Marijuana Addiction Treatment: What’s Involved

Little is known about what constitutes nonharmful use of marijuana, and whether and when moderation may be an appropriate clinical goal for treatment. Clinical epidemiological studies clearly demonstrate that many individuals experiment with marijuana, and some even use the drug regularly without reporting significant consequences. The sparse data available on goals discussed earlier are fairly consistent with what is observed in the alcohol treatment literature—that is, patients who aim for abstinence appear to obtain better outcomes. Some individuals who make moderation their objective can achieve it, but the likelihood of failing is greater with this goal. Thus, no guidelines or predictors exist concerning which patients might succeed with this approach.

When someone uses marijuana regularly for weeks, months, and years, it’s described as a condition that’s chronic or prolonged enough to warrant being classified as a marijuana use disorder. In such cases, numerous grams could be smoked or consumed during the days and weeks. Several studies have demonstrated the therapeutic effects of cannabinoids for nausea and vomiting in the advanced stages of illnesses such as cancer and AIDS.

Marijuana Abuse and Sleep

Synthetic cannabinoids, compounds manufactured to replicate individual chemicals found in cannabis, are much more potent than cannabis and therefore could be more dangerous. Doctors at Yale Medicine treat patients for cannabis use disorder and are conducting leading research to advance therapies to treat it and to better understand the effects of cannabis on the brain. Marijuana addiction can be clinically diagnosed and have a negative impact on the person’s life. People can develop a psychological dependence on Marijuana in the same way other addictions develop.

The marijuana CM intervention adapts the abstinence-based voucher approach originally developed and demonstrated effective for treating cocaine dependence (Budney and Higgins, 1998; Higgins et al., 1994). The vouchers are contingent on marijuana abstinence, confirmed by twice-weekly drug testing, and their value escalates with each consecutive negative drug test. Patients exchange them for prosocial retail items or services that, it is hoped, will serve as alternatives to marijuana use. Systematic research on psychosocial treatments for marijuana abuse or dependence began approximately 20 years ago, yet the number of controlled studies remains small. Behavioral treatments, such as motivational enhancement therapy (MET), cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and contingency management (CM), as well as family-based treatments have been carefully evaluated and have shown promise.

High risk groups

But whether you use it legally or illegally, it’s possible to misuse it and get addicted to it. You’re more likely to get CUD if you misuse other drugs, like alcohol. Mental health marijuana addiction issues, like an anxiety or a mood disorder, can raise your chances, too. You might have this condition if smoking marijuana causes physical, emotional, or social problems.

• Individuals who are addicted to cannabis may experience symptoms of withdrawal when attempting to stop using the drug.
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• The availability of the proven treatments for marijuana disorders—MET, CBT, and CM—is low, even though evidence of their efficacy with substance dependence problems other than marijuana dependence has been documented for many years.
• Indeed, many individuals who enter treatment are ambivalent about giving up marijuana completely.
• Brief Counseling for Marijuana Dependence describes the content and conduct of CBT sessions in detail (Steinberg et al., 2005; see “Web Links to Treatment Manuals”).

The goals for future research are more potent treatment approaches and intervention strategies. Although more people are seeking help for problems with marijuana today, they still represent only a small percentage of those who may benefit from treatment. Of the approximately 4 million persons in the United States who reported problems consistent with a marijuana use disorder in a 2005 survey (SAMHSA, 2006a), only about 7 to 8 percent received treatment. Adolescents who report signs of problematic use—a relatively small percentage—seldom present for treatment. Those who do almost never self-refer; they are typically “forced” into treatment by parents, the juvenile justice system, or their school administration, and most do not admit that their use is problematic (Diamond et al., 2006). CBT focuses on teaching patients skills relevant to quitting marijuana and avoiding or managing other problems that may interfere with good outcomes.

Marijuana Addiction Statistics: Usage & Abuse Rates (

We can do this by practicing our suggested Twelve Steps of recovery and by being guided as a group by our Twelve Traditions. A urine test can find traces of THC in someone who consumes marijuana for up to two or three days. In frequent users, urine tests can be found positive for up to 27 days. Larger studies will be needed to confirm the new findings and learn about any potential side effects of the drug, Hadland said. Haney is distressed by the public health challenge raised by more states legalizing recreational use of marijuana for adults. Cannabis primarily exerts its effects on the brain via its psychoactive compound tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which binds to a receptor in the brain called CB1.

• When an addiction is psychologically based, such as marijuana or gambling, behavioral therapy is one of the most successful, beneficial treatments out there.
• Yale Medicine psychiatrists treat patients for all addictions, including cannabis use disorder.
• The majority of these efforts have targeted the marijuana withdrawal syndrome.

However, while perhaps not in the well-known, traditional sense, https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/how-long-does-weed-marijuana-stay-in-your-system/ and withdrawal do exist. Start making positive changes with the help of a licensed therapist from Calmerry. The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually.