Think marijuana isn't addictive? Former users say think again

CHICAGO - In the basement of the Mustard Seed, a red brick building in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood that hosts dozens of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings each week, a handful of people gathered on a recent night to discuss a different addiction.

They were members of Marijuana Anonymous, a rapidly expanding 12-step organization that serves those struggling with a drug that is now legal in Illinois and 10 other states, and that many people view as innocuous.

That perception, some meeting attendees said, even extends to fellow drug users.

"When you're in rehab for weed, you don't say you're in rehab for weed," said Robb, a 30-year-old who lives in Chicago. "Half the people will laugh you out of the room."

But treatment specialists say marijuana's addictive potential is well-established. About 1 in 10 people who use the drug end up with the condition