Marijuana Abuse

Marijuana is obtained from the leaves or flowers of the cannabis plant. Marijuana is known by a host of other street names including Indo, Herb, Green Goddess, Ganja and Dope. Here you will learn about marijuana addiction.

History of Marijuana

Marijuana is naturally eaten or smoked. Its effects from the initial dose may take a number of hours to disappear depending on the strength of the dosage. Marijuana addiction causes a number of symptoms which may not affect all of those who use.

Marijuana Statistics

Currently, marijuana ranks among the most commonly addicted drugs in several countries including the United States. Information from the National Household Survey on Drug Addiction shows that individuals can become addicted to the drug regardless of age.

It also points out that 37% of Americans above the age of 12 have used the drug on at least one occasion. It is reported that marijuana use and addiction among high school teenagers is a major cause for concern among the health authorities, parents, and teachers in the United States. Almost half of the high school aged young people in America used marijuana on at least one occasion in the course of their lifetime.

Medical Risks of Prolonged Marijuana Abuse

Marijuana addiction is believed to cause less harmful symptoms but it may prove fatal if the drug is used in conjunction with other dangerous drugs.

This is mainly because of the strength and nature of the drug. It is believed that extreme cases of marijuana overdose may result in death. This is where the user consumes more amounts of the drug than what is possibly enough for social reasons.

Marijuana addiction can result in severe physical and emotional complications such as impaired memory, forgetfulness and respiratory problems. Other effects of marijuana addiction include high heart rate, panic and anxiety attacks.

Persons who use the drug on a periodic basis risk developing similar symptoms as those experienced by regular tobacco users including phlegm, cough, recurrent chest infections, and severe bronchitis. Moreover, since marijuana has carcinogens and toxins, users of this drug increase the risk for various types of cancer.

Social Risks of Marijuana Addiction

Even when used at low quantities, marijuana has the potential to impair coordination and attention because it directly influences the way the brain acts on information.

As a result of these effects, use of marijuana contributes to traffic, household, and job-related accidents leading to the harm to the user, family members and colleagues at work. Use of the drug in high quantities may cause hallucinations, loss of personality, and misrepresentation.

How to Get Help for Marijuana Addiction

It is important to seek treatment if you or someone you are worried about is affected by the problems and challenges brought about by marijuana addiction. Generally, there are four key treatments of marijuana addiction. These are brief counseling, cognitive-behavioral therapy, psycho-education and specialized counseling.

Marijuana “brief dependence counseling” is typically a treatment plan that takes ten weeks and aims at helping affected individuals who are reluctant to accept that they have a problem. It involves carefully evaluating the individual’s situation.

Treatment techniques such as cognitive-behavioral tools, case handling, skill enhancing, and aftercare maintenance are all very important. This kind of treatment does not entail the use of the idea put forward by the 12-step treatment program, but it encourages affected individuals to make appropriate choices concerning their lives.

If you think that you have a marijuana addiction problem, consider seeking professional treatment.