Reports are being published suggesting that marijuana be used for the treatment of addiction, specifically opioid addiction. Medical marijuana is still marijuana, in fact, it is often more potent marijuana. Recovery from addiction should include total abstinence from any addictive mind altering substances. Here are a few things you need to know about what is and isn’t true regarding medical marijuana.
It Is true that medical marijuana can be hiding in plain sight
One of the risks people are concerned about with medical marijuana is the varied applications it can have; specifically, in the form of edibles. Marijuana’s active ingredient, THC, can be extracted from the plant and turned into a butter or an oil for cooking and using. Medical grade levels of THC can be found in all kinds of innocuous foods, from baked goods to candy, from chocolate treats to other kinds of confections. THC can also be infused into a number of ordinary consumable items. To make these items less conspicuous, their packaging is not often outright. It is easy for someone to mistake a medical marijuana chocolate bar for a regular chocolate bar and consume the whole thing unknowingly. Numerous stories have surfaced about young children, babies, teenagers, and the elderly mistakenly consuming an edible with a large amount of THC in it. Nobody is known to have died due to marijuana overdose. However, people do experience psychosis if they consume more THC than their brain can handle.
It isn’t true that you can die due to consuming too much marijuana.
To date, there has not been a single recorded overdose due to marijuana. Likely, there won’t be one anytime soon since the numbers of how much marijuana one would have to consume in a certain amount of time in order induce overdose are nearly physically impossible to achieve. THC interacts with cannabinoid receptors in the brain, which causes the entire brain to slow down. Unlike other drugs and receptors, for example, opioids and opioid receptors, this slowing down of the brain isn’t fatal. Marijuana does create intoxication and impairs one’s judgments, perception, and more. As a result, someone could be injured or in an accident, which could prove to be fatal.
It is true that marijuana can be medicinal and helpful
Conducting research about marijuana in the United States is hard to do because the drug is still under Schedule I, under the same ranks as cocaine and heroin. States have legalized or medicalized marijuana, however, the drug is still considered illegal at a federal level. Research on the effectivity of marijuana as a medical option is still being conducted. Some have suggested using marijuana as a therapeutic approach to opiate withdrawal. Many argue that replacing one addictive drug with another addictive drug perpetuates the cycle of addiction.
It isn’t true that marijuana doesn’t cause addiction
Even though marijuana cannot cause an overdose, that does not mean it cannot cause an addiction. “Marijuana use disorder” was added to the section of substance use disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. People who become addicted to marijuana experience cravings, developing a tolerance, a chemical dependency, and symptoms of withdrawal.
Marijuana addiction can still cause tremendous turmoil in your life. If you are struggling with addiction, there is a path to freedom. Tree House Recovery is a men’s treatment program in Portland, Oregon. By creating sustainable changes in mind, body, and spirit, men can create a sustainable recovery, for a lifetime. Call us today for information on our programs: (503) 850-2474
