Marijauna Addiction
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Marijuana Addiction Treatment in Los Angeles
Marijuana is the dried flowers, seeds, stems, and leaves of Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica.1 The greenish-gray mixture is also known as weed, pot, grass, bud, Mary Jane, and other slang terms.
Marijuana users can smoke hand-rolled cigarettes (joints), cigar wraps (blunts) or concentrates (dabs), inhale the drug from a pipe or water pipe (bongs), use a vape, or consume edibles.1 Marijuana use is on the rise among adults of all ages, but people between the ages of 18 to 25 use the most marijuana.2 In total, half of all Americans admit to using marijuana at least once.2 With a rise in use, as does marijuana addiction.
Cannabis plants contain dozens of chemical compounds or cannabinoids. Two main cannabinoids include tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).3 THC is a psychoactive compound that creates a high or state of euphoria that many users seek. CBD is non-psychoactive and can reduce pain, ease migraines and prevent seizures.
Smoking produces almost immediate results that last up to three hours.4 Consuming edibles delays THCs effects for 30 to 60 minutes and generally produces less effective results, but users can experience the high for many hours.4 THC can remain detectable in the body for days or weeks, long after the effects wear off.4
On the surface, marijuana appears beneficial in many ways, but the product causes numerous negative physical, emotional and psychological effects. Users can become dependent on the drug and have trouble functioning in daily life. In these cases, marijuana addiction treatment can help people avoid marijuana use and cope with triggers. Therapy and other resources produce behavior changes, improve life skills and reduce relapse that can occur when recovering users face a temptation to smoke, inhale, vape, or consume marijuana.
Can Marijuana Become Addictive?
Users may turn to marijuana to relax, unwind or relieve pain. The THC in the drug can create immediate euphoria and relaxation. Some people also report an increase in laughter and a heightened sensory experience that brightens colors, amplifies sounds and enhances images.4
Pleasant experiences are not always the result of marijuana use, though. Sometimes, users experience anxiety, distrust, fear, panic, nausea, delusions, or hallucinations.4 These temporary effects eventually dissipate, but theyre serious nonetheless and can happen to users of all marijuana types and experience levels.
Marijuana users and advocates commonly share the physical and emotional benefits of pot as they support their use. They also claim that marijuana is socially acceptable,2 safe, harmless, and benign and will not cause any addiction problems. In fact, nearly three in four Americans believe that alcohol and tobacco cause more of a health risk than marijuana.2 However, science proves otherwise.
As many as one in 10 marijuana users will develop an addiction.5 The risk increases to 17% (one in six) among habitual users who started using weed as teens.5
In addition to these statistics, science shows that marijuana is addictive because the drug changes the users brain. THC connects to brain receptors and triggers chemical reactions and manipulations that feel relaxing, blissful and rewarding.4 The brain doesnt shut down the receptors, and the altered brain eventually functions only at an optimal level when its under the influence of marijuana.
The altered brain may cause a person to experience an intense pleasure for a few hours. But marijuana can also create problems in almost every area of life and reduce a users overall quality of life. Some of these problems may last a short while, and other challenges last long-term.
- Brain health: Marijuana use can affect decision making and emotions,6 lower IQ permanently,7 and negatively affect memory, concentration, and learning for days or weeks.8
- Mental health: Marijuana use is linked to anxiety, depression, paranoia, suicidal thoughts, and psychotic episodes.4
- Physical health: Marijuana use may cause increased heart rate, lowered immunity, chronic bronchitis, respiratory infections, and pneumonia.9
- Physical capabilities: Marijuana use affects movement, coordination and balance, along with athletic performance.7
- Driving ability: Marijuana use slows reaction time, decreases coordination and increases sensory perception, which may cause drivers to weave across lanes or misread road signs and sounds.2
- Daily life: Marijuana use can affect educational outcomes, career achievements, social relationships, hobby involvement, and overall satisfaction with life.7
Because marijuana can be a dangerous and addictive drug, users benefit from marijuana addiction treatment. It helps users break their habit, find new ways of coping with their daily life challenges, and stay clean and healthy.
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Signs & Symptoms of Marijuana Addiction
Someone whos consumed with marijuana may think, How long has it been since my last hit? When and where can I get more? What are the chances that Ill get caught? What happens if I get caught? Why do I need more pot now to experience the same high as when I first started this stuff?
These and other thoughts occupy every waking minute for people who have a marijuana addiction issue. All other thoughts, activities and even obligations take a back seat to marijuana. Someone with a marijuana addiction is unable to focus on the good things of life and instead thinks only of getting that next high and gaining the benefits of the drug.
A person with a marijuana addiction also has trouble stopping their drug use.5 When they try to stop, they may experience an intense and deep craving, along with irritability, restlessness, decreased appetite, physical discomfort, and an interruption to sleep, work, relationships, and hobbies.5 These symptoms of withdrawal generally peak within a week of quitting and may last up to two weeks.5
Living like this is hard for the person with an addiction and everyone around him or her. Marijuana addiction treatment can change everything, though. Someone who agrees to get help can see positive changes in every aspect of their life.
What Does Marijuana Addiction Look Like?
People with a marijuana addiction are not bad, weak or wrong.
They simply need help to recover from a medical condition that will respond to marijuana addiction treatment. When the individual and family members address marijuana addiction as an illness, treatment becomes easier.
Getting a marijuana user to want treatment is a challenge sometimes. Users may point to the drugs harmlessness, safety and legal status in many states as a reason to continue using.
Review the following signs to determine if you or someone you love needs an intervention.10
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Craving marijuana
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Hoarding drugs
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Losing interest in hobbies, social activities and work
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Failing to fulfill everyday tasks at home or work
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Tolerating higher doses of week
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Using the drug daily or multiple times a day
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Spending household money on marijuana
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Stealing or engaging in reckless behavior to get pot money
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Taking risks while under the influence
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Trying to quit but failing once or multiple times
Additional Resources
How Does Legalization Affect Addiction and Rehab?
The legalization of pot in many states creates a stumbling block for some people who need marijuana addiction treatment. They may argue that if marijuana is legal, it cant also be addictive.
Proponents of marijuana also argue that its safe and harmless. Plus, the physical, emotional and psychological benefits are important for users. The legal marijuana business also made $10 billion in 2017, an increase of 30% from the previous year,2 and a powerful reason to continue advocating for marijuana use.
Legalization doesnt change the chemical effects of marijuana, though, or the everyday life challenges it creates for users. Legalization also doesnt stop the cycle of addiction.
Consider the fact that people who enroll in marijuana addiction treatment programs tend to have used the drug daily for at least 10 years.11 Many treatment program participants have already tried to quit more than six times.11
Also, minors cannot use marijuana under legalization laws, yet, that law doesnt stop minors from using marijuana. And teens are more likely to develop an addiction when they start using weed at a young age. The effects of marijuana on a childs developing body and brain5 may also cause long-term challenges that hinder youth from enjoying the full life they deserve.
Marijuana may be a gateway drug, too, and cause a user to develop addictions to other substances.12 For example, marijuana use is linked to nicotine and other addictions.12 And a study of data from the National Epidemiological Study of Alcohol Use and Related Disorders found that adults who used marijuana were more likely to develop a new or worsening alcohol addiction.12
Todays marijuana is also more potent than in previous decades. The average THC content in marijuana samples from the 1980s tested at 4%.13 By 2018, the THC content rose to an average of 15%.13 The increase in potency could mean that marijuana users today get a higher dose of the drug and may face even greater chances of developing an addiction.
The legalization of marijuana is one argument people give for using the drug, but pots legal status does not erase its negative impact on a users life. Addiction treatment and recovery remain vital resources that help a user overcome addiction and learn how to live successfully without the drug.
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I am forever grateful to have had this experience. I would recommend anyone who wanted help to come here. This place literally saved my life. I have overcome so many obstacles that always stood in the way of my recovery. It’s not just because I was ready… the approaches the therapists use come from an empathetic, compassionate, and understanding place. They were able to hold the mirror up and help guide me through making solid changes.
Daniel H.
August 2017 -
This place literally saved my life.
After overdosing, my parents forced me to check into rehab.After interviewing many other facilities, I decided to go to Harmony Place from my home in Phoenix. I was struggling with…a drug addiction and had been trying for years to recover. In the past, left 2 treatment centers AMA and 1 AWOL. I had very negative experiences in the other treatment facilities, especially with my therapists, so I didn’t go in with an open mind or good attitude- even though they worked with my parents regarding finances. However, the staff was patient with me. The techs were kind, knowledgeable, and many were in recovery themselves.
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When I called Harmony Place…I knew immediately that this was the right place for my child… Harmony Place is specifically designed for…and tailored to providing a safe environment. The staff [are knowledgeable and some are in recovery]. The staff knew each client and were on top of each client’s progress. Harmony Place has a small clientele and each client are able to receive all the help they were entitled to. I would recommend Harmony Place to anyone who is looking for a small setting… My daughter is currently going into sober living and her counselors did a wonderful job in finding a right fit for her – affordable, safe and a good environment for her.
Robyn
Loved-One -
I’ve Been Searching for the Perfect Words…
I left Harmony Place in August of 2015 and I have been searching for the perfect words to describe my experience during my stay; and still I can’t really find them. How do you really describe a place with a staff and a program that saved you? Addiction is a terrible thing to go through and a heart breaking thing for your loved ones to watch. Many people, including myself go into different treatment centers throughout their addiction searching for ways to find recovery. Nothing worked for me, not the 5 rehab stays I had, then, I came here.
Dominique C.
Alumni
What Happens During Marijuana Addiction Treatment at Harmony Place in Los Angeles?
Marijuana addiction treatment includes resources that aid in drug withdrawal, lifestyle management and successful long-term recovery.
Therapy is the cornerstone of the program. A study conducted by the Addiction Science and Clinical Practice found that therapy gives treatment participants the ability to cope with and avoid drug use triggers that can cause a relapse.14
n addition to therapy, other aspects of a successful recovery program equip participants to manage withdrawal symptoms, identify why they used marijuana, and learn lifestyle management and problem-solving skills that support life without drugs. These resources can include detox, exercise and meditation sessions, nutrition consultations, art therapy, journaling sessions, massage, recreation, and after-care support.
Marijuana addiction treatment also includes medical care that helps participants handle withdrawal symptoms and the other physical challenges of recovery. There are no FDA-approved medications that treat marijuana addiction.11 Participants may receive pain relievers, sleep aids and anti-anxiety medications, though, that support detox and a drug-free lifestyle.
Another beneficial aspect of a treatment program will include a regimented schedule that adds stability and security to each day. Staying busy reduces a participants time to think about, get or use drugs. A full schedule shows program participants how to fill their days with productive activities and helps a recovering pot user learn a new way of life thats unlike the dysfunction that so often characterizes the addiction lifestyle.
Don’t Wait Any Longer. Reach Out & Begin Your Journey of Healing Today.
Start Marijuana Addiction Treatment in Los Angeles Today at Harmony Place
Marijuana is a powerful drug that can cause addiction and a variety of life challenges. When someones ready to address their addiction, the holistic treatment program at Harmony Place is available.
Nows an excellent time to begin treatment. But even if someone is unable or unwilling to get help now, we stand ready to offer support.
Rest assured that you are not alone. You deserve help and a new life. We are here to help you start your new adventure.
Harmony Place is a leader in addiction treatment. Our team of experts specializes in marijuana addiction treatment, and we are committed to treating every program participant an individual who is worthy and capable of change. Call us today to talk about our holistic program. Were available 24/7 at (855) 652-9048.
1. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2020). What is marijuana?
2. National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics. Marijuana Addiction: Rates & Usage Statistics.
3. Healthline.com. (2019). Sativa vs. Indica: What to Expect Across Cannabis Types and Strains.
4. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2020). What are marijuanas effects?
5. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2020). Is marijuana addictive?
7. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2020). Learn about marijuana risks.
8. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2020). How does marijuana affect school, work, and social life?
9. WebMD. The long-term side effects of marijuana use.
10. Mayo Clinic. (2017). Drug addiction (substance use disorder).
11. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2020). Available treatments for marijuana use disorders.
12. National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2020). Is marijuana a gateway drug?
13. Marijuana Fact Check. Potency.
14. Budney, A. J., Roffman, R., Stephens, R. S., & Walker, D. (2007). Marijuana dependence and its treatment. Addiction science & clinical practice, 4(1), 4-16.
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