Marijuana

Marijuana is America's most popular drug, as evidence by the fact that more than 83 million Americans over the age of 12 have smoked marijuana at least once. Marijuana has become synonymous with the 1960's drug culture and continues to this day. References to marijuana can be found frequently in current pop culture through music and films. Celebrities also often make the news when they are arrested with marijuana in their cars or in the airport. What is it that makes marijuana, or Cannabis sativa so well known and widely used?

When smoked, marijuana releases the brain's pleasure chemical, dopamine, into its system, producing an euphoric high. This affects the areas of the brain that also respond to food, sleep and drink, which is why users often have the "munchies" and seem relaxed. This is misleading in a sense because the respiratory and circulatory systems actually speed up. Breathing becomes more labored and the heart works harder. Chronic use makes the user very susceptible to health problems like heart attacks, strokes and cancer of the lungs and throat.

Like any drug that affects the mind and body, marijuana can become addicting as the body becomes dependent on it. The brain adapts to the stimulation of its pleasure centers and can rewire itself after repeated reinforcement. The withdrawal symptoms of irritability or sleeplessness can occur if the user quits taking the drug. Those who are dependent and have tried to quit without help often find difficulty in doing so for any significant length of time, and will pick up again.

Another characteristic of continued marijuana use is the diminishing effects of the euphoria and the increasing consequences of the side effects. Effects on the brain include:

Memory problems
Learning difficulties
Lack of concentration
Loss of coordination
Increased paranoia
Increased fear
Emotional isolation
Lessens judgment

Some individuals are more prone to become addicted to marijuana than others. Those with family members who are alcoholics or drug dependents are more likely to become addicted. Also, those who began smoking the drug earlier in life are more likely to become dependent on the drug.

Marijuana addiction is a medically recognized disease with symptoms, progressive stages, and a recognized treatment plan. Spencer Recovery Centers have been offering marijuana recovery in the United States for over 10 years. Rehabilitation is necessary because intense therapy is an effective answer to an addiction that has taken years to develop. New behavioral patterns need to take root and the brain needs to readjust to the chemical imbalance that has been created.

Spencer Recovery Centers addresses the medical needs of recovery along with the emotional problems that often accompany addiction. If you or a loved one needs help with an addiction to marijuana, please call us today. If you have a teenager who requires an intervention before things get worse, please call us today. We are Spencer Recovery Centers and we can help.

Marijuana facts quoted from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.