The National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse
Marihuana - A Signal of Misunderstanding.
Chapter II
marihuana use and its effects
Tolerance and Dependence
Some tolerance does occur with prolonged heavy usage; large drug doses are
necessary for the desired effects. Abrupt withdrawal does not lead to a specific
or reproducible abstinence syndrome and physical dependence has not been
demonstrated in man or in animals. The very heavy users studied did evidence
strong psychological dependence, but were able to cease use for short periods of
time. In these users,
withdrawal does induce, symptoms characteristic of psychological dependence.
The anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, and other non-specific symptoms of
withdrawal are very similar in kind and intensity to those experienced by
compulsive cigarette smokers.
Although the distress of withdrawal exerts a very strong psychogenic drive to
continue use, fear of withdrawal is, in most cases, not adequate to inspire
immediate criminal acts to obtain the drug.
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