Drug Treatment for Alcohol and Marijuana Abuse

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The demand for drug treatment addressing alcohol and marijuana abuse has risen significantly in the last ten years, and continues to rise as marijuana becomes ever more potent, and ever more addictive and potentiating to the effects of alcohol.

Drug treatment for alcohol and marijuana represents the largest single group of drug rehab admissions by adolescent users, and continues to represent a significant proportion of the rehab population across all age groups.

Especially amongst younger users, the trend continues towards polydrug abuse, and drug treatment facilities have responded with programming specific to the needs of these recovering polydrug addicts. Detoxification needs to be undertaken with an understanding of the interaction effects of withdrawals between the drugs of abuse, and therapy and behavioral training needs to be delivered to ensure that the different situations and triggers to each drug of abuse become recognized, and an appropriate plan developed to minimize the risks of eventual relapse.

Alcohol and Marijuana: The Risks of Polydrug Abuse

Although drug treatment for an addiction to alcohol and marijuana together does not differ drastically from the treatment for an addiction to a single substance, the chemical interactions can complicate the detox period. Marijuana as used today is no longer the harmless drug it is perceived to be; and it is as much as 1000% as potent as the marijuana in use even a couple of decades ago. Today's marijuana can induce dependency and addiction, can impair cognitive processes, damage the brain, reduce memory and lessen an ability to participate appropriately without marijuana intoxication. Marijuana also potentiates the intoxicating effects of alcohol; and when the two drugs are consumed together, can increase the damage of alcohol both acutely and chronically. A polydrug addiction to alcohol and marijuana requires professional intervention and therapy.