Drug war myth #726,002: Marijuana is more addictive than caffeine

As far as I know the heroin laced drugs are a myth. It just doesn't make economic sense.

it's also really possible that some of us are just living under the control of weed dealers who are lacing their product. It is common in areas where the supply of drugs is controlled by asian gangs (western seaboard, B.C.) to find white heroin ("china white") in weed that is suspiciously strong.
I experienced piloerection yesterday, when your hair stands straight up all over your body, and I was still sweating. I am starving but can't finish a medium fries. And the supply of drugs is VERY buttoned down around here lately. Plus I have been buying most of my strong stuff from one guy for the last year, in great quantities that I KNOW comes from gangs.

It's possible that a lot of us are unconscious victims of this W.O.D. The gangs are fighting it like a real war while the cops LITERALLY just walk around the park. Because one has more to lose.

well yesterday was my first whole day in a LONG time with no coffee... out of money :-/ waiting for a loan to process for my studies... GOD what an awful headache, couldn't keep my hands off my head. I had a friend over that evening and I started to think about how much I wanted to punch him! Because he was in a better mood. :-/ Nice.
I've heard somewhere that 3% of people throughout history have been drug addicts; 1000 years ago, 100 years ago, in the 60's and 70's, and even today, that the number of people who are able to addict to anything (and withdraw from all things) is constant. That's WEIRD. You'd think some of us would have died off. Maybe it's just the daily exchanges of experience, information, learning, trust... things that make society work. There is a 3% "remainder"? Know what I mean?

@oldpigeon OK I can buy that, at least parts of it. I never get the post MDMA depression and I think caffeine withdrawal is very subtle most times.

However I've seen a lot of people eventually change their mind as they themselves grow tired of those symptoms. And I've heard frustrated nonsmoking girlfriends calling bullshit on their smoking boyfriends "no withdrawal" after experiencing it over and over.

Most heavy smokers probably don't do as I (smoke 3 days, then sober up for MORE than one day) regularly and might not see the pattern as clearly as I who have done it like this for many years.

BTW I once read some research out of Australia that claimed that everyDAY smokers (held less employment but) felt better than the everyWEEKEND smokers.

And finally. Quitting drugs isn't hard. Not starting again is the hard part.

Smokealot, one more thing, the reason you differ with many marijuana smokers on the withdrawal issue is that most marijuana smokers - even amongst heavy users - do not experience any withdrawal symptoms. They aren't lying they simply aren't experiencing what you are.

Smokealot, according to Gahlinger's Illegal Drugs, "abrupt [caffeine] withdrawal causes irritability, headache, and restlessness for up to a week." (p. 180)

D'OH! I just realized that is the opposite of the pasties.... falling into the trend we've established here.

In addition to the PROFUSE sweating, I should note that one effect I am having a lot these days without is intense salivation. It's worse than when I have the flu, I almost started a spit-bucket one day. I must have smoked a LOT of good pot...

I quit coffee AND I stopped smoking pot for a year.

Now, I notice that when I do have a cup of coffee, it makes me super hyper.

When I stopped smoking, I had the vivid dreams, and I also had trouble getting to sleep, and less of an appetite, but that's it.
All in all, it was easy for me to quit, and I had been a daily smoker. When I was smoking, I thought that if I stopped I'd be smarter, less forgetful, wake up earlier, and have more energy. None of these hoped-for effects manifested. Without weed, I still liked sleeping in, I still lost my keys, and I still would walk into the kitchen and say, "What did I come in here for?"

For better or worse, without weed I was still the same person, and that was fine. It was an interesting year. When I started smoking again, it was awesome!

@oldpigeon I actually think the weed makes you a bit less sensitive to temperature. Might be something for women in menopause.

@guest Yeah, with my experience I'd say DO NOT start smoking weed every day. After the first day weed is a lot less psychedelic and spectacular in general, and 1 day a week seems to be my limit for being annoyed by the withdrawal. Unfortunately I can't seem to keep it to onece a week as long as I got a stash. Dammit! :P

I'm gonna throw out a caffeine question here that I've been unable to find an answer to: How long does it take to get rid of the tolerance?

I once stopped for a year and when I started again I had a perfect caffeine intoxication from only a centimeter of coffe in the bottom of the cup. That only lasted a day or 2 until I had to increase the dose. After a week I was back at 3 large cups a day and felt like a speedfreek again.

Great. Just wait until the ONDCP ad-makers get ahold of this dream angle. You saw what they did with the fact some people forget to walk their dog ...

Terence Mckenna said his dream activity decreased when he smoked. That would suck because my dreams are the best part of my day. Maybe that would change if I smoked pot everyday :)

Smokealot, I wrote this article and it is interesting you comment on the sweating. Sweating is a reported symptom (albeit rare) of marijuana withdrawal. Usually withdrawal symptoms are the opposite of the drug's effects, e.g. exhaustion with stimulants, decreased appetite with marijuana. This makes me curious as to whether marijuana inhibits sweating ... and does marijuana blunt dreams?

Ditto on vivid dreams. Usually lasts 3-7 days after cessation.

The results of this study reflect my experience. I have a much harder time quitting Caffiene that Cannabis, I find myself craving Caffiene a lot more than Cannabis, and the cravings tend to be harder to ignore and easier to rationalize.

The vivid dreams are the up side of the withdrawal. As long as it's not bad dreams.

..And the lack of dreams (or maybe memory so impaired that all recollection of dreams are lost) is one of the downsides of smoking (a lot).

I have noticed that when I have to stop smoking weed for more than a few days I get restless and can't sleep and can't focus. When I do sleep I have crazy realistic dreams. This only lasts about three or four days then it levels out again. That is what pot withdrawal is like for me.

Well I think the article is alright. I was more of a general comment to statements like the one by Cat. I get this from people that smoke a lot more than me too. Some have changed their mind with age, getting less fanatic I guess.

I just object to the "its not addictive" and "no withdrawal" in general. I do however agree that the side effects are less than with most drugs.

I think this "withdrawal" and our split on the matter might just be our cannabinoid systems differing. Those who need the boost the most probably do the worst without it.

@smokealot: you mentioned something neat. I didn't expect to get to sleep until 6 am last night (I didn't) as I was "without" - but I was wondering why I woke up in a POOL of sweat. It wasn't even warm. I mean, I thought my bladder had let go and I had pissed... thanks for the answer. :-)

@Smoke alot
It sounds like u smoke A LOT of pot. So I don't think your experience makes this article any less accurate. Don't compare yourself with a morning coffee drinker. Think about someone who drinks it all day long for 10 years. I would imagine his symptoms would be pretty severe as well. Remember it's AS mild as coffee but occurs less often. My 2 cents

Ok I have to let out my opinion in this matter. I have smoked 3-7 days a week for the last 10 years.

To suggest that there is no withdrawal from weed is just silly or you have only smoked a joint or 2 and then stopped.

If properly stoned for a few days withdrawal effects mostly occur. The effects are a tired, slightly spaced out state (not a very good one), trouble sleeping (if too high thc level in the body) and sweating a lot. You also tend to take any negative things that happen a bit personal.

Not nearly as nasty as a hangover but its ridiculous to deny these obvious effects.

I don't really understand why so many of us are keeping up this lie? We are the ones who asks for honesty in the debate, so we should try to stick to it. I think the truth is good enough!

I for one would have liked to know before I got my self a serious weed habit...

Note that I'm not saying I'm desperately running the streets hustling for my fix here. My pot addiction is more of a psychological one, but I DO notice the mild withdrawal (which is, btw last time I checked the indicator for something to be physically addictive)

GOD yes, I am a very dependent person upon pot and without it my appetite can take days to develop, I feel like I don't need sleep, etc. The only reason I needed three coffees today and have started to smoke is because I can't afford the pot I need lately. When I get a good 5-10g or more on hand, I stop smoking cigs straight and run out of alcohol without noticing. Some people aren't addicted to particular drugs but eventually get enough of them in general to become generally adverse to sobriety before the desire to dose begins to drive itself.

..you can experience withdrawal symptoms from marijuana?

Caffeine withdrawal headache sucks. Never even noticed any symptoms when i stopped smoking weed.

I was JUST ABOUT to go get my third XL coffee of the day, and yes it's nearly over. Sooo close to turning off the PC there, I was only going to go to this last site too. Hilarious.