Article Rebuttal - Marijuana Addiction

This is a rebuttal to an argument made in an online article that marijuana is not an addictive drug. By doing a systematic process and analyzing the argument presented, it is easy to see how the use of logic and the knowledge of fallacies, bias, and opinions can help anyone spot a bad or weak argument.

First Claim:

The article from Wiki Answers first states that one must first know what the definition of "addicted" and "habitual" is. It claims that "addiction" is not the same a "habituating" are not the same. The author describes the definition of addiction as a gross physiological change in the way the body works and habituating is merely a crave. The article acknowledges that neurological and neuro-chemical changes can happen however they are minor and are not always substance related.

Counter-argument:

The author of the article is attempting to downplay the effects that long-term use of marijuana has on the human body. Although research of long-term effects on the brain are inconsistent, it has proven that long-term use can lead to addiction as defined by the writer of this article. NIDA reports that long-term marijuana abusers trying to quit report withdrawal symptoms as in any addiction, which contradicts the claim that marijuana use is simply a habit, possessing no physical effects on the body.

Second Claim:

The article also claims Delta-1-tetrahydrocannibinol is such a very low dosage that the user needs to get large-scale physiological changes to become a true addiction. Further claims are that most people, scientist, and users think that marijuana is non-addictive. It cites a study conducted by Columbia University that offers contradictory evidence that marijuana is not addictive,

Counter-argument:

In fact, though in extensive studies of marijuana use, scientist have learned that delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC for short, acts upon specific areas of the brain called cannabinoid receptors. These receptors are in the parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thinking, concentrating, sensory/time perception, and coordinated movement. Although