Cannabis Use Disorder: Causes and Effects

Individuals living with cannabis dependence experience aggression, irritability, anxiety, decreased appetite, restlessness, and sleep difficulties during the withdrawal phase. Symptoms may also include anxiety after weed wears https://ecosober.com/blog/cannabis-use-disorder-symptoms-and-treatment/ off, which makes withdrawal unrecognizable for some people. THC has a much longer half-life than other substances, prolonging these symptoms and making withdrawal unrecognizable. Establishing evidence-based guidelines could empower individuals to make informed choices and potentially reduce the burden on healthcare systems. Only a licensed healthcare professional can properly diagnose cannabis use disorder.

Medical Professionals

Continuous use typically causes a depressed mood, loss of interest, isolation, apathy, and lack of motivation. Adolescents are most vulnerable to addiction to cannabis, even if they are using low levels. College students and young adults reported their reasons for using cannabis as mostly to fit in socially, followed by a desire to experiment, and also for pleasure.

What are the complications of cannabis use disorder?

The men in the study who received varenicline used cannabis fewer times per week than the men on placebo. Specifically, the varenicline group averaged 7.9 cannabis sessions per week during the study and 5.7 sessions in the week following the study, compared with more than 12 weekly sessions for the placebo group. The male varenicline group also used cannabis an average of 3.8 days per week, compared with 4.7 days per week for the male placebo group.

• Factors like other medications, health conditions, and personal circumstances all play a role.
• However, chronic marijuana use can lead to dependence, and stopping after prolonged use triggers withdrawal symptoms that affect both mental and physical health.
• The gastrointestinal system of an avid user can also fail to function optimally, giving rise to persistent nausea and severe abdominal pain that will greatly suppress one’s normal eating habits.
• While it may not be as severe as other substance use disorders, many individuals still seek treatment due to the widespread availability of cannabis 2.
• What separates recreational use from a certain disorder is, rather bluntly, how consumption “issues,” as they are referred to, obstruct typical functioning such as employment, education, relationships, or even parenting.

How reliable are the THC figures in the study?

If pot interferes with your daily life, health or relationships, those are red flags. The fractured regulation of the industry means no official body has taken responsibility  for the huge boom in medical cannabis. But private clinics can legally prescribe unlicensed products, which have not been through strictly controlled medical trials. Benefits claimants signed off work with mental health problems are offered free consultations and up to 20 per cent off the cost of the drug. Thousand of Britons are being prescribed super-strength https://welcometoholidays.com/2020/11/13/how-to-tell-if-youre-experiencing-paws-post-acute/ cannabis for anxiety and depression. Measuring cannabis use with standard THC units “appears to show good discrimination accuracy of CUD at different severities and in different age groups,” the investigators wrote.

Brit caught with cannabis faces years in Qatar jail as family insist criminals made him carry drugs

But whether someone chooses to join a group or not, even being able to lean on a community of people who aren’t using pot is an important part for recovery. This article is part of AP’s Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health. In the 1960s, most pot that people smoked contained less than 5% THC, the ingredient that gets you high.

Does quitting cannabis cause withdrawal effects?

“No level of cannabis use is completely safe; however, clearer information about THC intake could help people who use cannabis regularly to potentially reduce their risk,” Thorne told Healthline. Medical professionals should document the presence of cannabis intoxication symptoms such as impaired coordination, altered perception, or cognitive changes. These symptoms must be present during the clinical encounter to justify F12.20 alcoholism code assignment. With the addition of gambling disorder to the chapter, a change in the title was necessary. One is called motivational interviewing, a goal-oriented counseling style that helps people find internal motivation to change their behavior. Another is cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT, a form of talk therapy that helps people to challenge negative thought patterns and reduce unhelpful behaviors.