In the United States, many of the people who turn to marijuana for the first time are young. The fact that marijuana addicts tend to be of a young age means that the efforts to sway peoples’ opinion on using the drug should be targeted at a teenaged audience. About 30 percent of Americans arrested for marijuana violations in fact were under 19, based on data from drugabuse.gov. The dangers of marijuana abuse can be taught in schools and in advertising tailored for young age groups. Adults need to get in on the discussion too. As teenagers are impressionable through what their parents and guardians say, in addition to what is taught in school, the truth about marijuana and cannabis addiction can help educate them on the risks.
Learning about marijuana addicts early on also helps to avoid problems associated with kicking an addiction. Cannabis withdrawal symptoms are something to consider when having used the drug for some time and the need to kick the habit becomes very important. A total of 496 adult marijuana smokers were studied by Duke University. Of those that tried to quit, 95.5 percent experienced at least one symptom of withdrawal, while 43.1 percent had more than one symptom. The consequences of becoming marijuana addicts needs to be stressed to young people. If they understand the risks and how these can impact their lives, abstaining from drug use may be more achievable. Those who seek marijuana addiction treatment or stop altogether most commonly experience a craving for marijuana, which former uses say happens a lot in the days they start practicing abstinence.
A marijuana addict is also at risk of trouble sleeping when they quit. Studies estimate that nearly 47 percent of former smokers have disruptions in their sleep patterns, including disturbing dreams and nightmares. Marijuana addicts can develop symptoms quickly and are often driven to go back to smoking it to alleviate the effects. Many wish they had not started in the first place, but the experiences they go through make it difficult to give up. Withdrawal symptoms usually start within 1 to 3 days after stopping, and often last for up to several months. The duration of the symptoms means that marijuana addicts have plenty of opportunity to go back to their habit. An addiction is hard to fight off. The only sure bet is to learn early on that any drug has this potential, and teaching others about these effects is aimed at prevention.