Marijuana is highly addictive, and enrolment in marijuana addiction treatment programs is on the rise. As per studies, 9% of the individuals who start using marijuana become highly dependent or addicted to this substance.
Marijuana is another name for Cannabis or weed, and people worldwide abuse marijuana. It is true that while some people do not get addicted to marijuana and use this drug only when they want to, some people fall into the trap of marijuana addiction and develop a dependency on this drug.
Marijuana dependency is a phenomenon when an individual needs to use marijuana to do their daily chores. In such circumstances, people who are dependent or addicted to marijuana cannot stop the use and abuse of this drug as they experience nasty withdrawal symptoms when they cease the use of marijuana.
This is when marijuana addiction treatment can help such individuals. In this blog, we have compiled information related to marijuana, treatment to combat marijuana addiction, and how these programs work.
What is Marijuana?
Marijuana originates from the plant Cannabis sativa. Marijuana contains a chemical compound called delta-90-tetrahydrocannabinol (also known as THC). This chemical compound instigates a feeling of euphoria when people use marijuana.
People use marijuana by smoking, vaping, eating, spraying it in the mouth, injecting it, or even in the form of a pill. Unfortunately, there are so many ways to ingest such a highly addictive substance, and people are creative with the methods by which they use marijuana. Evidence suggests that over 48.2 million people, or 18% of Americans, have used marijuana at some point in their lives.
While some states in the United States have legalized the use of marijuana for medical and recreational use, others have legalized marijuana only for medical use. However, like any other drug, this substance is also highly addictive and can cause unpleasant withdrawal symptoms if used without the permission, prescription, or validation of a certified healthcare professional.
Is Marijuana Addictive?
The short answer to this question is, yes, marijuana is addictive. There are a plethora of people who strongly advocate in favor of marijuana and say that it is not addictive. However, the truth is that an individual who uses and abuses marijuana may develop marijuana dependence, chronic addiction to marijuana, and even nasty withdrawal symptoms when they cease the use of marijuana. Statistics further supported this fact. 3 in 10 people who use marijuana are vulnerable to marijuana addiction or marijuana abuse disorder.
Marijuana, which is also known as cannabis, weed, or ganja, is a highly addictive substance. This substance works by suppressing the neurotransmitters in the brain, which gives a feeling of euphoria or a recreational ‘high’ to its users. Once an individual is addicted to marijuana, it is next to impossible to quit this addiction on their own. In such circumstances, an individual is most likely to seek marijuana addiction treatment to get rid of their addiction and substance abuse disorder.
An individual who is addicted to marijuana shows the following common signs of addiction:
- Loss of interest in activities that an individual once enjoyed
- Experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms upon ceasing the use of marijuana
- Development of marijuana tolerance. Marijuana tolerance is a phenomenon wherein low doses of marijuana show no effect on an individual, and they need high amounts of the substance to feel the same effect.
- An individual starts craving the use of marijuana even when they are fully aware of the side effects that they are suffering due to their marijuana use.
However, marijuana addiction is not the end of the world. Marijuana addiction treatment can help an individual quit their addiction and abstain from the use of marijuana in the future. In the next section, we will discuss this topic more.
What Is Marijuana Addiction Treatment?
Marijuana addiction treatment is a type of treatment program for those who are struggling with marijuana addiction and dependency. Drug detox is often a part of marijuana addiction treatments. During the treatment process for marijuana addiction, the program starts with flushing out the addictive substances from an individual’s body. In this crucial step, the body detoxes addictive substances like THC.
As a result, the body stops craving more doses of marijuana as THC is no longer present in the body. This breaks the cycle of marijuana dependency and tolerance. However, marijuana addiction treatment is safest to do in a rehabilitation center as the professionals will keep the vitals of an individual in check during the withdrawal timeline. Additionally, certified and experienced medical professionals can even prescribe medicines to ease the symptoms of withdrawal.
How Does Marijuana Addiction Treatment Work?
Addiction to any substance is often a result of mental health disorders. Marijuana addiction can occur with other types of substance abuse disorders. Due to ill mental health, some individuals frequently resort to marijuana and other substances to ease their daily stress and anxiety. If people fail to treat the root causes of addictions, there are chances of relapsing into substance abuse disorder and substance addiction after the treatment ends.
Therefore, to eradicate the root cause of disorders related to substance abuse, therapy sessions are the most common marijuana addiction treatment. Individuals can opt for such treatment in an inpatient setting or an outpatient treatment program. These therapy sessions can occur in a group setting, with family members, or as an individual therapy session. People can also opt for therapy sessions that educate the patients on addictions and guide them towards recovery.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What Is The Most Common Marijuana Addiction Treatment?
Behavioral therapies are the most common type of marijuana addiction treatment. Other types of treatment include motivational interviewing therapy and interpersonal therapy. The primary focus of these types of therapies is to create a spark in an individual to motivate them to quit substance use and abuse.
2. How Long Does It Take For Marijuana Addiction Treatment To Work?
Marijuana addiction treatment typically works within four weeks as it takes four weeks for the chemicals in the brain to return to normal levels when people stop the use of marijuana.
3. What Are The Dangers Of Using Marijuana?
People who use and abuse marijuana have a risk of developing carcinogenic tissues in their lungs, mouth, esophagus, and other connected organs. This cancerous tissue is a result of the smoke that people inhale to facilitate the use of marijuana.
Conclusion
People derive marijuana from the cannabis plant. It is no secret that marijuana has addictive properties, and those who use marijuana regularly show symptoms of addiction.
Too much of anything is always a bad thing, and marijuana is no exception. Any type of addiction can wreak havoc in an individual’s life. It does not matter whether the addiction is to junk food or substances like marijuana. Addictions can genuinely impact the quality of life of an individual and keep them from performing to their highest potential.
The good news is that with every addiction, there are treatments available to combat those addictions. The same is the case with marijuana addiction. Marijuana addiction treatment can help an individual in battling marijuana addiction and dependency.
