Is Marijuana Addictive Physically or Psychologically?

Get a Full Understanding of How Marijuana Addiction Can Develop

Many people believe that smoking marijuana is safe. After all it’s sold legally throughout Nevada and several nearby states. You may have second thoughts and ask yourself: Is marijuana addictive physically or psychologically? The short answer is yes. You can develop psychological and physical addiction to smoking cannabis, especially with frequent use of marijuana or using higher doses.

The cannabis industry lobbied state lawmakers to legalize cannabis use. But lawmakers didn’t speak with addiction treatment professionals. They never took seriously the advice of doctors with direct experience in the negative consequences of recreational and medical cannabis. At Icarus Nevada, we know how easy it is to obtain weed and how it can quickly flip into a marijuana addiction. If marijuana abuse has become problematic, our Joint Commission-accredited recovery center is here to help.

We encourage you to keep reading to learn about marijuana dependence. We will discuss how it occurs and how our professional treatment team can help stop drug abuse.

The Numbers Nationwide on Marijuana Abuse and Addiction

The National Institute on Drug Abuse and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) research shows that more young adults have participated in cannabis use and since the state legislature legalized it in 2017.

Here are some other statistics that show an increasing number of marijuana users in Nevada since its legalization in 2017:

• In the overall population, including ages 12 and up, SAMHSA found that 4.8% of Nevadans self-reported using marijuana in the past 30 days in 2013. In 2020 (post-legalization), the number rose to 11.1%, a 130% increase, per the State of Nevada Department of Health and Human Services.
• About 30.5% of young adults aged 18 to 25 self-reported past-year drug use in 2015. The number increased to 45% by 2022, a 17.4% increase. It also made Nevada the state with the second highest number of marijuana users among others with legal marijuana use, according to the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board.
• For adults aged 26 and over, cannabis use increased from 11% in 2016 to 23% in 2022. That number represents a 109% increase in substance use. This data also comes from the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board.
• The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) warns that 1 out of every 10 people who use the cannabis sativa plant will develop an addiction. Those who are under 18 are at an increased risk of becoming addicted at a rate of 1 out of 6 people becoming addicted.

These numbers show a significant increase in marijuana use since the state legalized this substance use in 2017. However, it does not tell us which cannabis users have developed psychological or physical dependence versus casual or recreational use. It also does not tell us which people are engaging in the use of marijuana within the scope of the law and which are not.

What we do know is that more people using cannabis likely means more people now struggle with an addiction to marijuana.

Why Is Cannabis Addictive?

The American Psychiatric Association includes Cannabis Use Disorder in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Doctors reach this diagnosis when marijuana physically and psychologically leads to clinically significant impairment or distress.

The mind-altering effects of marijuana come from the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a chemical compound that interacts with the brain’s cannabinoid receptors. The endocannabinoid system helps regulate mood, memory, appetite, and pain.

Repeated marijuana use repeatedly activates the receptors, which interact with the brain’s reward system. As a result, it adds to the drug’s addictive properties for chronic users.

In substance use disorders, the brain craves the reward it has previously experienced. It looks forward to the cannabis intoxication and starts to send craving signals. The person then falls into a dangerous trap of using weed, getting high, coming down, and seeking drugs to use again.

While it starts as a psychological dependence in the early stages, the drug can become increasingly physically addictive the more the person repeats this cycle.

Psychological Addiction and Cannabis Abuse

As with other drugs, marijuana use disorder can cause harmful consequences, including having a negative impact on one’s mental health. The risk of adverse effects grows if the person mixes marijuana with other addictive drugs, such as alcohol, opioids, or stimulants.

Mental Health Symptoms of Chronic Cannabis Use

Smoking marijuana over an extended period can cause the following signs that it has become psychologically addictive:

• Strong cravings and urges to use cannabis
• Relying on drug abuse to deal with stress, anxiety, depression, or trauma
• Not being able to cut back or stop the drug abuse
• Spending time on seeking, using, or removing from cannabis plant use
• Losing interest in everyday, routine activities
• Loss of focus or motivation
• Denial of a drug abuse problem, even when confronted by family members or close friends
• Minimizing or justifying the risks of smoking marijuana to others
• Marijuana withdrawal symptoms start within a few hours of the last use
• Irritability, mood swings, or anxiety when not using cannabis
• Developing tolerance, the need for more marijuana to achieve the same high

While these are typical signs of psychological dependence on marijuana, they can also point to other drugs. If you are reading this as a concerned loved one, it’s time to gently speak with the person about marijuana use or another possible drug addiction and suggest they get help.

Physical Addiction to Smoking Marijuana

The physical signs of marijuana addiction develop after the psychological symptoms, usually after long-term use.

Physical Symptoms of Cannabis Dependence

Here are the signs that indicate physical addiction to marijuana use:

• Sleep disturbances
• Decreased appetite
• Anxiety
• Headaches
• Frequent respiratory infections
• Distinct “skunk” aroma of cannabis smoke on the clothing or hair
• Tremors (these rarely occur but are a severe physical withdrawal symptom)

The physical signs of marijuana addiction are generally less intense than other substance use disorders. They’re easy to miss if you don’t also see the psychological signs.

Diagnosing Cannabis Use Disorder

A licensed addiction doctor will make a thorough evaluation before diagnosing Cannabis Use Disorder (also sometimes more casually called Marijuana Use Disorder). The DSM-5 lists 11 criteria that the client meets within a 12-month period. If the client meets at least 2 out of the 11 criteria, the doctor makes the diagnosis.

In the evaluation, the doctor uses a screening tool, assesses drug use, asks how the illicit drug or marijuana impacts daily life, and looks at risky behaviors. They’ll also rule out other conditions, for example anxiety, that shares symptoms with drug abuse.

Seeking Marijuana Addiction Treatment Options

If you or someone you love is struggling with marijuana addiction, Icarus Nevada can be your light at the end of the tunnel. We provide customized, evidence-based treatment options to help you achieve long-term recovery.

Icarus Nevada: Inpatient or Outpatient Services

Most people who seek marijuana addiction treatment choose outpatient services. Outpatient offers the greatest flexibility, allowing the client to attend therapeutic programs and services several times weekly while balancing family obligations and career. This treatment type is the only viable option for some working parents, college students, and career-minded people.

We also offer an inpatient or residential treatment center for anyone who needs more intensive care. Inpatient treatment is less frequent with marijuana use disorder than with some other drugs. Still, it can be the best decision if the person is in crisis or has a long-term, intense addiction. This setting features around-the-clock care and monitoring and the most rigorous structure.

Medical Detox: Managing Cannabis Withdrawal Symptoms

Many who need help avoid getting it because they dread facing the marijuana withdrawal symptoms. In a medical detox setting, you’ll be safe and comfortable.

Specially trained staff monitors your withdrawal signs and overall wellness over the first days of treatment. If withdrawal symptoms become too intense, professionals can offer FDA-approved medications to address them.

Psychological and Behavioral Therapies to Stop Drug Use

Our licensed, experienced team will customize a marijuana addiction treatment plan using therapies suited to your specific needs. Some therapies that can be very effective include:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• Motivational Enhancement Therapy
• Narrative Therapy
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy

We’ll select the therapies to address your addiction. You’ll receive therapy in individual, group, and family sessions.

Treating Marijuana Use Disorder as a Co-Occurring Disorder

Co-occurring disorders, or dual diagnosis, refers to the presence of an addiction plus one or more additional mental health conditions.

Because it’s easy to buy marijuana legally in Nevada, it has become similar to alcohol – a common way of self-medicating. We’ll explore the possibility of a diagnosable mental health condition as the underlying cause of your addiction to marijuana. Frequently, people abusing weed do so to dull the pain of trauma, depression, or panic disorders.

If we identify a dual diagnosis, we’ll treat the addiction and the root condition at the same time to ensure the best results.

Getting Your Insurance Benefits Approved

Icarus Nevada accepts almost all major group and individual insurance plans. If you are considering getting help, we encourage you to call our admissions specialists for a confidential, thorough insurance plan review, which helps us get approval for maximum benefits and the least amount of out-of-pocket cost.

Call Icarus Nevada for Professional Substance Abuse Treatment

Have you or a loved one been struggling with marijuana addiction? Seeking help for Cannabis Use Disorder can be life-changing. Even if you have tried to quit substance abuse before but found yourself pulled back in by marijuana withdrawal symptoms, we can help.

Our team will help you stop smoking marijuana once and for all. Sobriety is closer than you think – call us today.