Marijuana

Marijuana (sometimes spelled as marihuana) is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States. It is a dry, shredded green and brown mix of flowers, stems, seeds, and leaves derived from the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa). Marijuana addiction is simply an uncontrollable urge to possess and use the drug. Marijuana addicts are not able to stop using the drug even if they wish. Often a person with marijuana addiction will make continuous excuses about why now is not a good time to stop using the drug. Such people are not alone. Marijuana addiction is a disease that affects millions of people every year. New research confirms that marijuana is a “gateway drug” for most teens that use it. Some will tell you marijuana is a harmless drug, but the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) isn’t one of them. Studies have shown that young people who smoke marijuana are two to five times more likely to move on to harder drugs. That is the formal opinion of researchers, who published their conclusions from a recent study in JAMA.

Marijuana is usually smoked as a cigarette (joint) or in a pipe (bong). It is also smoked in “blunts,” which are cigars that have been emptied of tobacco and refilled with marijuana. Since the blunt retains the tobacco leaf used to wrap the cigar, this mode of delivery combines marijuana’s active ingredients with nicotine and other harmful chemicals. Marijuana can also be mixed into food or brewed as a tea. As a more concentrated, resinous form, it is called hashish, and the sticky black liquid is called hash oil. Marijuana smoke has a pungent, distinctive, usually sweet-and-sour odor. Common street names of marijuana are:

  • Pot
  • Weed
  • Chronic
  • Hash
  • Cannabis (canabis)

How Marijuana Affects the Body

Marijuana acts upon specific sites in the brain called cannabinoid receptors, kicking off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the “high” that users experience when they smoke it. Studies of brain areas have shown that some contain many cannabinoid receptors; others have few or none. The highest densities of cannabinoid receptors are found in parts of the brain that influence the effects of pleasure, memory, thoughts, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement.

Marijuana Withdrawal, Detox, Treatment, and Rehabilitation

There is a good reason why admission to rehabilitation facilities has doubled for marijuana addiction. The potency of marijuana purchased on the street continues to increase and studies show that teens can often get a hold of it even more easily than alcohol. Even those who seek treatment for drugs that are perceived has “harder” like heroin or cocaine will often acknowledge that marijuana is their primary drug of choice.

Symptoms of marijuana overdose may include disorientation, feeling delirious or feverish, and can be followed by hangover or stupor. In some severe cases, people who overdose may also become extremely paranoid, hallucinate, or have panic attacks (which may make them harmful to themselves or others). With any drug it is important to remember that the term “overdose” refers to consuming an excessive amount of the drug, leading to negative and/or dangerous effects. Many people associate overdose with death or hospitalization; however, overdosing on marijuana could imply feeling very paranoid while high, or lethargic the next day, rather than spelling out a trip to the emergency room. Marijuana withdrawal symptoms include irritability, anger, depressed mood, headaches, restlessness, lack of appetite, and cravings for marijuana. Symptoms of marijuana withdrawal first appear in serious habitual users within the first 8 hours and are the most noticeable during the first 10 days, but withdrawal symptoms may last as long as 45 days. The withdrawal from marijuana is identifiable by behavioral and emotional distress. The symptoms of marijuana withdrawal include but are not limited to:

  • Irritability
  • Anxiety
  • Physical tension
  • Decreases in appetite and mood
  • Stomach pain
  • Physical tension
  • Restlessness
  • Anorexia
  • Insomnia
  • Increased aggression/anger
  • Strange dreams

Marijuana detoxification is a medical process and, for chronic users, it is often required before real recovery and abstinence can begin. Any chronic user of marijuana who has been unable to quit can appreciate the severity of marijuana detox. Detox is often the first stage of a successful recovery plan because it helps clear the mind so the addict can focus on the action required of rehabilitation. The goal of marijuana detox and subsequent rehabilitation is to continue life healthy and drug-free.

No comments yet.