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Marijuana is now legal for recreational and medicinal use in a number of states in the U.S. The number of people using pot is skyrocketing as the stuff becomes more mainstream and less taboo. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), more than 45 percent of all people over the age of 12 have tried weed at least once. And, at least 10 percent of all Americans have used it in the past month – which is about 32.7 million.
Everyone responds differently to mind-altering substances. Marijuana is no exception. For those who are predisposed to the disease of addiction, experimenting with pot can be a recipe for disaster.
Whether you want to admit it or not, science proves that marijuana can be physically and psychologically addictive. If you think you might be hooked on weed, you’re not crazy. Forget what everyone else tells you about this “harmless” psychoactive drug. Trust your intuition. People who are not addicted do not sit around wondering if they are.
If you suspect that your marijuana use may be out of control, take a look at five signs that you are addicted:
1. You Smoke Marijuana on a Daily or Regular Basis
The most obvious sign that you are addicted to marijuana is that you use it frequently. Many people use marijuana socially and don’t get hooked. They may smoke a joint at a party or buy a small personal stash for themselves on occasion. This is a long way from being addicted.
If you are using marijuana multiple times a day, at least once a day, or several times a week, it is quite possible that you are a marijuana addict.
2. You Spend a Lot of Money on Weed
Marijuana is not what it used to be. Years ago, someone could spend 20 dollars on pot and it would last them awhile. This is no longer true. The days of growing pot plants in the back yard for next to nothing have long since passed us by.
Today, most of the marijuana sold on the street is genetically engineered and grown indoors. This is a costly endeavor. Most bud is now sold for an average of 25 dollars a gram. This is not a lot of green. Because buyers don’t get a lot of bang for their buck, it is not uncommon for marijuana addicts to spend a ton of money to stay high. In fact, they can easily develop a thousand dollar a month habit.
Are you spending a ton of money on weed? If so, this should be a red flag. When you are willing to cough up a huge chunk of your hard-earned change to stay buzzed, you probably have a problem.
3. You Think About Marijuana All the Time
Obsession is an obvious sign of addiction – no matter what the substance is. If you spend a lot of your thought life focused on getting, using, or finding weed (or money to buy weed), you might be addicted.
Basically, obsessive thinking that is centered on addictive behaviors follows a pattern. Your mind stays stuck in a kind of loop, repeating the same thoughts over and over.
When you are addicted, your thoughts are almost always centered on your drug of choice. If that drug happens to be weed, you are usually either thinking about getting stoned, staying stoned, or making sure you have the resources necessary to sustain your high.
It is also worth mentioning that an obsession with marijuana can lead to the compulsion to use the stuff. This can mean that you use even when you promised yourself you wouldn’t or you can’t stop yourself from doing more once you have gotten started.
4. Your Friends and Family Have Talked to You About Your Marijuana Use
It is quite possible that you are addicted to marijuana and you don’t even realize it. In fact, sometimes an addict is the last person to know they are an addict. This is because denial plays a powerful role in perpetuating addiction.
You can easily justify your use of green and tell yourself things aren’t that bad or that you can stop anytime you want to. But, you may have lost touch with reality and cannot see your addiction for what it is.
Concern from loved ones can sound like nagging to an addicted person. However, those who are closest to you genuinely care about you. They want what is best for you.
If friends or family members in your support circle have told you they think you use too much marijuana, or that they don’t like your behavior when you’re high, or they have stopped hanging out with you as often – you should sit up and take notice.
5. You Have Had Legal Problems Because of Pot
Have you ever been arrested for possession of marijuana? What about getting a DUI because you were caught driving stoned? Maybe you have committed fraud so you could illegally obtain the money you needed to get more weed? Whatever the situation, if you have experienced problems with the law because of your use of marijuana, you might be addicted.
Although social users often have the misfortunate luck of getting arrested for a marijuana related incident, they generally stay under the radar. Those who use weed on a regular basis greatly increase the likelihood that they will face legal consequences because of their habit.
Stop the Cycle of Marijuana Addiction and Enjoy a Life in Recovery
If you are addicted to marijuana, you are putting your health at risk. This drug is not without its consequences. Plus, being addicted is no fun – no matter what the substance is. Although you may have had a good time when you first started using pot, you would probably agree that the party ended a long time ago. Now, you have a monkey on your back that demands more, more MORE!
Quitting weed is nowhere near as difficult as stopping the use of other drugs – like fentanyl, for example. However; you will experience some withdrawal symptoms when you put down the ganja. You might think you can do this on your own, but you are probably going to need some help. After all, if you could stop using pot on your own, you would have done it by now.
Many people get clean by participating in an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP). This is a relatively inexpensive way to get rehabilitation on a flexible schedule. You can also seek help at Marijuana Anonymous meetings.
No matter where you turn, we hope you will reach out for help and get sober. Staying stoned and being hooked on weed is not an awesome way to spend your life.
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