Marijuana Use Disorder: How to Overcome a Predisposition
Can you develop an addiction to cannabis? In a word: yes. Though cannabis isn’t physically addictive, it’s possible to develop a mental addiction to most substances, including those derived from the cannabis plant.
Cannabis produces an effect because of its interactions with the endocannabinoid system (ECS) - a neuromodulatory system in our own bodies. By producing endocannabinoids which react with receptors elsewhere in the body, the ECS helps to regulate things like our mood, appetite, pain levels and cognitive functioning. These endocannabinoids work very similarly to the phytocannabinoids such as CBD and THC which are found in cannabis.
The ECS is malleable, using both endocannabinoids and phytocannabinoids to create balance within the body and adjusting itself according to the total amount of cannabinoids present. Consequently, if your body regularly receives a supply of phytocannabinoids it will reduce its production of endocannabinoids, making it reliant upon that external supply. This is when people develop a Marijuana Use Disorder.
Marijuana Use Disorder is recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which considers a disorder to be present when a person’s substance use starts interfering with their daily life. Addiction is essentially borne out of repeated habit; the moment that habit results in negative repercussions being the first sign of addiction.
Contrary to popular belief, physical withdrawal symptoms aren’t a prerequisite for addiction, and while stopping cannabis consumption is unlikely to produce notable physical side effects, it can have a considerable psychological impact.
This psychological addiction is caused by a rewiring of the brain’s reward mechanism whereby satisfying cravings releases neurochemicals that we commonly associate with pleasure. When the cravings get stronger the brain loses its ability to concentrate on essential tasks - creating a feedback loop which encourages it to satiate those cravings before it can focus elsewhere, with the amount of cannabis required to achieve satisfaction often increasing.
This distinction - the presence of a psychological addiction rather than a physical one - is why marijuana addiction is termed “Marijuana Use Disorder”.
How Can Genetics Determine Your Risk of Developing Marijuana Use Disorder?
A number of factors, including genetics, make some people more susceptible to developing Marijuana Use Disorder. Recent research on the genetic components of dependency has extended to examining factors which could facilitate a dependence on marijuana, including a 2016 paper which successfully linked certain genetic variations to marijuana dependency.
In a further study, cannabis users were genotyped in order to check for two specific genetic variations associated with dependency. Significant behavioral differences were seen between users who had these variations and those who did not, suggesting that it is possible to determine the genetic factors which could expedite the development Marijuana Use Disorder.
This creates the opportunity to screen marijuana users and check for those genetic factors, giving people with an enhanced risk of developing Marijuana Use Disorder an opportunity to consciously modify their behavior before it happens.
What Are the Symptoms of Marijuana Use Disorder?
The patterns of behavior which signal Marijuana Use Disorder are easy to identify. According to the DSM there are 11 symptoms, two or more of which can lead to a positive diagnosis:
You consume cannabis more frequently than you intend.
You wish to decrease your use of cannabis, but repeatedly fail to do so.
The use of cannabis interferes with your day-to-day responsibilities.
You frequently waste time seeking, or recovering from the effects of, cannabis.
Using cannabis causes social issues.
You regularly experience strong cravings.
Using cannabis causes you to neglect important activities.
You use cannabis in hazardous environments.
Tolerance necessitates using larger amounts of cannabis to produce the same effect.
You are aware of physical or psychological problems, yet continue to use cannabis.
Reducing use results in withdrawal symptoms.
For a marijuana user who identifies one or more of these symptoms in themself, finding out that they have a genetic predisposition for Marijuana Use Disorder could give them a valuable opportunity to overcome that predisposition before inadvertently worsening its effects.
How to Overcome a Genetic Predisposition for Marijuana Use Disorder
While modifying consumption habits may seem daunting to any regular user of cannabis, there are two simple ways to overcome a predisposition for Marijuana Use Disorder:
Take a Tolerance Break
If you want to avoid a Marijuana Use Disorder, one of the most effective courses of action is to take tolerance breaks, allowing your ECS to reset and return to its own endogenous balance.
This is particularly useful for users who consume cannabis habitually, many of whom won’t receive the intended benefits anymore and may even find that the benefits they do receive are outweighed by negatives. Tolerance breaks are incredibly prudent for recreational users, and don’t require drastic changes in behavior.
If going cold turkey is too difficult, an effective compromise could be to consume only CBD during tolerance breaks. A growing number of people are doing this by smoking CBD flower, which can also be used to reduce THC consumption on regular days.
You can also flush all phytocannabinoids from your system by taking an extended tolerance break. Drug tests can detect marijuana up to 25 days after consumption in chronic users, meaning it takes regular users at least that long to completely rid themselves of THC and reignite their body’s natural production of endocannabinoids.
Be More Mindful of Your Behavior
The first step to overcoming a predisposition for Marijuana Use Disorder is knowing that you have one. The second is appropriately adjusting your behavior.
If you know that you’re potentially more inclined to abuse cannabis, look out for the rationalizations for taking more that people with a dependency often make, and stop yourself from making them.
The key to mindful consumption is only using cannabis when you can feel that it’s giving you the benefits you initially sought. When that ceases to be the case, it’s time to reduce your usage.
All cannabis users should be mindful of their consumption, but those with a predisposition for developing a dependency should be especially conscious. Genetic testing provides an excellent opportunity to understand your body. You can overcome a genetic predisposition for Marijuana Use Disorder if you learn from it and act accordingly.