Marijuana Addiction Treatment Programs & Rehabs
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Marijuana is the term for the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds of the Cannabis plant.1 Marijuana is a psychoactive substance that contains the mind-altering chemical THC and other chemical compounds.1
Although marijuana is now legal in some states, it still can pose risks to the user. If marijuana is misused or used excessively, it can lead to addiction and may have short- and long-term adverse effects.1 In 2021, 5.8% of Americans ages 12 and older (16.3 million people) were diagnosed with a marijuana use disorder, the term used by medical professionals to describe addiction.2 Higher THC levels in cultivated marijuana strains as well as marijuana products like vapes or edibles can pose greater dangers including a greater risk for dependence and addiction.1,3
If you believe that you or someone you know may have a problem with marijuana use, help is available. Read on to find out more about:
- What marijuana does to the brain and body.
- The effects of marijuana use in the short and long terms.
- Treatment options for marijuana use.
- How to find the right marijuana addiction treatment for you.
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Marijuana Use, Misuse, and Addiction
Marijuana is the most commonly used drugs besides tobacco or alcohol.1 It is typically used by smoking, either in the form of hand-rolled cigarettes called joints, in emptied-out cigars called blunts, or in pipes or water pipes called bongs.1 These devices work by pulling the active ingredients from marijuana, including THC, into a smoke which is then inhaled.1 Marijuana may also be inhaled using a vape pen or other type of vaporizer, and can also be consumed by mixing it with food, called “edibles,” or brewing it as tea.1
People typically use marijuana for its intoxicating effects. You will feel these effects within 30 to 60 minutes after smoking, though it may be longer if you have ingested marijuana in the form of an edible.1
It is worth noting that the amount of THC found in marijuana has been increasing in recent years, leading to a higher chance of negative consequences from using it.1 Higher doses of THC are more likely to produce anxiety, agitation, paranoia, and psychosis and may also pose greater risk of addiction, especially if you are repeatedly using large amounts of marijuana over time.1,3
When used, the effects of marijuana may include:1
- Altered senses, such as seeing brighter colors.
- Altered sense of time passing.
- Changes in mood, either positive or negative.
- Impaired motor function or body movement.
- Difficulty thinking clearly or solving problems.
- Difficulty remembering things.
When taken in high doses, which means a higher level of THC:1
- Increased risk of experiencing hallucinations or delusions.
- Increased risk of psychosis.
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Treatment for Marijuana Addiction
If you or someone you know is misusing marijuana, help is available. Treatment options can vary in duration, intensity, and setting, as well as other factors. It is important to remember that no single marijuana addiction treatment center is right for everyone, and treatment should be individualized to meet your needs to be most helpful.4
Treatment can take place across different settings but is often provided through outpatient behavioral treatment or residential (inpatient) treatment. Outpatient rehab programs involve visiting a behavioral health professional on a regular schedule for individual or group therapy appointments, while living at home.4 Intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) involve attending multiple sessions per week, and over time, transitioning to fewer sessions that are shorter in length.4 IOP treatment is a fairly common approach to marijuana addiction.
In addition, inpatient treatment can be very effective for people with severe marijuana addictions or who are addicted to additional substances.4 Residents in an inpatient facility stay at their program 24/7 and are dedicated to living a drug-free lifestyle by following a more structured routine.4
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Depending on the frequency and amount of your marijuana use, you may experience what is called THC abstinence syndrome, another term for withdrawal symptoms from marijuana.5 THC withdrawal symptoms usually start within 24 hours from your last use of marijuana, and symptoms can include anxiety, restlessness, irritability, sleep disturbance, and loss of appetite.5
Some people may need a supportive environment to go through withdrawal from marijuana and maintain their abstinence from using.5 This may include people who use multiple substances. It is a good idea to talk to a doctor and get their recommendation for what type of care best meets your unique needs, especially whether you may benefit from medical withdrawal.
There are currently no medications specifically approved to treat marijuana use disorder or marijuana withdrawal.5 However, medications may be used to ease certain symptoms of marijuana withdrawal, such as insomnia.5
While detox can be an important part of recovery, for some people it may be only the first step. It is not a substitute for more comprehensive treatment and cannot address underlying issues contributing to marijuana addiction. Once you have completed detox, you may benefit from ongoing treatment, whether that is outpatient or inpatient, to ensure maintained abstinence from marijuana.
Across different settings, there are some commonly available approaches for marijuana use disorder treatment. One such approach is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), a form of psychotherapy in which participants learn to identify and change problematic behaviors contributing to addiction.6
Another common approach is contingency management, which focuses more on targeting a specific behavior (typically decreasing or abstaining from marijuana) and provides participants with rewards when they succeed.6
A third common approach is motivational enhancement therapy (MET), which is designed to internally motivate a person to change their behavior.6 MET is usually not used for long-term treatment of marijuana use disorder, but rather, to help someone begin the change process and start longer-term treatment.6
Different facilities may offer different programming depending on their approach, staffing, and the type of setting. Some programming may work better than others for certain people. Again, this underscores the importance of individualized treatment.
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Finding the Right Marijuana Addiction Treatment
Finding the right treatment for marijuana addiction is an essential part of ensuring your long-term recovery. People who use marijuana can be at higher risk of negative health consequences, such as difficulty with attention, memory, and learning.3 Furthermore, people who start using marijuana in youth or adolescence, or those who use marijuana more frequently, particularly at higher doses, are at an elevated risk of developing marijuana use disorder.3 If you are concerned about your marijuana use, it is important to get help sooner rather than later.
Taking the first step into treatment can be daunting. It is always a good idea to talk to your doctor or healthcare provider about your marijuana addiction to receive a thorough assessment of your medical, psychological, and other needs. They will provide you with a level of care recommendation in terms of what setting, frequency, and intensity of treatment would best suit your personal needs as you look for marijuana addiction help.
From there, you will have a number of factors to consider when choosing a marijuana addiction treatment program. For example, does the marijuana rehab accept your insurance coverage? What level or levels of care does the marijuana rehab center provide? What do reviews from other people like you say about their experience with rehab for marijuana? There is a lot to think about, but you are not alone.
You can also look at some of the facilities listed below to see if they provide the program you are looking for:
- California: Laguna Treatment Center
- Florida: Recovery First Treatment Center
- Florida: River Oaks Treatment Center
- Nevada: Desert Hope Treatment Center
- Mississippi: Oxford Treatment Center
- Texas: Greenhouse Treatment Center
- Other locations: Rehabs Near Me
Are You Covered For Treatment?
- National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2019, December). Cannabis (marijuana) drugfacts.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2022). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS Publication No. PEP22-07-01-005, NSDUH Series H-57). Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2020, June). Cannabis (Marijuana) Concentrates DrugFacts.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2019). Treatment approaches for drug addiction drugfacts.
- Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Detoxification and Substance Abuse Treatment. Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series, No. 45. HHS Publication No. (SMA) 15-4131. Rockville, MD: Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 2006.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2020, July). Cannabis (marijuana) research report.
California
1231 Rehab Locations
New Jersey
346 Rehab Locations
Outpatient Addiction Treatment
Outpatient treatment varies from a residential or inpatient program as it does not require the patient to reside at the center. Patients can live at home or in other non-clinical settings outside of treatment hours, which may consist of multiple sessions a week and then reduce frequency as progress is made.1
There are several types of outpatient programming, with varying level of intensity of services and time commitment. Standard outpatient services may include meeting with an individual therapist, receiving medication management, or participating in group therapy. Other outpatient care levels are intensive outpatient programs (IOP) and partial hospitalization programs.3
Intensive outpatient programs may offer a more structured approach to treatment than standard outpatient services.12 An intensive outpatient program (IOP) is likely to include a minimum required number of hours a patient is encouraged to participate in to experience the best results.12
A person participating in IOP may expect to experience a diversified approach to treatment. Centers may provide various services as part of their IOP, like medication management, skills training education services, and individual and behavioral therapy.12 IOP may be a good option for individuals in early recovery who desire formal support to assist them in staying sober.12
The most intensive level of outpatient care is partial hospitalization, which is relatively more intensive than IOP but less so than inpatient and residential services.3 At a partial hospitalization program (PHP), a patient may encounter an initial assessment and evaluation to determine their unique needs and participate in the creation of an individualized treatment plan.3
Patients can expect to receive guidance from several levels of staff and support, such as licensed nurses, addiction counselors, social workers, and physicians.3 This high level of oversight by trained staff is a helpful resource to increase the chances of sustained recovery through a successful collaboration of care.3
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- National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2019). Treatment approaches for drug addiction.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2023). Treatment and recovery.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2015). Detoxification and substance use treatment.
- American Society of Addiction Medicine. (2023). The ASAM criteria.
- American Society of Addiction Medicine, Inc. (2013). The ASAM criteria: treatment criteria for addictive, substance-related, and co-occurring conditions, third edition. Rockville, Maryland: American Society of Addiction Medicine, Inc.
- American Society of Addiction Medicine. (2023). Definition of addiction.
- American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing
- National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2018). Principles of drug addiction treatment.
- Trevisan, L.A., Boutros, N., Petrakis, I.L., Krystal, J.H. (1998). Complications of alcohol withdrawal.
- American Society of Addiction Medicine. (2020). Clinical practice guideline on alcohol withdrawal management.
- National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2023.) Psychotherapy.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2006). Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Substance Abuse: Clinical Issues in Intensive Outpatient Treatment. Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series 47. DHHS Publication No. (SMA) 06-4182. Rockville, MD.
- Polcin, D.L., Korcha, R., Bond, J., Galloway, G. (2011, March 15). What did we learn from our study on sober living houses and where do we go from here? Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 42(4), 425-433.
- Polcin, D.L., Henderson, D., Trocki, K., Evans, K., Wittman, F. (2012, December 1). Community context of sober living houses. Addiction research & theory, 20(6), 480-491.
- McKay, J.R. (2021, January 21). Impact of continuing care on recovery from substance use disorder. Alcohol Research: Current Reviews, 41(1), 1.
- Donovan, D.M., Ingalsbe, M.H., Benbow, J., Daley, D.C. (2013). 12-Step interventions and mutual support programs for substance use disorders: an overview. Social Work in Public Health, 28(3-4), 313-332.
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2023). Long-term recovery support.
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