Do you smoke weed to relax?

‘if I was honest I’d say I’m probably addicted. I can quit at anytime but ‘

uhm wow, denial 101, I can quit but…

‘ I can quit at anytime but I get incredibly irritable and my anxiety is ten times worse’

so now you’re hooked on a drug that makes it 10 times worse. good luck with that.

Let me get this straight. You’re basing the addictive properties of a substance based on yourself? Wow. That is scientific. My father smoked packs of cigarettes everyday for 20 years. My mum got pregnant and he stopped. Cold turkey. Never picked one up again. Does that mean that the millions of people out there arent addicted to smoking? I’m sorry, this is about as ridiculous as someone telling me that the world is 6000 years old because a book said so. Weed is addictive. So is alcohol. What has that got to do with anything. The majority of drugs are addictive. I never said smoking was wrong. And again, I have to wonder what you’re so defensive about. I work in a high school. Most of the kids I work with have smoked or currently smoke. Some are recreational users, some are addicted. Even the addicted ones arent quite as defensive as you (although heaven forbid that they admit daily use of a drug makes them an addict). For you to base it off yourself, seriously, your science teacher hasnt done their job. However, if you want to stay in denial land, far be it for me to yank you out. I really dont care what you do, or whatever rationalizing you need to do to keep yourself happy.

Uhuh. So in order to know if something is addictive or not, you must have tried it? Well I know heroin and cocaine are addictive. I dont plan on trying it. I know falling from 3 stories high is going to hurt. I also dont plan on trying it. To imply that one must try something in order to know about it is beyond ridiculous. To imply that just because you have tried or use something means you know everything about it is also preposterous. The first stage to treating addiction is dealing with denial. How would you even know if you were addicted? And lets say you’re not addicted (although you are really defensive, makes me wonder why you’re so defensive), that does not mean that some people do not become addicted. There are alcoholics in this world. Alcohol is addictive. That does not mean that everyone who drinks is an alcoholic. Again, I have to wonder why you’re so defensive about this if you dont believe you have a problem.

Oh and as far as I’m concerned, they should legalize weed. I dont see how it’s worse than alcohol. I think there should be an age restriction. And of course, just like alcohol, you have to monitor intake and it can be addictive (that doesnt mean it is bad, it just means that for some people it can become a problem).

Budney, A., & Wiley, J. (2001). Can marijuana use lead to marijuana dependence?. Animal research and human health: Advancing human welfare through behavioral science (pp. 115-126). Washington, DC US: American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/10441-008. Like more commonly known drugs of abuse (e.g., cocaine and heroine), marijuana interacts with brain neurochemical pathways that underlie all addictive behaviors. This chapter concludes that marijuana contains an addictive drug, and its use should be taken more seriously than it is.

Miller, N., & Gold, M. (1989). The diagnosis of marijuana (Cannabis) dependence. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 6(3), 183-192. doi:10.1016/0740-5472(89)90005-6. Defines marihuana (MAR) dependence as (1) preoccupation with its acquisition, (2) compulsive use, and (3) relapse to or recurrent use. Medical, psychiatric, neurological, traumatic, and sociological sequelae occur commonly in acute and chronic MAR use. MAR dependence must be diagnosed primarily as the etiological agent to adequately prevent and treat these conditions. Consequences of the MAR addiction should be separated from the addict’s actual motivation or craving to use MAR. MAR reinforces its own use; psychosocial stressors are not required to produce a MAR addiction in biologically susceptible individuals. A definitive diagnosis confirms the presence of addictive behavior by identifying a preoccupation, compulsivity, and relapse relative to the drug.

Harms, E. (1972). The three types of marijuana dependencies. British Journal of Addiction, 67(4), 291-296. Differentiates 3 forms of marihuana use-intoxicative, social, and addiction-and discusses their corresponding motivating factors. Examples of each type are presented, and suggestions are made for specific therapy techniques.

Budney, A., Novy, P., & Hughes, J. (1999). Marijuana withdrawal among adults seeking treatment for marijuana dependence. Addiction, 94(9), 1311-1322. doi:10.1046/j.1360-0443.1999.94913114.x. This study documented the incidence and severity of perceived marijuana withdrawal symptoms in a clinical sample of marijuana-dependent adults. 54 people seeking outpatient treatment for marijuana dependence completed a 22-item Marijuana Withdrawal Symptom checklist based on their most recent period of marijuana abstinence. The majority (57%) indicated that they had experienced ≥6 symptoms of at least moderate severity and 47% experienced ≥4 symptoms rated as severe. Withdrawal severity was greater in those with psychiatric symptomatology and more frequent marijuana use. This study provides further support for a cluster of withdrawal symptoms experienced following cessation of regular marijuana use. The affective and behavioral symptoms reported were consistent with those observed in previous laboratory and interview studies. Since withdrawal symptoms are frequently a target for clinical intervention with other substances of abuse, this may also be appropriate for marijuana.

Bonn-Miller, M., & Moos, R. (2009). Marijuana discontinuation, anxiety symptoms, and relapse to marijuana. Addictive Behaviors, 34(9), 782-785. The present investigation examined the role of anxiety symptoms immediately following substance abuse treatment in the relation between frequency of pre-treatment marijuana use and relapse to marijuana use at 12-months post-treatment among 1288 male patients who used marijuana within the 3 months prior to admission to treatment. Consistent with expectation, more frequent marijuana use at intake predicted more anxiety symptoms at discharge. Anxiety symptoms at discharge predicted relapse to marijuana use at 12-month follow-up, but did not mediate the relation between intake marijuana use and relapse. Results are discussed in relation to better understanding the role of increased anxiety during discontinuation of regular marijuana use in the prediction of relapse to marijuana.

etc etc etc…

look. it’s nice and all that you think you’ve got science backing you up (because, I dunno, you conducted a sort of (not really) experiment on yourself). but reality is, it’s a drug and its addictive. things do not have to be physically addictive in order to be addictive. cocaine is mostly psychologically addictive. that does not mean it isnt a drug or is not addictive. like I said, you want to live in your world of denial, that is entirely your choice…

Lets just suppose weed can be addictive. Why is that such a big deal if you’re not addicted? Why should it make any difference? And breakingfan is right. Sex and gambling can become addictive. So weed can hardly be the exception.

yeah I think smoking weed can be good for relaxation…it helps me relax a lot

no

I tried it once and yeah it relaxed me…and I dont think its addictive I mean it probably just depends on the person whether its addictive or not

ha um if you have problems relaxing then your addicted, there are other ways to relax and how is it not bad for u? um yeah

no. I havent smoked in about 4 months, cause im broke and dont get allowances. but when I did, I just did it for fun, chillen with friends while playin ps3 is the best time to light up. and no its non addictive. except for the smell of the plant(not smoke), thats addicting lol

Hmm. Interesting. I see where you’re coming from. Can it really be addictive? Bahaha, someone I know accidentally got really high last weekend, and just kepttt smoking without realizing it. Wow, yeah, he was out.

I smoke to relax all the time. I have really bad anxiety and smoking helps me take care of the things I need to do with out getting stressed and freaking out. I am a productive member of society, I work everyday at an excellent job. My family is well taken care of and my bills are paid. I’m not saying I know anything about pot addiction but if I was honest I’d say I’m probably addicted. I can quit at anytime but I get incredibly irritable and my anxiety is ten times worse. I like smoking and I like how it makes me feel. It has never had a negative impact on my life or my ability to perform everyday tasks so I dont plan on stopping anytime soon either.

Cheers!

dont be surprised when it makes you forget things short term possibly long the way you abuse it I absolutly agree with you it is NOT addicting, however it is a lot of fun and if you got money its easy to smoke a lot of it. Many people tend to form habits. If can after an extended time of smokeing regularly make you very irritable to be around when not high I only noticed that in one friend that has smoked everyday for five years

*these are not scientific facts only what I have seen in myself and friends

and dont be surprised when you get older and find out either your parents or a friends parents have done it or still continue to use it

thats why I am getting so defensive… cause people like you comparing adctive properties of cigs and alcohol to weed. And yes ok they are adiccted to the FEELING not the substance. If you can find data on at more then 33.753%(the % of cig. smokers that are NOT addicted) of people that smoke weed that have real withdraws and I mean physically addictive acounts of marijana then I will admit im wrong and drop it… also I got so sefensive because that question is for people that have smoked…

ok its people like you that ruin it for everyone… let me explain I smoked for about a month stright everyday to see it effects I had no problem at all perfoming everday tasks that I normly do… allso part of this was to quit so I smoked everyday for a month then I stopped for 2 and a half years … I had no with negative effects from stopping like that .. at all… the onlything that I missed about it was the feeeling and even that wasnt strong enough for me to want to smoke.. the only reason why I started agian is cause I practice meditation and it helps you relaax by lowering your bp … so I dont no everything but I know enough to tell you its not addictive and I had no neegative effects from smoking everyday for 29 days… so if uv never tried it and you think its wrong then leave this question alone its not for you

I love weed :D

everything can become an addiction weed is no exception

Haha…Ya..I have smoked for relaxation…but it usually turns out to a crazy as f**k healthy laugh out load section first

Where did you get your statistics from?

NOT ADDICTIV AT ALL… ok please if you havnt smoked dont say what you dont know