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Dr. Smita Das hears the same myth often: You can’t get addicted to pot.
And as an increasing number of states are legalizing marijuana, this misconception has become more widespread. About half now allow recreational use for adults and 40 states allow medical use.
But addiction psychiatrist Das said, “Cannabis is definitely something that someone can get addicted to.” Stanford University,
It’s called cannabis use disorder and it’s on the rise, affecting as many as 3 in 10 people who use pot, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how to know if you or a loved one is addicted to marijuana – and what types of treatment exist.
How to Identify the Symptoms of Cannabis Use Disorder
If pot interferes with your daily life, health, or relationships, these are red flags.
“The more someone uses and the higher capacity someone uses, the higher their risk,” Das said.
This has become more common as cannabis has become stronger in recent years. In the 1960s, most of the pot that people smoked contained less than 5% THCThe ingredient that gets you high. Today, concentrations in cannabis flower and dispensaries can reach THC potency of 40% or more, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Cannabis use disorder is diagnosed in the same way as any other substance use disorder – by looking at whether a person meets certain criteria set out in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the main guide for mental health providers.
These include needing more of the drug to get the same effect, having withdrawal symptoms, and spending a lot of time trying to get it or using it.
“When we break it down into these criteria that relate to the effects of their use, it’s much more relevant,” Das said.
What are the different levels of addiction
If you have met only two of the criteria for cannabis use disorder in the past year, doctors say you have a mild form of the condition. If you get six or more, your form is more severe.
According to the latest edition of the National Survey on Drug Use HealthIn 2024, 7% of all people aged 12 or older had a cannabis use disorder and most had a mild form. About 1 in 5 were in critical condition.
People May become dependent and addicted to substances. Dependence is physical, while addiction involves behavioral changes.
However, marijuana does not affect everyone in the same way. Das said the same dose can have a “big impact” on one person’s daily life, but have no effect on another person. “It really comes down to: How much is that substance affecting someone’s functioning and life on a day-to-day basis?”
Where people can get help for cannabis use disorder
Many marijuana users first come to Das for help dealing with something else, such as an alcohol use disorder. Later, she said, they would often come back and mention the struggle with cannabis.
She reassures them that effective treatments exist for this disorder.
One is called motivational interviewing, a goal-oriented counseling style that helps people find internal motivation to change their behavior. The second is cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT, a form of talk therapy that helps people challenge negative thought patterns and reduce unhelpful behaviors.
Twelve-step programs like Marijuana Anonymous can also be helpful, Das said. But whether someone wants to join a group or not, even relying on a community of people who are not using pot is an important part of recovery.
Retired digital executive creative director Dave Bushnell started a reddit The group was formed 14 years ago for people who, like him, had developed cannabis addiction or dependence and wanted help in recovery. Its discussion forum has 350,000 members and is constantly growing.
Bushnell, 60, said peer support is essential to recovery and some people feel more comfortable chatting online than interacting in person. “It’s the potholes taking care of the potholes,” he said.
Doctors have urged those who need help to get it, whether it’s from a professional or a peer group.
Like alcohol, “just because something is legal doesn’t mean it’s safe,” Das said.
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Associated Press reporter Leah Willingham in Boston contributed to this story.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. AP is solely responsible for all content.