The ability to trigger dopamine in the desire circuit is what makes a drug addictive. Alcohol does it, heroin does it, cocaine does it, even marijuana does it. Not all drugs trigger dopamine to the same degree, though. The ones that hit dopamine the hardest are more addictive than ones that are more restrained. By triggering the release of more dopamine, the “hard hitters” also make the user feel more euphoric, and stimulate the most intense craving when the drug is gone. Intensity varies by drug. Pot smokers are generally less desperate to get more of the drug than cocaine addicts. But
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