How many people who use cannabis become dependent?

The prevention website cannabispraevention.de gives a clear figure: roughly one in eight people who use cannabis becomes dependent. For problematic use overall, the website gives no figure. Problematic use is a broader term. According to drugcom, it usually begins well before dependence is established, and it cannot be measured by the amount alone. Anyone reading the figure correctly treats it as an order of magnitude, and it predicts nothing for their own case.

What is meant by problematic use

Problematic use exists when cannabis has consequences that you or others experience as a problem. These include difficulties at school or in training, conflicts in your environment, or use that determines your plans. drugcom stresses that negative consequences matter more than the amount or frequency. Even occasional use can therefore have consequences. Frequent use is therefore not harmless either: according to cannabispraevention.de, the risk of dependence rises with use once or several times a week.

The term is deliberately broad. It helps to recognise warning signs early, before a pattern becomes entrenched.

The number of people who are dependent

The figure comes from the prevention website cannabispraevention.de and describes dependence only. It does not cover every problematic use. Roughly one in eight people who use cannabis becomes dependent. This is an order of magnitude. It says nothing about how your own use will develop. It does show, however, that the path to dependence is a real possibility for people who use cannabis.

Why problematic use begins earlier

According to drugcom, problematic use usually begins earlier than dependence. It is therefore worth paying attention to early signals. Typical signals are changes in everyday life, for example declining performance, withdrawing from appointments, or use that becomes the most important structure of the day.

• Learning, work or training suffers, and use still increases.
• You hide how often you use.
• You want to stop but do not manage to do so for good.
• Conflicts with family, partners or friends keep recurring.

How dependence is classified

Under the criteria, dependence is present when at least two features apply within twelve months. According to Sucht Schweiz, psychological dependence shows mainly in strong cravings for cannabis. Another feature is that you carry on using even though the use repeatedly leads to social or interpersonal problems. A professional checks such features together with you in a conversation. A self-assessment such as the drugcom Cannabis-Check cannot replace this check, but it can make it easier to start.

What numbers mean for you

Figures help you classify your own situation. They are no verdict on any person. Whether you belong to the affected group can only be read from your own use and its consequences. If you are unsure, the article When does cannabis use become problematic? is a good next read.

The link with the start of use is also important. The longer and more often someone uses, and the younger they are, the greater the health risk according to the prevention website. More on this is in the article on the consequences of starting early.

Talking early helps

Early conversations can help to notice problems sooner. The questions that matter are: What does the cannabis give you? What does it cost you? Which situations trigger it? Anyone who answers these questions honestly sees more quickly whether a pattern is forming. The conversation can take place with a trusted person, at a counselling service or anonymously on the phone.

Early recognition in everyday life

Early recognition means noticing changes before they become a problem. This includes an honest look at your habits and at the reactions of those around you. Ask yourself whether your use has changed, whether you plan more around it or hide it more often, and whether other people raise it with you. Such questions are no judgement. They help you see patterns in time.

Young people are especially at risk

The prevention website cannabispraevention.de stresses that young people are especially at risk. The reason lies in brain development, which according to the prevention website is in an important developmental phase. Anyone who starts early should therefore pay particular attention to patterns. More on the consequences of an early start is in the article on the future after an early start.

Questions that bring clarity

• Do you now use more than before to feel the same effect?
• Do you plan days or evenings around use?
• Do you have the impression that you no longer have proper control over your use?
• Does use lead to repeated problems at school, at work or in relationships?
• Have you tried to stop and not managed to do so for good?

What happens after you recognise a pattern

If you recognise yourself in several of these questions, a conversation with a professional is the right next step. Counselling services help you to classify your situation and set goals. An attempt to stop can be planned together. The article on dealing with failed attempts to stop explains what helps after a relapse.

What you can do

1. Watch for the warning signs from the list and note when they occur.
2. Check your use with a self-test. An overview is in the article on self-tests for dependence.
3. Talk to a trusted person or a counselling service before a pattern becomes entrenched.
4. The Sucht & Drogen Hotline can be reached on 01806 313031 (daily from 8:00 to 24:00, charged).

A classification of your own limits is offered by the article on signs that you are crossing your own limits. All prevention topics are listed under Prevention and youth protection.