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Marijuana Detox and Treatment

Last updated on: Friday, 15 September 2023
  • What You'll Learn

Marijuana is one of the most commonly used substances, especially with other drugs; addiction is common. DRS provides a directory of treatment options, such as detox, rehab, peer support groups, prevention, and educational material.

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How To Treat Marijuana Addiction

The rehabilitation process depends on the severity of the addiction. Generally, it begins with detox, followed by inpatient or outpatient drug rehab and aftercare support if required.

Detox—Withdrawal symptoms vary from person to person and are generally not severe. However, if other drugs are involved, detox is likely required. Drug rehab centers require a client to be sober before beginning counseling or therapy.

Inpatient drug rehab—Inpatient is the best option. There are short-term options (28 to 60 days) and long-term programs (3 to 12 months). Marijuana addicts tend to see better success with residential drug rehab.

Outpatient drug rehab—An outpatient drug rehab lasts between 12 and 18 weeks. It is common for marijuana users to take this approach, especially if their addiction has not spiraled out of control and does not involve other substances.

Aftercare support—Recovering marijuana users cannot go wrong with peer support groups, such as 12-step meetings.

Suppose they resist getting help or cannot stop on their own. In that case, it’s likely necessary to stage an intervention with a specialist can be very efficient. You can also speak to a professional counselor, such as one of our specialists, to assess whether the problem is marijuana abuse or addiction. Depending on the assessment, they can help you find the best treatment plan and available facilities.

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  • What type of drug is Marijuana?

    Marijuana is a mind-altering psychoactive substance that doesn’t fall into a distinct category used to classify drugs. It has been called a depressant, a stimulant, and a hallucinogen and can be categorized as any of the three. However, Marijuana most suitably fits into a class of its own because there are no other known drugs that cause similar effects.

  • What does Marijuana look like?

    The part of the plant most commonly recognizable is the plant’s flowers, also called buds. It looks like dried plant material and is usually green but may also appear in shades of brown or purple. Marijuana is also made into other forms, like hash, that can look like sand or a more wet, resinous material.

  • How long does Marijuana stay in your system?

    Marijuana stays in the human body for quite some time. The active component, THC, is fat-soluble and can be stored in the system for months before being metabolized and released. On average, THC stays in the system for around 30 days. But this figure can vary widely depending on the amount consumed, the frequency of use, and how long the person was consuming Marijuana at that rate. Other controlling factors include the person’s body mass, overall health, and nutrition. It is not uncommon for Marijuana to take 60 days or longer to be undetectable in a urinalysis test.

  • Is Marijuana addictive?

    This question has been highly debated, but the short answer is yes. Virtually any drug has the potential for abuse and addiction when misused, and Marijuana is no exception. Like alcohol, the drug’s legal status in many places doesn’t mean it’s non-addictive or safe. Marijuana is one of the most used substances in the US, after Tobacco and alcohol.

  • How is Marijuana used?

    Marijuana is most commonly smoked. An assortment of devices may be used to accomplish ingestion in this manner, but the most common is a simple pipe or rolled into a joint. Dabbing is the practice of heating Marijuana extracts until they produce a vapor that can be inhaled. Marijuana can also be eaten. These products are commonly referred to as edibles and can have more intense and longer-lasting effects than smoking the drug.

  • Want to know more?

    The questions from Addicted.org’s “Learn from our Experts” are answered by Michael Leach, CCMA. If you need further clarification on any of the questions above or have any other questions you can contact him directly at mike@addicted.org.

Common Terminology Surround Marijuana

Term
Definition
Cannabinoids
compounds found in cannabis. There are over 100 cannabinoids in cannabis, which can have different physiological effects on the body. Two of the most known cannabinoids are THC and CBD.
CBD
stands for cannabidiol. It is a non-intoxication compound found in cannabis.
Gateway drug
any drug whose use may lead to more dangerous or addictive drugs.
Hemp
plant in the same family as cannabis but cultivated for its fiber or seeds. It has a relatively small amount of THC compared to the plant variety grown to make marijuana.
Psychoactive drug
A drug that affects the central nervous system changes how the brain works and causes changes in mood, awareness, thoughts, emotions, or behavior.
THC
stands for tetrahydrocannabinol. It is the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis and is mostly responsible for the “high” and other marijuana effects.

CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ARTICLE

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MARCEL GEMME, DATS

AUTHOR

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Marcel Gemme has been helping people struggling with addiction for over 19 years. He first started as an intake counselor for a drug rehabilitation center in 2000. During his 5 years as an intake counselor, he helped many addicts get the treatment they needed. He also dealt with the families and friends of those people; he saw first-hand how much strain addiction puts on a family and how it can tear relationships apart. With drug and alcohol problems constantly on the rise in the United States and Canada, he decided to use the Internet as a way to educate and help many more people in both those countries. This was 15 years ago. Since then, Marcel has built two of the largest websites in the U.S. and Canada which reach and help millions of people each year. He is an author and a leader in the field of drug and alcohol addiction. His main focus is threefold: education, prevention and rehabilitation. To this day, he still strives to be at the forefront of technology in order to help more and more people. He is a Licensed Drug and Alcohol Treatment Specialist graduate with Honours of Stratford Career Institute. Marcel has also received a certificate from Harvard for completing a course entitled The Opioid Crisis in America and a certificate from The University of Adelaide for completing a course entitled AddictionX: Managing Addiction: A Framework for Succesful Treatment.

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MICHAEL LEACH, CCMA

MEDICAL REVIEWER

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Michael Leach is a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant, who has over 5 years of experience working in the field of addiction. He spent his career working under the board-certified Addictionologist Dr. Rohit Adi. His experience includes working with families during their loved one’s stay in treatment, helping those with substance abuse issues find treatment, and teaching life skills to patients in a recovery atmosphere. Though he has worked in many different areas of rehabilitation, the majority of his time was spent working one on one with patients who were actively withdrawing from drugs. Withdrawal and the fear of going through it is one biggest reason why an addict continues to use and can be the most difficult part of the rehabilitation process. His experience in the withdrawal atmosphere has taught him that regardless of what approach a person takes to get off drugs, there are always mental and emotional obstacles that need to be overcome. He believes having someone there to help a person through these obstacles can make all the difference during the withdrawal process.