Is marijuana addictive?
Answer 7 quick questions to find out...

Historically marijuana wasn’t seen as an addictive drug, so it’s a fair question to ask: is marijuana addictive? We now know that, like most drugs, people who use cannabis can become addicted or dependent on it. Most people who use weed don’t use it regularly and won’t develop a marijuana addiction. However, around one in ten people who’ve ever tried cannabis are dependent on it – at the moment that means more than 200,000 people currently have a marijuana addiction in Australia alone. If you’re addicted to marijuana, it basically means you have to use the drug so you can feel ‘normal’.

Check out the video below to learn more about cannabis addiction.

Could I have a marijuana addiction? 

If you’re worried you or a friend may be addicted to weed, here’s a simple checklist to run a basic test – if you answer yes to three or more questions, you may be at risk of addiction:

1. Are you tolerant to the effects of weed, meaning you need to smoke more weed to feel the same level of ‘high’?

2. Do you get withdrawal symptoms if you stop using? Marijuana withdrawal symptoms are things like feeling depressed, irritable, nausea, cravings to smoke weed, shakiness, chills, sweating or having trouble sleeping?

3. Do you use more weed than you intend to?

4. Have you tried and failed to stop using several times even though you want to quit?

5. Do you spend a lot of your time on weed-related activities – getting it, using it or recovering from it?

6. Have you prioritised using weed over other important activities?

7. Do you use even though you know it causes you problems?

If you answered ‘yes’ three or more times, or you think you might have a marijuana addiction, you might like to complete a full marijuana dependency questionnaire.

If you’re interested in the research behind cannabis withdrawal, check out our cannabis withdrawal factsheet.

So, what’s the deal with marijuana addiction?

People who started using cannabis at a young age, or are male, are the users most likely to develop a marijuana addiction. If you are addicted, you are at higher risk of memory impairment and respiratory and mental illness, and you might find your drug use is affecting your finances, relationships, job or study.

If you’d like some more info on how cannabis can affect you, check out our other Marijuana Facts, our YouTube channel, follow us on Facebook, or take part in one of our competitions (with some good cash prizes up for grabs). If you think you or a friend might have a problem with cannabis and need help, check out our Get Help page or call the helpline on 1800 30 40 50. You can also get some more in-depth answers to all your cannabis questions on our factsheets page.

*Please note that the terms ‘marijuana’, ‘cannabis’, ‘weed’ and ‘pot’ are used interchangeably in these fast facts, and all refer to the illegal drug, cannabis, unless otherwise specified.