Marijuana Addiction

Although marijuana addiction is not usually a deadly condition as some other addictions can be, there are still many inherent dangers with becoming addicted to this drug. Known commonly as a gateway drug that leads others to using hard street drugs, marijuana is widely abused throughout the world and in most areas is considered an illegal substance. Marijuana addiction occurs as a tolerance to the drug builds over time and the addict finds him or herself requiring more and more of the drug in order to feel the same “high” that they felt the very first time they smoked pot.

Marijuana Psychological Effects

Psychologically, marijuana have various effects on the individual but the most common include anxiety and depression. Most people who smoke pot have a lack of motivation when they are under the influence and this lack of motivation can gradually lead to periods of depression. As the marijuana wears off, anxiety can increase and panic attacks may occur even in those who normally do not suffer from such attacks. These feelings of anxiety can become worse over time and are likely to cause further damage to the quality of life for the addict if they remain untreated. Learn more about marijuana psychological effects here.

Marijuana Addiction Social Effects

Socially, marijuana causes the addict to withdraw from friends or family members in an effort to keep their addiction at bay. Most people who smoke pot want to hang around other people who smoke pot and this only causes the need for further concern. Once you have multiple people hanging around each other who all have the same problem and depressed state, there is an increased likelihood for further complications for the addiction to occur on a social level. Marijuana can also cause adverse effects on the friendships that individuals have with those who do not use drugs making it difficult to repair such friendships after the addiction is taken care of. Learn more about marijuana addiction social effects here.

Marijuana Addiction Eating Effects

Individuals who abuse marijuana are likely to, at first, become more hungry as a result of smoking pot but over time, withdrawal symptoms may occur if the marijuana is not smoked making it difficult for the individual to actually desire food. Those who smoke marijuana long term may no longer be hungry unless they first “signal” their body to their hunger via smoking marijuana. Additional effects may be noticeable if marijuana is not smoked such as having an upset stomach, cramps, poor digestion, or other intestinal or digestive problems. Learn more about the effects marijuana has on eating here.

Marijuana Addiction Long Term Effects

The long term effects of smoking marijuana are mostly in terms of mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety. People who smoke pot are also more likely to develop certain types of cancer such as colon cancer, testicular cancer or lung cancer. While marijuana in some forms may actually be prescribed (THC pills) to patients who have cancer to help calm their stomach, it’s important to know that most of these patients have already been given a limited chance at living due to their illness and therefore the effects of marijuana are not anticipated to be as harmful as the illness itself. Learn more about the long term effects of marijuana addiction here.

Mental Effects of Marijuana Addiction

Mentally, marijuana has various affects and can differ from one individual to the next or from one type of marijuana to the next. For some, marijuana may be relaxing and soothing effectively eliminating many feelings of anxiety while for others the effects may be that of increased anxiety and hyper-alertness. Additionally effects on the mental status of the individual often include depression, hallucinations, misconceived perceptions and other difficulties in thought processing. Learn more about the mental effects of marijuana addiction here.

Effects of Marijuana on the Brain

Marijuana is known to have various effects on the brain including but not limited to: interfering with normal communication between the brain neurons which trigger everything from thought to motor function, reducing the ability to concentrate or remember things that happened mere minutes ago, and reducing the ability for neurotransmitters to produce or release which has an effect on an individual’s perception on time, depth, and movements. Various other effects including short term memory loss can last long after the marijuana is no longer used making it difficult to recover from this addiction without help and treatment. Learn more about the effects of marijuana on the brain here.