Marijuana Rehab – Really Make A Difference In Your Life
Detoxification, or detox, focuses on managing the acute symptoms of drug intoxication and withdrawal. Detox is aimed at ameliorating the physical effects of drug abuse. So, marijuana rehab is more concerned with the psychological and social ramifications. The goals are long term discontinuation of drug use and adopting a new, drug-free lifestyle. Rehabilitation is more complicated than trying to clear the substance from the system in order to pass a drug test at work.
The Source
Marijuana comes from the leaves and female flowers of the Cannabis sativa plant. The plant is dried and either smoked, baked into brownies, drunk in the form of tea or absorbed into oils. Thousands of years ago, it was used in religious practices. Today, it is more often used in a social ritual for recreational purposes. It is widely regarded by experts as the least damaging and the most commonly abused illicit drug on earth. It did not become criminalized until early in the Twentieth Century.
The Intake
Social rituals involved in its recreational use usually involve rolling the dried leaves and flowers into cigarette papers into what are called ‘joints’. Someone lights, or fires up, the joint, draws in a whiff of smoke (called taking a hit) and passes the joint on to the next person. Cannabis use initiates a feeling of euphoria and calmness. The senses are affected. Everything feels, sounds and looks more intense while under the influence of cannabis.
The Results
One of the consequences of using cannabis is a distortion in the sense of the passage of time. A few minutes can seem like ages. Users also get the ‘munchies’ and experience ‘cotton mouth’. In other words, they become hungry and thirsty.
Social Aspect
Listening to music and watching television are typical social practices when stoned. Someone in the group is usually dispatched on a food run. This involves driving through a fast food restaurant or raiding the supermarket shelves for potato chips, dips and sweet or salty snack foods. Some people feel paranoid outside their immediate social group. This must be borne in mind when selecting the food runner. Although the drug can remain in the system for a matter of weeks, the effects weaken after a few hours.
Potency
The strains of cannabis that are in use today are a lot stronger than that which was used by the baby boomer generation while they were growing up. Known by the name ‘skunk’, these strains have been consciously bread by growers for many years. The numbers of arrests and seizures of the high potency varieties have increased, while those of the lower strength strains have declined.
Dependence
Despite common folklore to the contrary, it is possible to become addicted to cannabis. This is defined as the point when it takes larger amounts to reach the same feeling of high or when it obstructs participation in employment or normal social activities. There are more people enrolling in heroin addiction medical detox programs for cannabis than any other substance, including crack, heroin and cocaine.