How to Detox Your Body From Weed?

Weed -also called marijuana, cannabis, ganja, grass, hash, pot- is a mix of dried marijuana plant; it can be color green, brown or gray. It can be smoked or inhaled as a cigar, in a pipe, or using a vaporizer. Other cannabinoids forms of marijuana are human-made chemicals, called "synthetic marijuana" or "fake weed."

In the USA, some states have approved "medical marijuana" to ease symptoms of some health problems, but the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) doesn't accept cannabis as a medicine. There have been studies of the chemicals in marihuana; one of those, the cannabinoids, has led to two medications (approved by the FDA) to treat chemotherapy-related nausea and help HIV/AIDS patients with weight loss, increasing their appetite. Some of the reasons the FDA doesn´t approve the medical marijuana are related to the side effects and the addiction. Even when it can ease some symptoms, the side effects of the substance are well known.

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Marijuana -medicinal or recreational- can cause dizziness, drowsiness, altered sense of time, changes in mood, impaired body movement, hallucinations, increased heart rate, euphoria, anxiety, impaired judgment, dry mouth, conjunctival injection, increase of appetite, difficulty with thinking and problem-solving, difficulty concentrating. When smoked and inhaled, it can cause coughing and breathing problems. After extended use, long-term side effects can be memory disturbance, problems with learning and behavior, hallucinations, paranoia, and mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. After using it for a while, people can become addicted. More likely if they started using it when teenagers or if they used it every day. Synthetic cannabinoids users report similar effects to those produced by marijuana: elevated mood, relaxation, altered perception, symptoms of psychosis. Synthetic cannabinoids can also cause mental and physical health problems including rapid heart rate, vomiting, violent behavior, suicidal thoughts.

There are no stereotypical drugs addicts; affluent or poor people, anyone under pressure or with unmet psychological needs can end up with this problem. Substance abuse is an individual, family, and worldwide problem that can affect young and old, men and women. But, how do I know if I’m getting addicted to weed? Characteristics of addiction include feeling an urgent need to consume the drug, more frequently and in higher doses, and feeling sick when is not used.

However, what can I do if I had used weed or discovered I am an addict? The most useful approach to dealing with drug addiction begins with admitting that there is a problem. The main goal of drug addiction treatment is to stop using drugs, staying drug-free, and being productive in the family, work, and society. People that stop using weed are going to feel what is known as withdrawal; the symptoms expected include irritability, insomnia, nausea, depression, anorexia. Most symptoms appear after 48 hours and last from 5 to 7 days. The urine exam can detect the drug up to 1 month after use.

How can I clean my body from weed?

A good model of treatment to stop marijuana addiction and clean the body of its harmful effects include these steps:

Detoxification:

Detoxification is the process used to clean the body -and organs- from the marijuana. Drug detoxification involves two primary steps, changing our drug use habits and purifying our bodies from the drugs. Before startingweeddetoxification,it is necessary to prepare for it. It is helpful to have a physician or other healthcare provider, counselor, therapist, family member or friend for support. The withdrawal phase can last from two days to a week or more; it is the most challenging part. There are many doctors, therapists, hospitals, and detox centers, available to help us deal with drugs problems.

To detox your body from weed:

1. Drink plenty of water and consider the detox diet. The detox diet focuses primarily on steamed vegetables with some additional fruit and grains. It works to increase alkalinity and reduce acidity, which supports natural detoxification. Cravings and withdrawal intensify with an acid state generated by meats, milk products, and refined flours and sugars. A general diet with fruits and vegetables, juices and soups, or even water can be used temporarily, as they are alkaline-forming.
    
2. If you were a heavy drug user or you are pregnant, use the assistance of a healthcare practitioner to support and supervise your detox.
    
3. Reduce stress in your life. Enhance your coping strategies and support systems.
    
4. Use psychological supports which fit your value system: counseling, biofeedback, DA (Drugs Anonymous), or behavior modification.
    
5. Supplemental nutrients support your body detox. Consume vitamin C, B complex vitamins, and minerals, particularly calcium and magnesium for their calming effects, along with herbs and chlorophyll. These are more effective when combined with a food diet than with fasting.
    
6. Try herbal therapies to ease the detox process -white willow bark for pains, valerian root, and other tranquilizing herbs may also lessen excitatory withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety or insomnia. If these are not strong enough, prescription medications can be used temporarily to help ease withdrawal.
    
7. Consider the use of acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapy to ease the body through its transition. Acupuncture has a particularly good reputation for helping moms detox and supporting full-term, healthy babies.
    
8. Behavioral therapy is designed to help patients to modify their behavior or attitudes related to drug use, choose healthier life skills, and persist with all the steps of the treatment. After the initial withdrawal, we need the commitment to keep the substance out of our life and work on new behavior patterns, such as avoiding exposure to people and places associated with our previous problem until we develop new habits. The new attitude needs to be stable enough so that we can easily say no when we get exposed to the substance again. This kind of help is available in outpatient services and inpatient treatment centers (residential).

Marijuana or weed, or other drugs are harmful to our body, not just in short-term but in long-term too. When we recognize the problem, and decide to stop it, a detoxification process can start. Then, having our bodies clean help us to have healthier lives. Follow the recommendations given, but the most important after the detox: keep away from weed!
 

References:

1. Miller, L. L. (Ed.). (2013). Marijuana: Effects on human behavior. Elsevier.
    
2. Schlienz, N. J., Budney, A. J., Lee, D. C., &Vandrey, R. (2017). Cannabis Withdrawal: a Review of Neurobiological Mechanisms and Sex Differences. Current Addiction Reports, 4(2), 75-81.