Tolerance and dependence

There is evidence that after prolonged use cannabis is addictive. People who use cannabis regularly can develop dependence and tolerance to it, which means they need to take larger amounts of cannabis to get the same effect.

Dependence on cannabis can be psychological, physical, or both. People who are dependent on cannabis find that using the drug becomes far more important than other activities in their life. They crave the drug and find it very difficult to stop using it. People who are psychologically dependent on cannabis may find they feel an urge to use it when they are in specific surroundings or socialising with friends. Physical dependence occurs when a person’s body adapts to cannabis and gets used to functioning with the cannabis present.

For more information, please click on the Alcohol and Drug Foundation’s (previously Australian Drug Foundation) logo below.

Australian Drug Foundation logo