Five Signs of Marijuana Addiction
While cannabis is often perceived as non-addictive, it affects a significant percentage of chronic users, particularly those who began using in adolescence or early adulthood. Since I work with emerging adult populations, cannabis use is rampant. As a parent, if you’re trying to evaluate whether cannabis use has crossed the threshold from self-medicating habit to addiction, you will want to make note of several factors. Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) is an official diagnosis in the DSM-5. When a clinician is working with a client and determining, they are looking for a pattern of compulsive use despite negative consequences on a person's life, health, and relationships. Here are the top five signs that may indicate we’ve crossed over the line into the addictive territory:
High Tolerance and Physiological Withdrawal: The signs that suggest addiction look like is needing increasingly higher amounts or higher potencies (i.e. concentrated dabs, high-THC vapes, or heavy edibles) to achieve the same high. When use stops or decreases, the individual will experience physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms. What it looks like is irritability, mood swings, sleep disturbances (insomnia and vivid nightmares), decreased appetite, cold sweats, and intense physical cravings shortly after stopping.
Loss of Control and Failed Attempts to Cut Back: The signs that suggest addiction look like using more cannabis and using it more frequently than originally intended. This is paired with a persistent desire or repeated unsuccessful effort to scale back or quit. What it looks like is promises made to themselves or family to “only smoke on weekends” but repeatedly breaking those limits within hours, not just days.
Escalating Time, Effort, and Financial Investment: The signs that suggest addiction look like spending a disproportionate amount of daily energy, time, and money obtaining cannabis, using it, and recovering from it’s side effects. What it looks like is structing entire daily routines around when and where they can use, prioritizing purchases of cannabis over basic adult responsibilities (like groceries or rent), or constantly thinking about the next session.
Neglect of Major Life Roles and Fulfilling Obligations: The signs that suggest addiction look like use directly causes a drop in performance, attendance, or accountability at work, school, or within the household. What it looks like is chronic tardiness, missed assignment deadlines, poor job performance, skipping social or family gatherings to get high, or abandoning previous hobbies and goals due to persistent apathy around motivation.
Continued Use Despite Obvious Negative Consequences: The signs that suggest addiction look like use persisting in heavy cannabis consumption even when it clearly exacerbates physical health problems, mental health issues, or major interpersonal conflict. What it looks like is continuing to smoke despite increased social anxiety, paranoia, depression, memory issues, medical complications, or severe strain on relationships with partners or parents.
If you are a parent reading through this list and are worried about your young adult, work with a Parent Coach to help broach the topic of getting your young adult treatment. Once they are expressing the way to stop and get help, support them by helping them work with a consultant to find the best treatment option for them. Not all treatment programs are appropriate for Cannabis Use Disorder.
For questions or comments contact Joanna.
