I didn't think I could get addicted to weed. I was wrong and I'm not alone

"Amy, 18, had previously tossed that same cartridge, known colloquially as a cart, into a public trash can. Passersby stared as she later rooted around to recover it. So she lifted the entire garbage bag and brought it back to her apartment, where she dug through a bunch of sloppy, stinking detritus before finding it and taking a grateful toke. Later that same week, she threw it into the dumpster surely that would prevent her from going back. But she did."

"I've tried everything to stop, said Amy (not her real name all interviewees requested anonymity for this story). She's been to rehab and discussed her cannabis use in therapy for years. She's given carts away, made non-smoking friends, changed schools but nothing has helped her quit. She said she's trying every day. Especially after the dumpster situation, she added. That seriously scared me. I found Amy in r/leaves, a subreddit about quitting cannabis that has more than 400,000 followers."

"Recreational cannabis use is now legal in about half of US states; almost every state allows for medical use. According to a 2024 study, that year, for the first time in history, more Americans were consuming some form of cannabis daily than alcohol. For a long time, I had been in deep denial not just about my own dependency, but the possibility weed could be addictive at all. After all, it was perfectly natural and basically impossible to overdose on. Didn't that mean it was pretty much safe?"

"But according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 30% of cannabis users will become addicted. Cannabis use disorder (CUD), according to the DSM-5 and the CDC, is characterized by 12 months or mor"

Amy, 18, repeatedly tries to quit cannabis but continues using THC vape cartridges. After throwing a cartridge away, she later searched through a dumpster to recover it, then used it again. She has sought help through rehab and therapy for years, discussed her cannabis use, and tried practical changes such as giving carts away, making non-smoking friends, and changing schools. She still cannot stop and says she tries every day, especially after the dumpster incident. Broader context includes legal recreational and medical cannabis in many US states and rising daily use. A CDC estimate indicates about 30% of cannabis users develop addiction, and cannabis use disorder is defined by persistent problems over time.

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