MARIJUANA

Marijuana Addiction Treatment at Executive Recovery
Perhaps you, or someone you know, has tried to break a marijuana addiction and failed to do so. Despite the best of intentions, well meaning people and programs may not have helped and will power may not have been enough to break this marijuana addiction. Do not despair. Marijuana Addiction is a physical disease, not a mental or moral problem, and it is medically treatable.

Executive Recovery 's unique medical Marijuana Addiction treatment program, developed and supervised by physicians specializing in addiction medicine, helps patients addicted to marijuana lose their craving for the drug. We believe our researched medical approach gives the marijuana addicted patient a firm foundation for achieving comfortable abstinence by creating a negative response to marijuana and encouraging the development of a natural reward system, once again. The program at Executive Recovery helps restore to the addicted patient their sense of self-esteem and feeling of dignity in an unparalleled atmosphere of understanding, and respect.

Marijuana Addiction Treatment Program Highlights

Proven by Medical Research
Short Inpatient Stay
Medical Detoxification
Effective Counter-conditioning Treatment
Caring and Compassionate Staff
Counseling and Continuing Support

What is Marijuana?

Marijuana is a common name for the Hemp plant, Cannabis Sativa. Marijuana ("pot", "grass", "weed") however does not contain just one chemical. It, in fact, contains 61 known relatives of the primary active ingredient, Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and over 400 known chemical toxins have also been found in marijuana. When burned, still other toxic compounds are produced.

The marijuana sold today is much higher in the THC chemical content than that sold in the 60's and 70's. Marijuana has increased THC content from one percent THC in 1975 to six to fourteen percent THC in 1985 due to hybridization techniques. Today's marijuana presents serious health threats as well as major psychological damage and offers much greater potential for dependence.

THC is absorbed quickly into fatty tissue and is stored there for a long time. Because of this, a single dose may take 3-4 weeks to get out of the system completely. For those who have become addicted to marijuana, whether it was years ago or recently, treatment is necessary -- even more critical today. The higher THC concentration of today's marijuana has increased the percentage of people who will become dependent on it.

How Marijuana Affects You

Marijuana smoking . . .

• adversely affects normal cell formation
• produces feelings of isolation and depersonalization
• produces shakes, lack of coordination, headaches
• makes any mental or emotional problem worse
• increases the heart rate
• has 50% more tar per ounce than tobacco
• decreases air flow and creates loss of lung capacity in little more than a month of regular smoking.
• produces chronic irritation of nasal and lung passages
• creates pre cancerous changes in lungs in marijuana smokers in their 20's
• suppresses the sex drive and performance with prolonged use
• can lead to impotence
• harms the developing fetus
• is associated with increased still births, neonatal deaths, decreased birth weight and abnormal reactions in children born to mothers on marijuana
• decreases brain response, affects thinking and brain function, creates confusion, problems with short and long term memory, distorts perception of time
• creates blackouts
• impairs driving skill, studies show brake response time is increased, concentration is decreased, risk taking is increased
• distorts peripheral vision, especially in first two hours after using.
• Marijuana Plays with the Mind

People who smoke marijuana generally have reduced energy, reduced motivation and drive. Marijuana twists the mind with false moods, chemically induced distortions and unreal perceptions of people and life. Marijuana distorts what is stored in the memory. It lies to the user.

Smoking marijuana decreases the chance for a naturally satisfying life. It is an especially harmful drug for young people. Just when teens and young adults are searching for motivation and the best way to achieve their dreams, marijuana robs them of motivation. Young people do less, learn less, and become less capable.

Smoking marijuana drains self confidence and arrests the development of confidence in a person's own ability to get natural rewards out of life. Because marijuana introduces people to altered perceptions and feelings, and an "I don't care" attitude -- the drug encourages use of other drugs and sinks its users into an ever deepening dependence on drug lifestyles. Drawn into the illegal drug culture, users are then available for those who are pushing other drugs.

Why Marijuana is Addictive

Marijuana produces an artificial feeling of pleasant relaxation. Most addictive drugs are able to produce pleasurable effects by chemically mimicking certain normal brain messenger chemicals which produce positive feelings in response to "all is well" signals from the brain. An example of this is the narcotic drug which mimics endorphin (nature's natural pain reliever). This is like having counterfeit money; which will fit into the slot machine. When the drug comes in, it stimulates the reward center. This short circuits the survival mechanism, because the reward center can't tell the difference between the drug and the natural chemical messenger.

If you need help, or just have a question, please contact us today 800-338-0710.