While marijuana addiction does not have the same consequences as overdosing on opioids, chronic illnesses from tobacco misuse, or the reckless nature of alcoholism, it has a destructive psychological impact. It is most severe for users below the age of 25 whose brains are still developing. Some studies show that teenagers who heavily use cannabis record lower school performance and lifetime earnings.
If you are at a point where you must smoke even if you do not want to, it means you are addicted. With the attention given to hard drugs like heroin and cocaine, the harmful effects of weed are not getting enough attention because it’s cheap and readily available.
Not enough education is going around on the fact that it is still an addictive substance whose abuse can result in bad consequences. Part of this notion comes from the way cannabis’ addictive behaviour is not immediate when compared to other substances like opioids. What’s more, there are highly potent versions on the market, laced with tobacco, that can result in health conditions when frequently abused.
How long does weed stay in the human body?
When weed is introduced into the body, it has an instant reaction in the body, and takes between one and three hours for it to wear off. Its edible versions last much longer in your body’s system.
How to detect cannabis
While alcohol disappears in your body after a few hours, weed stays much longer. Cannabis is detectable in first-time smokers after three days but can still show up after a week in habitual smokers. What the tests are looking for is the presence of a chemical in cannabis called Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is responsible for the “high” experienced by users. The detention window for THC varies according to the kind of test done. For instance, here are general estimates:
- Urine test—capable of detecting THC in your urine for about a month after use.
- Saliva tests—can detect THC up to 24 hours in most cases with some cases extending to 44 hours where one had brownies, Marinol or Sativex.
- Blood tests—THC can be detected in a few hours.
- Hair tests—a sensitive test where THC is detectable up to 90 days upon use.
- Sweat tests—cannabis is detectable in sweat for a week or two.
What are the effects of marijuana abuse?
As a person smokes marijuana, THC moves from the lungs into the bloodstream and moves the substance to the brain and other body organs. THC gets absorbed more slowly when taken in through their food and drink. The endocannabinoid system is an important part of a normal person’s brain function and development. A high density of cannabinoid receptors can be found in the brain parts influencing memory, pleasure, thinking, concentration, time perception, and coordinated movement. Marijuana is in charge of activating the endocannabinoid system resulting in the “high” that users experience.
Other effects experienced are:
- Impaired coordination
- Mood changes
- Trouble while thinking or solving problems
- Impaired learning ability and forgetfulness
- Reduced appetite
People who use cannabis heavily develop poor mental health and have a lower level of satisfaction and physical health. They undergo more relationship problems and fewer chances of career success than their non-using peers. Schoolers abusing marijuana have a higher likelihood of dropping out, while workplaces associate its usage with employee abuse, accidents, tardiness, job turnover, and worker compensation claims.
No matter how you introduce THC into the body, it finds its way to the brain’s cannabinoid receptors.
Statistics on marijuana
- 3 in 10 cannabis users have developed a disorder.
- Children, teens, and infants are susceptible to the bad effects of cannabis.
- Long-term cannabis use is linked to increased psychosis or schizophrenia use.
- Continuous use of cannabis for expectant people increases someone’s likelihood of developing complications.
Is the consumption of cannabis greater than that of alcohol? According to a recent publication, the number of people in the world who use marijuana daily or near-daily exceeds those using alcohol at similar levels, marking the first time in three decades that first-time use of the substance has exceeded that of alcohol. Part of the reason has been changing government and regulatory attitudes towards the drug.
Cannabis health risks
Abusing cannabis can mess with your heart, lungs, and mind. Marijuana smoke remains an irritant in the lungs, while frequent smokers will experience most of the same respiratory problems as tobacco smokers:
- Daily coughing and phlegm
- Repeated acute chest illness
- Increased risk of lung infections
- Immune system damage
- Kills and damages brain cells and your brain
- Issues with fertility
- Increases the blood pressure and heart rate
There is now a link between the use of chronic marijuana and mental illness. Taking high doses of the substance provides a temporary psychotic reaction. People suffering from schizophrenia get worse when they abuse marijuana. Even some studies have linked marijuana and some level of psychosis. Marijuana abuse results in the following mental health problems:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Personal disturbances
- Suicidal thoughts
- Low motivation
But there’s still a lot more to it—
When pregnant moms use marijuana, it might increase the chances that their babies could have issues with how their brains and behaviour develop. Given THC and other compounds are similar to the body’s endocannabinoid chemicals, when used by pregnant mothers, they alter the development of the endocannabinoid system in the fetus. Kids might also struggle with remembering things, paying attention, and solving problems if their moms used marijuana while pregnant.
A study published findings showing people who smoke the drug heavily as teenagers lost eight points in IQ between ages 13 and 38. This loss in cognitive abilities is not fully restored by those who have lost marijuana as adults. Cannabis impairs motor coordination and judgment. An analysis of data suggests marijuana usage doubles the driver’s risk of having an accident.
How addictive is marijuana?
Marijuana is a very addictive substance. Research shows around nine percent of users are addicts. The increasing likelihood of addiction starts with people at a young age and the others who use the drug daily.
How to get cannabis out of the human body
Detoxing cannabis from the human body is ridding the body of compounds like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Both compounds attach to the same cannabinoid receptors as endocannabinoids—produced naturally in the body.
Typically, these compounds are released through the stool and urine. Furthermore, different cannabis strains vary in the amount of cannabinoids, explaining the varying durations in which they stay in the body. Some of the factors that determine how long traces of cannabis will remain in a person’s body are:
- Amount of weed used
- How often they exercise
- What type of exercise they do
- What are their eating habits
- Their body metabolism
- What percentage of body fat they have in the body
Counselling and behavioural therapies
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a common intervention that looks to find the root cause of marijuana use and induce the addict to change the habit. Meanwhile, they also build skills for managing stress and cravings.
Support groups
Participating in supportive peer-led groups provides social support that helps you feel recognized, wanted, and unjudged for your ordeal. Interacting with people you can relate to and hearing how they are coping with post-addiction is a proven way of preventing people from relapsing. You can get referrals for 12-step support groups that operate in a marijuana-anonymous format.
Medical assistance
For those who are addicted to marijuana, healthcare providers might suggest medications that manage withdrawal symptoms or underlying issues like depression and anxiety. This is to prevent the worst from happening, especially when the individual is finding it hard to face strong withdrawal symptoms.
Principles behind finding the right treatment
- No treatment works for everyone—people have different needs. In such cases, the addiction treatment will be customized to their specific situation. Others turned a recreational habit too far and need help shaking off the urge. Others need a healthy environment to suppress the drug triggers.
- Treatment addresses drug abuse—drug addiction affects people’s lives, careers, relationships, and mental health. For the rehabilitation to be successful, you must show that you have new skills for coping with your triggers and have a better blueprint on how to live healthily.
- Commitment—drug addiction treatments are an issue. The longer and more intense the drug, it results in more intense the treatment. In all cases, long-term care is good for recovery.
- Get the best place to seek help—not every treatment must be medically supervised or require spending time in a rehabilitation centre. The level of care depends on how old they are, which can affect what kind of treatment they need; their history with drugs, because past use can influence the current approach to care; and whether they have other mental or physical health issues, as these can complicate or change the treatment plan.
