Marijuana Withdrawal, Marijuana withdrawal treatment, Marijuana Withdrawal help

Here is an excellent article on marijuana. What we really enjoyed was the extensive information on THC and its effects.

Approximately 25 years ago, marijuana became a cultural phenomenon, the symbol of one generation’s disregard for another. The marijuana found on the streets at that time, however, lacked the potency of current crops. Crossbreeding of more potent varieties, improved cultivation, and the part of the plant being used all contribute to increased levels of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the major psychoactive drug found in marijuana. Some marijuana currently grown in the United States rivals the previously stronger varieties of Mexico, Jamaica, and other areas. The THC percentage of Cannabis sativa (the Indian hemp plant from which marijuana is derived) in plants grown in the United States can range from 2% to as high as 7%.24 The higher the percentage of THC, the more potent the drug. Marijuana is composed of the dried leaves and flowering tops of the cannabis plant. Hashish, which has stronger effects, is processed from the resin of the plant. The resin is either dried and pressed into cakes or sold in liquid form called hash oil. Marijuana is used more extensively than hashish in the United States.

More than 400 known chemicals constitute marijuana. More than 60 of these are cannabin aids, chemicals found only in cannabis. THC is the cannabinoid that appears most responsible for the sensations experienced by marijuana users. Cannabinoids are different from other drugs in that they are fat soluble rather than water soluble; they have a decided affinity for binding to fat in the human body. Although other drugs enter and then leave the body within relatively short periods, marijuana tends to attach to fatty organs, such as the gonads and brain, and remain. A single ingestion of THC may require up to 30 days to be eliminated from the body.

Marijuana can be eaten in baked goods, such as brownies, but the effects tend to be less predictable. Because the amount ingested is more controlled, smoking is generally a more efficient and powerful technique for achieving the desired effect. When inhaled, THC reaches the brain in as little as 14 seconds. Hashish is so concentrated that a single drop can equal the effects of an entire marijuana joint (cigarette). Cannabis products are difficult to classify but are considered hallucinogens.

Small doses or short-term use of marijuana creates sensations of euphoria and relaxation, often accompanied by hunger or sleepiness. Time seems to slow, and the senses appear heightened. Memory of recent events, physical coordination, and perceptions may be impaired. Even with small amounts of marijuana, driving ability can be affected. Physiologically, heart rate speeds up and certain blood vessels become dilated, which may create problems for individuals with any type of heart problem. Some users experience anxiety, panic, and paranoia. In rare cases or with stronger doses, individuals may suffer from a sense of depersonalization, image distortion, and hallucinations. Chronic use seems to lead to behavioral changes in some people that may be permanent. Lack of motivation or interest in activities unrelated to drug use is one result. For example, students may have difficulty remembering events that occurred when they were high. Use by teenagers leads to impaired thinking, poor reading comprehension, and reduced verbal and mathematical skills.

All the long-term effects of marijuana use have not been determined. This is partly because of the lesser potency of marijuana used previously. In addition, individuals vary greatly in their responses to the drug. Chronic users may experience psychological dependence, and increased doses are needed as tolerance develops. Very heavy users experience withdrawal symptoms of restlessness, irritability, tremors, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and sleep disturbances

Physically, marijuana appears more carcinogenic than tobacco. Known carcinogens occur in larger amounts in marijuana, and when marijuana is smoked, the smoke is held in the lungs. Cannabis smoke contains more tars than tobacco smoke. Marijuana use quickly affects pulmonary function adversely, and long-term use causes cellular changes in the lungs. People who have angina pectoris (chest pains associated with heart disease) may be significantly at risk because more oxygen is required when using marijuana. Marijuana binds readily to hemoglobin, reducing the amount of oxygen carried to the heart and other tissues.

Many individuals consider cannabis an aphrodisiac. Over time it actually has the opposite effect, depressing the sex drive and causing impotence. Regular male users show a decrease in sperm count and reduced motility of sperm. Proportionately, more sperm appear abnormally shaped, a phenomenon associated with lessened fertility. In women, THC blocks ovulation. Pregnant women who smoke marijuana frequently use other drugs, all of which have a detrimental effect on the fetus. Marijuana also depresses the immune system.

Therapeutic use is still being explored. At this time the most promising application seems to be as an antinausea drug for chemotherapy patients. Glaucoma patients may have access to and may use marijuana to reduce intraocular pressure (pressure within the eye).

Marijuana is an illegal drug. Many people who use marijuana eventually experiment with or use other, “harder” drugs. As with alcohol and all other drugs, the way a person will react or who will be most adversely affected cannot be predicted. People do not begin use with the intention of having a drug become the focus of their life, but some ultimately allow a drug to control them. Marijuana is a drug that has that potential.

Marijuana is the common name for the drug obtained from the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa. Hemp is a tall annual plant that can grow in almost any climate. Native to central and western Asia, hemp is one of the oldest crops cultivated by humans. Hemp’s most common agricultural use has been as a source of linen, rope, canvas, and paper. Hemp contains more than 400 chemicals. The main psychoactive (affecting the mind or behavior) chemical is tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly referred to as THC. For over 3,000 years, the dried ground leaves, flowers, and stems of the plant have been smoked, eaten, chewed, or brewed as a medicine to relieve symptoms of illness. From the seventeenth to the early twentieth century, marijuana was considered a household drug useful for treating such maladies as headaches, menstrual cramps, and toothaches.

In the 1920s, as a result of the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution forbidding the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages, the use of marijuana as a psychoactive drug began to grow. Even after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, marijuana (along with morphine, heroin, and cocaine) continued to be widely used. In 1937, 46 states banned the use of marijuana. In 1985, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave approval for the use of two psychoactive chemicals from marijuana to prevent nausea and vomiting after chemotherapy in cancer treatment. Medical researchers also propose using marijuana to ease the effects of glaucoma (a serious vision disorder), as a bronchodilator (a drug that helps open the bronchial air passages in the lungs), and as an antidepressant. The origin of the word marijuana is not known, but it appears to be a combination of the Spanish names Maria and Juana (Mary and Jane). The drug slang for marijuana includes such names as Mary Jane, pot, grass, herb, tea, reefer, and weed. Hashish is the highest grade of marijuana. It is made from the resin found on flower clusters and top leaves of the female hemp plant.

The effects of marijuana on a user change dramatically as the dosage increases. Taken at low doses, marijuana tends to make a user drowsy and relaxed. The user may also feel a general sense of well-being. As the dose increases, a user may experience an altered sense of time and awareness, and may have difficulty completing thoughts and taking part in conversation. A user’s sense of balance and short-term memory (remembering very recent events or from one moment to the next) may also be affected. At higher doses, severe psychological disturbances can take place, such as paranoia, hallucinations, and panic attacks. Marijuana affects the cardiovascular system by increasing heart rate and dilating (expanding) blood vessels in the eyes. Difficulty in coordinating body movements and pains in the chest may be other effects of the drug. Scientists believe that long-term use of marijuana damages the lungs in a manner similar to tobacco smoking.

Scientific studies released in mid-1997 indicate that people who smoke large amounts of marijuana may experience changes in their brain chemistry. These changes are similar to those seen in the brains of people who abuse addictive drugs such as heroin, cocaine, nicotine, and alcohol. All addictive drugs increase the amount of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a brain chemical responsible for causing feelings of reward. The new studies found (for the first time) that high doses of marijuana increased the levels of dopamine in the brain. Constant use of addictive drugs, however, can cause the brain to lose its ability to produce high levels of dopamine. When this happens, a drug user feels a greater need for the drug, or for even stronger drugs. Scientists believe this may occur with marijuana.

Users of addictive drugs feel withdrawal symptoms (feeling anxious, edgy, and unable to cope) when they stop taking the drugs. It was previously believed that marijuana users did not suffer feelings of withdrawal. However, the recent studies indicate that heavy users of marijuana smoke not so much for the “high” but to calm their feelings of anxiety brought on by withdrawal from the drug. Since THC is absorbed primarily in the fat tissues and lingers in the bloodstream, withdrawal symptoms are not as evident as with fast-acting drugs like nicotine.

In 1985, the FDA gave approval for the use of two psychoactive chemicals from marijuana to help prevent the nausea and vomiting many cancer patients experience after receiving chemotherapy. For these patients, THC can be prescribed in capsule form. Research suggests that compounds (other than THC) inhaled when smoking marijuana can also be used for medicinal purposes. Marijuana may help stop the weight loss in AIDS patients, it may lower eye pressure in people with glaucoma, it may control spasms in multiple sclerosis patients, and it may help relieve chronic pain.

Marijuana or Cannabis or any one of several names is a drug prepared for human consumption in an herbal form. The fact that using Marijuana is in fact Drug abuse should be apprised by people. People have tried to whitewash Marijuana by terming it safer to use than other drugs; however, it has the potential to do real psychological harm, not just physical harm. The fact is that Marijuana is a hallucinogenic drug, that can lead to addiction and abuse.

Marijuana’s Addiction Symptoms

Marijuana is both emotionally and mentally addictive. The mind becomes Marijuana obsessed and you start gravitating towards friends and people who are like minded. Full blown addiction causes the person to function under the Marijuana high. Their misconception that marijuana is what they need to solve their problems causes constant abuse.Addicts hate to be without their stash and are constantly concerned with the next hit. In short, you live, breathe and dream Marijuana. Some classic symptoms are:

” Marijuana tolerance: To achieve intoxication, the need for marijuana increases, and its effect decreases with continued use of the same amount of marijuana.
” Greater use of marijuana than intended: Marijuana taken in larger amounts or over a longer period than was intended.
” Unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control marijuana use.
” For using marijuana a great deal of time is spent.
” Reduction in social, occupational or recreational activities is caused due to it.
” significant problems will be caused due to continued use of marijuana despite knowing about it.

Myths and Facts about Marijuana Abuse and Addiction
There are several myths surrounding the use of Marijuana; however you should remember that interpretations vary – so the reader is urged to keep an open mind.

Cause for Permanent Mental Illness Marijuana users become irrational and often behave erratically when intoxicating them.

Even though there are not any scientific evidence showing that marijuana causes psychological damage or mental illness, psychological distress like feelings of panic, anxiety, and paranoia are caused following marijuana ingestion.

Marijuana is Highly Addictive. Long term users experience physical dependence and withdrawal and often need professional drug treatment to break the addiction.

It is not for those who smoke Marijuana occasionally and in very small quantities but for those who are long term users.

Marijuana is far more potent today than in the past. Much more dangerous drugs are being used by today’s youngsters than their counterparts from the past.

This is a highly debatable point as common sense tells us it must be true considering that man has always tried to improve everything so why not Marijuana.

Marijuana offences are not severely punished. Few marijuana addicts are arrested or sent to prison – this encourages the continued use of the drug.

But statistics shows that the number of arrests have more than doubled and is increasing. Many drug users get arrested, tried and jailed and are stopped form doing this mistake. End of the drug rule -be it Marijuana or any other drug -is wished by every country’s law.

Marijuana is more damaging to the lungs than tobacco. Marijuana smokers are at elevated risk levels of developing lung cancer and related diseases.

This has been disputed – the belief being that moderate marijuana smoking poses minimal danger to the lungs. Unlike heavy tobacco smokers, heavy marijuana smokers exhibit no obstruction of the lung’s small airway. Smoking is smoking – no matter what it is you are smoking – so wise up.

Marijuana or cannabis is a very common addictive substance. Because of it, many people have lots of problems especially on how to overcome it. Overcoming cannabis addiction can require intensive rehabilitation programs and other methods. Before discussing these though, here is the reason why addiction to cannabis or marijuana needs to be treated.

Ill effects of long term cannabis addiction:

- Complications of the respiratory system
- Cancer
- Immune system damages
- Disability to focus and concentrate
- Incapacity
- Paranoia
- Troubles with the law

Known withdrawal symptoms

- Insatiable craving for cannabis
- Insomnia
- Aggressiveness
- Agitation
- Mood swings

Aside from those mentioned above, there are still a lot of other things that could get you in trouble if you have cannabis addiction. Treating it is a must. However, you must find a program that would really work on you. If not, then everything would be in vain.

Know that you just cannot take another drug to counter the addiction. As mentioned, some times long term and intensive treatment programs are required. The following are some examples that may better suite your needs.

Hypnosis

Cannabis addiction has been shown to be quiet effectively treated with hypnosis. It seems that hypnosis is effective in stopping smoking problems and other bad habits as well. The therapy that utilizes hypnosis to cure addiction to marijuana is also known as Hypnotherapy. With this method, a person will be guided to face all the reasons – emotional and psychological, that may have caused the cannabis addiction.

Through hypnosis, a person can be integrated with positive habits along with positive goals in life. There are many hypnotherapy options available to cannabis dependents. Finding the right one is the first step. Showing commitment to the therapy is the second step for the final result of overcoming addiction to marijuana.

It is good to know that with Hypnosis, in some cases, the goal can be achieved in less then a week.

Rehabilitation and Other Treatment Programs

These programs will vary on how they will proceed. Every treatment program institution has their way of treating cannabis addiction. If you did not overcome your addiction treatment in one program, do not give up. The key here is your will to get cleaned. Getting clean might entail painful steps with this treatment, but these are nothing compared to how painful your life might become when you do not overcome the addiction.

Outpatient Programs

These programs are for those who have already undergone a treatment. An outpatient program will make sure that the patient stays clean. If the patient continues with his cannabis addiction, he or she must go back to the inpatient addiction programs.

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