For many people, marijuana addiction is a “harmless” condition. As such, the rather high costs of marijuana rehab spark another discussion.
Is the cost of marijuana treatment worth it? Why do I have to shell out the big bucks to treat a condition that doesn’t seem to be doing too much harm?
Marijuana is the second most common addictive drug after tobacco and alcohol. It comes from the cannabis indica plant and contains THCA (tetrahydro cannabidiolic acid) and CBDA (cannabidiolic acid).
Marijuana abuse and addiction are common to different people of different ages. In 2017, more than 11.8 million people used the substance.
Another survey says teens in grades 8 and 10 have a higher chance of using the substance. The worst part is marijuana abuse comes with a myriad of health, social and mental problems.
All of these spell out the importance of marijuana addiction treatment. Hence, the need for quality rehab services. Some say quality marijuana rehab services cost a fortune, others say they are affordable.
We think standard marijuana rehab services are worth their cost. We’re not just saying that. We’ve got the information to justify this school of thought too. Keep reading to see why the cost of marijuana addiction treatment is an investment that’ll pay staggering dividends.
What is The Cost of Marijuana Treatment?
The cost of marijuana treatment in Ontario ranges from $2,000 to $25,000 for 30-day treatment programs. However, this price borders on several factors.
Location
As you will expect, location plays a big role in marijuana treatment services. Places with high standards of living will charge more for addiction treatment. On the other hand, places with low standards of living will charge less for marijuana addiction treatment services.
Length of addiction program
There are different lengths of addiction treatment programs with 30 days treatment programs the most common ones. The longer you have to spend at marijuana rehab, the more you’ll end up spending on treatment.
By the way, you can’t attempt to save money by signing up for a short-term rehab program. Only a marijuana addiction treatment expert is in the best position to decide the length of your addiction treatment programs.
Type of addiction program
Some programs come with comprehensive treatment activities designed to help you recover faster and wholesomely. Typically, these types of addiction programs tend to be more expensive than others.
Related Article: How to Recognize the Signs of Marijuana Addiction
Here’s Why The Cost of Marijuana Treatment is Worth it
Marijuana addiction is a slow but steady process. It starts with a single hit and steadily builds up to multiple joints every day. With time, you’ll start to experiment with edibles and other methods of abusing marijuana.
Marijuana is an extract from cannabis Sativa. The Sativa plant has THCA and CBDA. Both THCA and CBDA are inactive forms of THC and CBD respectively. THC is responsible for causing highness in users, while CBD has sedative effects. For this reason, doctors use CBD for patients with insomnia or other sleep disorders.
On October 7, 2018, Canada legalized marijuana consumption for recreational purposes. In a survey before legalization, 26.9% of survey respondents were young people. They were between the age of 25 and 34. Only 6.1% of the survey respondents were adults.
The reason for this small percentage among older adults was the negative perception of the substance. But since marijuana’s acceptance by the Canadian legal system, it has achieved more acceptance among older adults. In our opinion, that’s not necessarily a positive effect.
While marijuana use has health benefits, there are also downsides to marijuana abuse. When you take marijuana, it bypasses circuits in your brain to produce chemical substances. These chemical substances cause you to feel “high” and energetic.
To reproduce the initial feelings of excitement, users continue using weed. Continual use of the substance causes the body to start depending on it. At this point, your body neglects the normal production of hormones that cause excitement. At this stage, the user is already dependent on the substance.
But dependence leads to addiction. Marijuana addiction is a physical dependence on marijuana substances such that it has a strain on your physical and emotional being.
Marijuana addiction has short-term effects and long-term effects. Common examples of short term effects of marijuana addiction include:
- Hallucination
- Short term memory
- Psychosis
- Sexual problems
- Increased heart rate
- Coordination difficulty
- Increased risk of stroke
- Paranoia
- Anxiety
- Panic
While long term effects include:
- Low life satisfaction
- Financial difficulties
- Severe addiction
- Antisocial behaviour
- Relationship challenges
- Lowered IQ
The severity of marijuana addiction emphasizes the importance of quitting marijuana addiction. It’s the first reason the cost of professional marijuana addiction treatment is worth it.
Help with Withdrawal Symptoms
Some people believe self-quitting marijuana addiction is an option. Quitting addiction without medical assistance is as good as not quitting at all. Because your body now depends on the substance, removal of the substance has implications. We refer to these implications as withdrawal symptoms.
Withdrawal symptoms occur because your body is compensating for the absence of marijuana. Often, withdrawal symptoms are similar to the short-term effects of marijuana addiction. Withdrawal symptoms can start as early as 3 hours after the last dose and last for days.
Without medical supervision, withdrawal symptoms can be lethal. Hence, there’s a need to visit a marijuana addiction treatment centre.
Marijuana rehab centres have an organized structure that helps you recover from marijuana addiction. Part of the structure includes access to personnel and medical equipment to manage withdrawal symptoms.
Medical Detox
After you enrol for a marijuana addiction treatment program, medical detox is usually the first treatment stage. By definition, it is the medical removal of marijuana from your system.
During detox, patients will begin to experience withdrawal symptoms like:
- Irritability
- Insomnia
- Mood swings
- Chills
- Headache
- Cravings
- Sweating
- Stomach issues
- Finished appetite
In some cases, withdrawal symptoms that accompany medical detox can be life-threatening. It’s why undergoing medical detox in a standard addiction treatment centre cannot be under-emphasized. In a standard marijuana rehab, medical personnel are available to manage and treat withdrawal symptoms.
Medical detox can be easy for some and can be challenging for others. An average marijuana detox process should take around 6 hours to a few days.
Because of the complexity of the process, treatment centres ensure there are capable specialists to manage different situations. This level of care is why the cost of marijuana addiction treatment is worth it.
A successful medical detox program builds a foundation for effective addiction treatment and recovery. With it, you’ll have the impetus and core skills necessary to complete rehab programs and achieve long-term sobriety.
Comprehensive In-patient Programs
During in-patient programs, patients stay within the confines of the rehab centre. It’s why we also refer to it as a residential addiction treatment program.
When you enrol for an in-patient marijuana addiction treatment program, be ready for intensive treatments. In-patient programs help patients focus on recovering and nothing more. All of the triggers, patterns and external influences contributing to marijuana abuse will be absent.
In-patient addiction treatment programs aim at helping addicts recognize their triggers. A major benefit of paying the cost of in-patient marijuana addiction treatment programs is help with overcoming triggers. Counsellors and therapists will help you develop the skills to manage addiction triggers.
Not only that, in-patients programs engage addicts in activities designed to keep them busy. All of these activities allow you to adopt newer lifestyles even after treatment. You may engage in:
- Frequent meditation to renew the mind
- Regular exercise sessions to stay fit
- Learning new cooking skills
- Joining reading groups
The average in-patient program for marijuana addiction will include the following;
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: This program helps patients to recognize negative thoughts and learn to control them. It takes place under the guidance of a highly trained and experienced counsellor.
- Contingency management: It’s quite different from Cognitive Behavioral therapy. In Cognitive Behavioral therapy, therapeutics use money or other rewards to incentivize addicts. For instance, therapeutics may stipulate zero marijuana in your urine. If addicts see the reward as attractive enough, they’ll abstain from marijuana use.
- Motivational enhancement: During motivational enhancements, experts speak to addicts for motivation. In some cases, marijuana addicts already in recovery talk to patients and encourage them. This has proven to be effective in motivating patients toward sobriety.
There are other forms this therapy can take. It may be individual sessions or group sessions. During the individual sessions, addicts speak to experts directly and share their burdens with them. On the other hand, group sessions involve every patient in the rehab centre. They’ll all rally around, discuss their marijuana recovery experiences and share nuggets of advice.
Affordable Outpatient Programs
You don’t have to pay top dollar to enjoy the benefits of marijuana addiction treatment. Marijuana addiction treatment costs for an out-patient program are different from that of the average in-patient program. It’s considerably lower on the money scale.
Unlike in-patient programs, out-patient programs do not offer 24-hour professional supervision. Patients in out-patients programs can continue their daily activities while receiving marijuana rehab treatments.
You don’t have to pay for expensive in-patient marijuana rehab programs. Out-patient centres afford you the flexibility of time, money and a gradual recovery process.
With marijuana rehab, there’s always a treatment program for everyone. You just have to find a treatment centre that fits your marijuana addiction recovery needs. And your budget.
A highlight reel of why marijuana rehab is worth it
There are other benefits of marijuana addiction treatment that make the cost worth it.
- Quitting marijuana addiction teaches you to create healthy boundaries.
- Addiction treatment centres allow for the adaptation of new lifestyles.
- Treating marijuana addiction means specialists can treat other underlying/related conditions.
- Quitting addiction restores your self-respect.
- Another important benefit of quitting addiction is the peace of mind afterwards.
- With addiction comes disorganization. Quitting marijuana addiction brings stability to your emotions and finances.
- Sharper senses
- Heightened self-confidence.
- Improved communication skills.
- Room for self-improvement as your priorities are now properly set.
Related Article: Do Marijuana Addiction Treatments Work?
To Wrap It Up
The cost of marijuana addiction rehab can seem like a huge hill at first. For an effective recovery, you’ll end up spending thousands of dollars on professional marijuana rehab services. However, it’s an expense that’s well worth it.
As we have described above, the benefits of completing a marijuana rehab program are numerous. From learning how to manage triggers to adopting a positive lifestyle, there are a lot of advantages to harness.
Here at Addiction Rehab Toronto, we can help you make the most out of your marijuana rehab programs. Our experienced specialists will create a treatment plan specific to your needs. Contact us today to book a consultation session!
