Marijuana: Withdrawal Symptoms

What Is Marijuana and How Is It Smoked?

Marijuana is a drug which is Schedule I in the United States. It is the most commonly abused illegal drug in America and is commonly smoked through several different methods. Users may smoke marijuana in the skin of a cigar and this is called a blunt, they may mix it with some tobacco and cigarette papers and call this a joint or may take it from bongs, pipes or vaporizers. Marijuana is most commonly smoked in plant form but there are other ways to consume it. Users, for instance, may choose something called hash which is a solid mixed with THC and other things that has to be lit before it can be crumpled up and smoked. Users may also smoke kief, which is a high content derivative of the plant of marijuana that comes in powder form.

There is a counterpart to the marijuana plant called hemp, which is basically the same but without any hallucinogenic qualities, and this plant can be used for creating paper, clothes and many other useful things. However, due to its close relationship to marijuana, hemp is most commonly heavily controlled by the government. Hemp is legal to possess, whereas carrying marijuana carries with it steep prison sentences in some cases.

Is Marijuana Addictive?

Smoking marijuana can definitely be habit forming and can affect up to 30% who smoke marijuana. Marijuana dependence is most likely to occur in users that smoke everyday but only under 9% will develop what would be considered a serious addiction to marijuana. Marijuana withdrawal symptoms are a lot less unpleasant than for other drugs but they can still greatly affect the user, particularly if the user smokes routinely and a noticeable amount.

What Are The Withdrawal Symptoms For Marijuana?

Marijuana users will start to have problems trying to get to sleep. This is one of the quickest and most noticeable withdrawal symptoms that marijuana users feel after they stop smoking it. Users might feel more irritable and have a marked decrease in their mood. Cannabis users that have stopped smoking cannabis are also very likely to have a marked decrease in appetite and might become anxious. Many users do turn back to cannabis after going through these symptoms to cope with them and studies have proven that these withdrawal symptoms go away after the user smokes cannabis again.

Other signs can contain headaches, aches and pains, cravings, nausea and in some cases vomiting and in some extreme cases aggression. Users might also find that the problem of self-medicating runs rampant when it comes to marijuana consumption so ailments like stomach aches may come back. Although users frequently turn back to marijuana to cope, it must be emphasized that they should be getting treatment from a qualified medical professional.

Marijuana withdrawal symptoms are very intense for up to ten days after the user stops taking the drug and it is during these days that the user will experience extreme cravings. The effects of marijuana withdrawal have been compared to tobacco ones as being 'the same but milder.'