Y'all who are saying that I--or Drew Pinsky, for that matter--directly equated marijuana withdrawal to heroin withdrawal have misinterpreted something. Probably because your defenses are up a bit too high on this subject to be able to take in what's actually being said.

For people who have severe addiction trouble to a drug like heroin or other types of opiates, you could expect them to have really disastrous physical withdrawal sickness because that's what happens when people detox from those drugs. For people who might be considered the sickest cannabis addicts, I have no doubt that the physical withdrawal is milder except in, perhaps, the most extreme cases. By those I mean people with a genetically addiction-prone brain whose receptors of all types are responding to cannabis, people who've been using cannabis super heavily and frequently for a long, long period of time. They have real physical withdrawal that includes nausea and sometimes vomiting--because of how the long-term cannabis use has affected CB1 and 2 receptors in areas of the brain and stomach that affect nausea. Neurological shakes--again, changes in those neuro-cannabinoids receptors after their accustomed chemical is withdrawn. Know how sometimes some average stoners twitch after they've smoked or as they're coming down? In a severe withdrawal where those chemicals that have been constantly, heavily bathing the brain have been stopped, it'd be like that times 100.

They have lack of appetite, depression, terrible headaches, and various other things. So when Dr. Drew likens it to heroin withdrawal, that's what he means. Super heavy users who've got the brains with the propensity to form this type of addiction can--and DO--have some of those symptoms, particularly the stomach and neuro symptoms. All you have to do is consider for a moment--with an undefensive mind--the sorts of symptoms you've seen regular everyday stoners talk about here repeatedly, then magnify those effects in an extreme direction and you have an example of what can happen to people whose brains are dealing with the cessation of a chemical their receptors--all three types of receptors: nicotine, opiate and cannabinoid--have begun to respond to systemically.

That's what I was saying. That's what Drew Pinsky was saying. And you probably are going to want to trust that this isn't bullshit. It may not be true for you personally, but for some people it is.

That patient on Drew's rehab show--the cannabis addict--had mostly depression, some twitching, some nausea, and some apathy with her withdrawal, if what I read was correct. She'd been a 20-times-a-day daily, heavy smoker for a decade or so and her dependence was growing stronger to the point that she was willing to prostitute herself and lie, cheat or steal stuff to maintain her intake. It's true, the story did make for dramatic TV and was hard to believe for everyone who's been raised to believe that just because they don't have a brain that's become addicted doesn't mean someone else can. But for that patient, it was very real.

(I think Dr. Drew is the hottest thing, too. Nothing like a professional man who cares about his patients and looks good in a suit!!! I'd like to send a special shout-out here to my husband Dr. Dave, too, while I'm at it. You're hot too, honey.)