As marijuana legalization continues its upward trend globally, Maui Recovery recognizes the unique challenges posed by marijuana addiction in this evolving landscape. While the drug gains social acceptance, many grapple with its overuse and dependency. Guided by our adept clinicians, we address both the physiological cravings and the underlying psychological ties behind cannabis addiction.
What Is Marijuana?
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Marijuana—also called weed, herb, pot, grass, bud, ganja, Mary Jane, and a vast number of other slang terms—is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried flowers of Cannabis sativa. More potent forms of marijuana include sinsemilla (from specially tended female plants) and concentrated resins containing high doses of marijuana’s active ingredients, including honeylike hash oil, waxy budder, and hard amberlike shatter.
The main psychoactive(mind-altering) chemical in marijuana, responsible for most of the intoxicating effects, is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The chemical is found in resin produced by the leaves and buds, primarily the female cannabis plant. The plant also contains more than 500 other chemicals, including more than 100 compounds chemically related to THC, called cannabinoids.
Ways that marijuana is consumed:
Effects
Short-Term Effects:
Long-Term Effects:
Physical Effects:
Other Health Effects:
Statistics on Marijuana Addiction
According to the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), “Approximately 4.0 million people aged 12 or older in 2016 had a marijuana use disorder in the past year, which represents 1.5% of people aged 12 or older.”
With legalization spreading, Marijuana is becoming one of the most used drugs in the United States, with approximately 22.2 million users each month. As this number grows, Maui Recovery stands at the forefront of addressing the nuanced challenges of marijuana addiction in a rapidly changing society.