Cannabis addictive, new study finds

By JULIE DELVECCHIO
A study of longterm cannabis users has found more than 90 per cent are
dependent on the drug, with 40 per cent diagnosed as "severely dependent".
The head researcher on the study of Sydney users of the drug, Ms Wendy
Swift, said that daily cannabis use over a long period was just as likely
to cause addiction as regular heavy alcohol use. "Cannabis has long been
thought to be something that is not addictive because it didn't have
that strong withdrawal syndrome that opiates and alcohol have," she
said. "While withdrawal from cannabis is not as severe as alcohol
withdrawal, this study showed that longterm users could still
experience symptoms such as insomnia and anxiety when they quit or
cut down." The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre study
examined the cannabis dependence potential, patterns and symptoms of
longterm use of the drug. The group of 200 had been using cannabis
at least weekly for an average of 11 years, with more than half using
daily and 74 per cent using at least four times a week. Older users
were less severely dependent than younger users and more women were
dependent than men, the study found. Withdrawal symptoms reported by
longterm users included restlessness and irritability, depression
and appetite disturbance. Users in the study had a higher rate of
longterm respiratory conditions, like wheezy or whistly chests, than
their age group in the general community. But Ms Swift said that
because so many cannabis users in the study also smoked tobacco, it
was difficult to blame the respiratory conditions on cannabis alone.
"It was hard to weed out what was the effect of cannabis and what was
the effect of tobacco," she said. Users reported experiencing
psychological problems caused by cannabis use mainly paranoia,
confusion and anxiety. And 40 per cent had consulted mental health
professionals, been admitted to a psychiatric hospital or prescribed
medication for a psychological problem. Ms Swift said only onethird
of the users thought they had a problem with cannabis.