ps this is because there are many aspects to the problem, some physiological, some psychological, and some sociological; any attempt to divorce one of those aspects from the others results in a falsification. In addition, it is too often the case that addiction is defined only in terms of “illegal” drugs. Carl Edward suggests a slightly different approach:
In attempting to understand the motivation for drug users, we should also perhaps consider what motivates a person to use alcohol, tobacco, or caffeine. Each has well-established emotional, medical and social consequences.
In attempting to answer the questions surrounding addiction, then, we shall approach the problem along the lines suggested by Edwards; i.e., we shall discuss not only marijuana but other drugs (and non-drugs) not usually considered to be addictive.
First, however, it is important to come to a good working definition of addiction. As we have already mentioned, such a definition must be multifaceted. In this regard, Richard E. Hardy and John D. Cull offer five essential points:
Definitions of addiction typically require that the practice: (1) be central in the individual’s life, taking “compulsive” precedence over other “normal” activities; (2) is associated with an identifiable intoxication or feelings of euphoria; (3) is associated with a tendency to increase the level of usage so that greater and greater “doses” are required; (4) is associated with a substance (drug) which, when taken into the living organism, may modify one or more of its functions...(5) is associated with a physical dependency such that discontinuation and/or significant reduction is associated with a characteristic and specific group of symptoms, termed an “abstinence syndrome.”
The above definition is rather complete, including as it does both physiological and psychological aspects of addiction. Using the Hardy-Cull definition, then, we can begin t...