Marijuana Misuse and Addiction: Signs, Symptoms and Treatment

Effects of Marijuana Use

Marijuana has immediate and long-term effects. People often take marijuana for its immediate effects; to relax, fall asleep, or center their focus. Different strains of marijuana give different highs¹, known as head or body highs. A head high is more conducive to focus while body highs offer a pronounced sense of relaxation. 

Immediate Effects

After taking marijuana, you’ll likely experience

• A strong sense of relaxation and calm
• Miscalculating time and distance
• Paranoia
• Red, bloodshot eyes
• Food cravings

The initial effects of weed⁷ can last 2-10 hours, depending on its potency. Some people enjoy the effects, while others experience intense anxiety, paranoia, psychosis, and panic attacks.

Long-term Effects

Regular marijuana use leads to various long-term effects⁸, including

• Memory damage
• Schizophrenia
• Lung cancer due to the carcinogens found in pot smoke³
• Respiratory conditions from smoking, like bronchitis or regular coughing
• Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome, which means continuous vomiting
• Poor concentration
• Poor coordination
• Cognitive and executive dysfunction

The longer someone uses marijuana, and the more they take it, the more intense the long-term effects can be. For example, someone who has smoked marijuana once a week for several years likely won’t experience the same slew of negative effects as someone who’s smoked daily for the last decade.

Signs of Marijuana Use

Someone who’s ingested marijuana will show a few key signs, both physically and psychologically.

Physical Signs

1. Red eyes, like they’ve been crying or rubbing at them.
2. Seeming disconnected from reality, out of it.
3. Unusually relaxed and giggly.
4. Talking slowly and not comprehending when other people talk. 
5. Smelling of weed, which has a mossy, skunky odor.

Psychological Signs

Someone may show psychological signs of marijuana use, either in addition to or instead of physical signs. Examples include

1. Low mood
2. Disinterest in their usual activities
3. Becoming emotionally distant and reserved

Withdrawal Symptoms

Once the brain and body grow accustomed to marijuana, especially high amounts of it, stopping can lead to detrimental effects. Though marijuana withdrawals aren’t deadly and typically not harmful long-term, they’re still uncomfortable³ and can prompt further use to curb the negative effects. People often experience physical and psychological weed withdrawals³.

Physical Withdrawal Symptoms

• Nausea
• Insomnia
• Runny nose
• Sweating
• Muscle cramps

Psychological Withdrawal Symptoms

Some people use marijuana to self-medicate anxiety and unease. These symptoms, and a host of other psychological symptoms, can occur once they stop.

• Irritability
• Restlessness
• Discomfort and agitation
• Pronounced return of anxiety as regular symptoms combine with withdrawals

Treatment Options for Marijuana Misuse and Addiction

Treatment options for marijuana addiction abound. You can go to a residential rehab, where you’ll stay for 28+ days to address underlying emotional issues and build coping strategies to maintain recovery outside treatment.

Rehabs typically combine 2 elements of care: behavioral and medical. You can access this care at an outpatient level, too, separately or concurrently. 

Behavioral Treatment

Therapy addresses the thoughts and feelings leading to marijuana use and, subsequently, marijuana addiction. For example, if your marijuana use started as a way to relax and mitigate anxiety, you’ll find a new approach to managing symptoms through therapies like CBT, DBT, and PE. Here’s what those mean:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and challenging untrue thoughts or beliefs before they can affect your emotional state and lead to unhealthy coping measures. 
• Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) still helps you identify harmful thoughts and beliefs but focuses on accepting them, rather than challenging them, and managing your responses. 
• Prolonged exposure⁹ (PE) works by exposing you to a trigger to help you become desensitized to it. People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) can find PE particularly effective for managing the intense emotional responses to triggers that might lead to substance use.

Holistic therapies can help, too. Many people benefit from a blend of evidence-based therapies, like the ones above, and holistic approaches like art therapy, yoga, and creative writing.

Medical Treatment

Medical treatment for marijuana addiction includes medication-assisted treatment (MAT) as needed. Some medications can alleviate withdrawal symptoms and speed up the onset³, helping the body return to homeostasis quicker. 

The Importance of Early Intervention

Intervening early is one of the best ways to prevent addiction. This applies to all drugs, marijuana included. The sooner someone takes steps to stop their use, the easier and less disruptive returning to sobriety can be. The intervention may come from within, from healthcare professionals, or loved ones.

Family Support Systems

Family members are often the first to notice a loved one’s struggle with marijuana use and addiction. Because of this, they can be the first to intervene through a formal intervention or a more casual conversation voicing their concerns and asking how they can help. How you approach the situation depends on your unique circumstances.

Family members (chosen family or related) also serve as a crucial support system in recovery. Education on addiction, mental health, and recovery can help them become stronger allies for their loved one’s healing.

Professional Help

A myriad of professionals can help people with a marijuana addiction recover. Your first stop may be your primary care provider, or the doctor you see for regular check-ups and arising health needs. They can guide you to the next steps in your treatment and recommend an effective path for you. This may include inpatient care or outpatient services, like therapy.

Therapists can alleviate the emotional factors contributing to marijuana use and addiction, using proven evidence-based methods (or holistic therapies) to treat disorders like anxiety, depression, and trauma. With these underlying causes addressed, you’re less likely to feel a desire for marijuana.

Attending a residential rehab or outpatient treatment for marijuana addiction offers a comprehensive healing package. Regular therapy sessions can too, as can peer support groups like 12-Step meetings or SMART Recovery meetings.

Find Rehab Centers for Marijuana Addiction

Many drug rehabs treat marijuana addiction, offering different approaches, therapies, and amenities to treat the causes and symptoms of addiction. The best rehab is the one that’s right for you.
You can use Recovery.com to find marijuana rehabs and see their insurance information, photos, reviews, and more all in one place.