Even if recreational marijuana use is legal in your state, you can still face federal criminal charges if you buy, possess, or sell marijuana. Regularly using and abusing marijuana can cause dependency, which oftentimes requires the help of a marijuana addiction rehab center or alcohol addiction rehab center in Crystal Lake, IL, to recover from fully.
Psychoactive substances can lead to addiction. While recreational drugs, like marijuana, are often considered relatively safe, they can cause physical and psychological dependence. Regular marijuana use can also lead you to experiment with other substances and create a cross-tolerance. Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit psychoactive substance in the United States. Even though some states have decriminalized marijuana, it remains illegal to possess, sell, and manufacture under federal law.
What is Marijuana?
Marijuana is a psychoactive substance that is produced from the cannabis plant. It has more than 480 different chemical compounds, many of which are not yet fully understood. THC is the main active ingredient in marijuana that leads to intoxication. THC content levels in marijuana had increased dramatically since the 1960s when most marijuana contained no more than 6% THC. Today, medicinal marijuana products that are illegally diverted to black markets can have more than 25% THC.
While marijuana most commonly comes in a solid leaf form, other THC products also exist, such as:
- Vaporizing cartridges, which can contain more than 80% THC
- THC creams and oils
- Pills and capsules
- Extracts and concentrates
- Tea
The higher the THC content, the more potent the effects. Intoxication from marijuana typically occurs within 15 minutes of smoking or vaping. Oral methods of administration can take up to an hour to work. When smoked or vaporized, marijuana highs typically last between 2 to 3 hours. When ingested, such as in edibles or concentrates, intoxication can last for 8 hours or more.
While marijuana can not cause fatal overdoses, non-fatal overdoses can cause disorientation, confusion, and visual and auditory hallucinations. Marijuana intoxication can also cause:
- Giddiness
- Restlessness and anxiety
- Lowered inhibitions
- Increased introspection
- Impaired judgment
- Dizziness and coordination problems
Signs and symptoms of marijuana dependence include:
- Spending the majority of your time and/or money using or buying marijuana
- Inability to stop or control your marijuana use
- Feeling guilt, shame or remorse about your marijuana use
- Needing to increase your marijuana use in order to feel the same pleasurable effects
- Attending work or school while high on marijuana
A marijuana addiction treatment program can help you learn how to control cravings and remain abstinent after you decide to quit using marijuana.
What a Marijuana Addiction Rehab Center Offers
A marijuana addiction rehab center Northern Il offers provides both inpatient and outpatient treatment options. A marijuana addiction rehab center utilizes both evidence-based addiction treatment and holistic therapies to help you recover from addiction. Inpatient programs offer the highest level of care and supervision, requiring you to remain on campus 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A marijuana and alcohol addiction rehab center Crystal Il offers can provide detox services in an inpatient or outpatient setting.
Outpatient programs are less demanding, allowing you to return home each night. Partial hospitalization programs meet for at least five days a week for at least 6 hours, while intensive outpatient programs usually meet for 2-3 days per week for several hours. Inpatient and outpatient programs offer individual, group, and family counseling, as well as relapse prevention planning.
Finding Help Today
If you or a loved one is struggling with a marijuana addiction, a marijuana addiction rehab center can help you find recovery. The treatment provides you with the support, compassion, and tools you need to overcome a substance abuse problem, all at our inpatient rehab in Illinois. Call us today at 855.786.1978 to find out more about our programs.
Licensed Physician and Surgeon
Dr. Beth Dunlap, a board-certified addiction medicine and family medicine physician, and is the medical director at Northern Illinois Recovery Center. She is responsible for overseeing all the integrated medical services at both campuses. Beth completed medical school, residency, and fellowship at Northwestern University, where she continues to serve on the faculty as a member of the Department of Family and Community Medicine. She has extensive experience in addiction medicine at all levels of care, and her clinical interests include integrated primary care and addiction medicine, harm reduction, and medication-assisted treatment.
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