[DaFace]

More from the book:

How bad is marijuana dependency compared to dependency on other drugs?

Regardless of the particular substance or behavior, no one wants to experience dependence, or have a family member, friend, or colleague suffer through addiction. The uncertainty and disappointment associated with dependence—as well as the possibility of health and financial risks—impose important costs on users and their intimates.

Medical professionals essentially use the same checklist to determine whether someone has a drug problem no matter what the drug is, but not all abuse and dependency is created equal. Marijuana dependence does not, on average, create the same social and personal problems as alcohol or heroin dependence. For example, heavy marijuana users can experience withdrawal, but the physical discomfort generally pales in comparison to that experienced by those with serious addictions to heroin or alcohol. Withdrawal from alcohol can be more than painful; if not properly supervised, it can even be fatal.

Robin Room and his colleagues found that marijuana posed less addictive risk than tobacco, alcohol, cocaine, stimulants, or heroin, not only in terms of likelihood of dependence but also the degree of dependence, which they characterize as “weak.” Their judgment is widely shared among experts. This finding does not deny that there are people who struggle to control their consumption or that marijuana dependence imposes a burden upon some users and their families; it just suggests that the intensity of marijuana dependence is generally less severe than dependence on some other well-known substances.