In one study, the placebo cohort reported twice as many positive urine cannabinoid tests as compared to the NAC cohort (Asevedo et al. 2014). The other study did not report group differences in positive urine tests, but did find a significant reduction in self-reported cannabis craving in the treatment group (Asevedo et al. 2014). These studies reinforce the role of glutamate upregulation during cannabis abstinence on clinical outcomes such as craving and relapse. Finally, one of the most consistent neuroimaging findings in addiction is that of dysregulation of frontal cortical regions involved with executive function including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the ACC and the inferior frontal cortex. In addition to its role in HPA axis dysfunction and reward processing, the hyperactivation of the eCS may also play a role in the executive dysfunction sometimes observed in cannabis use. The eCS is highly active in adolescent brain development, particularly in the PFC, a region that exercises executive function (Dow-Edwards and Silva 2017).
The drug’s pain-relieving properties make it a potential replacement for pain medication. In 2014, states that had legalized medical marijuana reported a 25 percent drop in deaths resulting from an overdose of pain medication. Mothers who smoke pot while pregnant face a higher risk of giving birth to underweight or premature babies. But researchers don’t know enough to say marijuana addiction if those infants are more likely to grow up to struggle in school, use drugs, or have other problems in life. Like the possible risk of chronic conditions like schizophrenia, the chances of cannabis use disorder are greater the younger you start marijuana and the more heavily you use it. For instance, the odds of addiction are 1 in 6 if you use marijuana in your teens.
Risk Factors for Substance Abuse
CM uses operant conditioning with a target behavior; this means that the desired behavior is rewarded and reinforced to increase the likelihood of it occurring again. There are studies of children whose mothers used marijuana when pregnant with them. https://ecosoberhouse.com/ These children were found to have decreased verbal reasoning skills and more hyperactivity, impulsivity, and decreased attention. When someone you love is abusing marijuana or addicted to it, there are often signs and symptoms to look for.
Psychosis is a symptom of a serious medical condition called schizophrenia. Schizophrenia also affects the way you understand what’s real, but it includes other symptoms like trouble with speech and not being able to focus and show emotions. The main psychoactive ingredient, THC, stimulates the part of your brain that responds to pleasure, like food and sex. That unleashes a chemical called dopamine, which gives you a euphoric, relaxed feeling. Following the end of apartheid, sanctions on South Africa were lifted, allowing for increased international trade, and thus a greater flow of contraband. Researchers who spoke to Spotlight offered several explanations for the country’s growing substance problem.
Support Groups
“Just the availability of cheap drugs is not going to drive people to use drugs,” says Shelly, who argues that illicit substances often serve as a physical and emotional painkiller for people lacking meaning and purpose. This is according to a new study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, which also finds that people who had recently used drugs were less likely to have tested for HIV. It’s tempting to think marijuana is a harmless substance that poses no threat to teens and young adults. Family members can help teens stay motivated by offering to drive them to meetings, offering to listen to them talk about addiction or offering to attend meetings as a supportive presence.
Although these findings support the idea of marijuana as a “gateway drug,” the majority of people who use marijuana don’t go on to use other “harder” drugs. It’s also important to note that other factors besides biological mechanisms, such as a person’s social environment, are also critical in a person’s risk for drug use and addiction. Read more about marijuana as a gateway drug in our Marijuana Research Report. So, a drug can cause dependence but not abuse, as is the case for some people prescribed opiate pain medication. Or a drug can cause no withdrawal at all, as in the case of cocaine, but still pose a high likelihood that a person will develop an addiction when using it.
How Does Marijuana Affect a Person’s Life?
In addition, experts are investigating whether there are specific medications that can help with cannabis use disorder. Some antidepressants have been shown to help with withdrawal symptoms. You can consult with your health care professional to see if this is a viable treatment option for you.
- According to a research by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the average THC content in confiscated marijuana samples in 1990 was just under 4 percent.
- Using more to get the same effect, giving up once-loved activities in order to use, and withdrawal symptoms like irritability, mood changes, and disruptions to sleep and/or appetite can all signal that someone might be experiencing marijuana abuse.
- One marijuana user, Conrad, age 47, of San Francisco, said that when he can’t smoke, he drinks more.
By Buddy T
Buddy T is a writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Because he is a member of a support group that stresses the importance of anonymity at the public level, he does not use his photograph or his real name on this website. Use of medicinal cannabis began in America in the 1850s, when products with cannabis extracts were produced and sold to treat maladies such as pain and muscle spasm. Soon after, pharmaceutical regulations were introduced in some states.