{"id":10892,"date":"2025-10-29T00:16:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T00:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cannabis.net\/blog\/opinion\/do-you-really-have-to-worry-about-cannabis-use-disorder-in-america"},"modified":"2025-10-29T00:16:00","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T00:16:00","slug":"do-you-really-have-to-worry-about-cannabis-use-disorder-in-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/do-you-really-have-to-worry-about-cannabis-use-disorder-in-america\/","title":{"rendered":"Do You Really Have to Worry about Cannabis Use Disorder in America?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"wp_fb_like_button\" style=\"margin:5px 0 5px 5px;float:right;height:100px;\"><script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/do-you-really-have-to-worry-about-cannabis-use-disorder-in-america\/\" send=\"true\" layout=\"standard\" width=\"450\" show_faces=\"false\" font=\"arial\" action=\"like\" colorscheme=\"light\"><\/fb:like><\/div><p><img src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/do-you-really-have-to-worry-about-cannabis-use-disorder-in-america.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"is cud real\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/do-you-really-have-to-worry-about-cannabis-use-disorder-in-america-1.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Do You Really Have To Worry About Cannabis Use Disorder?<br \/>This Phrase Is Thrown Around So Often These Days<\/p>\n<p>But How Does It Really Compare To Dangerous Addictions?<br \/>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cannabis.net\/blog\/medical\/deep-dive-is-cannabis-use-disorder-a-real-thing\">Cannabis use disorder<\/a> is commonly discussed on the internet these days.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that, the more cannabis becomes mainstream thanks to legalization and education, people still continue to fear it. Fear mongers and prohibitionists spread concern that cannabis will cause people to become addicted and thus, develop a dependence that makes it difficult, or nearly impossible, to quit. Is <a href=\"https:\/\/cannabis.net\/blog\/medical\/cannabis-use-disorder-is-now-a-real-thing-mainstream-media-creates-an-updated-version-of-reefer\">CUD<\/a> real?<\/p>\n<p>That said, cannabis use disorder, or an \u201caddiction\u201d to cannabis, is an extremely nuanced topic for many reasons.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cannabis Isn\u2019t Physically Addictive<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When we think about drug addiction, the typical image of a drug addict may come to mind: one who can\u2019t breathe, eat, or sleep without his fix. One who will get sick without a hit, and possibly even die without it. Seizures, tremors, and death are all serious risks with drug withdrawal, if we\u2019re dealing with alcohol, opioids, and benzodiazepines.<\/p>\n<p>But with weed, it\u2019s different. Scientifically speaking, marijuana isn\u2019t considered physically addictive; the body doesn\u2019t become physically dependent on it because the human body does not go into a state of dangerous, or potentially fatal withdrawal. Of course, when an individual is using cannabis for long periods of time, they may become psychologically dependent on it and experience symptoms such as temporary mood swings, a decrease in appetite, irritability, and difficulty sleeping.<\/p>\n<p>These are merely discomforts and are not physically dangerous. The human body doesn\u2019t actually crave cannabis the way it does alcohol, nicotine, or other drugs. Even <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC6223748\/\">researchers in 2014<\/a> acknowledged that while marijuana use can be habit-forming, the addictive potential of it is much lower compared to other recreational drugs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cannabis Use Disorder Is Less Common<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The psychological dependence may cause people to think that cannabis is addictive, but it isn\u2019t. Even then, some individuals may be more prone to dependence, especially if cannabis helps them feel good. After all, marijuana is therapeutic, and if it gets rid of your aches and pains, who wouldn\u2019t want to be on it all the time?<\/p>\n<p>According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/nida.nih.gov\/research-topics\/cannabis-marijuana\">National Institute on Drug Abuse<\/a>, approximately 9% of marijuana users develop a \u201cdisorder\u201d. That number is significantly less compared to the 15% of drinkers who become dependent on alcohol, 17% of cocaine users who become dependent, 23% of heroin and 32% of tobacco.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cannabis Is NOT Dangerous<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For decades, especially after the <a href=\"https:\/\/cannabis.net\/blog\/opinion\/how-the-war-on-drugs-turned-you-into-property-of-the-state\">War on Drugs<\/a> was implemented, cannabis was unfairly and unnecessarily lumped together with dangerous drugs, including heroin, psychedelics, cocaine, and many others. In fact, cannabis is still a Schedule 1 substance, which, in the eyes of the US federal government, means that it contains no therapeutic potential.<\/p>\n<p>Other drugs in the same <a href=\"https:\/\/cannabis.net\/blog\/opinion\/4-reasons-why-the-rescheduling-of-cannabis-is-imminent-in-the-usa\">Schedule I<\/a> category include LSD, heroin, peyote, and ecstasy. But we know now that cannabis isn\u2019t dangerous, and it should be reclassified: there is a lot of strong data and serious studies out there that have proven time and again how cannabis is not harmful. It\u2019s medicine.<\/p>\n<p>Cannabis \u201caddiction\u201d is usually exaggerated by fear mongers who create narratives that ignore context completely. After all, most cannabis users who use it for wellness, recreation, and medicine are able to consume it without a problem. Even then, consuming weed won\u2019t harm the liver, brain, or result in dangerous overdoses, unlike other substances such as alcohol, which is completely legal. Unlike opioids and stimulants, it won\u2019t disrupt the brain\u2019s reward system and lead to deadly dependence.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Real Danger<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The real danger here isn\u2019t weed, the legalization of cannabis, or cannabis use disorder.<\/p>\n<p>The real danger here is the <strong>misinformation<\/strong> being spread by fear mongers. Enough of these fear-based narratives that the public has been fed these past decades; even if cannabis is already legal in most of the United States, there is still a lot of work to be done. Spreading outdated propaganda is no help at all: cannabis is not dangerous, nor is it a <a href=\"https:\/\/cannabis.net\/blog\/opinion\/why-marijuana-is-not-a-gateway-drug-check-the-science\">gateway drug!<\/a><\/p>\n<p>More people turn to marijuana as a gentler, safer, and natural alternative to many addictive and dangerous medications out there. It\u2019s also a safer alternative to recreational substances, including tobacco and alcohol. There is a lot of <a href=\"https:\/\/cannabis.net\/blog\/medical\/new-study-says-alcohol-damages-brain-while-cannabis-does-not\">research<\/a> out there, proving that the risk is little to minimal when using weed compared to tobacco and alcohol, both of which are socially accepted, easily accessible, and completely legal!<\/p>\n<p>CONCLUSION<\/p>\n<p>Keeping people fearful of weed will prevent them from experiencing the many health benefits of marijuana. THC, CBD, and the numerous minor cannabinoids, as well as terpenes, in the plant have all been proven to interact with the endocannabinoid system, which is necessary for regulating critical bodily processes that help the body function well. These include pain, appetite, stress, and mood , to name a few.<\/p>\n<p>Thus, marijuana use can help restore balance in the body and promote <a href=\"https:\/\/cannabis.net\/blog\/medical\/how-cannabis-promotes-homeostasis\">homeostasis<\/a>, whereas other drugs destroy the mind and body when abused.<\/p>\n<p>In the end, the conversations about cannabis use disorder need to shift to spreading education and information. Let\u2019s make use of the data, which clearly shows the risk profile of the plant is nowhere near hard drugs, tobacco, and alcohol.\u00a0 Even though a small percentage of cannabis users may <a href=\"https:\/\/cannabis.net\/blog\/medical\/why-do-some-people-crave-cannabis-new-medical-study-released\">develop a habit<\/a>, it seriously pales in comparison to the dangers of dependency on alcohol, which is far too accessible and legal in our society.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s stop worrying about cannabis dependence and instead worry about stigma, misinformation, and the lingering of <a href=\"https:\/\/cannabis.net\/blog\/opinion\/cannabis-prohibition-turns-80-years-old-today-lets-end-it-now.\">prohibition-era myths<\/a>. The truth is that weed is not the problem, it can be the solution.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>WHAT IS CANNABIS USE DISODER? READ ON..<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/cannabis.net\/blog\/medical\/cannabis-use-disorder-is-now-a-real-thing-mainstream-media-creates-an-updated-version-of-reefer\"><img alt=\"is cannabis use disorder CUD real?\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/do-you-really-have-to-worry-about-cannabis-use-disorder-in-america-2.jpg\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cannabis.net\/blog\/medical\/cannabis-use-disorder-is-now-a-real-thing-mainstream-media-creates-an-updated-version-of-reefer\"><strong>WAIT, CANNABIS USE DISORDER IS A REAL THING NOW?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do You Really Have To Worry About Cannabis Use Disorder?This Phrase Is Thrown Around So Often These Days But How Does It Really Compare To Dangerous Addictions?\u00a0 Cannabis use disorder is commonly discussed on the internet these days. It seems that, the more cannabis becomes mainstream thanks to legalization and education, people still continue to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9,1,3,61,1736],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10892"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10892"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10892\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10892"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10892"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10892"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}