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Are you tired of doing nothing but smoking marijuana? Would you like to regain the enthusiasm and dreams you once had? Stop the addiction to marijuana today. Call and speak with a Recovery Connection coordinator. Our staff understands addiction, detox and treatment. You don't have to be a slave to marijuana. Call our helpline now.
Marijuana is a combination of flowers, seeds, leaves and stems of the Cannabis sativa plant. It is the most commonly used illegal drug in the United States. While it can be used in foods (the infamous marijuana brownies) and brewed in tea, the majority of time it is smoked in a joint, a blunt (hollowed cigar), pipes or bowls, or in a water pipe commonly known as a bong. Marijuana is a mind altering or psychoactive drug. The strongest forms of marijuana are found in Hashish (hash), hash oil, or sinsemilla. Marijuana’s active component is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). THC is commercially prescribed as Marinol (dronabinol) for anorexia, nausea, vomiting, and some types of pain.
The pattern of marijuana addiction follows the same pattern of addiction as any other drug. One uses until the effects seem to diminish and then uses again. This addiction has a direct impact upon the user:
The old debate as to whether marijuana is addictive is no longer valid. That debate was based upon the marijuana of the 1960s that contained 1% THC. In the intervening decades, the potency of THC in marijuana plants has greatly increased, sometimes up to 24%. Marijuana addiction and marijuana withdrawal are directly linked to the levels of THC and the effects of THC on specific brain neurotransmitters. There are receptors in the brain called endocannabinoid receptors that are responsible for the effects of THC on the brain.
Regular use of marijuana produces what is known as amotivational syndrome. Amotivational syndrome is a person's inability to take action, to change a course of direction, and/or to be productive. Anyone who suffers from marijuana abuse can also suffer from a motivational deficit. However, teens are particularly vulnerable to marijuana abuse as their brains are still developing into their early twenties. Marijuana abuse can lead to a psychotic break down.
Smoking marijuana can lead to irreversible changes in the structure and function of the brain. In young people, use of marijuana has a profound impact upon brain function, which can then trigger mental health disorders and poor overall function in early adulthood. Young brains are still developing, and even small alterations in structure and function can cause future brain abnormalities.
Marijuana is considered a drug within the class of hallucinogens. Many of the symptoms of marijuana addiction will mirror other hallucinogens. The NIDA's 2009 study on marijuana use revealed that over 28 million Americans abused marijuana. That is more than an occasional hit. Abuse of any substance requires regular use. 4.3 million Americans met the criteria for marijuana addiction. Studies also demonstrate that people who use marijuana regularly frequently have other mental health issues and that recurring marijuana use can trigger the onset of or a relapse of schizophrenia.
Adolescents who use other drugs, such as cocaine or crystal meth, generally have used marijuana. While some still debate whether or not marijuana is a gateway drug for other addictions, the reality remains that there is a correlation between marijuana use and other drugs. There is also a correlation between smoking cigarettes as a youth and marijuana use. The reasons for beginning to use marijuana vary from boredom, anger, anxiety, or depression.
According to a government site for women's health, "marijuana smoke contains 50-70 percent more cancer-causing compounds than tobacco smoke". (source:http://www.womenshealth.gov/quit-smoking/otherforms/marijuana.cfm)
Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in the United States. It can present a patient with serious physical and psychological effects including:
When you stop using marijuana it causes increased psychological symptoms. The most common symptoms are related to anxiety, depression and sometimes psychotic symptoms. These symptoms increase in severity depending on the amount of Marijuana used, frequency and duration. Addiction treatment centers will prescribe medications to help decrease these psychological symptoms.
Other physiological effects such as heart palpitations, arrhythmias, and increases in heart rate are all present as well and need to be monitored especially in older adult marijuana addicts.
After successful completion of marijuana detox, a marijuana addict will need to find addiction treatment to learn how to negotiate daily life without mind altering substances. Marijuana addiction treatment provides the user with strategies, techniques, and knowledge about avoiding relapse and maintaining abstinence.
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