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Get Effective Treatment for Cannabis Use Disorder at Icarus in NM

When most people think of substance abuse, marijuana isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. In fact, some people don’t believe weed is a drug at all and think it can’t possibly cause harm or addiction. Unfortunately, this is a mistaken belief.

You may already know personally that this is not the case, and in fact, cannabis can be very difficult to put down for many people.

If you or a loved one are struggling with controlling your urges to get high, it may be time to consider attending a marijuana rehab like Icarus Behavioral Health.

Keep reading to learn more about cannabis use and how effective marijuana addiction treatment at Icarus in New Mexico can help!

What Is Marijuana?

Marijuana, weed, hash, cannabis, ganja, pot, herb, or any other name you know it by, is a naturally occurring substance taken from cannabis plants. These plants produce flowers that are high in delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as THC, that causes an altered state of mind known as a “high” when smoked, inhaled, or consumed.

Marijuana is the most used substance in the United States that is federally illegal, with nearly 18% of Americans having smoked in 2019. However, it is legal to purchase in many states with a medical marijuana card, or you can buy it for recreational purposes in a number of states as well.

Is Marijuana Legal for Medical Use?

Similar to recreational use, medical marijuana is regulated at the state level. However, it is still federally illegal and classified as a Schedule I substance, which cannot be legally prescribed by a doctor. So, medical marijuana is much different than traditional prescription medications you would receive from your doctor.

Instead of prescribing cannabis, doctors can recommend it as a treatment option for your diagnosed condition, which makes you eligible for a Medical Marijuana ID card in NM that allows you to purchase it legally from a medical dispensary in New Mexico and other states with reciprocity laws.

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How Is Marijuana Used?

Marijuana is used for both recreational and medicinal purposes due to its effect on the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS helps to regulate a number of processes within the body, including the nervous and digestive systems, that help to provide relief for certain conditions and symptoms.

The endocannabinoids in marijuana are used by the ECS to:

Manage pain
Encourage sleep
Stimulate hunger
Reduce inflammation
Weaken trauma responses
Lessen nausea

These effects can help with many different conditions and diseases that span multiple systems in your body. Some uses include:

Sleep apnea
Chronic pain
Multiple Sclerosis
Anxiety
Pain and nausea from cancer treatments
Fibromyalgia
Eating disorders
Glaucoma

Marijuana is also used recreationally due to the high that it produces when THC binds to the CB1 receptors in the endocannabinoid system. Being “high” is usually characterized by hunger and tiredness, which are secondary results of consuming THC for recreational use.

What are the Typical Side Effects of Using Marijuana?

In addition to the positive potential effects of marijuana use, there are also negative short-term effects.

After smoking or consuming marijuana, you may have:

Mood changes
Trouble focusing
Increased anxiety
Coordination issues
Higher heart rate
Time blindness
Altered senses

The severity of your symptoms will usually depend on the dose you take and how often you use weed, giving you a tolerance. If you take more THC than you’re used to, your body has to adjust more to compensate for it.

Is Cannabis Addictive?

Yes, marijuana can be addictive both physically and psychologically, though psychological addictions are more common due to its use as a coping mechanism and sleep aid.

Long-term weed use makes you more likely to develop a psychological addiction to the benefits that weed provides to your mental and physical health. If you’re using it to help you sleep or cope with anxiety, you may not feel like you are capable of doing so without the help of weed, creating a dependence that’s uncomfortable but not usually dangerous.

The exception to this is for those with psychotic reactions to marijuana, whether due to pre-existing mental illness, or due to genetic or other predispositions. In these cases, both use (and withdrawal) can be significantly more problematic.

Cannabis Can Create Conditions for Substance Abuse and the Need for Marijuana Rehab

Marijuana abuse doesn’t create the same physiological addiction that substances like opioids or alcohol do. It has less of an intense impact on your neurochemistry than the other dopamine pathway-changing drugs, which can be fatal if you stop too abruptly.

However, over time, your endocannabinoid receptors begin to adjust to the presence of THC to create a tolerance that means you need to use more cannabis to achieve the same level of high. When you don’t maintain your regular usage, you can experience discomfort from withdrawals as your ECS returns to normal functioning.

Does Weed Cause Withdrawals?

Weed can cause withdrawals that vary in severity depending on your tolerance and how often you use it. Withdrawals usually include reversing the benefits you receive from weed, like making it harder to sleep when you’re using it at night or diminishing your appetite.

You can also experience:

Increased anxiety
Nightmares
Depression
Focus problems
Stomach issues
Mood changes
Irritability

While these symptoms aren’t usually life-threatening, they’re uncomfortable and make it hard to quit your own without marijuana addiction treatment support for lasting recovery.

Is Marijuana A Gateway Drug?

Historically, marijuana has been referred to as a “gateway drug” – a drug that introduces you to substance use and puts you at risk of using harder drugs. However, there’s no direct proof that it causes further substance abuse, but it may increase the likelihood of using softer drugs like tobacco and alcohol alongside it.

When looking at substance abuse statistics, it appears that marijuana use doesn’t directly lead to using harder drugs. Approximately 3 million Americans have used heroin in their life, but nearly 50 million have used marijuana as of 2019. Instead, other factors like environment and family history more likely contribute to further substance abuse issues.

What Is a Cannabis Use Disorder?

Cannabis use disorder means that you cannot stop using cannabis despite the negative impact it has on your health or social life. Approximately 30% of people who regularly take marijuana will develop a use disorder.

The Most Common Signs of A Weed Addiction

When you’re addicted to weed, your life begins to revolve around getting high. It will interfere with school, work, relationships, finances, and other aspects of your life as you try to ensure you have enough money to support your use and the ability to use it whenever you want to in spite of the consequences.

Weed addiction signs can look like:

Craving or looking forward to marijuana when it’s inaccessible
Attempting to quit unsuccessfully
Putting yourself in financial trouble to support your use
Diminished academic or professional progress
Struggling to maintain a relationship
Experiencing withdrawal when you stop
Defensiveness when talking about your use

Frequent marijuana use also increases your tolerance, which means you have to consume more THC more often to achieve and maintain a similar high, making all of the weed addiction signs even stronger and more prevalent.

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Why Is Marijuana Abuse So Common?

Marijuana has been the most used illicit drug in the United States since at least 2013, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

One significant factor in marijuana’s popularity is that it’s legal in 24 states for recreational use despite being illegal federally. You can buy it in stores as long as you’re of legal age in your state, making it far more accessible than other drugs that are illegal on both state and federal levels.

It’s also popular because most people associate it with a lower risk factor compared to other hard drugs. Someone who is hesitant to use drugs may be more likely to smoke or consume weed because it comes from a plant and has less intense effects than other drugs.

Finally, marijuana is popular because it can help with a wide range of symptoms, including common issues like sleep, pain management, and anxiety. Instead of prescription medication for these drugs, you may prefer to try marijuana as a natural solution.

What Are The Risks of Using Marijuana?

Despite a better reputation than many other drugs, marijuana is not without risks.

Weed’s impact on your brain can result in brain fog and other cognitive issues that may not resolve upon stopping. These effects are stronger with higher doses and longer periods of use. They can also have a more profound impact if you’re a teen or young adult whose brain is still developing.

Smoking weed can also irritate your lungs and throat, making you more vulnerable to illnesses like bronchitis. You may even have trouble holding your breath or have less stamina if your lungs become too damaged and scarred from continuous weed smoke.

Decision-making issues are a consequence of the effect marijuana has on your brain. When you’re high, you have worse coordination, poor judgment, and slower reactions. If you convince yourself you’re able to drive, you put yourself and everyone else at risk on the road, not to mention courting the possibility of a DUI charge.

Can You Overdose on Cannabis?

It is technically possible to overdose on cannabis, but it’s very difficult. According to the DEA, it would take approximately 1,500 pounds of marijuana consumed in 15 minutes to be a fatal dose.

However, if your marijuana is laced with another drug, that can pose its own issues. Another condition related to excess use of the drug is known as Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome and causes violent nausea and vomiting on the intake of marijuana for heavy users who develop it.

Which Treatments Work Best for Marijuana Addiction?

If you’re struggling with a marijuana addiction, it makes sense to seek treatment before it causes physical, mental, or social damage that impacts your future. Fortunately, proven help for weed addiction is available at Icarus in New Mexico.

The best option for getting clean from any substance abuse disorder, including marijuana addiction, is rehab. At our marijuana addiction treatment center, your entire recovery process will be monitored to ensure you’re safe and as comfortable as possible. You’ll learn coping skills to help you resist relapsing, begin to set goals that you want to achieve once marijuana is out of your life and find other activities to occupy the time you used to spend on marijuana.

Both inpatient and outpatient services are used to address marijuana addiction in our rehab centers in New Mexico. In most cases, co-occurring addiction will involve an inpatient stay at the treatment center to make sure you’re safe during detox.

Well-known weed rehab centers such as our offerings at Icarus will also provide aftercare services to help you stay sober once you leave the program and return home.

Our Marijuana Rehab Program at Icarus in New Mexico

Many drug and alcohol addiction treatment programs begin with a medical detox. During this treatment process, you receive medication-assisted treatment to help you slowly break down your dependence on drugs without serious physical consequences. However, in most cases, you won’t need to undergo a detox for a marijuana use disorder unless you’re using other drugs in addition to it.

Icarus is a comprehensive mental health and drug abuse treatment center that offers marijuana rehab programs for anyone who is struggling with cannabis abuse. Inpatient, outpatient, and intensive outpatient programs are offered to make help accessible, and most major insurances are accepted, so there’s no reason not to get help before your addiction becomes overwhelming.

Our services also offer dual-diagnosis treatments that tackle the cause of marijuana abuse and associated mental health conditions, making it easier to avoid using drugs during your marijuana abuse recovery.

Marijuana addiction treatment generally consists of medication management and therapy that helps you cope with the symptoms that marijuana was used to address.

Medication-Assisted Treatment for Marijuana Addiction

Medication management for marijuana addiction treatment aims to address mental health issues that accompany drug abuse. If you’re dealing with depression, you may use marijuana to improve your mood and relax yourself to escape your symptoms. You could also suffer from an untreated anxiety disorder that you’ve been coping with using weed.

Antidepressants may be used to address both comorbid conditions for long periods of time without risking addiction. They can give you the stability you need to resist the urge to relapse during marijuana abuse recovery.

Therapeutic Treatments for Weed Addictions

The other pillar of treatment for a marijuana addiction is therapy which gives you the skills to change the way you think and process any triggers that make you want to use drugs.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most widely used addiction treatment strategies. It’s a type of talk therapy that focuses on changing negative thoughts and emotions to positive ones that have a lesser impact, which can help you cope with the mental health conditions that marijuana addresses.

Group therapy can also be effective for overcoming addiction to weed and other substances. In group therapy, you meet with others who have an addiction they’re struggling with. You’ll be able to hear other people’s stories and gain a new understanding of addiction from other perspectives. The community-centric model of group therapy sessions also improves feelings of loneliness that may contribute to self-medication with marijuana.

Are There Any Over-the-Counter Treatments for Marijuana Addiction?

Unfortunately, there aren’t any FDA-approved over-the-counter medications or treatments that you can use to overcome marijuana abuse.

Studies have shown that CBD, a compound of the cannabis plant without psychoactive properties, may provide similar effects to marijuana with less risk. However, more research is required to confirm CBD’s potential as a marijuana abuse treatment option.

The Wisdom of Seeking Professional Help at Our Marijuana Rehab

Icarus offers substance abuse treatment via medical detox, inpatient, outpatient, intensive outpatient, and aftercare programs that give you the skills and tools you need to cope with the thoughts or feelings that triggered marijuana use in the past.

They also offer dual-diagnosis treatment that targets both your addiction and the mental health elements that contribute to it so you can lessen the risk of relapsing to cope.

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Get Effective Cannabis Rehab in New Mexico at Icarus Today!

The popularity of marijuana as a “harmless” substance and the stigma around addiction treatment may make getting help uncomfortable, but the situation should not be taken lightly. If you feel like your life is being controlled by marijuana use, it’s wise to get help from our trusted marijuana addiction treatment center as soon as possible.

Icarus Behavioral Health offers a comprehensive drug and alcohol addiction and mental health services provider that can help you overcome your addictions. Whether you’re only using marijuana or it’s just a piece of your substance use puzzle, our custom-tailored treatment plans ensure your needs are met in a safe and nurturing environment.

If you’re struggling with marijuana addiction, “weed” love to help you take back control and achieve a full return to health and success! Give us a call today to speak to a member of our care team.

All calls are confidential, so please reach out now!

Marijuana Rehab in New Mexico