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.
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.