According to a February 4 Reuters News Wire headline, “Marijuana withdrawal rivals that of nicotine.” Oh really?
Not according to a two-year, multi-million dollar review conducted by the National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine, which reported, “[U]nder normal cannabis use, the long half-life and slow elimination from the body of THC … prevent[s] substantial abstinence symptoms.” [page 58] Authors go on to state that a distinctive ‘marijuana withdrawal syndrome,’ when identified, “is mild and short-lived.” [page 6]
Ultimately, the proof is in the pudding. According to the IOM, a whopping 32 percent of tobacco smokers eventually become dependent on the drug versus only nine percent of marijuana smokers. Notably, 15 percent of alcohol users become dependent on booze — meaning that when it comes to ‘kicking the habit,’ it’s clearly the legal drugs that leave America hooked.
