Marijuana Addiction
What is marijuana?
Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug
in the United States. A dry, shredded green/brown
mix of flowers, stems, seeds, and leaves of the
hemp plant Cannabis sativa, it is usually smoked
as a cigarette (joint), or in a pipe (bong). It
also is smoked in blunts, which are cigars that
have been emptied of tobacco and refilled with
marijuana, often in combination with another drug.
Use also might include mixing marijuana in food
or brewing it as a tea. As a more concentrated,
resinous form it is called hashish and, as a sticky
black liquid, hash oil. Marijuana smoke has a
pungent and distinctive, usually sweet-and-sour
odor.
How does marijuana affect
the brain and body?
The main active chemical in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol).
The membranes of certain nerve cells in the brain
contain protein receptors that bind to THC. Once
securely in place, THC kicks off a series of cellular
reactions that ultimately lead to the high that
users experience when they smoke marijuana.
What are the possible consequences
of marijuana use and abuse?
Depression, anxiety, and personality disturbances
are all associated with marijuana use. Research
clearly demonstrates that marijuana use has potential
to cause problems in daily life or make a person’s
existing problems worse. Because marijuana compromises
the ability to learn and remember information,
the more a person uses marijuana, the more he
or she is likely to fall behind in accumulating
intellectual, job, or social skills. Moreover,
research has shown that marijuana’s adverse
impact on memory and learning can last for days
or weeks after the acute effects of the drug wear
off.
Students who smoke marijuana get
lower grades and are less likely to graduate from
high school, compared to their non-smoking peers.
In a recent study, researchers compared marijuana-smoking
and non-smoking 12th-graders’ scores on
standardized tests of verbal and mathematical
skills. Although all of the students had scored
equally well in 4th grade, the marijuana smokers’
scores were significantly lower in 12th grade.
A study of 129 college students
found that, for heavy users of marijuana (those
who smoked the drug at least 27 of the preceding
30 days), critical skills related to attention,
memory, and learning were significantly impaired
even after they had not used the drug for at least
24 hours. The heavy marijuana users in the study
had more trouble sustaining and shifting their
attention and in registering, organizing, and
using information than did the study participants
who had used marijuana no more than 3 of the previous
30 days. As a result, someone who smokes marijuana
once daily may be functioning at a reduced intellectual
level all of the time.
More recently, researchers showed
that the ability of a group of long-term heavy
marijuana users to recall words from a list remained
impaired for a week after quitting, but returned
to normal within 4 weeks. An implication of this
finding is that some cognitive abilities may be
restored in individuals who quit smoking marijuana,
even after long-term heavy use.
Workers who smoke marijuana are
more likely than their coworkers to have problems
on the job. Several studies associate workers'
marijuana smoking with increased absences, tardiness,
accidents, workers' compensation claims, and job
turnover. A study of municipal workers found that
those who used marijuana on or off the job reported
more "withdrawal behaviors"—such
as leaving work without permission, daydreaming,
spending work time on personal matters, and shirking
tasks—that adversely affect productivity
and morale.
Help! I have a loved one
that needs help with his or her addiction to marijuana.
Many individuals have approached their loved one
regarding his/her drug addiction, with no success.
It may be helpful when talking with your loved
one, to have a third party present that is professionally
trained and knowledgeable about drug abuse.
Addiction Intervention Resources moves your family
out of crisis and assists in addressing your loved
one’s drug addiction.
To read more information on our Drug Intervention Program, Click Here or call our National Call Center 800.561.8158