This page has been reviewed by Lester Morse, Director of Rehabs UK.
While cannabis is widely viewed as recreational or low-risk, regular use can lead to genuine physical and psychological dependence.
When cannabis use stops being a choice and begins negatively affecting your mental health, relationships, finances, or daily responsibilities, it has developed into an addiction.
Why is Cannabis Addictive?
The active ingredient in cannabis is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which releases a surge of dopamine, causing relaxation and euphoria. With regular use, the brain gets used to the spikes in dopamine and develops a tolerance. Users then require stronger strains or larger doses to achieve the same effect. This increased use leads to physical dependence.
If you are finding Cannabis impossible to give up, please contact our Treatment Advisors for a free assessment.
While cannabis may offer short-term relief to those self-medicating for stress, anxiety, depression or insomnia, these conditions will not be resolved with cannabis and long-term use can worsen symptoms.
Social attitudes to cannabis are increasingly relaxed, meaning it can be hard to spot dependency in a loved one. Withdrawal and rehabilitation within a rehab centre offer people the best chance of a long-lasting, successful recovery. Individuals can then begin to understand the complex reasons behind their addiction and identify triggers to help avoid potential relapse in the future.
Physical: Restlessness, insomnia, irritability, appetite loss, sweating, intense cravings.
Psychological: Increased anxiety, persistent low mood, paranoia, loss of motivation.
Behavioural: Spending large amounts of money on cannabis, neglecting work or personal relationships, hiding the extent of use, continuing to smoke despite clear negative consequences.
The impact of cannabis addiction on your life is vast. By becoming physically dependant your body may go into cannabis withdrawal. This could leave you restless, uninterested in eating, irritable, depressed and unable to sleep.
Being addicted to cannabis can seriously harm your relationships, finances, health and your job. The user for example may spend a lot of time obtaining, using, or recovering from cannabis use.
