Dependence

Typically people who use cannabis do not progress to using the drug regularly or for long periods of time. Most who experiment with cannabis do so during adolescence or early adulthood and only use occasionally, this usually stops in their mid to late 20s. Some people however will use cannabis for longer and more often and become dependent on it. In the past cannabis was not seen as a drug of dependence in the same way as heroin or alcohol but it is now well recognised as such by the scientific community.

It has been estimated that there are at least 200,000 people dependent on cannabis in Australia. About one in ten people who have tried cannabis at least once in their lifetime will become dependent on the drug. The more often you use cannabis the more likely you are to become dependent. If someone uses cannabis everyday, then they have a 50/50 chance of becoming dependent. Young people develop cannabis dependence more quickly than adults.

The earlier a person starts using cannabis, and the more they use, the more likely they are to become dependent. Studies have shown that males are more likely than females to be dependent on cannabis.

Dependence on cannabis means a person needs to use the drug to feel ‘normal’. Physical and psychological dependency on cannabis can develop which means that you may experience withdrawal symptoms if you stop or suddenly cut down as well as tolerance, meaning you need more of the drug to experience the same effects.

Cannabis withdrawal usually consists of flu-like symptoms such as:

headaches
nausea
irritation
depression
trouble sleeping and strange dreams
anxiety
poor appetite
restlessness

Dependence can also mean:

spending lots of time obtaining, using or recovering from the use of cannabis
giving up important activities in favour of using cannabis
using cannabis even when it is known that it causes problems