Marijuana Addiction is most commonly seen in the 18-25 year age range but can be found in persons of every age. Marijuana is, without a doubt, the most popular illicit drug used in America.

Marijuana is a green or gray mixture of dried, shredded flowers and leaves of the hemp plant (Cannabis Sativa). All forms of cannabis are mind-altering (psychoactive) drugs; They all contain THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), the main active chemical in Marijuana. There are about 400 chemicals in the cannabis plant, but THC is the one that affects the brain the most. Different parts of the plant contain higher levels of THC. The flowers or buds have more THC than the leaves or stems.

There are various ways that Marijuana is used. Most users will roll loose Marijuana into a cigarette called a “joint”. The drug can also be smoked in a water pipe called a “bong”. Some users will even mix Marijuana into foods or brew it into a tea. Some of the younger crowds use a cigar to smoke it by slicing open the cigar and replacing the tobacco with marijuana making what’s called a “blunt”. When the blunt is smoked with a 40oz of malt liquor, it’s called a “B-40”. Joints or blunts will often include crack cocaine, a combination known by various street names, such as “primos” or “woolies”. Joints or blunts may also be dipped in PCP and are called “happy sticks”, “wicky sticks”, “love boat”, or “tical”. Hash users either smoke it in a pipe or mix it with tobacco and smoke it as a cigarette.

When Marijuana is smoked, it quickly goes into the blood through the lungs and goes to the brain which is when the “high” is felt (usually within a few minutes) and can last up to 5 hours. If it is eaten, it is absorbed more slowly into the blood because it has to pass through the stomach and the intestines so it can take up to an hour to feel the “high” effects but they can last up to 12 hours this way. THC is absorbed more quickly into the body fat and released slowly back into the blood stream. THC can take up to a month for a single dose to leave the body this way.

Not everyone who uses Marijuana ends up with a Marijuana Addiction. It’s when the user begins to seek it out and take the drug compulsively that a person is then said to have become dependent or to have a Marijuana Addiction. A heavy user of Marijuana is also said to have a Marijuana Addiction when the user begins to show signs of withdrawal. Those symptoms include Restlessness, Loss of appetite, Trouble with sleeping, Weight loss, and Shaky hands.

Some studies suggest that kids that have prior antisocial problems can quickly lead to Marijuana Addiction. Some of the short-term (immediate) effects of Marijuana Addiction include, but are not limited to, Sleepiness, Difficulty keeping track of time, Impaired or reduced short-term memory, Reduced ability to perform tasks requiring concentration, such as driving a car, Increased heart rate, Potential cardiac dangers for those with preexisting heart disease, Blood shot eyes, Dry mouth and throat, Decreased social inhibitions, Paranoia and hallucinations, Impaired or reduced short-term memory, Impaired or reduced short term memory, Impaired or reduced comprehension, Altered motivation and cognition, making the acquisition of new information difficult, Psychological dependence, Impairments in learning and memory, perception and judgment-difficulty speaking, listening effectively, thinking, retaining knowledge, problem solving, and forming concepts, and Intense anxiety or panic attacks.

Marijuana Addiction also has long-term effects including, but not limited to, Enhanced cancer risk, Decrease in testosterone levels and lower sperm count in men, Increase in testosterone levels for women and increased risk of infertility, Diminished or extinguished sexual pleasure, and Psychological dependence requiring more of the drug to get the same effect.

Marijuana Addiction is a serious illness that may require treatment in a facility with licensed, professional counselors and staff. If you or someone you know, suffers from Marijuana Addiction, please call us. We are here to help you get the treatment that is needed to get you or your loved one’s life back on track.