How many people who use cannabis become dependent?

About one in eight people who use cannabis becomes dependent. The figure comes from the Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG, Bundesinstitut für Öffentliche Gesundheit). Dependence means that use continues despite negative consequences and can no longer be controlled. The figure says nothing about whether you yourself are affected. It does show, however, that cannabis use can have consequences that go beyond the high.

What psychological dependence means

The specialist website drugcom describes how psychological dependence can develop with long-term use. According to Sucht Schweiz (the Swiss addiction organisation), psychological dependence shows above all as a strong craving to use cannabis. Typical signs include:

• Quantity or frequency can no longer be controlled
• Use continues even though school, work or relationships suffer
• Thoughts of cannabis dominate the day, and other interests fade into the background
• Repeated attempts to use less fail

Withdrawal and signs when stopping

According to drugcom, withdrawal symptoms usually appear 24 to 48 hours after the last use. The symptoms mentioned include sleep problems and disturbing dreams. They vary a great deal from person to person. According to drugcom, they usually last up to a week, and at most 14 days. Another drugcom page gives three to four weeks until withdrawal has largely subsided. The information therefore differs, and how long it takes in your case cannot be predicted. If you want to stop and find that it does not work on your own, get advice. For severe symptoms, your GP practice is a point of contact.

Why starting early increases the risk

drugcom notes that an early start to cannabis use can cause lasting impairments of cognitive performance. The brain continues to develop into early adulthood. During this phase, cannabis can impair the ability to learn more strongly. The article Does early cannabis use harm memory? explains the mechanisms in more detail.

When is it dependence?

According to drugcom, a cannabis use disorder is present when at least two of eleven criteria apply within twelve months; the more criteria apply, the more severe the disorder. The characteristics include loss of control and a strong craving. What matters is whether use has already led to negative consequences. According to drugcom, problematic use usually begins earlier, before dependence develops.

The figure of one in eight is therefore an average for a large group. How exactly it is counted depends on which characteristics a study uses. The figure cannot be transferred to an individual person.

Quantity and frequency say little about dependence

Many people think that what matters most is how much and how often someone uses. drugcom sees it differently: neither the quantity nor the frequency of use plays a decisive role in whether dependence exists. The consequences are what count. So if you keep using despite problems, or cannot control your use any more, take that seriously, even if you use only rarely. There is no reliable prediction for an individual case.

What the figure means for you

The figure describes a whole group, not the individual. Whether someone belongs to that group shows in their behaviour and in the consequences in daily life, not in a statistic. If you are asking whether your own use is still under control, three questions can help: Am I using more than I planned? Are there arguments or problems because of cannabis? Have I given up hobbies or contacts? If you answer yes to at least one of these, a conversation with an advice service is worthwhile.

When professional help makes sense

There is no fixed threshold at which help becomes necessary. If you notice that you can no longer plan your use, that it strains relationships, training or health, or that you fear withdrawal symptoms, a conversation with a specialist service makes sense. Many people first come to get their use into perspective and only then decide whether they want to change something. You can reach the Sucht & Drogen Hotline (addiction and drugs hotline) on 01806 313031. The hotline's website gives information about opening times and costs.

Relatives can also seek support, for example at an addiction counselling service. For parents there is the Elterntelefon (parents' helpline) run by Nummer gegen Kummer (a German helpline for children and young people) on 0800 111 0 550.

The difference between habit and dependence

Not every regular use is a dependence. A habit means that a behaviour occurs frequently without loss of control or distress being at the forefront. Dependence comes in when craving, loss of control and problems caused by use occur together. This difference matters, because it determines whether a conversation is enough or longer support is needed.

How dependence develops

Dependence often does not appear overnight. At the beginning there is usually use that feels unproblematic. Over time, craving can become a fixed part of everyday life. The course is individual. What matters is that changes are noticed early and addressed.

What you can do

If you want to check your own use, you can talk to an addiction counselling service or use the cannabis check from drugcom. It asks about use over the last twelve months, including loss of control. Online, the DigiSucht website is a good starting point. More background is in the overview of help and counselling, and in the article When does psychological cannabis dependence develop?.