Marijuana Rehabilitation
In order to achieve marijuana rehabilitation one must first understand
marijuana. Marijuana is a green or gray mixture of dried, shredded flowers and
leaves of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. There are over 200 slang terms for
marijuana including “pot,” “herb,” “weed,” “boom,” “Mary Jane,” “gangster,” and
“chronic.” It is usually smoked as a cigarette (called a joint or a nail) or in
a pipe or bong. In recent years, it has appeared in blunts. These are cigars
that have been emptied of tobacco and re-filled with marijuana, often in
combination with another drug, such as crack. Some users also mix marijuana into
foods or use it to brew tea.
A series of cellular reactions ultimately lead to
the high that users experience when they smoke marijuana. The short-term effects
of marijuana use include problems with memory and learning, distorted
perception, difficulty in thinking and problem solving, loss of coordination,
and increased heart rate, anxiety, and panic attacks.
Treatment programs based on marijuana rehabilitation are rare, partly because
many who use marijuana do so in combination with other drugs. Nowadays, with
more people seeking help to control marijuana abuse, research has focused on
ways to overcome this disease.
One study of adult pot users found that 14 session cognitive behavioral group
treatments and 2 session individual treatments that included motivational
interviewing and advice on ways to reduce use were helpful in marijuana
rehabilitation.
No medications are available to treat marijuana abuse. Recent discoveries about
the workings of THC receptors have raised the possibility that scientists may
eventually develop a successful medication for marijuana rehabilitation.
Such a medication might be used to prevent marijuana abuse relapses by reducing
or eliminating its appeal to the user.
