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Dr. Pohl discusses if marijuana is an addictive substance.
Dr. Pohl:
Marijuana is an addicting drug. There’s just no question about it. The addiction, the physical dependence, and the tolerance are less dramatic than it might be for some other drugs like heroine or alcohol. So the belief system is, well, I can stop any time, and you probably can, but people report agitation, anxiety, sleep disturbance, irritability, when they smoke marijuana regularly and stop suddenly. That’s withdrawal.
Marijuana is a problem drug, causes amotivational syndrome. You know, there’s a lot of debate about this, but I am certain that marijuana is a gateway drug. I see 95 percent of the addicts that I see started with alcohol and marijuana, and I just think that we underestimate the potential problems with marijuana in our society.
About Dr. Mel Pohl, M.D.:
Dr. Mel Pohl, M.D., is a Board Certified Family Practitioner. He is the Vice President of Medical Affairs and the Medical Director at the Las Vegas Recovery Center (LVRC), the only private, freestanding, medically managed inpatient detoxification and addiction treatment facility in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Visit Dr. Pohl at the Las Vegas Recovery Center