Cannabis Addiction Treatment: Rehab for Weed Addiction in Los Angeles

What Is Cannabis?

Cannabis is a psychoactive drug derived from the leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds of the Cannabis sativa plant. Marijuana, weed, or pot is a popular recreational drug. It’s been around for millennia as a remedy for everything from pain relief to anxiety management to simply unwinding after a long day.[1] It is also used in some spiritual ceremonies.

Now, cannabis is a popular recreational drug for its mind-altering effects. Thanks to the primary psychoactive compound, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabis can elicit a high by stimulating your brain’s reward system. Still, the substance contains hundreds of chemical compounds that negatively impact the brain and body.[2] It may be consumed in a variety of ways, including smoking, vaping, drinkables, tinctures, edibles, and capsules.

Though cannabis use is legal in some states for medical or recreational use, it’s illegal at the federal level and classified as a Schedule I controlled substance by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).[3] It has no currently accepted medical uses and potential for abuse.

Weed Addiction and Abuse

For a lot of people, cannabis seems harmless, until it isn’t. Long-term or heavy use, especially involving high-potency strains, can mess with your brain’s wiring and your mental health. That’s when you’re no longer using weed casually and may have a cannabis use disorder.

Classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), cannabis use disorder, or marijuana use disorder, is a very real, diagnosable condition. Maybe you’ve tried to cut back and can’t. Or maybe marijuana use is tanking your motivation, straining your relationships, and ruining your ability to focus. It’s controlling your life and your potential.

According to the DSM-5, cannabis addiction is a problematic use of marijuana that interferes with everyday responsibilities, relationships, and well-being. The criteria for cannabis use disorder include:[4]

• Taking cannabis in larger amounts or over a longer period than intended
• A persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control cannabis use
• Spending a lot of time obtaining, using, or recovering from cannabis
• Craving cannabis
• Failing to fulfill major role obligations at work, school, or home because of cannabis use
• Continued cannabis use despite persistent or recurrent social or interpersonal problems
• Giving up important work or recreational activities because of cannabis use

What Causes Cannabis Use Disorder?

THC has a powerful effect on the brain, acting like a dopamine “bomb.” It feels good, so you want to do it again.[5] The more you use, the more your brain starts chasing that high. Over time, cannabis becomes a shortcut to pleasure, relief, or emotional escape, and the things you once enjoyed start to lose their spark. You crave weed more and more.

As shown in animal studies, THC changes how the brain cells fire, affecting areas that influence motivation and attention. THC also changes how your brain prioritizes things.[6] That hit becomes the main focus, the star of the show, leaving your goals, passions, and relationships on the back burner. You build tolerance, needing more and more to feel the effects, fueling a cycle that’s hard to break once you’re deep in it.

Statistics on Cannabis Use Disorder

Cannabis is the most commonly used federally illegal drug in the U.S., with about 19% of Americans reporting its use in 2021.[7] Based on research, about 3 in 10 people who use cannabis have cannabis use disorder.[8] The risk of developing cannabis use disorder is higher for people who engage in marijuana abuse in adolescence.

As of 2023, the use of cannabis and other hallucinogens hit a historic high among adults aged 19 to 30, with about 42% reporting cannabis use in the past year.[9] Vaping cannabis has become more popular in recent years among this age group.[10]

Weed Addiction Treatment at Our Los Angeles Rehab Center

To cut through the noise, weed can take over your life. What begins as stress relief or an enjoyable pastime can turn into something that controls your mood, motivation, and choices. But there’s a way out – and it doesn’t look like a sterile hospital room. Our inpatient and outpatient therapy programs help you rebuild, not just quit. Here are some of the options we have to get your life back on track:

• Individual therapy: Just you and your therapist, with no judgment and no sugarcoating. This is where the real work begins to understand the “why” behind your substance abuse, confront it, and build strategies that stick.
• Family therapy: Weed use doesn’t just affect you; it ripples through your relationships with family members. Family therapy brings your loved ones together to clear the air, rebuild trust, and build support for ongoing sobriety.
• Group therapy: You’re not alone in your fight. Group therapy sessions connect you with others who get it. You’ll talk, listen, vent, laugh, and walk out stronger than you walked in.
• Recovery-oriented treatment: This isn’t just about quitting weed. You need to build a life where you don’t feel like you need it. We’ll help you figure out what actually drives you and set goals to make lifelong sobriety a reality.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): Your brain’s been wired to turn to marijuana when life hits hard. CBT helps you identify self-sabotaging thoughts, address your inner critic, and regain control to make healthier decisions.
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT): DBT provides you with the tools to stay calm, in control, and less reactive to intense feelings that can derail your progress.
• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): Sometimes, pain is part of life. ACT helps you stop fighting it and start focusing on what really matters – commitment to a healthy lifestyle.
• Somatic experiencing therapy: Trauma can stay in your body, not just your mind. Somatic therapy helps you reconnect with what your nervous system is holding onto and teaches you to release it.
• Adventure therapy: Adventure therapy gets you outside, out of your head, and into the real challenges that prove you’re stronger than your addiction and momentary cravings.
• Trauma-informed care: If weed is your go-to for past trauma or stress, we can offer something better. Our trauma-informed approach prioritizes safety, respect, and empowerment, as healing begins with being seen and heard.
• Experiential therapy: Therapy can come from more than talking, and that’s what experiential therapy is about. Sometimes you need to paint, act it out, or sing your heart out to tap into the stuff that words can’t express.
• Mindfulness-based therapy: Mindfulness therapy teaches you to pause, breathe, and notice, all before the urge takes over. It becomes a sort of muscle memory to remind yourself that you’re good when the cravings begin.
• Motivational interviewing: Still unsure about quitting? Motivational interviewing helps you uncover your own reasons and motivation for wanting a better life. We’ll figure it out together.