"Addicted" because you vape every day?

[BabyFacedFinster]

A friend told me of a recent article, among the list of yahoo news articles, that discussed marijuana addiction. The author implied that those who use cannabis each day would be considered addicted to marijuana.

Can you really judge addiction by frequency of use alone? If so then I would be addicted because I vape about .1 of a gram each evening (Maybe a bit more on weekends ) .

However, I'm able to maintain my life and job very well. In fact, I believe that my daily use contributes to my overall mental health by reducing stress and other bullshit in life.

I've had to travel and "go without" for weeks at a time, and while I'd rather have a session before bed, I wasn't twitching in the corner.

Am I addicted to marijuana?

 

[Likes2vape]

I wouldn’t say you are addicted to cannabis if you use it everyday but i would say you are addicted if you HAVE to use it everyday.

 

[Jill NYC]

Interesting question...
The definition of addiction is:

(Dictionary.com) the state of being enslaved to a habit or practiceor to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.

(Mental health.net) Addiction is the repeated involvement with a substance or activity, despite the substantial harm it now causes, because that involvement was (and may continue to be) pleasurable and/or valuable.

(Psychologytoday.com) Addiction is a condition that results when a person ingests a substance (for example, alcohol, cocaine, nicotine) or engages in an activity (such as gambling, sex, shopping) that can be pleasurable but the continuation of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary responsibilities and concerns, such as work, relationships, or health. People who have developed an addiction may not be aware that their behavior is out of control and causing problems for themselves and others.

I think the Psychology Today rings the clearest to my personal definition with the “continuation of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary responsibilities and concerns.”
If it is harming you or others in an emotional, physical or financial way and you are unable to stop, then (in my opinion) that is what qualifies as an addiction.

 

[Diggy Smalls]

This reminds me of even I was younger and told that drinking alone meant you were an alcoholic. I was afraid to have one or two beers.

If it's interfering with your life or others, it's a problem. Right?

 

[E0x]

This reminds me of even I was younger and told that drinking alone meant you were an alcoholic. I was afraid to have one or two beers.

If it's interfering with your life or others, it's a problem. Right?

in my opinion i think the problem is this : "People who have developed an addiction may not be aware that their behavior is out of control and causing problems for themselves and others." and always wonder my self the same addiction question but not idea how to do a check of reality that validated that you are not causing problem with others , sometimes people for love or lack of it never say the thing straight in your face and when you get aware of you situation maybe is too late . this is only a shower of thoughts that come to my mind when i read this thread i am not intent to get to a point but just maybe put more variable to the conversation that is going on here.

 

[Diggy Smalls]

Self reflection is important. I'm always trying to live a life of moderation. It's easy for me to go overboard with things...my attention can be manic about something for months and then my attention shifts to something else. Even marijuana can become that focus. Or beer. Usually in my life it's been music, art, tv shows, and teaching myself things (multiple instruments, multiple art forms and styles). Even when I'm hyper focused on music, it can cause problems with those around me if I bail out on plans, forget plans, or even if I'm not invested in the moment because my attention is elsewhere. This is already my personality type. When I'm high it's even worse. So yes, this could be a problem to those close to me, as our relationship falls apart because I'm spending all my time, energy, and money on STUFF. I'm not a teenager anymore, I can't sit around and play world of warcraft after work until I have to work the next day and then talk about it with my coworkers the whole day at work. Rinse and repeat. I need a life to be happy lol

So yeah for me it's about moderation.

 

[howie105]

Addiction? Consider the source as well as the opinion in light of your own experience. In my case I just don't see a problem.

 

[BabyFacedFinster]

Addiction seems to be a tough term to pin down with a single definition. You define it as you chose to understand it.

For me, I tend to agree with most of you here. If it's not doing me or anyone else harm then I consider it a blessing rather than a vice.

Best wishes for the holidays my friends.

 

[hibeam]

How do you distinguish between addicted and dependent? Every day use seems dependent to me but I don't stop myself because that would interfere with my productivity and well being way beyond the withdrawal period.

Dependence is in the process of solving a life problem. Addiction is what the problem's solution becomes, replacing the old problem with a new one.

Most meds I have used, including medicinal applications of alcohol and tobacco, shut down the part of my mind that self reflects. (I mention alcohol and tobacco merely for the sake of universal example).

Cannabis on the other hand optimizes the part of my mind that self reflects. I wonder how many more heavy cannabis users often question their dependence than do heavy alcohol or tobacco users. Or is my heightened self-reflective experience based on the relatively low daily dose I depend on?

 

[invertedisdead]

I know old schoolers that can't do a damn thing without smoking a joint first, but they aren't like alcoholics where they actually start going into remission and getting sickly ill, they just get all disappointed lol, like when your mom says you can't have that toy you really wanted.

The medicinal properties of cannabis blur the lines even further. I kind of questioned whether cannabis extracts were more addictive/habit forming since we do know things become more addictive when they undergo chemical changes. People don't really seem addicted to coca leaves or opium, but once these are further refined or processed with chemical solvents and isolation methods everything changes. There is a huge opioid epidemic going on, but none of it actually involves raw opium, which has an ancient history of medicinal use. Convert that to a semisynthetic analog however and look what happens....

Haven't noticed any dab withdrawals myself though.

 

[howie105]

Aside from the physical effects of MJ you also have the individual mental state of the user. Some folks just fixate on things and others don't. Not to say that fixation doesn't have a physical component but is the reaction the chicken or the egg? Now I am going to go get fried on some Christmas chicken and eggs. Merry whatever you are doing now folks.

 

[simplywonderful]

A friend told me of a recent article, among the list of yahoo news articles, that discussed marijuana addiction. The author implied that those who use cannabis each day would be considered addicted to marijuana.

Can you really judge addiction by frequency of use alone? If so then I would be addicted because I vape about .1 of a gram each evening (Maybe a bit more on weekends ) .

However, I'm able to maintain my life and job very well. In fact, I believe that my daily use contributes to my overall mental health by reducing stress and other bullshit in life.

I've had to travel and "go without" for weeks at a time, and while I'd rather have a session before bed, I wasn't twitching in the corner.

Am I addicted to marijuana?

Aside from the physical effects of MJ you also have the individual mental state of the user. Some folks just fixate on things and others don't. Not to say that fixation doesn't have a physical component but is the reaction the chicken or the egg? Now I am going to go get fried on some Christmas chicken and eggs. Merry whatever you are doing now folks.

Absolutely true humans are very addictive beings, they can be addicted /fixated on things like jewelry, overthinking (my case when the processor overthinks It really feel like my head is going to blow up
vaping helps me to not to overthink that much),reactions, some addictions / fixations we tend to carry with us from our birth, sex/jerking off. When baby is born it oftens seems to cough when it firstly breathe, it creates sexual energy/lifeforce flow/activates the energy centers and the baby is for the first time feeling an orgasm like feeling, breath have high impact on all the mental states.
If you would deal with the issues within firstly, not turning to herb to forget like alcoholics do when they turn to bottle. Maybe lot of you know that it wont help forget, only to resolve.
happy Merry Jane to/for everyone

 

[IntoTheVoid]

I vape a small amount before bed each night to help me unwind and sleep a bit more soundly. I get insomnia quite often (this has been most of my life) but I have only been using cannabis to help me for a little less than a year. So it’s daily use now but a small amount and I can still function if I have too. I prefer to microdose, I’m not a person who can smoke a whole joint. Nor do I want to be. I prefer to maintain a low tolerance.

PTSD, Anxiety, IBS and a few injuries (nerve damage from broken bones a few years ago) are things I also live with and didn’t NEED MJ to alleviate the symptoms, yet I do see a benefit with the inclusion of MJ at night. So it’s become a bit of a daily ritual, however when I have to go without I don’t freak out or get sick or anything like that. Also I haven’t popped Advil or Pepto like candy in months. So there’s that.

If I’m addicted based on my above description, then so be it. There are far worse things out there. I used to be a pretty heavy drinker but now it’s the occasional beer. I went from a 6 pack a day to a 6 pack a month. I dunno, don’t think too hard about it.

One last thing, when I’m stressed I generally don’t reach for my vape to fix my mood (there are occasinal exceptions). I wait until the evening and it’s kind of a reward for the end of the day.

 

[simplywonderful]

I vape a small amount before bed each night to help me unwind and sleep a bit more soundly. I get insomnia quite often (this has been most of my life) but I have only been using cannabis to help me for a little less than a year. So it’s daily use now but a small amount and I can still function if I have too. I prefer to microdose, I’m not a person who can smoke a whole joint. Nor do I want to be. I prefer to maintain a low tolerance.

PTSD, Anxiety, IBS and a few injuries (nerve damage from broken bones a few years ago) are things I also live with and didn’t NEED MJ to alleviate the symptoms, yet I do see a benefit with the inclusion of MJ at night. So it’s become a bit of a daily ritual, however when I have to go without I don’t freak out or get sick or anything like that. Also I haven’t popped Advil or Pepto like candy in months. So there’s that.

If I’m addicted based on my above description, then so be it. There are far worse things out there. I used to be a pretty heavy drinker but now it’s the occasional beer. I went from a 6 pack a day to a 6 pack a month. I dunno, don’t think too hard about it.

One last thing, when I’m stressed I generally don’t reach for my vape to fix my mood (there are occasinal exceptions). I wait until the evening and it’s kind of a reward for the end of the day.

The tolerance buildup sucks, I started to put liquid pad of my mighty to the cap to microdose.
I meaned in a way that everybody got some habits and as you said there are far worse habits, than inhaling antioxidant, perfume like steamy terpy aroma
The thing is that I myself use it for medicinal benefits, but I try to not focus on it and let the body do its job, I dont why is that but I realized that talking about issues wont serve me no good, not trying to inspire someone but I always try to feel thankful Its much easier

I have been a drinker too, you know brothers from overseas consider drinking pretty normal (what average person do and what should do, its highly accepted) I must say that when I boozed I did not realize it firstly, but I slowly became addicted to it, got withdrawal after year of drinking on fridays and saturdays. It was bad I got really ill, got near dead experience, been in bed sweating for a month, lost all those so called friends but I made it back, that hugely impacted my inner values, If I would held up to doctors advice I would be probably dead for a long time.
There are few valuable tools that can help repair nerve damage, but it also depends on how do you perceive your situation.

Im very happy that you made it out, one beer or anything in moderation wont hurt anybody.
Everything can be a tool or weapon it depends on how we choose to use it
Intention is important, I forgot a lot so Im happy for this reminder

 

[ginolicious]

I wouldn’t say you are addicted to cannabis if you use it everyday but i would say you are addicted if you HAVE to use it everyday.

Totally agree with this statement. I usually do it every day. But some times I do not because I don’t feel like it. Same thing with having a beer. I enjoy a few nightly. And then on weekends or holidays I get acidly drunk. Sometimes I go a couple weeks without any. Just to show myself and ensure I’m addicted to none. Using everyday is one thing. Using everyday because you have to is different. I had a buddy who would freak out for pot and get real upset if he didn’t have any or couldn’t find any to buy.

 

[simplywonderful]

0:44 / 20-minutes without a hit does somebody have a combusting friend like that?

 

[IntoTheVoid]

0:44 / 20-minutes without a hit does somebody have a combusting friend like that?

A close friend of mine smokes an 1/8th every day, that’s about a month worth for me. I dunno how he does it. And he’s employed and totally functional. You’d never know he was baked.

 

[Alex3oe]

I`ve been vaping every day for nearly 20 years. Had to stop some time ago, so I stopped from on day to another.

This article is bullshit imho. Every human beeing is different, can`t call out addiction on such a simple definition like "vaping every day".
How much? How often? What kind of stuff?...

 

[KeroZen]

When I combusted from dawn to dusk, yes I felt addicted. When I stopped or had no supply I felt the craving and had some noticeable physical effects.

But that was because in Europe we tend to mix our joints with tobacco. Nicotine is bloody addictive, there's no debate here. When you use it your body creates special receptors for it and when they aren't fed on a regular basis, they create the craving sensation.

Since I stopped combusting and tobacco altogether, it's been night and day. I'm now completely in control, I vape when I decide and only if I want it. I don't feel the need to consume as soon as I wake up anymore, I can go whole days without even thinking about it. Been on holidays recently for a week and yes for sure some evenings while I was drinking I thought "would be nice to have a little bowl now", but it was never an obsession and 5 minutes afterward the thought was gone.

 

[Rebelistic]

It's a fascinating subject. I can't really comment form a normal perspective as I'm usually kind of obsessed with something or else I'm not very interested in it. I'm likely on the autistic spectrum a little.

I would ask the question though. Is it actually desirable for a person to have no addictions? That would also mean not having any obsessive interests. To win a sporting competition for example you'd likely have to be quite obsessed. Witness some athlete's frustration when they fail, it is clear the sport holds some addiction for them but we never seem to want to put tennis players in re-hab.
Rather should we try to steer our addictions to things that we genuinely find interesting and worthwhile and as safe as possible?

 

[simplywonderful]

A close friend of mine smokes an 1/8th every day, that’s about a month worth for me. I dunno how he does it. And he’s employed and totally functional. You’d never know he was baked.

lol he must be used to it. maybe some good mild high cbd sativa strain? Im thankful even for abv. thats the ideal 1 per day thats ideal,hopefully one day

no we as addictive species we should have some healthy addiction or addiction that promote well being
I totally agree with addiction in sport, working out. That pain release that organic chemical reaction in brain isnt it a good feeling?

this type of stuff really helps to release, any cardio activity high low interval whole body workout kept me high without consuming nothing,just natural release same as runners high,

because evolution was always most important part of humanity, they cannot stop it, earth is alive and we are her cells floating in the vastness of universe.

 

[simplywonderful]

When I combusted from dawn to dusk, yes I felt addicted. When I stopped or had no supply I felt the craving and had some noticeable physical effects.

But that was because in Europe we tend to mix our joints with tobacco. Nicotine is bloody addictive, there's no debate here. When you use it your body creates special receptors for it and when they aren't fed on a regular basis, they create the craving sensation.

Since I stopped combusting and tobacco altogether, it's been night and day. I'm now completely in control, I vape when I decide and only if I want it. I don't feel the need to consume as soon as I wake up anymore, I can go whole days without even thinking about it. Been on holidays recently for a week and yes for sure some evenings while I was drinking I thought "would be nice to have a little bowl now", but it was never an obsession and 5 minutes afterward the thought was gone.

damn those night sweats,tar gross fc "

 

[IntoTheVoid]

lol he must be used to it. maybe some good mild high cbd sativa strain? Im thankful even for abv. thats the ideal 1 per day thats ideal,hopefully one day

no we as addictive species we should have some healthy addiction or addiction that promote well being
I totally agree with addiction in sport, working out. That pain release that organic chemical reaction in brain isnt it a good feeling?

this type of stuff really helps to release, any cardio activity high low interval whole body workout kept me high without consuming nothing,just natural release same as runners high,

because evolution was always most important part of humanity, they cannot stop it, earth is alive and we are her cells floating in the vastness of universe.

No, he smokes pretty heavy Indica and it’s high THC. I’m in BC and our bud is pretty potent. I’ve smoked with him before. It’s strong stuff.

I on the other hand switch back and forth, high THC for a while, then I’ll go to a high CBD strain. I’m using CBD God right now which is 7% THC and 15% CBD. I don’t always like to get ripped so it’s a good relaxing strain that doesn’t melt your face off. But when I finish this bag I’ll probbaly get something strong again. And back and forth it goes. But again, 1/8th lasts me about a month. So I’m not a heavy user although I use daily. Microdosing is key for me.

 

[simplywonderful]

Thats very good, Im proud of him to represent the community like that, does he vape.
That seems like a very nice strain, hold up one 1/8 of an ounce last you month? what vape do you use for this microdosing, that is very economical

 

[BabyFacedFinster]

I do notice that I sleep better after vaping a bowl in the evening. I also notice that if I don't vape that evening I can have trouble going to sleep. Maybe that is a sign of a dependence? I've also had vacation T-breaks where I fly somewhere for a week and don't bring any cannabis with me. After the first night or two I return to my regular sleep pattern and don't notice any other urges or pains for not vaping. Of course when I return home it is always nice to have a session again.

I also believe it helps keep inflammation down in my joints, my back, and dealing with gout issues. My body seems to enjoy it, reacts well to it and I see it as a benefit to me. It is much better for me than my battle with addiction for sugar and carbs. My body often yearns for carbs and I must keep it at bay as I get older. Too much sugar has some bad effects on me. (But I've forgotten about that during the Christmas season )