Addiction

Addiction is a chronic, relapsing condition characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use despite adverse consequences, underlain by persistent changes in brain reward, stress, and executive-control circuits (Volkow, Koob & McLellan 2016, NEJM). The term is contested ⚠️: DSM-5-TR deliberately avoids "addiction" in favor of the graded construct "substance use disorder," whereas NIDA and much of the neuroscience literature retain "addiction" as a shorthand for severe SUD. Cannabis can produce addiction: Volkow et al. (2014, NEJM, "Adverse Health Effects of Marijuana Use") summarize epidemiologic data — largely from Anthony, Hall, and Lopez-Quintero — indicating a lifetime risk of roughly 9% among those who ever use cannabis, rising to approximately 17% (about 1 in 6) among those who initiate in adolescence and 25–50% among daily users. NASEM 2017 rated evidence linking cannabis use to problem cannabis use as substantial. Stigma, cultural perceptions of cannabis as "non-addictive," and heterogeneity in terminology complicate clinical communication. → See also: CUD, Dependence, Withdrawal.