Marijuana addiction is real, and rising • Hacker News Board

Re: Marijuana addiction is real, and rising

#41

Post by rubicon33 » Fri, Jun 29, 2018, 7:47 PM UTC

nerdponx wrote: post #17

fb03 wrote: post #7

Humans can get hooked to anything that triggers a 'feel good' response, be it gorging on food, drugs, gambling or even exercising. With all the grinding, long hours and stressful situations "modern life" puts us through, it's not difficult to see how people more and more just want to hit the 'instant gratification' button instead of actually getting better by working their underlying issues.... there is simply no tim…

The problem is that some of these activities that deliver gratification - drinking alcohol, drinking coffee, smoking weed, playing video games - can be physiologically addicting. You might not realize your habit has become an addiction until you're already addicted.

It's also sometimes a struggle to define when something is an addiction, and when it's healthy.

A cup of coffee a day. A couple hours of video games in the evening. Are these addictions? Where do you draw the line between healthy, and harmful? That seems fairly subjective to me. Yet, there's plenty of functional alcoholics that would say the same thing about their abuse, right?

Re: Marijuana addiction is real, and rising

#42

Post by cabaalis » Fri, Jun 29, 2018, 7:47 PM UTC

ggggtez wrote: post #28

dev_420 wrote: post #6

Throwaway because obviously the stigma. But yes, it's very real. I am addicted to marijuana. I smoke nearly 3 grams a day; what has become a $1000+/month habit. I've always loved weed but the high salary has allowed me to lose control. I can't sleep or eat without it. Within 24 hours without weed I become an intolerable asshole who cannot eat or sleep. When I do sleep without it, it's full of nightmares and I wake up…

>Within 24 hours without weed I become an intolerable asshole I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest the underlying problem might not be the weed.

It might be, though. I have heard this exact thing from a friend about her husband. She may divorce him over it. It is very specifically when he is out. It is worth looking into the effects of prolonged drug use (even mj) on the brain and personality.

Re: Marijuana addiction is real, and rising

#43

Post by badloginagain » Fri, Jun 29, 2018, 7:47 PM UTC

boomboomsubban wrote: post #33

hsienmaneja wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That you experience significant physical withdrawal symptoms from marijuana certainty calls into question the street wisdom that pot isn’t (physically) addicting.

Or it's a combination of mental addiction and the placebo effect. The ritual has become such an important part of their life, that when they remove it their anxiety causes a physical reaction based on their concept of withdrawl.

I read that the use of marijuana actually inhibits dreams, and that people who quit temporarily experience intense dreams.

Re: Marijuana addiction is real, and rising

#44

Post by hsienmaneja » Fri, Jun 29, 2018, 7:47 PM UTC

boomboomsubban wrote: post #33

hsienmaneja wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That you experience significant physical withdrawal symptoms from marijuana certainty calls into question the street wisdom that pot isn’t (physically) addicting.

Or it's a combination of mental addiction and the placebo effect. The ritual has become such an important part of their life, that when they remove it their anxiety causes a physical reaction based on their concept of withdrawl.

This isn’t the reality for all. Not everyone remains productive like Seth Rogen when perpetually stoned.

Many people waste away their lives stoned and the problem seems to be getting worse while the quality of pot skyrockets to all time highs.

Re: Marijuana addiction is real, and rising

#45

Post by StanislavPetrov » Fri, Jun 29, 2018, 7:47 PM UTC

emodendroket wrote: post #18

Perhaps that is the case, but what bothers me is that these arguments are often put forth as an argument for continuing to use the criminal justice system to address the problem.

Not only that, but the fact that their is an extremely high correlation between those decrying the evils of the Devil's Tobacco and those who see nothing wrong with dosing tens of millions of people (including millions of small children) with powerful psychotropic drugs that have far more profound and less understood impacts on the human brain (especially the developing brain of a child) than marijuana.

Re: Marijuana addiction is real, and rising

#46

Post by Baeocystin » Fri, Jun 29, 2018, 7:48 PM UTC

lightbyte wrote: post #35

Baeocystin wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is one important difference: withdrawal from something like alcohol can actually kill you. Withdrawal from marijuana makes you an irritable asshole for a week or two. The hardest part is understanding and coping with the issue that drives the user to use marijuana so heavily in the first place. If it can be understood what need the marijuana use is providing for, changing use patterns becomes possible.

>withdrawal from opiates ... can actually kill you Opioid withdrawal is actually not fatal at all barring potential dehydration from excessive diarrhea/vomiting.

I edited that out. Apparently most opiate related deaths during withdrawal are due to a person wanting 'one last hit', but choosing a dose that they no longer have the tolerance for.

Re: Marijuana addiction is real, and rising

#47

Post by Kluny » Fri, Jun 29, 2018, 7:48 PM UTC

asdffdsa321 wrote: post #11

taobility wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

you just want to give a reason to indulge yourself. Every adult should clearly know the difference between good habit or bad addiction.

Is exercise a good habit or bad addiction?

Everything is bad for you if you do it enough. "All things in moderation", as the Greeks said.

Re: Marijuana addiction is real, and rising

#48

Post by RIMR » Fri, Jun 29, 2018, 7:49 PM UTC

sAbakumoff wrote: post #37

C'mon, I smoke every day and still not addicted!

Here's a challenge.

Put all your stuff in a container, and put it on a shelf. Leave it there for a week, and don't use it.

Every time you think about opening the container, write it down. I bet you'll think about opening the container a LOT more than you think will.

Do you think you could make it to the end of the week? If not, you're addicted.

Re: Marijuana addiction is real, and rising

#49

Post by monkeynotes » Fri, Jun 29, 2018, 7:49 PM UTC

StanislavPetrov wrote: post #36

omegbule wrote: post #16

A very real thing is that weed is a crutch for depression here in the states.

Which speaks to the larger question, why are so many people in our society depressed?

Anxiety and depression go hand in hand. Modern life is hard on some people, fear of losing a job or making the next mortgage payment, or getting good grades, and so on can lead to anxiety in people who er toward flight rather than fight. This anxiety can trigger depression and then the horrible cycle begins.

Re: Marijuana addiction is real, and rising

#50

Post by ujustdidthat » Fri, Jun 29, 2018, 7:49 PM UTC

ggggtez wrote: post #28

dev_420 wrote: post #6

Throwaway because obviously the stigma. But yes, it's very real. I am addicted to marijuana. I smoke nearly 3 grams a day; what has become a $1000+/month habit. I've always loved weed but the high salary has allowed me to lose control. I can't sleep or eat without it. Within 24 hours without weed I become an intolerable asshole who cannot eat or sleep. When I do sleep without it, it's full of nightmares and I wake up…

>Within 24 hours without weed I become an intolerable asshole I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest the underlying problem might not be the weed.

Wow rly? Is this comment called for?