Marijuana Addiction Treatment

“Nobody gets addicted to marijuana!” and “The ‘Reefer Madness’ propaganda is full of lies and exaggerations, therefore marijuana is not really addictive! Look at Cheech and Chong!” – These are some comments you might hear when discussing whether or not marijuana is addictive. Marijuana proponents wonder how something that can be used for medicinal purposes like pain relief and seizure prevention can be bad, especially since it’s recently being legalized in various states and countries. However, the truth of the matter is that marijuana CAN be addictive and people shouldn’t dismiss its inherent dangers simply because it’s being legalized. After all, alcohol is also legal yet can still lead to alcoholism and alcohol poisoning.

Marijuana, or cannabis, contains chemicals or cannabinoids that result in a user’s psychoactive highs and relaxed, pain-relieving stone. The former is through the chemical known as tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, while the latter or the more medicinal effects come from cannabidiol or CBD. THC is known to trigger brain responses to thinking, perception, memory, and coordination. It has a lasting impact on the brain, particularly to young people with developing brains. This can lead to marijuana dependence as your body becomes more accustomed to it and, gradually, to full-blown marijuana addiction. This shouldn’t be confused with the more medicinal CBD that isn’t pharmaceutically active and has a more physical rather than mental effect, although it can lead to addiction in its own right.

Dependence on marijuana happens when your brain adapts to taking huge amounts of the substance by reducing production of its own endocannabinoid neurotransmitters and decreasing sensitivity to said transmitters. In short, marijuana use disorder happens when a user could no longer stop using the drug even though it negatively interferes with many aspects of his life. When you end up developing a habit of using marijuana more and more in order to chase your initial high when you first used it (or when you most recently used it), you have already developed an addiction.

According to recent studies, 30 percent of marijuana users may have some degree of marijuana use disorder. Someone who is dependent on marijuana will tend to experience withdrawal symptoms when he doesn’t use the drug. These symptoms peak within the first week and may last up to 2 weeks. Common symptoms include cravings, irritability, restlessness, sleep difficulties, mood fluctuations, decreased appetite, and various other forms of physical discomfort.

Marijuana is as addictive as alcohol. Its advocates downplay this fact to promulgate the legalization of the Schedule I drug, but their agenda shouldn’t cover up the real dangers of marijuana addiction, especially in light of the growing potency of the drug in its current strains and forms. Dependency on marijuana is known as marijuana use disorder, which becomes addiction when it’s severe enough. Marijuana users who are dependent on the drug exhibit the same symptoms as those with gambling addiction, sex addiction, and other behavioral disorders that showcase the power of mental dependency.

Those who started using marijuana before they turn 18 are four to seven times more likely to develop this condition compared to adults, so minors are particularly vulnerable to marijuana dependency and the slippery slope of addiction. The brain matures in several ways during adolescence in order to make it more efficient and to strengthen its emotional self-control, among many other executive functions. According to several studies and lines of research, such processes can be disrupted by marijuana usage at a young age.

Based on confiscated samples of the latest marijuana batches, marijuana’s potency has increased in the past few decades. In the ‘90s, the average THC was 3.8 percent. By the 2010s, it has risen all the way to 12.2 percent – an almost four-fold increase. The average marijuana extract nowadays contain about 50 percent of THC, with some samples reaching all the way to 80 percent. A higher potency means a higher chance of ending up with marijuana use disorder. This spells trouble for the percentage of the population that is susceptible to becoming addicts, particularly young people who are introduced to the Schedule I drug before they even turn 18.

Across the 2000s, at least 40 million people met the diagnostic criteria to be considered as sufferers of marijuana use disorder. There’s no doubt that marijuana continues to entice many people across the globe. Luckily, anyone can avail of marijuana rehab in Thailand through rehab tourism. Rehab tourism is an interesting offshoot of the medical tourism industry: citizens from one country can vacation or tour another country for the sake of getting cheaper rates on medical services while at the same time enjoying the more touristy rewards of their endeavors.

The first step is often the hardest, but is the most important. You should first be aware of the short-term and long-term effects of marijuana to your body as well as what you can do about these through rehab treatment.

When someone smokes marijuana or takes it in various ways such as through ingestion in brownies or injection inside oneself intravenously, THC quickly passes through the bloodstream and into the brain and other organs. The effects are almost immediate when smoked. When drank or eaten, the THC takes about 30 minutes to an hour to take effect. Cannabis overactivates the brain, particularly the parts that contain the highest number of cannabinoid receptors, which lead to a “high”. Short-term effects of marijuana use include changes in mood, perception of time, and senses (such as seeing brighter colors than before); impairments in thinking, and problem solving; and difficulty in moving the body. When taken in high doses, psychosis, delusions, and hallucinations commonly result.

Marijuana affects the long-term brain development of teens. It specifically impairs their learning, memory, and thinking functions. The way that the brain builds connections between the areas required for specific tasks is likewise changed. According to a New Zealand study by Duke University researchers, teens who smoked marijuana regularly lost 8 IQ points from ages 13 to 18. This is why there’s a stereotype of marijuana smokers becoming dumber the more baked they get with their bad habit – this is actually true.

Sadly, giving up marijuana addiction is very challenging as marijuana is one the most difficult drugs to end one’s addiction to. Most people need professional help in quitting marijuana on their own once they’ve developed the habit. This is why entering LANNA’s full-scale rehab facility is worth a try. Entering the LANNA treatment center for marijuana addiction treatment in Thailand can help you stop using the drug because it automatically removes enablers, dealers, poverty, and drug availability. LANNA rehab center serves as a safe sanctuary where you can kick this habit and have a lasting recovery.

LANNA is a dual diagnosis treatment center. What this means is that on top of providing marijuana addiction treatment in Thailand, LANNA also addresses related psychological issues and other factors that could have caused you to become addicted in the first place, such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Our staff will assess you on a case-by-case basis so that your treatment is specifically tailored to your own circumstances and needs. We will create an individualized program for you, which includes various proven therapies and treatment options.

We offer an inpatient marijuana rehab in Thailand, wherein you get to stay at the LANNA rehab center 24/7 in order to get round-the-clock care. It’s a more intensive kind of rehab compared to outpatient rehab or rehab where you simply go to weekly or daily meetings. Our rehab service lasts from 30 to 90 days (or 1 to 3 months). Inpatient rehab is usually called for because the increasing social acceptance of marijuana is making it more difficult for people to take marijuana addiction seriously.

LANNA offers a marijuana addiction treatment center package that includes a variety of therapies for marijuana use disorder and addiction treatment, including proper nutrition, physical therapies, group therapy, individual therapy or one-on-one psychiatric sessions, and many more. You can also join educational groups where you can learn about marijuana and how it has affected both your mind and body. We also offer holistic creative therapies to keep your mind off from the drug and help you rediscover the better person that you were before you started becoming dependent on cannabis. LANNA is also prepared to manage marijuana withdrawal symptoms (such as anxiety, cravings, increased irritability, and difficulty falling asleep) through its detoxification treatment, which is included in the package.

LANNA’s effective behavioral therapy program in the form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is used on marijuana addiction in order to tackle the long-term psychological aspects of their marijuana use disorder and marijuana addiction. As mentioned earlier, because marijuana isn’t as physically addictive as other drugs, there’s more emphasis on psychological and behavioral treatment. Undergoing this type of treatment can assist you in understanding your motivations behind your addiction. This way, you can consciously decide on something else to fill in those subconscious cravings. This should last about 12 weeks or so.

LANNA is Like a Luxurious Wellness Vacation. Going to LANNA in beautiful, tropical Chiang Mai is like having a luxury vacation at an exotic location, with topnotch care and services handed to you on a silver platter 24/7. Having a secluded sanctuary in resort-like surroundings helps ensure that there are no distractions and minimum to no discomfort throughout your stay as you recover from your marijuana-related ailments and withdrawal symptoms.

Once you’ve checked out of LANNA’s marijuana addiction treatment center, you can undergo ongoing recovery therapy through the primary treatment options of psychiatric therapy and outpatient support groups like Narcotics Anonymous. Yes, you can actually shift from intense inpatient therapy to flexible outpatient therapy once you’ve graduated from the former. Just go to your nearest marijuana addiction treatment center to learn more about marijuana addiction aftercare.

After leaving our center, we will work with our treatment partners worldwide in order to make sure your treatment continues well after you’ve finished getting LANNA’s marijuana addiction treatment in Thailand. We’ll also assist in making sure that you’re connected to the right support groups in your own country.

Aside from Narcotics Anonymous, there also exists Marijuana Anonymous. Both use the 12-step recovery plan made famous by Alcoholics Anonymous. You can also go with the SMART Recovery program or avail of an extension of your stay at the LANNA marijuana addiction treatment center for additional aftercare or guarantees for extra follow-up treatment in case you suffer from a marijuana addiction relapse somehow. Lastly, to ensure your continued recovery, our rehab center offers a 5-day complimentary Refresher Program available to LANNA graduates annually.