compatible with weed - motorcycles. At the time I'd rather have a great and safe ride than have a night in smoking spliffs.

I don't think the health effects of smoking weed are the worst part, I think the worst part is theist time, and the abandoned dreams. I've won my dreams back, but my old friends have given up on theirs.

I sure do miss the skunk... Can't find it anymore... They crossbred it with so many other strains a true skunk #1 is impossible to find. But yea, talk about a world rocker... First time I had it I took two puffs and bam on the couch in a whole alternate reality..

 

[NothingToSeeHere]

Some research has found that cannabis use during teenaged years can negatively effect brain development, and it's been associated with things like lower IQ, memory loss etc. other research hasn't shown any long term effects. If it does cause damage, then that damage has already been done to you, so no point worrying about it. That said, taking a break or reducing use will probably be beneficial anyway, everything in moderation and all that.

 

[Full Steam]

@Blast off

Yeah me too.

I always found it odd how something so popular, like squidgy black could disappear within a year as everyone seems to want the new kid on the block.

I did at first, but skunk is the one drug I did that I regretted. It didn't give me much, but took plenty. Most people seemed to love it though.

If I ever have any again, I'd try eating amounts small enough to keep under the threhsold of feeling anything to see if it helped happiness, anxiety or depression in any way.

I think I was after an escape from NT land so not the same as most people's reasons for smoking, and maybe why I did it to the extreme, but still managed to escape relatively unscathed (I'm talking about the whole drug scene, not just weed.)

Another often overlooked problem with the scene is that you almost inevitably end up spending time with criminals. I've seen people's world view change.

 

[LinBot]

Hey Austin,

You're not an addict, because it's physical logically impossible to be addicted to cannabis marihuana.

Cannabis is an excellent medicine for combating the symptoms of Asperger's, I've been using it medically myself since I was 24, and I'm 28 now. It's the only medicine that works for me; as small a dose as I want, no headaches or sickness, no awful side effects.

It's been proven to actually repair damaged brain cells, and countless other medical benefits...show your dad this and he might be a little more open-minded.

Be sure you're buying product from medical dispensaries and not a "dealer", as they are two very different things...black market marihuana can be dangerous, as some street growers use harmful growth stimulants that make the plant toxic.

Marihuana would stunt your brain growth if you were a heavy user under 16, but at 22 it won't change anything negatively. Just be responsible and show your dad that you're smart enough to treat it like medicine, not a hobby.

Hope this helps.

Hi, my name is Austin, and I am 22 years old. I have been smoking marijuana since the age of 13, and using it every day since 15. I am currently 4 days sober off it, and while the first 3 days were fine, I'm having "withdrawal" symptoms such as tension and such. Can you actually get addicted to marijuana, or is this all in my head? Weed has always been a special interest and pretty much an obsession for me, and the reason I'm quitting is because my dad told me that it would stunt by brain development. Is he right? Any advice would help, thanks.

 

[cory]

Problems with sleep are common. This tension, is that anxiety? Because that is also common. Marijuana withdrawal symptoms are usually mild and not long acting. The sleep issue was my big problem. Any psychoactive drug given to a developing brain can change it. Including ADHD drugs, antidepressants, etc. By somewhere around 16-18 the brain stops developing. So anything that could have been done has been done and you're clear from that now. I'm never going to tell someone it's wrong or that they shouldn't smoke. Taking a break from it can be good though.

 

[stigmatic]

I think it varies between people as everyone's brain chemistry is different. I have tried to quit, but it is difficult when you make a habit out of it. Nothing in Marijuana causes an addiction except for what chemical it causes your brain to release. Symptoms should've stopped within 72hrs from your last smoke and I've had experience from being away from it for a week and I was able to stop for awhile and probably could've kept going, but relationship issues pulled me back in and well, I also have an interest/obsession with psychoactive chemicals and plants because of the pharmacology and how the could be used for therapy, psychology, etc.