Cannabis Addiction

Cannabis is a psychoactive substance that comes from the Cannabis sativa plant. Its main compound, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), acts on the central nervous system, with depressant and, at times, hallucinogenic effects. Its derivatives include marijuana, hashish and hash oil, which are mostly smoked or inhaled, although they are also taken orally in culinary preparations.

In Spain, cannabis is the illegal drug with the highest prevalence. It is used by around 9% of the adult population aged 18 to 64, and by nearly 13.5% of adolescents aged 15 to 17.

Its effects include disinhibition and euphoria, but tachycardia, drowsiness and altered sensory perception may also appear; the risks include panic attacks and anxiety, hypotension, psychiatric disorders, and so on. Its use leads to tolerance, withdrawal symptoms and psychological dependence.

The specific programme for cannabis treatment was created in response to the marked increase in requests for help, probably linked to the growing number of users of this substance. Given that cannabis is the most widespread illegal drug in Spain and that the social perception of risk is low—both in the community and among those who use it—our approach is designed to be specific and tailored to this type of use.

Two main user profiles can usually be identified:

Young people, who use it as a way of facilitating socialisation and a sense of belonging to the group, with a very low perception of risk and, often, alongside alcohol misuse. The age at which people start using drugs is around 13, and three out of four young people use tobacco, cannabis and alcohol. In these cases it is common for the family to be the one asking for help, worried about the use and its psychosocial consequences: poor school performance, giving up leisure activities, distancing from the family, mood changes, and so on. In certain cases, this early start can trigger psychotic episodes, which are particularly serious situations requiring psychiatric care and the immediate cessation of use.
Adults, with greater social and employment stability, who had been maintaining a more “adapted” pattern of use, generally outside working hours, convinced of its supposed anxiety-relieving effect, but who wish to reduce or stop using.