You have choices if you want to overcome an addiction or aren’t sure if you’re ready to stop just yet. Medical cannabis treatment is one of them.
We understand your thoughts. “Weed is a drug; why would I become addicted to another drug if I’m trying to stop using drugs, alcohol, nicotine, or opioids?”
However, medical cannabis has shown potential in harm reduction and managing withdrawal symptoms. If you’re considering this approach, you can get an MMJ card online to explore legal and safe access to medical marijuana.
This assertion is predicated on two risky presumptions:
Marijuana is a drug; although it can be used recreationally, it also has potent medicinal effects. Cannabis has been used as medicine for thousands of years.
Although cannabis use disorder is real and highly preventable, marijuana is addictive. To avoid dependence, patients can use deliberate use techniques and seek assistance from knowledgeable cannabis clinicians.
What does this entail for those trying to kick an addiction? Continue reading to learn more about how cannabis might help you heal.
Medical Marijuana: A Potential Alternative for Overcoming Dependence
In what ways could cannabis help you overcome your addiction? The substance to which you are addicted will determine the answer. Let’s examine some of the most prevalent drugs that medical marijuana can help you stop using.
Alcohol
Using medical cannabis could be beneficial if you’re addicted to alcohol or just want to reduce your intake. After switching from alcohol to medicinal cannabis, many patients have reported a significantly higher quality of life.
Consider the underlying cause of your alcohol consumption rather than comparing cannabis intoxication to alcohol intoxication.
Many people with drinking problems say they’re attempting to:
- Get away from reality.
- Numb the signs of a mental illness
- Reduce social anxiety or “open up” in social situations.
- Avoid focusing on their physical discomfort.
Cannabis is much more than just an intoxicant; it can aid you in your recovery from the underlying issues that led to your addiction, such as ongoing stress, mental health issues, social anxiety, and physical discomfort. You can stop depending on the drugs you may use to escape or divert yourself by getting rid of the need to do so.
Opioids
Opioids are effective medications used to treat pain.
Although they may help some patients feel less pain, they come with risks:
- They are highly addictive.
- They present a serious risk of overdosing.
You may be concerned about dealing with the acute or chronic pain you were initially attempting to treat if you are currently addicted to opioids. You can overcome opioid dependence permanently and enhance your pain management results by integrating medical cannabis into your recovery.
Cannabis is an effective pain reliever; THC and CBD both benefit countless patients by enhancing their quality of life, reducing pain, and promoting healthier lifestyles in general.
Nicotine
Cannabis can be a potent harm reduction option if you’re trying to stop vaping nicotine or smoking cigarettes.
When quitting nicotine, there are two factors to take into account:
- Nicotine is powerful – You might feel the need to switch out the negative effects of nicotine with something healthier, like cannabis, whether you use it to reduce stress, improve focus and performance, or both. Particularly, hybrid strains provide a blend of invigorating and calming effects that may help you rediscover the concentration and calm you currently seek from nicotine.
- Smoking can cause oral fixation habits – Oral fixation is a powerful and habit-forming behavior that can be triggered by simply raising your hand to your face and taking a breath. Smoking cannabis rather than ingesting it could help you deal with oral fixation as you quit smoking nicotine if you’re struggling to break the habit (rather than the calming and stimulating effects of nicotine).
Illicit Drugs
You face a steep hill in your recovery from an addiction to drugs like heroin, cocaine, or methamphetamine because these substances are extremely addictive and can be very hard to stop using.
Think about why you initially began using these as you get closer to recovery. To resist peer pressure? Reduce tension? Prevent both mental and physical symptoms? Illicit substances can provide an escape, just like alcohol. But cannabis can help you get rid of the need to escape in the first place.
Here is a summary of what cannabis can do during the recovery process, but you can read our comprehensive guide to using it as a tool for mental health recovery:
- Cannabis provides a calm, safe environment for reflection, processing, and overcoming automatic reactions and emotions.
- We can uncover and resolve past events that contribute to our current difficulties when we take the time to slow down and examine our feelings and behaviors—the ones we’re using drugs to try to escape.
- We can heal by consciously examining and processing our past, our actions, and our feelings. The underlying causes of our addictions can be addressed with deliberate cannabis use.
Can You Get Addicted to Marijuana?
Let’s go back to one of the issues raised in the introduction: isn’t marijuana addictive? Not precisely. Let’s explore the subtleties.
Cannabis Use Disorder
Cannabis use disorder is a real condition. Anyone who keeps using marijuana for medical or recreational purposes at the expense of their relationships, finances, jobs, or personal lives may be suffering from some form of marijuana dependence.
It is important to recognize this. Cannabis use disorder can be prevented, though. For those seeking to overcome their dependence on cannabis for alcohol, opioids, nicotine, or illegal drugs, it’s convenient to know that the same strategies you’d use to recover from a cannabis addiction can also help you avoid dependence.
Intentional Use
The difference between haphazard substance replacement and genuine recovery can be determined by intentional use. Additionally, it can assist patients in avoiding cannabis dependence. What does medical marijuana patients’ deliberate cannabis use look like?
Medical Supervision
First and foremost, a qualified, experienced clinician with training in therapeutic marijuana applications should oversee medical cannabis treatment.
For several reasons, it’s easier than ever to get this expert assistance:
- You might need the recommendation to get access to medical cannabis – Patients who wish to apply for a medical cannabis card (or visit their state’s dispensaries or pharmacies) in states where medical-only cannabis is legal must have a recommendation from a healthcare professional. Patients can more easily locate the professional assistance they require because many states keep databases and lists of providers who are permitted to recommend cannabis in order to assist patients in meeting this requirement.
- Networks are expanding access – Cannabis-informed, licensed providers who can make recommendations and provide support during medical marijuana treatment are actively connected to patients through online cannabis care networks such as Online Medical Card.
You can design a purposeful, healthful cannabis treatment plan that suits your needs and way of life with guidance and advice from a medical expert.
Precise Dosing
In order to achieve the desired effects at the lowest possible dosage, your medical cannabis healthcare provider can assist you in developing a precise and consistent dosing schedule.
You may need to experiment with this, which your provider can assist you with. You can establish your initial dosage and make necessary adjustments with the help of our comprehensive guide to determining your ideal dosage.
Instead of continuously increasing your dosage and chasing that fleeting escape, you can use marijuana consistently and with a clear goal if you know how much of it you need to get the effects you want.
Self-Work
Intentional self-work is necessary to get rid of the need to escape in the first place if you want to avoid that never-ending search for relief.
With the aid of cannabis, you can establish a secure, peaceful, or curious mental environment in which you can perform the following supplementary exercises without feeling overwhelmed or afraid of being judged:
- Journaling
- Somatic exercises, including:
- Full-body scans
- Acupuncture
- Ice baths
- Movement or exercise
- Talk therapies
- Creative pursuits
The self-work techniques listed above can all assist you in identifying the underlying causes of your addiction, analyzing them, and learning to overcome them. One tool that can safely and effectively support this process is medical cannabis.
Online Medical Card: Your Trusted Source for Medical Cannabis Support
Addiction recovery is difficult, but you don’t have to do it alone. Online Medical Card is a caring network of certified professionals who can assist you in finding healing if you’re thinking about combining medical cannabis treatment with your recovery process.
Online Medical Card connects patients with medical cannabis professionals who can create personalized treatment plans, help patients obtain their medical cards, and offer medical advice. Additionally, for those interested in cultivation, they can provide guidance on obtaining a CA cannabis grower license to legally grow medical marijuana.
Are you prepared to learn how medical cannabis might aid in your healing process? Make an appointment right away.
