Research disagrees. There are dozens of peer-reviewed studies that say differently. Also, I think the word you're looking for is "non-addictive". You're suffering from scientific ignorance, also, not entirely your fault. There is a lot of misinformation by the pro-cannabis camp. It's common for people to say "it's not a drug" or "it's harmless", both are absolutely not true.
I appreciate that you wrote a blog, but I'm not going to bother reading it. It's easy for us to make claims that suit our beliefs. I did it for years. Take the time to research the subject and you will find out that cannabis dependence is a real thing, caused by chronic use over a long period.
Marijuana Withdrawal
As noted earlier, many people question whether one can truly become dependent on marijuana. The basis for skepticism is typically doubt that marijuana use can produce “physiological” dependence—i.e., that cessation of use produces a withdrawal syndrome. A review of the literature relevant to this issue is beyond our scope here. However, research over the past 10 to 15 years has (1) established a neurobiological basis for a marijuana withdrawal syndrome via an endogenous cannabinoid system in the central nervous system; (2) established the reliability, validity, and time course of a marijuana withdrawal syndrome through human laboratory research and clinical studies; and (3) demonstrated the potential clinical importance of the withdrawal syndrome (Budney et al., 2004; Budney and Hughes, 2006).
The marijuana withdrawal syndrome resembles those associated with other drugs, particularly tobacco. Patients experience irritability, anger, depression, difficulty sleeping, craving, and decreased appetite. Many indicate that these symptoms adversely impact their attempts to quit and motivate use of marijuana or other drugs for relief (Copersino et al., 2006). Most symptoms begin within 24 to 48 hours of abstinence, peak within 4 to 6 days, and last from 1 to 3 weeks, although significant individual differences occur in withdrawal expression.
The marijuana withdrawal syndrome does not appear to include major medical or psychiatric consequences and may be considered mild compared with heroin and severe alcohol withdrawal syndromes. Nonetheless, myriad patient reports suggest that additional research to understand and develop effective clinical responses to the withdrawal syndrome may enhance outcomes and promote successful cessation attempts.
"Patients experience irritability, anger, depression, difficulty sleeping, craving, and decreased appetite. "
My exact symptoms when I stop for longer than around 8 - 12 hours.
What experience do you bring to your blog post? Not only have I been smoking cannabis for 19 years, but I also know how to manufacture every cannabis concentrate. I sold it for around 10 years, my parents were growers, and I successfully defeated multiple addictions over the years. Have you even felt addiction before? Do you know what it's like to crawl around on the ground looking for crack? Do you know what it's like to rob people to get your fix? Maybe you do. I don't know you, and I didn't read your blog, but you seem to think that you know cannabis is "no-addictive". I assume you meant "non-addictive". Anyways, unless you have some PHDs to back up your claims. Why should I believe you over the people that do?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2797098/
http://www.addictionjournal.org/press-releases/what-twenty-years-of-research-on-cannabis-use-has-taught-us
http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/can.2015.29004.rtd
http://www.jabfm.org/content/24/4/452.full
Let's examine Professor Hall's findings.
"Driving while cannabis impaired approximately doubles car crash risk."
Have you ever smoked cannabis? If you have, you know this is true.
"Maternal cannabis use during pregnancy modestly reduces birthweight."
Interesting, not relevant to this conversation. My GF did quit smoking for both kids, so can't say much for this. Would be anecdotal, anyways.
"Around one in 10 regular cannabis users develop dependence, and this rises to one in six among people who start in adolescence."
I believe I am one of those.
"Regular (daily or near daily) cannabis use in adolescence approximately doubles the risks of early school leaving and cognitive impairment and psychoses in adulthood."
I left school when I was 14. I have some cognitive impairment now. No psychoses that I know of so far, lol.
"Regular cannabis use in adolescence is also associated strongly with the use of other illicit drugs."
After about 2 years of occasional cannabis use I started smoking regularly. Soon after that I tried E for the first time. Then mushrooms, acid, cocaine, crack, ketamine, opium, and pharmaceuticals followed. I never got into painkillers, and I've never tried heroin. Aside from heroin being in the E pills. Heroin killed an "uncle" of mine and I have no interest in trying it. Crack I had a very short bout of addiction with, twice, and ketamine I had a much longer bout of addiction with. Ketamine is my drug of choice, but I don't use it now.
"Cannabis smoking may increase the risk of cardiovascular events such as angina or heart attack in middle-aged and older adults with pre-existing cardiovascular disease. Some isolated reports suggest younger people not yet diagnosed with cardiovascular disease may also be at risk of cardiovascular events."
This is a valid concern for me. Around the time I hit 29 I started suffering from some chest pains that may be attributed to a heart problem. Now, at 31, I have lost a good amount of weight and have improved that condition. It may be caused by being overweight, or it may be caused by cannabis use. Even, could be caused by both together.
"The effects of cannabis on respiratory function and respiratory cancer remain unclear because most cannabis smokers have smoked, or still smoke, tobacco."
I quit smoking at 25 with help from cannabis. Cannabis made it possible for me to stop smoking cold turkey. Could I have done it without it? I don't know. In the long run, we'll never be able to know how cannabis affected my lungs. Unfortunately, I started smoking cigarettes at 11. My lungs were definitely damaged before the first time I touched cannabis.
Sure, mostly anecdotal, but that's a lot of coincidences.
Still think cannabis is non-addictive? Show me something concrete to back up your claims. Your blog post is not acceptable evidence for me.
Wow. I really don't care what you accept. :) I put the information out there for it to be used or ignored. Do what you like, you don't pay my rent and are not responsible for how happy my family is. :D
Peer reviewed studies? Don't make me laugh. Shall we talk phen-phen? Asbestos? Vioxx? Shall I go on? Don't bring me ignorant "peer reviewed studies" as an argument, lol, cannabis has been skipped for 70 years for real studies.
You're confusing dependence with addiction. Two completely different things. Cannabis is non-addictive. You can become 'dependent' upon it for relief, but there are no physical "addictions". When the so-called 'cannabis addict' has their 'issue' taken care of by some other means, the 'cannabis addiction' evaporates. Cannabis is an exit herb.
The "withdrawls" you speak of are laughable, no one ever robbed a liquor store because they were feening for cannabis. Yes, I've quit meth, nicotine and opiates, cannabis helped significantly.
Sorry to hear you had issues with your drug usage. Society has horrible programming in that area and a significant lack of tools.
I guess we'll just not agree on this. Ok.
Keep it Clean!
An addiction is not an addiction because you will rob a liquor store for it. That's also quite the statement. As fallacious as the rest of your arguments. I suppose, you know every person who has committed every liquor store robbery in history, and why they did it? Right?
Cheeseburgers can be addictive. You're being disingenuous to try and support your argument. One that is rooted in ignorance. I linked the studies. You can choose to laugh or not, that's up to you.
I'm talking to the 25 year old me, right now. Not saying you're 25, saying that's how I felt at 25. I'd love to agree with you, but years of research and study have proven me wrong.
The lack of studies doesn't discredit the studies that have been done. We will have more studies done and we will continue to prove that cannabis can be addictive. If you choose to dismiss the evidence as lies then that's up to you. Cannabis use is not a religion. Like many smart people have said before me. You are entitled to your own opinions, but you're not entitled to your own facts.
A dependence on something is an addiction to that product. Millions of people are addicted to coffee. There is absolutely a physical addiction to caffeine. The "jitters" is commonly reported by people who don't get to have their morning coffee. Being irritable as well. These are symptoms of addiction. Just because you're not vomiting and doubling over in pain doesn't mean it's not an addiction. There isn't a "right" way to be addicted to something. Besides, how do you know that I don't get sick to my stomach when I do not smoke? Did I say I didn't? Did I not say that my appetite is affected? Have you considered why? Of course not, all you consider is your argument. To be so closed-minded is pretty pathetic. But of course, you're an expert in addiction? Right? You have a relevant PHD, right? Or not. You're just a blogger that refuses to accept facts when they're laid out for him. Your decision, but you should be more educated on the subject before you tell people that they are definitely trying a drug they cannot possibly become addicted to.
Calling withdrawals laughable is naive, at best. If you really quit meth or heroin then you would know that many of the withdrawals are very similar. Just because cannabis helps you quit a drug doesn't mean it's not addictive for other people.
Being able to just stop using crack because I didn't want to do it is enough to tell me that I can quit a drug if I have my favorite crutch, cannabis, but that in itself is a symptom of addiction. I support your hypothesis that cannabis is an exit drug, absolutely, and I do not agree with the gateway theory. To say that the drug is absolutely not addictive for anyone, is not somewhere I think anyone should be going. That will get people hurt.
Gateway theory, maybe we agree, maybe we don't. I argue that the gateway is in obtaining cannabis. If we could legitimately obtain cannabis without our "guy" saying "wanna try x?", then we may not ever have access to "x". I think the gateway is in the criminal element attached to obtaining cannabis. I did not try crack because I thought cannabis was boring. I tried it because I was in an environment that made it available to me, and a girlfriend wanted to. Peer pressure is the biggest gateway. That's another conversation for another time, though.
Anyways, since you have absolutely nothing to back up your disingenuine claims except your own fallacious logic. I will move on. But if you come up with something to support your arguments, let me know, I am interested. However, my personal experience as a (former)drug dealer, manufacturer, and user, plus the thousands of hours I have spent researching related subjects and the peer-reviewed studies I have read. All disagree with your claims.