subject: Facts About Addiction To Cannabis [print this page] If you feel that you cannot get addicted to cannabis and that drug rehabilitation centers are out of the question, you are totally wrong. The researches to support this belief are scientific in nature because the most important sections of the human brain have cannabinol receptors which attach with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active component in cannabis. THC and some other lesser cannabinols adhere with these particular protein receptors, it induces the brain to discharge an instantaneous surge of dopamine- the hormone that causes relaxation that often creates a euphoric "high" and alleviates pain, among other important effects. This means that the reactions of using cannabis are really the results of neurological processes that the human brain attempts to duplicate, over and over.
When a person smokes cannabis, the resulting discharge of the hormone dopamine is considered a pleasurable experience and hence, encourages the human brain to take note of the conditions surrounding the event. Activation of the reward center immediately ensues, which instantly seeks to replicate the event that precipitated the "high." Inevitably, this means that connections are built along the neurological pathways inside the brain that basically does nothing but sustain the effects of using this drug. Ultimately, these neurological pathways can overwhelm the person with impulses to use more cannabis, more frequently, right up until they find that they cannot quit by themselves. This is the true meaning of drug addiction and it can be applied categorically to cannabis.
The actual problem with cannabis and dependency is the fact that many people do not notice it or, based on the dynamics of their very own addiction, cannot notice it. And since the effects of long-term, chronic cannabis use aren't easily apparent, addiction to cannabis could go completely unnoticed and is therefore unresolved for many years - and even decades. It is a real risk to human health mainly because, after some time, smoking cannabis will cause undesirable physical and mental health effects. Furthermore, being dependent on any drug can make a person more vulnerable to developing addictions with other drugs as well.
A result of the associative nature of cannabis addiction, it may be almost impossible for an individual to stop using it on their own. It's because every one of the accustomed associations with cannabis - such as TV shows or movies watched and songs listened to while "high", people who you used it with, places where it was used, and everything else related to cannabis use - induces a chemical reaction within the brain that urges an individual to satisfy the associations by regularly smoking cannabis. This shows that addiction to cannabis is, without a doubt, a very real issue and that drug treatment programs may only be the answer.
