Cannabis, pot, dope, ganja, weed, call it what you would. It is the most easily accessible street drug and also one of the very cheapest. Because it is not a stimulant, the signs and symptoms of marijuana drug addiction can so subtle often the addicts go undetected by family members.
Also fuelled by the myth that cannabis or weed is not entirely addictive and that it is a sedative that has healing properties.
Yea, right! It may have healing properties but when you have to take it in order to fall asleep or function then it is addictive. Here are some of the more subtle signs that somebody maybe addicted to marijuana. Look out for them because you may be living with an addict!
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Users may feel and look tired and sluggish.
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Lying and denial a lot in order to hide their addiction.
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Slurred speech and sluggishness.
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Changes in personal hygiene habits and grooming.
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Being withdrawn and anti-social.
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An inclination to depression and/or anxiety attacks.
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Mood swings and unpredictable behaviour, that is out of character.
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Restlessness and paranoia
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Lack of concentration and a short attention span.
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Loss of appetite with occasional periods of bingeing.
Apart from these subtle signs there are more serious and obvious signs of addiction to cannabis.
Some serious health and psychological implications, some so dangerous that they are permanent and can never be reversed. Those signs include vomiting and hunger pangs, headaches and dizziness, liver failure, brain damage and oedema.
The effects of cannabis may be more subtle than the ‘hard core’ drugs because it has healing properties and that gives the ‘sedation’ or the ‘ease’ that many users swear by.
But it shoots into the bloodstream and is killing the brain cells and the irony is that most people find that they are somewhat ‘smarter’ when they’ve had a drag of dope. That’s because the brain is over stimulated and after time can’t supply enough oxygen for that over stimulation.