Marijuana Abuse: How weed addiction can form | Pharmacy Health Store

After alcohol and tobacco, marijuana, usually known as pot, is the most frequently Marijuana Abuse substance. More than 11.8 million young adults reported using marijuana in the year before in 2018.

Knowledge of Marijuana Abuse

Marijuana is a greenish-gray mixture of Cannabis Sativa’s dried flowers, also known as weed, herb, pot, grass, bud, ganja, Mary Jane, and many other slang words. Some users of marijuana puff on hand-rolled cigarettes called blunts, joints, pipes, or water pipes (also known as bongs) (marijuana rolled in cigar wraps).

Additionally, Marijuana is frequently added to sweets like brownies and used to make tea. Another growing trend is the use of vaporizers to consume marijuana. Stronger varieties of marijuana include sinsemilla (from particularly managed female plants) and concentrated resins with high concentrations of the drug’s psychoactive components, such as waxy budder, hard shatter, and hash oil that resembles honey.

Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol is the primary psychoactive (mind-altering) component of marijuana (THC). The substance is mostly present in the resin made by the female cannabis plant’s leaves and buds. More than 500 other chemicals can be found in the plant, including more than 100 cannabinoids chemically related to THC.

The use of synthetic marijuana, popularly known as spice or K2, is becoming more popular. Due to its unregulated ingredients, this synthetic form of medicine poses a much greater risk. Learn more about the dangers of abusing spices here.

What exactly is marijuana concentrates?

A marijuana concentrate, often known as “honey oil” or “budder,” is a highly concentrated form of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) that is very similar to either honey or butter in appearance.

The extremely potent cannabis concentrate known as “Shatter,” which frequently contains more than 60% pure THC, has grown in popularity in recent years. For more information on this strong cannabis concentrate, could you read our guide to shatter?

What are the origins of marijuana concentrates?

Concentrates of marijuana can have THC levels as high as 80%, which is quite high. The THC percentage of this marijuana can be up to four times higher than that of top-shelf or high-grade marijuana, which typically has a THC value of roughly 20 percent. Marijuana concentrates are produced using a variety of processes to transform or “manufacture” marijuana. The butane extraction procedure is one approach. This method is particularly risky since it extracts the THC from the Cannabis Plant using highly flammable butane.

What do marijuana concentrates resemble?

Concentrates of marijuana are either brown or gold and resemble honey or butter.

What is the use of marijuana concentrates?

Although marijuana concentrates can be ingested orally and combined with various foods and beverages, smoking marijuana through water or oil pipes continues to be the most common method of administration. The inhalation of concentrates through vaporizers or electronic cigarettes (commonly known as e-cigarettes) is a troubling component of this developing hazard.

The e-cigarette/vaporizer is more popular among marijuana concentrate users since it is smokeless, occasionally odorless, and simple to conceal. A “dab” of marijuana concentrate, the substance heated using an e-cigarette or vaporizer to produce vapors that instantly give the user a “high,” is taken by the user. Dabbing or vaping describes inhaling marijuana concentrates while using an e-cigarette or vaporizer.

How long does marijuana last in the body?

Less than twice a week, marijuana smokers can test positive for up to three days after their last dose. Seven to twenty-one days after their last use, a moderate user who uses several times each week can test positive. Heavy users may test positive up to a month after their last use. Eaters of marijuana (edibles) may experience a good effect for one to five days.

Marijuana-related street names

There are several slang or street names for marijuana; some are intended to be humorous nicknames, while others are used to fool law authorities. Street names for marijuana are formed from the drug’s nature, history, and effects. The following are some of the most typical marijuana street names:

• Weed
• Mary Jane
• Aunt Mary
• Texas tea
• Redbud
• Indian hemp
• Pot
• Blonde
• Bud
• Reefer
• Laughing grass
• Magic smoke

What is marijuana for medical use?

The efficacy of marijuana as a medicine has been hotly debate in recent years, even though it is a commonly use and addictive narcotic. Thirty-six states and four Territories passed full medical marijuana and cannabis programs between 1996 and 2020. For patients who might benefit from using marijuana, doctors may write prescriptions in certain regions.

The following conditions are occasionally treat with marijuana:

• AIDS and HIV
• Cancer
• Glaucoma
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Fibromyalgia
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Several Sclerosis
• Epilepsy
• Cachexia

The US Food and Drug Administration has authorized a few other cannabinoids for use in tablet form, but marijuana has not yet received official approval as a medicine. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine studied the possible therapeutic benefits of THC and cannabinoid medicines.

• Pain reduction
• To reduce nausea
• Reducing tiredness, stiffness, and muscle spasms in people with multiple sclerosis.

The same study mentions further possible advantages of marijuana use, such as decreased anxiety and drowsiness. But not all patients may find these effects to be beneficial.

Most states that permit medical marijuana have stringent regulations governing when a doctor may prescribe it. Most frequently, the patient will want a marijuana identification card or registration that enables them to pick up a prescription that they can use if they are stopped by authorities while impaired.

The immediate results of marijuana abuse

When using marijuana, THC immediately enters the bloodstream after passing through the lungs. The molecule travels from the bloodstream to the brain, where it binds to particular brain cell receptors and overactivated them to produce the “high” that marijuana users experience. Oral marijuana consumption causes a slower reaction, with effects frequently appearing 30 to 60 minutes after consumption.

People who use marijuana frequently experience some of these side effects in addition to the high they feel:

• Changed senses
• Changed perception of time
• Variations in mood
• Decreased ability to move
• Thinking and problem-solving challenges
• A weakened memory
• Hallucinations (when taken in high amounts)
• Delusions (when taken in high quantities)
• Psychosis (risk is greater with regular use of high-potency marijuana)

Effects of marijuana abuse over time

According to studies, marijuana may have an impact on brain growth. People who start smoking marijuana in their teens and use it frequently may experience memory loss, learning difficulties, and cognitive decline. This results from the brain’s inability to build connections related to these processes. The precise nature of this impairment and its permanence are still being studied.

For instance, a New Zealand study done in part by Duke University researchers revealed that individuals with a chronic marijuana use disorder who began smoking extensively in their teens experienced an average IQ loss of 8 points between the ages of 13 and 38. Those who gave up marijuana as adults didn’t entirely regain their lost mental faculties. Adult marijuana users didn’t exhibit any discernible IQ decreases.

In a different recent study on twins, those who used marijuana between adolescence and early adulthood demonstrated a significant loss in linguistic and general knowledge (equal to 4 IQ points). However, when one twin took marijuana, and the other didn’t, there was no discernible difference between the twins. This shows that variables other than marijuana, such as shared familial characteristics, may be to blame for the IQ reduction among marijuana users (e.g., genetics, family environment).

Is marijuana habit-forming?

Anandamide, a neurotransmitter, activates the cannabinoid receptor in the brain when someone consumes marijuana. The THC component of marijuana, however, inhibits neurotransmitters like anandamide and can prevent the body from making enough on its own. This may cause marijuana users to become dependent on the substance and need more of it to have the same effects or feel normal.

Although they differ, marijuana abuse and addiction can sometimes result in one another. Although marijuana misuse frequently results in negative side effects for the user, this does not mean they cannot stop on their own. Cannabis addiction is more difficult to treat and frequently necessitates assistance.

A licensed professional will identify someone with a marijuana use disorder using these 11 criteria from the DSM-5, which are common to most addiction diagnoses:

• Hazardous use: You overdosed, drove while intoxicated, blacked out, or used the substance in other ways that endanger you or others.
• Use-related social or interpersonal issues include disagreements with people or issues with relationships.
• You have failed to fulfill your job, school, or home obligations due to your substance use.
• Withdrawal: You go through withdrawal symptoms when you stop using the drug.
• Tolerance: You have grown accustomed to the substance and need more of it to have the same effects.
• Used more frequently/for a longer period: You have started using the substance more frequently or in higher doses.
• You’ve made numerous attempts to cut back on your use or stop altogether, but you’ve been unsuccessful.
• You use the substance frequently and for a long period.
• Your substance use has resulted in physical or psychological health problems, such as liver damage or lung cancer, or psychological difficulties, such as depression or anxiety.
• Activities are abandone in favor of using: To utilize the substance. You have abandoned activities you formerly enjoyed or skipped entirely.
• Cravings: You’ve felt the want to use the drug.

The severity of a substance’s negative effects on a person’s life, including physical, psychological, and behavioral assessments, are use to determine whether a substance meets these criteria. When the criteria are applied to the past 12 months of substance use, a score of 2-3 is regarded as light, 3-5 as moderate, and a score of six or more as severe. Cannabis addictions of any severity can be treated and recovered from.

Signs of Marijuana Abuse withdrawal

The idea that marijuana usage is not hazardous or addictive is developing as attitudes toward cannabis change, whether due to its legal status or medical benefits. Using marijuana excessively can cause addiction, and stopping after dependency or addiction has developed can cause withdrawal symptoms from marijuana.

One in ten Americans who use cannabis will develop an addiction, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If you start consuming marijuana before turning 18, the percentage rises to 1 in 6.

If use ends, occasional cannabis abuse might not result in withdrawal symptoms. However, for people who routinely abuse marijuana, quitting might result in withdrawal symptoms like mood swings, insomnia problems, and irritability, though there may be other symptoms.

withdrawal symptoms

Cannabis withdrawal symptoms could include the following:

• Reduction in appetite
• Mood shifts
• Irritability
• Sleep problems, such as insomnia
• Headaches
• Concentration is lost
• A desire for marijuana
• Sweating, including cold sweats
• Chills
• Heightened depression-related emotions
• Stomach Issues

These signs may not be life-threatening, but they might nonetheless make you feel uneasy. The withdrawal symptoms increase with the length of marijuana abuse, albeit they can vary from minor to severe, depending on the individual.

Treating a marijuana addiction

It could be challenging for someone who has used marijuana frequently or in heavy doses to stop on their own. The greatest method to stop substance misuse, in general, is to seek help. People with marijuana dependence or addiction can quit using with the help of professionals through inpatient rehab, outpatient treatment facilities, an addiction treatment program, therapy, and support groups, to name a few options. Get assistance right now if you or someone you know has a marijuana use disorder by getting in touch with a treatment facility.

Marijuana Abuse FAQ

Some of the most frequent inquiries concerning marijuana are as follows:

What is the price of marijuana?

Marijuana prices vary from state to state and may be affecte by the drug’s legal status.

In the US, is marijuana legal?

Many states have loosened their restrictions on marijuana usage as a result of the rise in both medicinal and recreational marijuana use. There are still many, nevertheless, who support strict marijuana prohibitions with severe punishments.

Does marijuana destroy brain tissue?

There may be a reduction in IQ if marijuana consumption persists into adulthood, according to certain studies on marijuana abuse in adolescents.