Question Title: urgent

I am doing a debate against the legalizationof medical marijuana, In reality, I am for it, so I really need some solid arguements. Please Help!

Dear Laura,

Read what I have written to the husband of a marijuana addict:

Dear DrSteve,

I have a friend whose wife has been encouraging him to stop smoking pot but he cannot seem to quit. I think he definitely abuses it. I've told him it's all in his head, because I didn't think that marijuana was physically addictive. I'm beginning to wonder whether I'm wrong in that belief. What's the truth? Is pot physically addictive?

Why Can't He Just Straighten Up & Fly Right?

Dear Mr. Right,

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT WHATSOEVER THAT PEOPLE LIKE YOUR FRIEND WHO CANNOT GIVE UP MARIJUANA WHEN THEY TRY TO DO SO ARE "PHYSICALLY ADDICTED" TO IT! Longstanding abusers of marijuana who stop using it typically feel anxious and irritable when they try to stop, and often have a great deal of trouble sleeping. Although these manifestations of cannabis withdrawal are more subtle than the sweating and elevated blood pressure of the newly abstinent alcoholic or the goose flesh and diarrhea of a heroin addict who has gone "cold turkey," they are signs that the quitter's brain is experiencing significant chemical changes which may cause extreme discomfort and make it difficult for him to avoid picking up a joint in order to get some relief.

Marijuana is one of several commonly abused substances which some people fail to recognize as genuinely addictive. In the past, there was also a commonly-held misconception that cocaine abuse did not produce physical addiction. Like marijuana, the symptoms of cocaine withdrawal are not as blatantly physical: They involve the so-called "crash," with extreme depression and sleepiness being the most prominent symptoms. Although withdrawal from these substances does not produce as much pure physical discomfort as withdrawal from alcohol or heroin does, your friend may have an exceedingly tough time quitting marijuana because his brain needs time to adjust to its new chemical environment. It usually takes many weeks for the brain to make this adjustment, and until it does so the newly-abstinent pot smoker feels so rotten that he has to actively fight off the urge to get high. This is an example of a powerful "physical addiction" which takes place at the microscopic level of brain receptors and neurotransmitters, and has its predominant effects on mood, energy, appetite, and sleep.

You, your friend, and his wife need to know that long-standing marijuana dependence can be a difficult addiction to overcome. Many pot smokers work on quitting for months or even years before they get it right. They almost always benefit from participation in SELF HELP GROUPS, and many require intensive treatment programs lasting weeks to months. I hope that this information helps you to support and help your friend. Quitting pot for once and for all isn't easy, but it can be done!

DrSteve

Take a look at my Ask DrSteve web site ( http://www.drsteve.org ) for other information about narcotics and the interplay between psychoactive substances and psychiatric symptoms. Good luck!

Steve Adelman, M.D. (a.k.a. DrSteve)

This information is for general medical education purposes only. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition.

Keywords: marijuana

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