Smoking Dope: Vancouver's Favorite Pastime
By rosslaird on June 17, 2004 - 9:46am
In Vancouver, smoking a joint is part of everyday life for almost everybody who owns a mountain bike and an iPod. But most folks who use marijuana don’t know the whole story about its risks and effects. At the addictions clinics on the Downtown Eastside where I supervise counsellors, we frequently see habitual pot smokers who struggle with anger and anxiety when they reduce their use. It seems that marijuana is good at managing emotions; but, like most substances, not good at teaching emotional management. Once you quit, you’re on your own emotionally, and this can be overwhelming.
It has been a hard sell to convince habitual users to tone it down (or to quit). But recently a slew of studies has yielded some new and disturbing results.
Today’s Guardian has yet another piece about the growing evidence for addiction with the use of marijuana:
(Quoting Michael Rowlands) “There’s a strong desire to use, which overrides other activities, so friends and hobbies and work are neglected. There’s difficulty in controlling the amounts you use. There’s a degree of tolerance developed so you need higher doses to have the same effect. And then you persist in using despite the fact it’s causing you ill health or debt.
IMO this problem arises when you (ab)use marijuana to escape from emotional problems. If you just smoke accasionally, for fun, I think it's ok.
That's interesting... I am thinking about all those people who still think marijuana is not dangerous and not addictive. This is pure ignorance. It would be interesting to know what people in drug rehabilitation think about marijuana...
You say that most people don't know much about marijuana and it's effects. If they can afford marijuana then they can also afford informations about it, the only explanation I have for this is that they are simply not interested. I was just the same, I became addicted to marijuana (and those who think marijuana is not addictive I advise them to think again) and I when things became serious I got a drug rehab treatment, now I know all about marijuana, I should have know this a long time ago...