Marijuana is Addictive

And less harmful than aspirin.

I used to work at a drug treatment center and I have been exposed to all types of users and their subsequent withdrawal symptoms. In fact, it was this work experience that caused me to begin researching marijuana and it's effects on the body. Here is the reality of the situation that this "professional" will not tell you. Marijuana is "psychologically" addictive, however, so are jelly donuts. Essentially, anything that gives the user any kind of pleasure is considered psychologically dependent. I'm not sure where this poster gets his information from, but according to the Merck Manual, there are no physical withdrawal symptoms from marijuana. I have seen many, many drug and alcohol users come into the facility where I formally worked and I have only seen TWO (yes, that's two!) who used only marijuana. No alcohol or drugs , just marijuana. Their lives were not negatively effected. The only reason they were in treatment was because their parents caught them using and freaked out. They were given no withdrawal medication and were admitted directly to the community.

I'm not sure who's paying this person to put his professional credibility on the line to argue an essentially unwinnable argument (if you research the truth, that is), but I believe if I were in this man's shoes I would quietly move on and hope nobody remembers my futile arguments when it becomes legal in a year or so.

The only way to truly demonize marijuana is to lie either blatantly or by omission and lie the government has for many decades now for purely political reasons.

Marijuana is not physically adictive. Tabaco and alcohol are 10 times more adictive and deadlier than marijuana ever could be.

In the great war against Marijuana; one thing that has been done; that flies under most radar- is that for a person to get into many rehab programs; they have to 'admit' that they are addicted to marijuana.
So say your arrested for a joint in your pocket; and you are told by the Judge; either go to jail; or attend a rehab program.
Some choice; so you pick the program; and in order to sign into the program- you have to say that you are addicted to marijuana.
Even if your not. It is the governments way to prove people are addicted to pot.
If your caught on the street blasted on cocaine - its jail or rehab; and yes; you have to sign saying that you became addicted to marijuana first; before becoming addicted to cocaine.
Or you go to jail.
That is where their data comes from.

This claim is outrageous. Just look at the numbers. Data was obtained from these pages:

http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/NSDUH/2k7NSDUH/tabs/Sect1peTabs1to46.htm #Tab1.1A
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/NSDUH/2k6NSDUH/tabs/Sect2peTabs1to42.htm #Tab2.1B

The percentages are for monthly usage in 2006.

Marijuana Users
Age Group 21 - 25: 14.8%
Age Group 35 & up: 3.2%

Tobacco Users
Age Group 21 - 25: 45.6%
Age Group 35 & up: 27%

Alcohol Users
Age Group 21 - 25: 68.6%
Age Group 35 & up: 51.8%

I'm assuming that addiction means that once you use, you're hooked. If marijuana were truly addictive then we should see a much higher percentage of users in the 35 and up range. What we're seeing is a nearly 80% drop in usage as people get older. Obviously this assumes that marijuana use among 21 to 25 year olds has remained fairly constant over the last 10 to 14 years - which is a pretty safe assumption.

Contrast that with the fact that 60% of tobacco users and 75% of alcohol users are still using at age 35 and up.

There is absolutely no indication in the usage statistics that marijuana is an addictive substance.

wheres your anti tobacco page Mr. I care about your health? hyppocrite ... prohibition only serves those who profit from it not those it pretends to protect. Stop supporting organized crime... I find your eveidence to be quite lacking and quite false in it's nature. Seed bearing plants are not a crime to use, as a resident of this planet I have every right to use it and do in spite of your racist laws. It's never been a problem for me.

Some users experience a phsycological substance addiction, however, they rarely experience a physiological addiction like they do with cigarettes.

For example, marijuana users frequently quit for 30+ days, just to pass simple drug tests. Sure they WANT to smoke - it relaxes them - but the question is, do they NEED to smoke?

I could say I am addicted to back massages. Should it be illegal for me to get a back massage because "I may become addicted?"

There are those who become disfunctional because they choose to smoke pot all the time, and pot will make you less motivated, WHILE YOU ARE HIGH. If you spend your entire life high, you will be fairly disfunctional. At that level, the only way you can continue to maintain a normal lifestyle is to be empowered by those around you to do so. Alternatively, you could become homeless, but there are homeless people who CHOOSE to be homeless and are happy to be so. It is not illegal to be homeless.

Anything pleasurable can be addictive. only a 9 percent addiction rate? So because of a couple of week minded, no will power having people, the rest of us normal people have to suffer? I thought mass punishment was illegal?

What you fail to point out is the fact that it is so incredibly much more dangerous to drive drunk. Marijuana is not particularly good for you, but it is no worse than smoking and it is ABSOLUTELY no worse than drinking. You can't overdose on it, it relieves pain, it generally puts you in a better mood. Countless scientific studies have shown that it works incredibly well for medical purposes. And marijuana doesn't have nearly as much, if any, affect on your decisions as alcohol does. That survey of inmates in prisons is absolutely preposterous. If they are in prison for homicide, a lot more was going on than getting high.