What To Expect From A Marijuana Detox
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Although it’s widely believed that marijuana is harmless, it’s possible to develop an addiction. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), around 30% of people who use marijuana will develop marijuana use disorder. This risk is much higher for those who begin using the substance during adolescence.
In addition to the risk of addiction, marijuana use also has serious health risks. Some research shows marijuana use can be linked to altered memory, paranoia, short-term memory impairment, delayed brain development, and cognitive decline.
Marijuana detox is a process that involves completely ridding your body of marijuana. This is accomplished through complete abstinence from the drug.
Marijuana detox is the first step a person with marijuana use disorder needs to make to recover from the condition. This article looks at what you can expect from a marijuana detox. What to know before embarking on one, and what comes after you are done with your detox.
What is the most important information I should know about detoxing from marijuana?
Withdrawal symptoms can vary in severity depending on individual characteristics and the duration and severity of your drug use.
If you have been using marijuana heavily for long periods, your withdrawal symptoms will likely be more severe; talk to your doctor about what you can do to manage your symptoms during detox.
What to Know Before a Marijuana Detox
Before embarking on a marijuana detox, there are some decisions you need to make. The first is whether you want to do it at home or at a treatment facility specially equipped for handling detoxing from substances. This decision is very personal and dependent on what you hope to get from the process.
Detoxing at home gives you more freedom over the process. The downside, however, is that you are more likely to relapse when detoxing yourself. This is because there’s a lack of supervision and accountability from a person of authority.
Detoxing at a treatment facility provides you with structure and support throughout the process. Detoxing at a facility is also highly recommended for long-term users who are likely to experience severe withdrawal symptoms.
What to Expect From a Marijuana Detox
What to expect from a marijuana detox is highly individual. Your experience with the detox process is dependent on a combination of several factors. Your age, gender, sex, genetics, and how long you’ve been dependent all come into play.
If you’ve been using marijuana for an extended period, you are more likely to go through a more extended detox period and experience more severe withdrawal symptoms. If you are an occasional user of the drug, your detox period is more likely to be much shorter, and you might not even experience any withdrawal symptoms.
A 2020 study on the prevalence of cannabis withdrawal symptoms amongst marijuana users found that up to 47% of the participants experienced this phenomenon. Factors that contributed to the development of the syndrome included using other substances, smoking tobacco, and using marijuana daily.
Unlike other substances like opioids, detoxing from marijuana doesn’t carry any significant risks in the detox process.
Marijuana Withdrawal Symptoms
As mentioned, a marijuana detox causes unpleasant symptoms known as withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms are temporary and will cease when you are done with your detox.
However, the length of time you are likely to experience these symptoms is highly individual. No two people are likely to go through marijuana withdrawal in the same way.
According to the America Psychiatric Association, you are most likely to experience these symptoms if you’ve used marijuana daily or almost daily for months. Common symptoms of marijuana withdrawal include:
Craving marijuana
Difficulty sleeping
Stomach aches
Fever
Anxiety
Aggression
Lack of appetite
Excessive sweating
Tremors
You might be confused about what’s happening with your body during a withdrawal. The symptoms you are experiencing result from your brain and body trying to adjust to the absence of marijuana from your system. If you’ve used marijuana for a prolonged period, your body will come to depend on it.
How Long Will a Withdrawal Take?
Again the detox journey from marijuana varies from individual to individual. In that vein, the amount of time your withdrawal will last varies.
Detox Timeline
Research suggests that you will likely begin experiencing symptoms about a week after you stop using the drug. Around the ten-day mark, you are most likely to witness a peaking of your withdrawal symptoms, after which you’ll experience a decline in the severity of your symptoms over the following 20 days.
Some people could experience mild withdrawal symptoms that don’t affect their daily functioning for months and even years after they discontinue marijuana use.
What Happens After a Marijuana Detox
Working to prevent a relapse after your marijuana detox is very crucial. While you might think that the process ends when you stop experiencing withdrawal symptoms, in reality, it’s a lifelong process, and it’s essential to work hard to prevent a relapse each day from the day you stop.
People who have a long history of using marijuana are, unfortunately, more likely to relapse during a detox.
Going through a marijuana detox can be challenging, especially at the peak of your withdrawal symptoms. However, it’s a crucial first step you need to take when recovering from marijuana dependency.
It’s important to realize you don’t have to go through the process alone. You can either detox at home with the help of loved ones or at a medical facility equipped to put you through the detox and handle any complications that may arise during the withdrawal period.
Long-Term Treatment for Marijuana Addiction
Everyone goes through the process in different ways, don’t be deterred if you feel your journey seems to be taking longer than it should. The most crucial step towards achieving your goals is maintaining consistency.
After detox, seeking treatment options that will support your long-term recovery is essential.
There are currently no FDA-approved medications to treat marijuana addiction. Your doctor may prescribe medications to help manage specific withdrawal symptoms, and some research has found that the off-label use of some medications, such as gabapentin and bupropion, may help relieve some withdrawal symptoms.
However, therapy and lifestyle modifications are typically recommended. This includes:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): This approach addresses the underlying thoughts, behaviors, and coping skills contributing to marijuana use.
Motivational enhancement therapy (MET): Using this approach, a therapist will help you understand the attitudes that play a role in drug use and help you increase your motivation and commitment to quitting.
Contingency management (CM): This approach utilizes reinforcements, often vouchers or monetary prizes, that reward people for staying free of marijuana.
Lifestyle changes such as staying busy, maintaining connections with supportive loved ones, joining support groups, and avoiding drug triggers can also be helpful. Caring for your physical and mental health, including getting enough sleep and eating a healthy diet, is also important.
Related: Is Marijuana Addictive?
