They told you that it was an “innocent drug”, one that was, for all intents and purposes, harmless. They said all kinds of things to get you to try it. Most of what they said wasn’t true.
Cannabis Withdrawal Syndrome is a very real, and very terrifying condition.
The following are true stories, from real marijuana smokers. Their names have been changed, in order for me to print their stories.
Joe started smoking pot at 19. He started with casual use. He enjoyed the feeling of getting high, and the “companionship” he experienced with his “friends” when they were getting high together.
At first Joe only smoked pot a couple of times a week. But as time went on, he began to smoke it more and more often.
Before he knew it Joe was smoking marijuana every day, and not just once, but 4 or 5 or 6 times a day.
The expense was sometimes an issue, but most of the time it was not because his friends all smoked pot too, and they were always “cool” about passing around a joint.
Joe was smoking so much because it took more now, than at the beginning, to help him get that “high feeling.” He was going through about an 8th a day, before he realized it.
At 20, Joe decided he really wanted to clean up his act. He told his friends that he didn’t want to smoke pot anymore. He stopped buying it, and stopped smoking it… for 9 days.
For 9 days Joe did not sleep either. He felt he was going out of his mind. His thoughts were running wild, his stomach turned, he was experiencing weight loss, and extreme anxiety. Joe was awake for so long that blood vessels in his eyes actually began to burst, an extreme case of “red eye.
Joe knew that if he just smoked a bowl before he went to bed, he would be able to sleep like a baby again.
He tried as hard as he could, as long as he could, to not give in to his “need” for pot. But after 9 days, Joe went back to marijuana, and says now “I will never stop smoking, because it was the worst thing I have ever gone through in my life, I can never go through that again.”
Paul started smoking at 16. Casual user, like Joe. No big deal, it’s just pot he thought. Everyone says it’s a harmless drug. Over time he too increased his usage of the drug, because it took more and more to get him high.
Paul’s girlfriend became extremely upset with him, finding out that he was smoking marijuana. So he promised her he’d stop. After the first couple of days, he found that he could not sleep without the drug, so Paul too, went back to smoking. He lied to his girlfriend, and told her he had quit.
Paul’s addiction, however, was out of control. He was using more and more of the drug. “Smoke in the morning, when I get up. Smoke on my lunch break at work. Smoke on my 15 minute breaks at work, smoke when I got off work, and then smoke some more until I passed out.” This is how Paul described his life. “I was going through at least a hundred bucks of pot a week.” he said.
Until his girlfriend found out that he’d lied. She was furious, and told him either to stop, or she was leaving him.
Joe stopped.
The insomnia that comes with withdrawal from marijuana is maddening. “It makes you feel like you are going crazy.” Paul said. “You can’t imagine what it’s like, if you haven’t gone through it.”
Paul is only going on his 5th day of quitting, as this article is being written. He also hasn’t slept in that many days.
Addressing The myth that marijuana is not addictive:
Light or occasional marijuana users, such as those that only use once or twice a week, do not experience withdrawals symptoms. New studies reveal, though, that daily users such as Joe and Paul, experience withdrawal symptoms that are very close to those of other drugs. Studies have shown, also, that the level of dependence daily users display on assessment tests is only slightly less than the level of dependence cocaine users exhibit.
Tests done on laboratory rats indicate that they experience withdrawal symptoms, such as shaking, which occurred when the drug was taken from the rats. The symptoms “cease” in the rats, as in human beings, when the drug is administered again.
Besides the insomnia that Joe and Paul experienced, other symptoms have been documented in case studies outlining the effects of marijuana withdrawal. These symptoms can include restlessness, irritability, muscle pain, severe stomach pain, aggression and strange, vivid dreams.
More and more users are seeking help for their addiction. Because the drug was thought to be “non-addictive”, for such a long period of time, there is little help available to someone who is experiencing this type of drug withdrawal. Treatments have not yet been developed, and because of the long standing myth regarding addiction, many health care providers still see marijuana withdrawal syndrome as a “non-existent” problem. With little help or support available, coupled with the general belief of non-smokers that quitting pot does not cause withdrawals, many smokers abandon their attempts to quit, in exchange for relief from the painful withdrawal experience.
Studies show that marijuana users have one of the highest “return to use” rates of all drug users.
There is clearly a need for more truthful and accurate information about the risks of marijuana use. There is also a great need for further studies on the withdrawal symptoms, and for the development of treatments that can assist addicts in their difficult battle to break away from the addictive behavior.
