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There are definitely physical dependencies that develop with THC, perhaps not "addiction" but the body does get used to it to the point that withdrawal is a rea
by hellofunk 11y ago
There are definitely physical dependencies that develop with THC, perhaps not "addiction" but the body does get used to it to the point that withdrawal is a real and physical problem if you've been using it a lot and at strong doses.
- rdudek 11y agoI'm not so sure if we can actually draw lines between physical and psychological since brain can control your needs and wants. People can get addicted to anything and withdrawals suck.
- hellofunk 11y agoThere are some things are genuinely physical. Here is an example: Marijuana is known to constrict the vessels of the brain. Over the long term, the brain compensates for this to return the vessels to a normal state. When you suddenly stop smoking cannabis routinely, the vessels expand because the THC is not maintaining their restriction. Expanded vessels in the brain are a common suspected cause of migraines, and severe headaches are a top reported symptom of cannabis withdrawal. Interestingly, this effect of cannabis on the brain's vascular system also makes it a highly-researched drug for migraine treatment. It would be like taking migraine medication every day for a long time, then suddenly stopping and getting a flood of headaches as the brain re-adjusts. Now, I don't think this is "psychological."
- DanBC 11y agoThat's not what physical dependence is. Note that cannabis is not listed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_dependence#Drugs_that_cause_physical_dependence https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_dependence#Drugs_that...
- hellofunk 11y agoI don't know the right term, but there are very real physical withdrawal symptoms that are due to the body no longer getting a chemical it was previously getting routinely. To me that seems like "dependence" but perhaps there is more academically correct term.
- DanBC 11y agoAh, fair enough.