Marijuana Addiction

What is Marijuana addiction?

Marijuana comes in many forms with names like pot, dope, ganja, grass, mary jane, reefer, weed, dabs, hashish (technically made of cannabis resin) and the list goes on. The use can lead to the development of a use disorder. Recent research shows that 30 percent of people using marijuana have some degree of use disorder. Marijuana use disorder becomes an addiction when the person cannot stop using the drug even though it interferes with many parts and aspects of their life.

What are the symptoms Marijuana addiction?

• Unable to cut down or stop marijuana use
• Lots of time spent getting high
• Reduced activities
• Continuing to get high despite the problems it causes: i.e. conduct at work
• Marijuana tolerance and withdrawal; needing more to achieve the same “high” creating withdrawal systems when not taking it like irritability, insomnia, loss of appetite or anxiety
• Use of marijuana to escape from problems
• Depending on marijuana to relax or enjoy yourself
• Choosing to partake in relationships and activities if you’ll be able to get high
• Lack of commitment to attend to daily responsibilities

Are there any health complications associated with marijuana addiction?

Here we have to talk about short-term effects and long-term effects. When smoked the active component THC passes from the lungs into the bloodstream. The blood carries the chemicals to all parts of your body, including the brain. If ingested the body absorbs THC much slower. Those chemicals over-activate parts of the brain, especially parts with a high amount of receptors, leaving the “high” that people feel. This can produce

• Short-term memory problems
• Severe anxiety, including fear that one is being watched or followed (paranoia)
• strange behaviour, seeing, hearing or smelling things that aren’t there, not being able to tell imagination from reality (psychosis)
• Panic
• Hallucinations
• Loss of sense of personal identity
• Lowered reaction time
• Increased heart rate (risk of heart attack)
• Increased risk of stroke
• Problems with coordination (impairing safe driving or playing sports)
• Sexual problems (for males)

With marijuana now being legalized in many parts of the world, more research is being funded. It being legal does not mean that it comes with no dangers. Similar to alcohol and Tabaco products, there are many long-term complications that can arise under prolonged use.

• Decline in IQ (up to 8 points if prolonged use started in adolescent age)
• Cross addiction to other drugs
• Risk of stroke and heart attack (due to heightened heart rate and low blood pressure)
• Risk of osteoporosis in later life
• Development of cancer when smoking (contains 3x more tar than cigarettes)
• Impaired thinking and ability to learn and perform complex tasks
• Lower life satisfaction
• Impairment of the body’s immune system
• Attention deficit

What are treatment options for Marijuana addiction?

Treating marijuana addiction can be challenging. For treatment to work, the addict must want to get clean. Like with every other addiction, the success depends on the person’s desire to be better and reach a positive change in life.

Rehab

A usual and often overlooked initial treatment option for someone with a marijuana use problem is an inpatient rehabilitation program like ours. Tailor-made for every person. The inpatient program can last anywhere from 30 days to a year. It can help you handle withdrawal symptoms and emotional challenges. A visit to our Rehab Center in Costa Rica might just be the right thing for you.