Is There Such a Thing as a Marijuana Addict?

This question comes up a lot when dealing with the pro-marijuana prohibition front, the answer is exactly what they would expect. Yes, there are such things as marijuana addicts. I know some of my readers may be shocked that I believe in marijuana addiction, especially considering my obvious pro-legalization stance. I have seen marijuana addicts, they aren't pretty.

Addiction to anything can do serious damage to the addict and any friends or family they may have. I do think that marijuana addiction should be taken seriously, casual pot heads are one thing, but marijuana addicts are quite another. I have personally seen marijuana addiction affect relationships, it was one of the reasons my marriage ended recently, my wife is addicted, marijuana came first and foremost before our relationship.

So what are the signs of a marijuana addict? Well there are scores of government sponsored propaganda sites dedicated to this topic, search them out if you want, but in my mind the signs of a marijuana addict are the same as the signs of any other addiction:

1. Inability to resist using it, for example someone who has to have it every day and if they miss a day they get agitated.
   
2. Skipping or canceling important appointments in order to pick up weed or smoke up.
3. Promising to cut back but not being able to.
4. More thought is put into the addiction then into their own life.
5. Buying even when they don't have the money, allowing their finances to spin out of control.
   

So what should be done about marijuana addicts? Same thing that should be done about alcoholics or any other addict, try to get them to stop and get them into some sort of program to help them.

OK, so now you are wondering if I believe that someone can become addicted to marijuana how can I support legalization right? Simple, because I am not a hypocrite. I don't think alcohol should be illegal, or caffeine, nor even tobacco, so why should marijuana, all of those are considerably more chemically addictive than marijuana. Study after study has shown that out of nicotine, heroine, cocaine, alcohol, caffeine, and marijuana; marijuana is by far the least addictive. So why should pot be illegal while coffee is a buck a cup?

The sad fact is anything enjoyable is addictive. Any time you enjoy something your brain releases chemicals and you enjoy the feeling, as you should, well some people are susceptible to addiction, and these people will become addicted to something, it could be a sex addiction, an adrenaline addiction, a caffeine addiction, a marijuana addiction, a heroine addiction, or any number of other things. The question is what right do we have to regulate what someone is allowed to enjoy? It all comes down to personal responsibility. Now I am not saying that everything that could become an addiction should be legalized because it is up to the individual to decide, after all some drugs are so highly addictive and so toxic that they really should be illegal, but weed isn't particularly bad for your health, nor is it overly addictive.

So in closing, yes marijuana is addictive to some people, but that should never be used as an argument for the prohibition of marijuana.