CANNABIS INFORMATION
Intro
This website can help you assess your cannabis use, its impact on your life and how to make changes if you want to. Smoking cannabis can cause you problems in different areas of your life. Some regular cannabis smokers choose to cut down and stop, many find it easy, others find it hard. Are you in control of your cannabis use? Read on and then decide for yourself.Dependency
During the last few years it has become clear that cannabis use can result in dependency and lead to problems.Some users become dependent on cannabis in a similar way to other drugs. Using it most days, over several months or more, can result in psychological dependency.
After smoking for an extended period, you may find you now need to smoke more than you used to, to get the same feeling even just to feel OK. People using cannabis heavily often say they have problems in various areas of their life – money worries, difficult relationships, conflict with family and friends, struggling to manage work or study commitments, ill-health – especially chest illnesses – and mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and schizophrenia.
In general, the symptoms of dependence are:
- Using more, or for longer, than you meant to
- A constant desire to use, or trying to give it up and failing
- Spending a lot of time getting supplies, using and recovering
- Spending less time on important activities or giving them up altogether
- Keeping on using, even when you know it’s harming you
- Tolerance (needing more of the drug to get the same effect)
- Withdrawal (unpleasant symptoms when you stop)
Cannabis can lead to problems – could you stop if you wanted to?
