psteve- I think psychological cannabis dependency goes much deeper than a "personality disorder"... The DSM were the ones who, up until about 1973, also classified homosexuality as a 'mental disorder' under a DSM diagnosis, so don't be so quick to soley rely on that source for classification. New research is being developed all the time.

Like BG had mentioned, psychological dependency is far deeper-rooted; it's more into the neurological category than a personality issue. "Addicitve Personality," as they say, may project what may be a high sensitivity to the cocktails of neurotransmitters released in the brain when the person comes into contact with a substance; in this case we'll use cannabis as a relevant example.

When you smoke a joint, the THC/CBDs are carried to your brain, converted/broken down into various molecules our body can use, and we feel stoned. The receptors who (surprise) receive those chemical messages have been shown in some individuals to be overly-sensitive- that's why the term "psychological addiction" is more of a neurological predisposition.

When the pleasure-inducing chemicals are released in our brain on a regular basis from smoking pot, the receptors begin to become accustomed to the same chemical cocktails being released somewhat regularly. When those signals end abruptly, over a period of time, the receptors begin to become agitated, so to say, because of a lack of the feel-good chemical responsible for the high.

The main difference between physical and psychological dependence begins here. While physical dependence goes on to effect other parts of the body in a physical sense, psychological dependence remains in the brain with the neurotransmitters and other chemicals as the only physiological process in psychological dependence. That's the difference.

This can explain why some individuals can certainly feel emotional symptoms of psychological cannabis withdrawal, such as headaches, irritability, insomnia, ect. but do not have signs of physical withdrawal, such as fever, chills, sweating, and hallucinations. If these neurologically sensitive people experience such symptoms as a result of stopping their use of cannabis, then what is it?

psteve- did you get a chance to look at the links so generously provided by Bird Girl? If not, I suggest reading them, they're very informative and non-biased. Could you please supply us with some links from academic/non-goverment funded scientific sources that back your claim?

Here are some I found useful:

Dopamine Receptor Function And Its Role In Drug Use

Dopamine and the Dependence Liability of Marijuana