As more states legalize marijuana, use has become more normalized and products have become more potent. But fewer of those who are addicted seek help for it.
Pot use among young adults reached historic levels in recent years, according to a federally supported survey. Daily use even outpaced daily drinking, with nearly 18 million Americans reporting in 2022 that they use marijuana every day or nearly every day, up from less than 1 million three decades earlier.
Studies show a corresponding increase in cannabis use disorder — when people crave marijuana and spend lots of time using it even though it causes problems at home, school, work or in relationships. It’s a condition that researchers estimate affects about 3 in 10 pot users and can be mild, moderate or severe.
And it’s an addiction — despite the common misconception that that’s not possible with marijuana, said Dr. Smita Das, an addiction psychiatrist at Stanford University.
Weed culture celebrates addiction and downplays risks and side effects. Cannabis might not be as bad as alcohol, but it can ruin lives as well. Stoners being lazy and stupid is not just a stereotype.
There’s also the trauma angle, it’s very effective for masking the symptoms of ptsd, anxiety, depression, etc. Does not fix these problems (likely makes anxiety and depression worse over time) but the symptoms go poof when you go puff.
Problem is, it takes a good therapist with the right modality to actually fix you, and finding that person is often an arduous process, if you can even access them to begin with, insurance etc. So people use the crutch that works.
Exactly. Cannabis can makes you feel okay with what is, this can impede taking the necessary steps for change. The „bad feeling“ goes away, but the reasons for them remain.
Poorly said but true