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Marijuana, also known as weed, is becoming a more and more prominently abused drug in the US. This is due in part to increasing access to both medical and recreational forms of the drug. It is also because cannabis has mind-altering effects, which can become addictive for users over time.
These effects are caused largely by tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which is naturally produced by the cannabis plant from which marijuana is derived.
Studies done by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) find that, amongst illicit drug use in the US, weed is one of the most commonly abused substances. Currently, between 9 and 30 percent of people using marijuana end up developing some form of marijuana use disorder.
Furthermore, those who start using weed before the age of 18 have been found to be four to seven times more likely to develop a marijuana use disorder. With these statistics in mind, the need for effective weed detox and treatment services has become more apparent than ever.
Keep reading to find out more about effective methods to treat weed use disorders, and how Rehabs Of Armerica can help you locate the right weed detox facility to fit your needs!
There are several side effects that smoking weed can have on both your physical and mental health. While everyone’s experience with this drug will differ based, some of the short and long-term effects marijuana use can have are listed below.
One of the most common methods of using weed is to smoke it. By doing so, THC is able to pass quickly through the lungs and into the bloodstream, carrying the chemical directly to the brain and other organs.
Some people may choose to ingest weed by eating edibles or drinking its powdered form as a tea or other liquid. While this will take longer for the effects to kick in, this may produce a longer-lasting high.
THC works by over-activating certain receptors in the brain, increasing the effects of naturally occurring chemicals. This reaction is what produces the high that most people experience when using this drug. This may produce effects such as:
When used over long periods of time, weed can have more significant impacts on the user’s health. In particular, extended marijuana use can affect brain development, especially when this use begins during adolescence.
This can impair the individual’s abilities to think clearly and critically, form and retain memories, and learn effectively. Currently, research is being done to determine how these effects may be permanent.
Most importantly, chronic marijuana use can lead to habits of substance abuse and addiction. Once this happens, stopping the use of this drug can be incredibly difficult without the proper tools, resources, and support.
When recovering from marijuana abuse and addiction, the user will have to first stop using this drug. This will require them to undergo a detox process, in which the weed will be flushed from their system.
Of course, this detoxification process can be a difficult and dangerous one to undergo without the proper tools or support. Going through a detox program can help individuals be gradually weaned off of their THC consumption or use of any other drugs.
Many people believe that the best THC detox methods can take place from the comfort of their own homes. While THC detox may be possible for some people without professional help, this can be a dangerous process to undergo on your own.
Ultimately, the best THC detox method will be to undergo a medically-supervised detox process, which can help better manage weed withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings during recovery.
Below is a list of natural detox methods and their fallbacks, as well as the safest and most successful ways to undergo the marijuana detox process.
There are several natural THC detoxification methods that a person may wish to try before seeking out professional help.
This may be preferred for a number of reasons, including a lack of the necessary funds for addiction treatment services or a fear of the negative stigma behind getting help. While possibly effective for those with less severe addictions, natural detox can have several drawbacks.
With that being said, natural THC detox products and methods may include:
There are several different types of popular THC “detox kits” available on the market today. These are usually made up of “detox teas,” pills, or other products that are supposedly designed to help flush and eliminate THC from a person’s system.
However, while these detox methods are technically legal, they are often poorly regulated and very low in quality. In most cases, they do nothing to actually help reduce THC traces or flush THC metabolites from a person’s system.
Rather, they are typically designed to cheat drug screening and help prevent a failed drug test. If someone regularly uses weed and has a drug test scheduled for work, they may go to extreme lengths to not test positive on these urine tests.
Some of the “best THC detox kits” found online are not designed for detox at all, but purely to help people avoid testing positive on marijuana drug tests. In some cases, individuals may even be able to purchase synthetic urine kits online.
These may provide fake powdered urine or even liquid synthetic urine that can be used as a replacement urine sample (one that is free of THC metabolites) when looking for a quick and easy way to pass a drug test.
This, however, is not only illegal but can be expensive and easily messed up during the mixing process, which may have several negative consequences if discovered.
There are several diets that include natural ingredients and detox drinks that have been suggested to help flush THC traces from the system and ease the withdrawal process.
Of course, following a whole-food diet of any kind can have several health benefits, although there is little research to suggest that a liquid detox or balanced diet can effectively and completely help individuals overcome their substance abuse habits.
Apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and cranberry juice are all commonly recognized as being some of the “best” THC detox drinks – although there is little research available to actually support this.
Some people may even combine these and other liquids to form a sort of ‘mega clean’ detox drink. However, it is important to know that drinking too much of this detox “tea” and other liquids can cause digestive and stomach issues, especially if your body is not used to them.
Overall, there is no specific detox liquid or THC detox drink currently available to quickly rid the system of this drug. The withdrawal process is a slow and tricky process and will depend mostly on your specific metabolism for how long it will take.
Similar to the THC detox kits listed above, THC detox pills work primarily to help avoid positive results for drug testing. These will often be sold online as part of a drug test kit, or individually.
These will typically consist of dietary fiber, which can help move THC metabolites to the bowl faster so that they can be released. However, there is no way for a pill like this to specifically eliminate THC, despite what their labels may advertise.
Detox pills, if at all effective, will remove all toxins from the body. However, these are rarely high-quality products, and commonly have little to no regulation over their distribution.
This means that, while they may seem like a simple way to pass a urine drug test, they may not be a safe or effective detox choice.
Although technically a detox drink, many casual reports refer to the use of cranberry juice and/or large amounts of water to flush the urine as a potential winner among the best THC detox methods. You should be wary of this assertion.
Other homespun versions of ‘detox teas’ include apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and sterilized water. The effectiveness of any of these approaches is limited to the dilution of a urine sample, as it does not reduce the body fat containing THC or otherwise hasten the actual detoxification process.
While a non-laboratory test may be fooled by a diluted sample, even the average urine drug test from a lab will quickly return signs of dilution or tampering. Not to mention THC traces can remain and test positive, and your sample will look much more like water than regular urine.
One of the biggest risks you will face when attempting to detox from weed by yourself is the possibility of relapse. This is because the withdrawal process from substance abuse can be difficult without support, and can make avoiding using this drug feel almost impossible.
When recovering through a professional addiction treatment program, you will have access to various recovery tools and resources, as well as a strong support network that can help you maintain your abstinence and sobriety.
While not usually as severe as with other forms of substance abuse, weed withdrawal can cause symptoms such as:
Detoxing alone can make managing these symptoms feel too difficult, causing you to relapse in an attempt to avoid them. Recovering through a medical detox program will allow you to safely be weaned off of marijuana and set you up for a successful independent sober living.
Medical detox programs can be helpful in a number of ways when recovering from the effects of marijuana abuse and addiction. Choosing to recover through these facilities will allow you to be gradually weaned off of marijuana while under constant medical supervision.
This can help manage and even prevent many of the withdrawal symptoms that may occur during this period. While participating in a medical detox program, this process may include medication-assisted treatment.
Medication management can further help prevent withdrawal and reduce cravings, increasing your chances of successfully achieving and maintaining sobriety.
While medical detox may be the first and last part of the treatment process of many people struggling with marijuana abuse, there may be cases where further care is needed. This may include moving on to receive care through programs such as:
In most cases, people will begin abusing marijuana as a way of self-medicating painful thoughts and feelings that make their everyday lives more difficult.
While perhaps effective for providing temporary relief for these issues, over time this will become less helpful, and may only make these experiences worse.
This is why many people will be encouraged to seek out dual diagnosis treatment options to help them overcome their habits of substance and maintain a healthy, substance-free lifestyle on their own.
Effective addiction treatment of any kind will often require the inclusion of mental health services due to how common dual diagnoses have become.
This may include the integration of several behavioral therapies, which can help address the underlying causes and contributors to a recovering individual’s substance abuse habits.
Whether struggling with weed abuse or any other form of addiction, these treatment programs are designed to help individuals who are struggling with co-occurring disorders get the professional support and recovery assistance they need.
How long it will take for marijuana to leave the body can vary based on several factors, including:
There are several types of drug tests that can be used to detect marijuana. This may include a urine test, saliva drug test, hair follicle test, or blood test. The chemical THC is lipid-soluble, meaning that it binds to the body’s fat cells.
This increases the amount of time it will take for THC to be completely eliminated from the body, and allows it to be detected by drug tests in your fat cells for longer periods of time.
Most commonly, a urine test, saliva test, or hair drug test will be used to detect marijuana use. Urine and hair follicles can retain traces of THC for several days after use, while saliva may only retain this drug for a few hours.
A urine sample will regularly be preferred over using a hair follicle drug test, as it is more difficult to provide a fake urine sample than it is to provide fake drug test samples for hair follicle tests.
The short answer is no, not really. While cranberry juice, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and other diuretics can help you provide a diluted sample to fool urine tests, it will only work to a limited extent. If the testing is done by the lab, it will reveal dilution and require re-testing, and many human observers of urine testing will throw out a sample that looks too ‘watered down’ as well.
If you or a loved one is looking for effective THC detox methods and addiction treatment services, help is available to make this process easier. At Rehabs Of Armerica, we can help you find weed detox programs and recovery support services whenever you are ready.
Beating dependence on cannabis might be difficult, but you don’t have to do it alone. Call the 24-hour recovery helpline now, and one of our representatives will get you started on the path to recovery from addiction to cannabis, today!
Anna M. joined Find Addiction Rehabs with extensive experience in the field of addiction treatment. As a former Nurse Practitioner in Miami, she found her passion for addiction treatment when a family member was lost to his disease. With each article and resource, she hopes to save other families from experiencing the anguish of a loved one’s passing due to drinking or drugs.
