Detox, or detoxification, is a means of controlling acute intoxication and withdrawal from a drug like cannabis (marijuana) or other addictive substances. A detox program is principally directed at the physical effects of drug use. The pot rehabilitation, on the other hand, is a more of a long-range goal of becoming completely free of drugs altogether and effecting major lifestyle modifications. This involves psychological and behavioral factors and can take longer than simply cleaning up to pass a drug test at work.
The Source
Marijuana comes from a plant called Cannabis sativa. The female flowers and leaves of this plant have been smoked, drunk or used in oils for thousands of years in religious rites. Today, it is more likely to be ingested for recreational use. It is reported to be both the least harmful and most widely used illicit substance in the world. Most countries criminalized its use in the first quarter of the Twentieth Century.
The Intake
Used socially, it is mainly rolled in cigarette papers to make ‘joints’. The customary ritual is to light up a joint, inhale and pass it on to the next smoker in the group. The smoke induces a feeling of calmness and euphoria. The senses are heightened and everything looks, feels and sounds more intense while high.
The Results
Time becomes distorted so users feel like a few minutes can last an hour. Users also report ‘cotton mouth’ and getting the ‘munchies’. In other words, smoking grass makes you thirsty and hungry.
Social Aspect
Watching television and listening to music are popular pastimes when stoned. This may be attributed to the heightened audio and visual senses. Social occasions often involve dispatching one of the group on a ‘munchies run’, a practice that involves visiting a supermarket and loading up on drinks and sweet or salty snacks. Alternatively, a drive through the nearest fast food outlet may be called for. As cannabis use can induce feelings of paranoia, especially when set apart from the pack, the munchies runner needs to be selected with care. These effects wear off within a day or so, although the drug remains detectable in the system for a matter of weeks.
Potency
Today’s strains of cannabis are far more potent than the weed that the Baby Boomer generation smoked during their formative years. Known as ‘skunk’, the high-strength strains have been selectively bred for the past thirty to forty years. Arrests and seizures of the high-strength drug have skyrocketed while the same figures for lower strength varieties have fallen.
Dependence
Contrary to popular folklore, it is possible to become dependent on cannabis. A state of dependency is defined to be reached when it takes increasingly more amounts of the drug to achieve the same state of well-being or when its use interferes with the users job or relationships. More people enroll in heroin medical detoxification programs for cannabis than for any other drug, including crack, cocaine and heroin.