Many people think marijuana use is harmless, especially because it’s a natural product. While many people are able to use it without becoming addicted or abusing it, it’s not a benign substance. Even though you may not be able to prevent marijuana abuse and addiction, there are things you can do to reduce the risk. With the ongoing legalization of marijuana in the United States and around the world, it can be hard to say how this will impact marijuana use and abuse.

Medication-Assisted Support

One example is when a person who has taken a prescription medication for a long time stops taking that medication and experiences physical or mental withdrawal symptoms. Common signs and symptoms of marijuana or weed drug addiction include intense craving for marijuana, bloodshot eyes, increased heart rates, and issues like memory problems and difficulty concentrating. All substances that affect the mind carry their own set of risks and harms, some unique to the substance. The most well-established, long term harm of regular cannabis use is addiction. Nevertheless, based on what is currently known, the risk of cannabis addiction is lower than the risk of addiction to alcohol, tobacco or opioids. And, unlike substances such as alcohol or opioids where overdoses may be fatal, a cannabis overdose is not fatal.

Treatment for Cannabis Use Disorder

Approximately 147 million people, or 2.5% of the global population, use cannabis each year, while 0.2% consume cocaine and another 0.2% use opiates, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO). Our team is comprised of doctors, clinicians, therapists, mentors, and recovery coaches with decades of experience in the field. South Carolina Addiction Treatment is lucky to have some of the most qualified and personal experienced addiction specialists in the country. We pride ourselves on carefully selecting men and women who are not only thoroughly informed and knowledgeable about addiction, but also those who have personally experienced the trials and blessings of recovery themselves. Our comprehensive, compassionate and unique treatment helps build a foundation for a healthy recovery and sober future.

How Marijuana Use Affects the Brain and Body

However, not all marijuana users progress to harder drugs, and other environmental and genetic factors play a significant role in substance use. To prevent marijuana addiction, individuals and communities should focus on increasing awareness of its potential risks, building a supportive environment, and adopting healthier coping mechanisms for stress. Addicted individuals make repeated but unsuccessful attempts to quit or reduce marijuana use, indicating loss of control. This cycle drug addiction treatment of dependence creates frustration and further reinforces addictive patterns. A study by Kaplan et al., titled “Modern Methods of Treating Marijuana Addiction,” published in the Journal of Education, Health and Sport (2023), describes these failed attempts as a relevant diagnostic criterion for cannabis use disorder.

• At Carolina Center for Recovery, we work with family members, co-workers and other professionals, as well as directly with the individual in need of support to provide comprehensive care and treatment for addiction.
• Excessive Cannabis use has the potential to cause serious harm to mental health, relationships, job prospects and finances, despite relaxed attitudes towards it.
• The plant has historically been used recreationally for its mind-altering effects, which can include enhanced senses and changes in mood.
• These behavioral signs collectively illustrate how marijuana addiction disrupts various facets of an individual’s life.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based approach focusing on altering the thought patterns and behaviors that lead to substance use.
• A review of studies performed in adolescents117 found some anatomical changes in fronto-parietal areas, but it was unclear whether these anatomical effects are directly related to cannabis use or to other factors such as depression.

Treatment for Teens with CUD

While these symptoms are usually reversible, high intake of THC carries the risk of causing cognitive decline. This condition can be diagnosed by a healthcare professional such as a medical doctor or psychologist. Treatment methods include psychotherapy (talk therapy) and medications. More specifically, motivational interviewing, contingency management, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may be used. Medications to control cravings may be used alongside nonmedicinal interventions. The negative effects https://ecosoberhouse.com/ of marijuana are not limited to recreational marijuana.

Diagnostic criteria (DSM-

In 2020, New Jersey voters approved the legalization of recreational marijuana through a ballot measure changing marijuana laws and leading to the enactment of the Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act. Adults 21 how long does weed stay in your system and older legally possess and purchase marijuana from licensed dispensaries. However, certain restrictions apply, including limits on possession and public consumption.

What is cannabis use disorder?

Relapse is a complex phenomenon that likely involves multiple brain areas such as the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, prefrontal cortex and insula (FIG. 3)90–92. Those various stimuli (drug exposure, cue exposure and stress) modulate the neuronal activity in some cortical areas that control the ability to resist drug-taking and ultimately trigger the decision to use the substance88. Human laboratory studies have also tested medications that may reduce cannabis intake85. As an example, the CB1 receptor agonist nabilone reduces cannabis intake93, suggesting a possible therapeutic role for agonists in treating cannabis dependence. Quantity and frequency of dosing require further investigation, and this drug has not been approved for the treatment of CUD. The first is that people who use cannabis have more opportunities to use other illicit drugs that are supplied by the same illicit market or by drug-using peers.

• Persons with CUD also have higher risks of poor mental health, psychoses and bronchitis10.
• While often considered less dangerous than alcohol or opioid addiction, cannabis dependence presents significant health and social challenges.
• Each name relates to the psychoactive compound THC, which produces effects like euphoria and relaxation, reinforcing repeated use.
• The withdrawal symptoms of marijuana are anxiety, depression, insomnia and nausea.
• Once you decide to stop smoking weed, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the withdrawal symptoms you might experience as you give up the drug.

• A priority for cannabis research should be providing accurate information to assist the community and policy-makers to avoid ideologically influenced decision-making.
• The focus area is the symptoms of anxiety, depression, or other psychiatric conditions that are worsened by cannabis use.
• Imaging tests found that some adolescents who used marijuana had fewer connections in parts of the brain linked to alertness, learning, and memory.
• It’s not just about smoking a joint at a party anymore; it’s about needing that hit to function, to feel normal, to escape the clutches of anxiety or depression that creep in when the high wears off.
• While quitting cold turkey isn’t easy and often leads to more intense withdrawal symptoms, there are some reasons people might choose this method.

Each individual who may be suffering with a cannabis addiction may experience some of these but not all of these factors. Right now, medical marijuana is legal in 39 states, while recreational cannabis is legal in 24 states and Washington, D.C. If you’ve been regularly using large amounts of weed, withdrawal symptoms might start within a day or two. Recent research suggests that if you start to use marijuana at a young age, use it frequently, and for a long period, you could be at risk of having schizophrenia or other mental conditions that involve psychosis. This risk could be higher in young men or people assigned male at birth, especially between 16 and 25 years of age. Even so, more research needs to be done, especially on marijuana’s long-term effects.