The Atlantic

Letters: Is Marijuana Addictive?

Readers debate questions of cannabis use and abuse.
Source: Mario Anzuoni / Reuters

America’s Invisible Pot Addicts

In August, Annie Lowrey described how more and more Americans are reporting near-constant cannabis use, as legalization forges ahead.


It’s really quite simple: Not everyone who drinks is a drunk, not everyone who smokes cigarettes is addicted to them, and the many who benefit from using marijuana should not be penalized because of centuries-old hysteria. It’s about

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Atlantic

The Atlantic8 min readAmerican Government
The Return of the John Birch Society
Michael Smart chuckled as he thought back to their banishment. Truthfully he couldn’t say for sure what the problem had been, why it was that in 2012, the John Birch Society—the far-right organization historically steeped in conspiracism and oppositi
The Atlantic17 min read
How America Became Addicted to Therapy
A few months ago, as I was absent-mindedly mending a pillow, I thought, I should quit therapy. Then I quickly suppressed the heresy. Among many people I know, therapy is like regular exercise or taking vitamin D: something a sensible person does rout
The Atlantic7 min readAmerican Government
The Americans Who Need Chaos
This is Work in Progress, a newsletter about work, technology, and how to solve some of America’s biggest problems. Sign up here. Several years ago, the political scientist Michael Bang Petersen, who is based in Denmark, wanted to understand why peop

Related Books & Audiobooks