Author: Emily Oconnor

According to The University of Washington’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, there are close to 70 cannabinoids found in cannabis, also known as marijuana. Out of all of the cannabinoids found in marijuana, the most famous one is THC.

THC is the cannabinoid responsible for the psychoactive effects of marijuana and is why many people abuse the drug. Marijuana is the number one abused illegal drug in America and is the easiest drug for people to get illegally.

Cannabinoids Addiction

Addiction refers to the mentality behind a person’s substance use. If a person needs to smoke marijuana or hashish (the extracted oils of the Cannabis plant) immediately after the drug leaves their system they have an addiction to the drug. Or if a person becomes highly agitated if they do not have THC in their body then they have an addiction to cannabinoids.

The cannabinoids in marijuana can affect a person’s moods and behavior as well as impact their ability to retrieve information from their brain. The effects of cannabinoids can ultimately impact a person’s relationships and school experience as well as their performance at work.

Signs of Cannabinoid Addiction

Cannabinoid addiction is commonly seen in people who have been using marijuana on a frequent basis for years. Individuals who are addicted to the effects of cannabinoids will ignore the harmful effects that the drug is having on them, such as memory loss, financial burdens, low job performance, and relationship problems, and will continue to use the drug.

Marijuana addiction can be noticed in people, especially by people who are familiar with an individual’s behavioral patterns, both physically and behaviorally. Common signs of cannabinoid addiction include:

Physically: Increased appetite, blood shot eyes, anxiety, paranoia, rapid heartbeats, distorted coordination, increased sleep, memory loss and dry mouth.

Behaviorally: Not wanting to do daily responsibilities, slow reaction time, difficulty concentrating, and skewed perception.

Cannabinoid addiction signs will differ from each marijuana abuser, but they are noticeable. Although marijuana has been linked to having some health benefits, when abused in large quantities marijuana can create health problems, the most significant concern being mental ailments. Marijuana has been shown to worsen the effects of schizophrenia and has been shown to create hallucinations, anxiety and paranoia in some people.

There are numerous rehab programs and support groups that are available to help people overcome their cannabinoid addiction. Although marijuana may not be as detrimental to a person’s well-being as other drugs, such as heroin or cocaine, it can cause difficulties to occur in a person’s life and does have withdrawal symptoms when a person stops using the substance after abusing it for years. Marijuana withdrawal can be extremely difficult for some people to go through and receiving help for the withdrawal can be found through rehab and support groups.