Drug dependence cannabis

There are pharmacological, social and legal issues to consider in this context of drug dependence and, of course, drug users and abusers vary enormously. A chronic alcoholic is very different from a weekend user of cannabis and any consideration of the topic has to consider legal and social issues as well as pharmacological effects of the drugs. 

Carpenter, Siri. The Changing Face of Marijuana Research. Monitor on Psychology, June 2001, pp. 40-42. Some people consider marijuana to be highly addictive and a gateway to harder drugs, while others believe it to be a social drug no more harmful than alcohol. Between these two positions lies the reality that marijuana affects individuals differently, as shown by variation in withdrawal symptoms. The identification of cannabis receptors in the brain has led to the realization that some marijuana users may be motivated to continue use in order to avoid withdrawal symptoms. However, about 40 percent of users seem not to experience drug dependence or withdrawal symptoms. Treatment plans need to take these different responses into account. 

Definition A drug psychosis, drug dependence, non-dependent drug abuse and accidental poisoning caused by use of opiates, cocaine, stimulants, cannabis or hallucinogens. 

Heroin has a special place among the opiates, as most of our practical knowledge of drug dependence has come from experience with this drug. The behavior of heroin addicts attracts more attention than that of other drug users and is more likely to lead to crime and to committal for therapy. In most statistics, heroin users feature disproportionately in comparison to users of cannabis or benzodiazepines. Heroin users are in most cases polytoxicomanes, also using substances such as cannabis, codeine, cocaine, benzo-diazepines... 

Cannabis. Report by the Advisory Coaaittee on Drug Dependence, H.M.S.O., London (1968)... 

Comparable findings for lifetime prevalence of psychiatric disorders were obtained in another study of 133 persons, which also found that 47% received a concurrent DSM-III diagnosis of substance abuse or dependence (Khantzian and Treece 1985). The most frequently abused substances were sedative-hypnotics (23%), alcohol (14%), and cannabis (13%). Similar rates of psychiatric disorders were found in other studies of drug abusers (Mirin et al. 1986 Woody et al. 1983). Although such diagnoses do not imply causality, and, in many cases, opioid dependence causes or exacerbates psychiatric problems, some causal link seems likely (Regier et al. 1990). 

Pope HG, Gruber AJ and Yurgelun-Todd D (1995). The residual neuropsychological effects of cannabis The current status of research. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 38, 25-34. 

The pleasure derived from using tobacco is linked to the stimulation of dopamine-dependent neurotransmitter pathways in the brain, particularly in the meso-limbic system. The precise nature of this link remains controversial, but many of the neurophysiological processes underlying nicotine addiction are common to other addictive drugs with diverse pharmacological actions such as opiates, cannabis, alcohol and cocaine. 

Childers SR, Breivogel CS. (1998). Cannabis and endogenous cannabinoid systems. Drug Alcohol Dependence. 51(1-2) 173-87. 

Varma VK, Malhotra AK, Dang R, Das K, Nehra R. (1988). Cannabis and cognitive functions a prospective study. Drug Alcohol Dependence. 21(2) 147-52. 

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