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Addiction

You can become addicted to marijuana both physically and psychologically. Addiction can wreck your family life, school, job, and fun activities. Tolerance to marijuana can build up rapidly. Heavy users need eight times the dose to get the same effects as infrequent users.

Sixty percent of teens admitted to drug treatment said marijuana was their main drug.¹ Teens are three times more likely to be marijuana addicts as adults are. The earlier teens use marijuana, the more likely they are to become addicted later in life and to harm their brain development.

Withdrawal symptoms can make it hard for long-term marijuana smokers to stop using the drug. The symptoms include craving, irritability, restlessness, insomnia, nausea, and intense dreams. People who try to quit marijuana say they feel cranky, have trouble sleeping, and feel anxious. These reactions were strongest after the first week they stopped using the drug.

Short- and Long-Term Effects »