Yes. Like alcohol and other drugs, not everyone who smokes marijuana (weed) gets addicted, but some people do.

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health of 2008, 61% of adolescents under the age of 15 and 56% of 15 to 19 year olds who enter drug addiction treatment programs report marijuana as their primary drug. People who smoke a lot of weed sometimes develop a tolerance, meaning they need more and more to get high, or move on to other drugs to get high.

Some heavy users go through withdrawal if they stop smoking. That can include restlessness, loss of appetite, trouble sleeping, weight loss and shaky hands. It can also make someone irritable, impacting their relationships with other people.

The only way to prevent becoming addicted to weed is to stay away from it completely.

For more information on drug addiction and abuse check of the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s teen Web site.