Throughout my years working in the substance addiction treatment arena, I could probably count on one hand how many people came to my treatment center due to a diagnosed marijuana addiction. None of them believed that they had an addiction because marijuana's "not that serious". Fair enough. However, if there are people out there who are questioning whether or not they may have an addiction to marijuana, there are two red flags that, when you notice both going on in your life, probably mean getting an assessment by a professional is the best next step for you. These steps can be combined in a single sentence: You have marijuana-related problems and you keep smoking it anyway. Below, I've clarified each of the two major components of this sentence.
You have marijuana-related problems...
Has smoking marijuana caused any trouble for you more than once in your life? To be clear about what defines a 'problem', 'issue', or 'trouble', I've included a list of categories and examples below. Keep in mind that these sorts of things can happen to people who aren't addicted to marijuana (or anything else), but the difference with someone who is addicted to marijuana is that they have these problems because of the marijuana use. Someone having a hectic day might forget to pick their kids up from school on time, but if you've done this more than once (or in addition to having forgotten other responsibilities) because you were (1) getting high, (2) recovering from getting high (sleeping, fumigating a room, or eating, for instance), or (3) trying to access (money for) marijuana, then your situation is worth being assessed by a professional.
Personal
Lack of motivation to do things you normally would
(take out the trash, attend your son's violin recital, walk your dog, etc.)
Remember the Afroman song, "Because I Got High" about being prepared to do something but then getting high and not doing it.
Remember the Afroman song, "Because I Got High" about being prepared to do something but then getting high and not doing it.
Forgetting your responsibilities
(picking up kids from school, doing grocery shopping, paying a bill, etc.)
Reacting to emergency situations without a sense of urgency
(house catches fire, your child steps in front of a moving car, you almost rear-end another car, etc.)
Legal
Possession of marijuana
Being evicted from your home or apartment
Receiving a DUI charge
Professional
Not showing up to work
Showing up to work late
Being extremely or completely unproductive while at work
Showing up to work high
Falling asleep on the job
Getting fired due to the issues listed above
Academic
Not going to classes
Not showing up for classes on time
Forgetting to study
Not being able to focus your attention on basic information that is being taught / studied
Spending excessive amounts of time studying one subject when you have multiple classes
Laughing inappropriately during lectures
Falling asleep during class
...and you keep smoking it anyway.
Even though you may have experienced any or all of these recurring problems, you continue to use marijuana. If that's true for you, I highly encourage you to get a professional assessment and follow the recommendations that an addiction professional may have.
Think about how you might feel if you noticed a child touching a hot stove, burning themselves, and then touching the hot stove again anyway. When I've brought this example up, people have said that they would be concerned about and afraid for that child. Because humans are wired to move away from things that are painful, we often feel surprised and anxious around people who do things that are obviously causing them problems in spite of the pain of those troubles.
Please don't take this post as a virtual diagnostic tool. Use this post only as the canary in the mine: The way you might know that it's time to get an assessment and be certain one way or another if you've developed an addiction.
Do you have any examples of people exhibiting this addictive behavior towards marijuana? Have you reached out to people you might think have an addiction to something?
Read More About This Topic:
The Diagnosis of Marijuana (Cannabis) Dependence
Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment | N.S. Miller, M.S. Gold
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2677398
Four Myths About Marijuana Addiction
Leaf Science
http://www.leafscience.com/2013/11/28/4-myths-marijuana-addiction/
Marijuana Addiction Myths and Facts
Michael's House
http://www.michaelshouse.com/marijuana-addiction/myths-facts/
Marijuna Anonymous Preamble
Marijuana Anonymous World Services
https://www.marijuana-anonymous.org/
Think about how you might feel if you noticed a child touching a hot stove, burning themselves, and then touching the hot stove again anyway. When I've brought this example up, people have said that they would be concerned about and afraid for that child. Because humans are wired to move away from things that are painful, we often feel surprised and anxious around people who do things that are obviously causing them problems in spite of the pain of those troubles.
Please don't take this post as a virtual diagnostic tool. Use this post only as the canary in the mine: The way you might know that it's time to get an assessment and be certain one way or another if you've developed an addiction.
Do you have any examples of people exhibiting this addictive behavior towards marijuana? Have you reached out to people you might think have an addiction to something?
Read More About This Topic:
The Diagnosis of Marijuana (Cannabis) Dependence
Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment | N.S. Miller, M.S. Gold
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2677398
Four Myths About Marijuana Addiction
Leaf Science
http://www.leafscience.com/2013/11/28/4-myths-marijuana-addiction/
Marijuana Addiction Myths and Facts
Michael's House
http://www.michaelshouse.com/marijuana-addiction/myths-facts/
Marijuna Anonymous Preamble
Marijuana Anonymous World Services
https://www.marijuana-anonymous.org/
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