Overall, harm reduction is a very unique form of therapy for recovering drug addicts, a process that (overall) begins with self-approval and acceptance. Simply put, this procedure avoids the harshness of full-blown abstinence (which can lead to deadly withdrawal symptoms) and, instead, opts for slowly weaning people off a drug. For the most part, this program is particularly helpful for people who cannot stop consuming these harmful substances and have lost the will to stop their dangerous habits. Interestingly, Canada and additional countries in Europe have fully accepted harm reduction practice, and, even more fascinating, some doctors in the United States have been giving patients medical marijuana. Ultimately, this leads to the obvious question: should recovering drug addicts consume medical-grade cannabis for therapy? Let’s take a closer look and find out more.
Back and Forth across the Board
According to Joe Schrank (founder and program director of High Sobriety), medical marijuana is solely used by members of his facility (based in Los Angeles, California) as part of detoxification and maintenance protocol. Also, this drug is only utilized for severe cases of addiction, not just random cases, as the effectiveness of pot has not been fully proven. Simply put, Schrank says pot for addiction therapy is simply utilized as a means of harm reduction and nothing more.
However, on the opposite side of the board, Todd Stumbo (CEO of Blue Ridge Mountain Recovery Center in Georgia) does not believe marijuana for addicts is a safe process at all. While he fully supports alternative therapy and intervention techniques, he doesn’t believe enough evidence exists to provide backing for harm reduction as an effective treatment option.
Effectiveness of Harm Reduction Therapy
Recently, Nora Volkow (Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse) explained that her organization has striven to find an intervention treatment option that would lead to 100% abstinence, without a chance of relapse. In particular, NIDA has been setting its sights on cocaine addiction, which can be a dangerous illness to overcome due to a strong chemical bond between coke and the human brain. However, Schrank has professed that medical marijuana has helped his patients overcome addiction to toxic substances like heroin and cocaine. Is it possible that weed is part of the solution to recovery?
Always remember that marijuana does not have control over your life. You do. Are you suffering from a substance use disorder or a severe form of addiction? Do you have a friend or family member suffering from one or more of these debilitating illnesses? If you do, get in touch with Asana Recovery today. Our counselors and healthcare experts are ready to walk you through every step of the detox and withdrawal process and rehabilitation and guide you towards living a happier, healthier, and freer lifestyle. While the road to recovery might not be an easy road to travel, we promise to help you every step of the way. Take the first step to stay fit, healthy, and safe.
The time for you to take back control of your life is now. If you are interested in one of our residential treatment or supervised detoxification/withdrawal programs, we are ready and waiting to speak with you at your disclosure. Call Asana now at (949) 438-4504 to learn how to overcome your drug abuse or addiction troubles today.
