Many people believe that marijuana edibles are less harmful than other forms of marijuana. But the dangers of edibles are real, especially for teenagers. If your teen is struggling with edible use, call Foothills at Red Oak Recovery at 866.300.5275 to learn about our teen marijuana abuse treatment program and get them the help they need today.
Edible Marijuana Health Dangers
The dangers of edibles can be substantial. While it’s true that edibles don’t damage the lungs like smoked marijuana does, marijuana edibles can quickly lead to addiction, which can cause a wide range of physical and mental health consequences. Like all other substance use disorders, marijuana addiction can result in the following:
- An inability to stop using on your own
- Using more marijuana than intended or for longer than intended
- Prioritizing marijuana use over your health
- Giving up on important hobbies or activities to continue marijuana use
- Worsening mental health symptoms due to marijuana use
- Physical withdrawal symptoms if you suddenly stop taking marijuana
When a person develops a marijuana addiction, they may stop taking care of themselves and their health. They can turn away from healthy activities like exercise and fulfilling tasks like achieving in school.
Sometimes, people learn that marijuana can be used to treat stress, anxiety, or depression, but it can easily result in these problems getting worse over time.
Physical Risks of Edible Marijuana
Of course, there are other marijuana health dangers as well. In the case of edibles, the primary risk to your physical health is accidentally taking too much due to higher than expected levels of THC present. This can quickly lead to a wide range of physical side effects.
Unlike smoked marijuana, edible marijuana can take several hours to take effect. It’s difficult to measure the exact amount of THC in a marijuana edible, even if it comes from a marijuana dispensary and has a label stating how much THC it contains. These labels can be wildly inaccurate, which can lead to people taking too much.
These two factors lead to people consuming large amounts of THC and then redosing with another large dose before the effects even kick in. This can lead to marijuana poisoning. Teenagers can get extremely sick and may have problems walking, sitting up, or even breathing.
How Marijuana Addiction Treatment for Teens Can Help
Marijuana addiction is a serious mental health problem. Teens who become addicted to marijuana may not be able to stop on their own and can face severe withdrawal symptoms if they suddenly stop using marijuana. Common marijuana withdrawal symptoms include:
- Anxiety
- Restlessness
- Insomnia
- Depression
- Having nightmares
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain
Marijuana addiction treatment for teens can help to alleviate several of these withdrawal symptoms and teach teenagers the tools necessary to recover from marijuana addiction.
Marijuana treatment centers use several evidence-based therapies to help teenagers build healthy coping mechanisms, manage drug cravings, and build productive lives in recovery.
They use one-on-one counseling with a certified drug and alcohol counselor, group therapy with other teens struggling with addiction, and experiential therapies that teach teens how to enjoy life in sobriety.
Addiction at a young age is particularly dangerous. Teenagers’ brains aren’t yet fully developed, and continuing to use addictive substances can rewire their brains to lean toward addictive behaviors in the future. Intervening as soon as possible is the best way to ensure a long and healthy life in recovery.
Call Foothills at Red Oak Recovery for Marijuana Addiction Treatment for Teens
If your teenage boy is struggling with edible marijuana addiction, call the team at Foothills at Red Oak Recovery by dialing 866.300.5275. Our addiction treatment facility is designed specifically for adolescent boys who struggle with addiction and has evidence-based tools to help them achieve recovery.
