Marijuana Addiction Treatment Near Me

Drugs are classified according to the effects that they have on the body. Marijuana, also known as weed, comes from the cannabis plant and is a unique drug in the fact that it possesses hallucinogenic, stimulant, and depressant properties. It is generally consumed in amounts that make the user feel relaxed and calm when in stressful situations. It can elevate mood and heartbeat, like a stimulant. Perhaps someone in college found that it helped with their social anxiety or a cancer patient counteracts their nausea after a particularly rough chemo treatment with weed. Maybe those people came to use it more often and past the time of medical necessity. While there is debate on the addictive nature of marijuana, anyone who realizes that it is interfering with their normal routines may be able to find exactly the help that they need at a marijuana addiction treatment center.

How has marijuana come to be legalized?

The question is how it was ever made illegal. Research has been done on marijuana for decades and the studies just continue. Most of it is focused on how the cannabis plant benefits the body; however, it has also been proven to be addictive. Cannabis has been used medicinally for thousands of years in many countries. The early colonists in America grew the hemp plant for use as rope, clothing, paper, and more. One of the only reasons that it became a political and legal issue was due to racial factors in the early 20th century.

In the 1830s, a study found that cannabis could ease the stomach pain and vomiting that accompanies cholera. By the late 1800s, pharmacies and doctor’s offices in the United States and Europe carried cannabis extracts to prescribe for those reasons. Its popularity grew and in the early 1900s, immigrants from Mexico introduced recreational marijuana use to America. During the Great Depression, the public saw those immigrants as lending to the social unrest, causing marijuana to be outlawed in the majority of states by 1931.

By 1972, researchers reported finding more medicinal properties in marijuana than they had ever thought possible; however, government officials ignored them. After hundreds of studies showed the positive effects of the cannabis plant, in 1996, California became the first state to legalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes by those who were suffering from severe or chronic illnesses. Many states began to follow in their wake. As of today, marijuana is still federally illegal, but is legalized 42 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C.

What is the debate regarding marijuana?

Anyone can become addicted to anything, whether it’s physically or mentally, so while that is the case, marijuana is the topic of a drastic amount of debate in political and social circles. Regardless of what the study is attempting to prove, marijuana has shown that it has overwhelming anti-inflammatory and pain fighting properties. While many people are addicted to pain pills, marijuana can help reduce pain and inflammation that causes pain. It has also been found to combat insomnia, anxiety, and depression when someone facing these issues finds the right dose for their situation.

With so many states recognizing its benefits, there are even doctors who have become board-certified to be able to recommend medical marijuana to patients that meet the criteria. Illnesses that generally meet the criteria include:

• HIV/AIDS
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Chronic pain
• Traumatic brain injury
• Sickle cell anemia
• ALS
• Cancer
• Crohn’s Disease
• Fibromyalgia
• Glaucoma

How does marijuana help the body?

Every animal contains an ECS (endocannabinoid system) that contains neurotransmitters and receptors located throughout the entire body. They are mostly concentrated in the central nervous system. Endocannabinoids are only produced as they are needed when the body senses an imbalance and signals for their help. They bind to the receptors in the appropriate area to alleviate the pain and inflammation in the area. The cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant bind to the receptors in much the same way that the naturally occurring endocannabinoids do, eliciting the same reactions.

How do you know if you have an addiction to marijuana?

Every person reacts differently to every substance whether it’s ibuprofen or marijuana. Pain is something that people want to get rid of when they are experiencing it, and it’s actually one of the biggest reasons that starts people on a path of substance abuse. Those who have used marijuana before 18 years old are four to seven times as likely to develop an abuse disorder as an adult. Researchers also believe that about four million Americans can be categorized as having a marijuana use disorder in 2015. Only 138,000 of those sought treatment. Genetics play a strong predictor in who develops an addiction. What are some facts about marijuana addiction?

• Addiction is less prominent in those who have a sense of community and connection. The addiction rate of those who have jobs, families, and social networks is dramatically decreased.
• Mental health also has a strong influence. Someone who has a mental health issue has a stronger tendency to also have a substance abuse disorder. People start using marijuana because it helps them deal with the depression and anxiety that they face daily. This is called a dual diagnosis.
• Building a tolerance then occurs because people are constantly looking for the next high to deal with the negative thoughts and feeling that continue to come to the forefront of their minds.
• Feeling happy only when using the drug.
• Focusing on finding the next hit, getting high, and recovering from being high.
• Getting high even if it puts you into a dangerous situation
• Trying repeatedly but being unable to stop using.
• Feeling withdrawal symptoms when stopping usage. Symptoms increasingly worsen over the period of a week but are gone within two weeks.

What kinds of therapies are used in marijuana addiction treatment?

While withdrawal symptoms during weed detox are not lethal, they can be extremely uncomfortable. There are no medications to specifically help marijuana withdrawal but there some that can lessen the effects of the underlying issues, such as anti-anxiety medications. Strategies that can help anyone who needs help recovering include:

• Individual therapy
  • Identifies triggers and helps people cope with them
• Mental and physical health care
  • Replacing the use of marijuana with other coping skills
• Family and/or relationship counseling
  • Reestablishing the connection with those who were damaged in the process of the drug abuse.
• Group therapy
  • 12-step programs can help people realize that they are not alone and that they can mend.
• Lifestyle changes
  • Promoting healthy behavior to replace the marijuana use, like an exercise regimen and diet management
• Social support
  • Avoiding places and people with whom the user associates using marijuana.  

Is marijuana addictive or do the benefits outweigh any negative ones that have arisen? The use of marijuana recreationally, as well as medicinally, has become a political and medical debate that encompasses the opinions of the majority of Americans, from parents with teenagers to the elderly who suffer from chronic pain. While researchers have proven the many benefits of ingesting marijuana, anytime that a drug interferes with someone’s life and they cannot seem to stop using it, it may be time to seek professional help at a marijuana addiction treatment facility to take back the control of their life.