Marijuana can be addictive, altering the brain's natural chemical balance and impacting various physiological functions across the body, says Lawrence R. Fishel PhD, LCSW-C, a clinical social work specialist in Towson, Md.
The risk of developing cannabis use disorders increases with higher rates of marijuana consumption.
“Although less physically harmful than some substances, marijuana use can impair cognitive abilities and motivation, leading to decreased memory, performance and interest in healthy pursuits,” he states.
Marijuana use can interfere with the diagnosis and treatment of a range of psychiatric conditions, he adds.
Cannabis use disorder is a pattern of cannabis use that leads to clinically significant impairment or distress. For some with this disorder there is a persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control cannabis use. In addition, a great deal of time is spent on activities necessary to obtain cannabis, use cannabis, or recover from its effects.
Fishel shared these details in an NASW Specialty Practice Sections webinar,
New Trends in Substance Use Focusing on Alcohol and Cannabis.
The webinar explores the impact of the legalization of cannabis in most states, and includes recent research on the psychology of abusive and addictive behavior. There is also a discussion on the treatments of substance use, recovery programs and support groups in communities.
Fishel pointed out that cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in the U.S. Even though it is legal in some states, it is still an illicit drug at the federal level.
Signs of a psychological addiction to marijuana include:
- Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
- Lack of motivation
- Problems with interpersonal relationships
- Inability to control or stop marijuana use
- Worsening short-term memory, learning difficulties, trouble focusing
Marijuana has become more addictive over the past few decades due to significantly increased THC levels, with strains today containing up to 28% THC compared to less than 2% before the 1990s.
In the webinar, Fishel also discusses statistics around the increase in cannabis use, including the proportion of DUIs involving marijuana or marijuana in combination with other substances—which grew from 12% in 2014 to 31% in 2020, according to Colorado State Patrol officers.
Citations for marijuana alone increased from 6.3% in 2014 to 8.7% in 2020, while citations for marijuana combined with alcohol or other drugs rose from 5.7% in 2014 to 22.7% in 2020, Fishel said.
Marijuana-related emergency department visits significantly increased during the era of medical commercialization, peaking after 2014 before reversing in 2019, while calls to poison control regarding marijuana exposure rose from 41 in 2006 to 276 in 2019.
However, the rate of treatment admissions for those reporting marijuana as their primary substance of use decreased from 222 per 100,000 population in 2012 to 182 in 2019.
For this and other NASW Specialty Practice Section webinars, visit the SPS webinar catalog page.