Experts raise alarm over rise of marijuana addiction… as drug becomes more potent
Weed is stronger and more accessible than ever, and addiction to it is rising, especially in young Americans, experts are warning.
Chris Pollock, 39, was a director at a Southern California substance abuse treatment program for about five years and saw firsthand how 18- to 25-year-olds were turning to marijuana to cope with stress and sleep issues.
He told DailyMail.com: ‘They become very dependent upon it. When they’re not taking it [marijuana], their threshold of being able to handle anxiety is so low they actually require it just to function in daily life.’
Forty-four percent of 19- to 30-year-olds used marijuana in 2022, the latest date available, or 25.3million people, estimates suggest, up from 28 percent that used the substance in 2012.
Studies suggest that users have a roughly 30 percent chance of becoming addicted to weed, with signs of addiction including inability to reduce usage, constant cravings and relationship problems. Withdrawal can feature a lack of appetite, restless sleep, mood swings and, in more extreme cases, uncontrolled vomiting.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, approximately 2.7million Americans meet the criteria for marijuana use disorder.
Addiction may be attributable to the drug’s potency, which has increased over time. Ryan Sultan, a psychiatrist at Integrative Psychiatry who specializes in substance use, said the strength of marijuana products had increased by design.
‘One of the marketing schemes is to talk about your [marijuana] being as strong as possible. When you get stronger, the risk of addiction for anything is going to go up,’ he told DailyMail.com.
More young adults are becoming addicted to cannabis, experts suggest (stock image)
Pollock added: ‘Kids grew up with the idea from parents and [others] that weed is a very bad substance; it’s illegal and you can’t engage in it. All of a sudden, they’re seeing it’s legal with weed shops on every corner.’
Marijuana is illegal at the federal level and fully legal in 24 states, plus Washington DC. More than half of Americans live in states where recreational marijuana is legal, and 79 percent live in a county with at least one dispensary, according to the Pew Research Center.
A typical dispensary sells ‘pre-rolls’, such as joints and blunts, as well as gummies and edibles. Dozens of strains are available from $25.
The content of THC, the psychoactive ingredient that makes one ‘high’ after consuming marijuana, in most strains is around 20 to 30 percent.
This is a significant rise in THC content from 1995, when the average batch of marijuana seized by the DEA had a THC content of four percent.
Sultan said: ‘An old joint would have a little bit of weed, like a skinny, little coffee straw, and now we have these massive, enormous joints.’
In weed pens and vapes, THC can reach percentages in the 90s. They are normally available for $50 to $100.
Pollock said: ‘Weed pens make it very convenient. They reduce the amount of smell quite a bit, so even in school or at work, it’s very easy to hide it in comparison to other addictive substances such as alcohol, where it is much more apparent that someone is actively under the influence.’
Sultan is also concerned about the pens and vapes, as they are part of a trend of marijuana products designed for faster, easier consumption, with weed at its strongest levels.
The above graph shows how cannabis use has risen among 19-to-30-year-olds and older adults as more states have legalized the drug
In the US, marijuana is illegal at the federal level, classified as Schedule 1, putting it in the same class as heroin and ecstasy.
President Donald Trump said in August that he was ‘looking’ at reclassifying the drug: ‘Some people like it, some people hate it. Some people hate the whole concept of marijuana because if it does bad for the children, it does bad for people that are older than children.
‘It’s a very complicated subject, the subject of marijuana. I’ve heard great things having to do with medical and I’ve heard bad things having to do with just about everything else.’
Joe Biden’s administration proposed moving marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug last May. A Schedule 3 drug, such as ketamine or testosterone, has ‘moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.’
Sultan, however, believes there should be more oversight around weed, especially its source.
Weed grown illegally can be contaminated with pesticides or other toxic ingredients.
He said: ‘It’s gone from a boutique hobby to organizations that are trying to make money. There’s very little regulation or enforcement of regulation around quality [of] ingredients, whether the label is accurate or looking for pesticides. It’s supposed to all be tested but a lot of the testing is a little bit of a joke.’
Last year, the Los Angeles Times found that ‘more than half of cannabis smoking products in California’s legal market contain chemicals for which there is no public safety monitoring.’
There were 2,022 cases of vape product-related lung injuries reported in January 2020, per the CDC. About 80 percent of patients reported using weed products, which were largely acquired from ‘informal sources’ such as dealers, online sellers or friends.
Looking ahead, Pollock and Sultan believe there need to be drastic changes to the industry.
Sultan added: ‘If science was in charge of the laws, which we never have been, we would pretty clearly say that no one should be using under the age of 25.’
