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[Mosby]

8. For some people it is.

A realistic concern for recreational users of marijuana is whether or not they will become addicted. There are no easy answers to this question. In my opinion, the most unbiased book on this and other related topics is The Science of Marijuana (2008). The Science of Marijuana is written by Leslie L. Iverson, a professor of pharmacology at the University of Cambridge in England. In the book, he reviews decades of international research on marijuana, both laboratory research and survey research. Based on his review of the scientific literature, between 10 to 30% of regular users will develop dependency. Only about 9% will have a serious addiction. For an excellent post on the biology of marijuana addiction see http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/all-about-addiction/201001/is-marijuana-addictive-you-can-bet-your-heroin

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-teenage-mind/201012/is-marijuana-addictive


Since there's a close connection between the targets of THC and the addictive properties of many other drugs, it seems to me that arguing against an addictive potential for marijuana is silly. Of course, some will read this as my saying that marijuana is always addictive and very dangerous. They would be wrong. My point is that marijuana can not be considered as having no potential for addiction. As I've pointed out many times before, the proportion of drug users that become addicted, or dependent, on drugs is relatively small (10%-15%). This is true for almost all drugs. It seems to also be true for marijuana.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/all-about-addiction/201001/is-marijuana-addictive-you-can-bet-your-heroin


Heavy Pot Use Can Cause Physical Dependence

Nov. 27, 2000 -- Heavy marijuana users who stop cold turkey experience a host of withdrawal symptoms, including irritability, anxiety, and depression, but most symptoms begin to lessen after 10 days or so, a study from Harvard Medical School suggests.

Reported in the November issue of the journal Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, the study is the first in humans to examine marijuana withdrawal in a setting outside the laboratory. Participants agreed to give up smoking pot for a month, and they submitted to daily urine tests to make sure they stayed drug free. But with the exception of not smoking marijuana, they continued their normal activities.

There has long been controversy over whether daily pot smokers actually become addicted to marijuana and whether withdrawal symptoms are real. Recent animal studies and studies evaluating the use of cannabis in humans under laboratory conditions support the notion that marijuana withdrawal syndrome exists.

"A few years ago, it was widely believed that marijuana does not cause any kind of physical dependence, but now that has pretty much been debunked," Aron Lichtman, PhD, of Virginia Commonwealth University, tells WebMD. "Studies like this one and the ones we have done show that physical dependence does exist." Lichtman and colleagues from Virginia Commonwealth have conducted numerous animal studies on the effects of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/news/20001127/heavy-pot-use-can-cause-physical-dependence#1