Cannabis Rehab

If you’re worrying about needing rehab for cannabis addiction, at Action Rehab we are here to help you.

Rehab for cannabis is incredibly common, it is a drug that while may seem less sinister than other illegal substances can still hold a tight grip on a user, leading to detrimental effects.

If this sounds familiar, find out below what to expect from cannabis rehab below.

Understanding Cannabis Addiction

Cannabis addiction can seriously affect the brain’s reward system, due to the active ingredient in cannabis, known as THC. This has the potential to interact with dopamine, surging the neurotransmitter which is associated with pleasure and reward.

Due to this addictive feeling of a surge in happiness and release of stress, a reliance can form wherein those looking for an escape rely on the substance to combat any underlying issues.

Ultimately, there are  various considerations in understanding cannabis addiction, so it is crucial to be empathetic with yourself, or somebody else who is suffering from the addiction.

The Common Causes and Risk Factors of Cannabis Addiction

There are a huge range of causes and risk factors that could land somebody in a cannabis rehab centre. These causes and risk factors can stem from both a psychological and social standpoint, some out of the circle of control of the user.

Some of the most common causes and risk factors associated with cannabis addiction, may include:

• Social Environment: The environment in which somebody grows up has the potential to steer them into a particular path. This can include the likes of peer pressure, being involved with people who are also cannabis users and simply being exposed to it on a regular basis.
• Genetics: It is possible for some people to be at higher risk of developing cannabis addiction due to genetic variations, potentially influencing how the brain may respond to cannabinoids.
• Early age exposure: If somebody is exposed to cannabis early on in their life, it is thus normalised, it is a part of their life that they may feel acceptable being unknown to the sheer harm it can cause.

Signs and Symptoms of an Cannabis Dependence

Signs and symptoms of cannabis dependance can arguably be difficult to spot. It may be easy to feel in denial about it all but we want to reassure anybody who thinks that they, or somebody else that they know is suffering from cannabis addiction should get professional help.

Some of the main signs and symptoms of cannabis addiction may include, but aren’t limited to:

• Difficulty maintaining focus
• Poor judgement
• Mood swings
• Agitation / Irritability
• Paranoia
• Dry mouth
• Sleepiness
• Increase in appetite
• Using cannabis even in risky situations (e.g.driving)
• Lying to cover cannabis use

The list is extensive, and it can ultimately look different for everybody. That being said, it is important to ask if you’re concerned about somebody else and reach out for help if you’re concerned about yourself.

Consequences of Cannabis Abuse

Cannabis affects the body in a range of ways, both physically and psychologically making it even more difficult to combat addiction once it is underway.

Rehab for cannabis addiction is often needed for those suffering the consequences of abusing cannabis. This includes any form of intake, whether it be digesting, smoking, vaping or any other means of getting it into the body.

Some of the more common psychological, physical and social consequences of cannabis addiction may include, but aren’t limited to:

• Reduced cognitive function
• Depression and Anxiety
• Respiratory issues
• Heart / cardiovascular issues
• Financial difficulties

It is important that those suffering from these issues seek help as soon as possible before the addiction spirals into anything more sinister.

What is Cannabis Rehab?

We understand that what actually takes place in a cannabis rehab clinic isn’t common knowledge, so there is no reason to feel overwhelmed or intimidated by the prospect as we are here to help understand what to expect.

Within cannabis rehab, those suffering from addiction are able to access detox first in a designated clinic, then after rehabilitation in which individuals can combat the psychological side of addiction.

Detoxification isn’t always necessary, but it can be for anybody with severe cannabis addiction or for those that are taking cannabis alongside other substances that may require a detox. 

Once this stage is complete, rehab includes the treatment consisting of a range of therapies, tailored in a programme personalised to the individual.

Types of Cannabis Rehab Programmes

Within cannabis addiction rehab there are a range of tailored programmes, both that are in rehab centres and those that allow for treatment alongside everyday life.

Outpatient Rehab Programmes

Outpatient rehab programmes allow for anybody going through treatment to still get rehab treatment even when they are still living at home. This is suitable for anybody who is suffering from cannabis addiction, but feels as though it is manageable enough to still get through daily life alongside treatment.

Cannabis Detoxification Programmes

Cannabis detox, as mentioned, comes at the beginning of the recovery process. This is the first step of ridding cannabis and any other drugs or substances, including alcohol from the body so that rehab can be underway without any physical distraction.

This can range from a couple of days, or up to 10 days, completely dependent on the severity of the addiction. Within a designated detox clinic, those suffering from cannabis addiction are able to have medical assistance 24/7 meaning it is as safe as possible for the entirety of recovery.

Once detox is complete, rehab then begins and there is a complete approach to recovery.

Inpatient Cannabis Rehab Programmes

Inpatient cannabis rehab is the preferred approach due to the fact that the succession rates are expected to be higher as the treatment level is intense and carefully designed for the best chance at full recovery.

Rehab centres for cannabis on an inpatient basis typically offer the following elements for the best approach to recovery:

• Intense addiction therapy: Addiction therapy offers the opportunity to face cannabis addiction head on. From 1-2-1 therapies to group therapies, everything is meticulously thought out to ensure the best chance at recovery.
• Self help & Holistic therapies: In order to deal with recovery post-rehab, having the tools in terms of self help to deal with temptation is important. This relapse prevention during treatment can help do just that.
• Aftercare: Aftercare is something that is exclusive to particular rehabs. Not all rehabs offer this, but with our help we can ensure you find one that does, often our partnering rehabs offer 1-year free aftercare with a 28-night stay. Contact us for more information on this.

Choosing the Right Cannabis Rehab Centre

The right cannabis rehab centre is different for everybody, it heavily depends on whether outpatient or private cannabis rehab is necessary alongside some other mitigating factors.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Rehab

Some factors to consider when choosing the right rehab for cannabis include:

#1 Treatment 

While there are arguably different ways to treat addiction, there are standards that are expected and typical structures that are uniform across the board for top rehabs; for instance, treatments should be tailored to the addiction, in this case, cannabis.

This means that while there may be similarities in some treatments like cognitive therapy methods, there will be differentiating factors like detoxes and length of rehab stays depending on each individual and the addiction(s) present. It is important to think about whether the rehab choices being considered are offering these tailored approaches for the best chance at recovery.

#2 Staff Expertise

Something else to consider is the level of staff expertise, experience and qualifications apparent within the rehab facility. A competent rehab for cannabis should be run by addiction therapists and specialists that are trained in specific care relating to addiction and the safety measures required for such.

This is particularly important for those going through a cannabis detox as there may be the need for prescription medication distribution which can only be done by those who are allowed to administer medication.

#3 Clinic Quality & Reputation

The reputation of a clinic is important to look into when finding an appropriate cannabis rehab. The good news is, this can easily be done on the CQC website, where anybody can view the audit conducted by the regulatory body The Care Quality Commision. Look out for ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ awards for any cannabis rehab facilities being considered.

How to Evaluate Quality of Care in Rehab Centres

Evaluating the quality of care within a cannabis rehab centre is difficult if you don’t know what to look out for. Look out for the aforementioned qualities such as staff expertise and CQC rating, but also consider reviews.

Reviews are a great way to understand past experiences from people who have taken the exact same path. It provides a transparent understanding of how the rehab facility works, from the staff, the treatments to even more specific areas of concern like catering and sleeping facilities.

Evaluating the quality of the care comes down to specific requirements and needs, which makes it subjective depending on the severity of the cannabis addiction, particularly if there are other substances being taken as well.

Location and Facility Considerations

One of the biggest decisions to make during this time is where the facility will be. We are able to find a cannabis rehab UK wide, meaning no matter where, up and down the country we can place anybody who needs treatment, into treatment without going too far.

This however, is often subjective again to the individual. For example, many of those suffering from cannabis addiction feel as though it is best to steer clear of home familiarities and temptation, meaning moving away to rehabilitate is a preferable option.

This, for some, may make for a commitment that ensures they stay on track, it may provide the extra push required to make it through the entirety of the programme. On the other hand, many people may feel more comfortable and less anxious when they know they’re closer to home, this is completely understandable and no matter where, the treatment will still be effective near or far.

Whatever the preference, we can help to find it.

Cannabis Rehab Cost of Treatment

Cannabis rehab cost is one of the biggest questions, and we completely understand why. While we would love to provide an exact price point, it isn’t possible as everything is completed on a case by case basis.

This is due to the fact that everybody requires varying levels of care, whether it is cannabis or any other substance or behavioural addiction. Cannabis addiction can vary greatly in severity, thus, there are varying treatment levels needed.

While some may feel outpatient treatment is enough, others may feel that a full term inpatient rehab stay is necessary to break free from the shackles of cannabis addiction once and for all.

As we are a referral service, anybody looking for treatment for cannabis addiction is able to come to us with a budget, then, we are able to find appropriate centres that fit the prerequisites provided.

Cannabis Rehab Treatment Approaches

Rehab for cannabis addiction comes with varying treatments, yet since cannabis use presents both physical and psychological ailments, there are both physical and psychological treatments that work in conjunction with one another for a well rounded approach.

Cannabis Rehab Core Treatment Types

Visiting a cannabis rehab centre is an incredibly positive step, but we understand that it can be daunting not knowing what to expect or how cannabis addiction is treated.

Depending on individual circumstances, the cannabis rehab process can be intense – but this is nothing to be apprehensive about. In fact, intense inpatient private cannabis rehab is likely the best way to overcome addiction in the most fast and streamline way possible.

Cannabis addiction is treated with a range of treatments, which can include, but not limited to:

• Assessment
• Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT)
• Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET)
• 1-2-1 Counselling
• Group Therapy
• Family Therapy
• On-going Aftercare

Rehab for cannabis addiction is not a one-size-fits-all approach. For example, our partnering rehabs offer addiction services for a range of addictions, including cannabis, meaning if you have any coinciding addictions or require dual diagnosis, you’re able to treat everything at once.

Dual Diagnosis Treatment Options

Dual diagnosis is a treatment option unique to rehab centres that offer it, it essentially means that anybody that has a co-occuring mental health issue is able to get diagnosis and treatment for such alongside the treatment for their addiction.

With poor mental health being a consequence of addiction and vice versa, there are many circumstances that somebody would require treatment for a mental health condition. If this is to go ignored, then there is a high chance of relapse being prominent in the future.

To avoid relapse at all costs, we can find a cannabis rehab clinic that offers mental health treatment, alongside the addiction treatment.

Holistic Therapies and Integrative Approaches

Something that should never get overlooked is the efficacy of holistic therapy.

Holistic therapy teaches those in rehab how to cope on a self-help basis, meaning these techniques can be taken into daily life to cope with temptation and difficult periods were relapse is a risk.

Some of these may include the likes of:

• Mindfulness
• Art therapy
• Music therapy
• Motivational interviewing

What to Expect at a Cannabis Rehabilitation Clinic

This is what to expect at your chosen treatment centre, but you should always bear in mind that all rehabs have varied approaches but the overall structure will typically stay the same – especially if they’re regulated.

Duration of Cannabis Treatment Programmes

The duration of a private cannabis rehab is based upon the severity of the addiction. For instance, somebody who has been a chronic cannabis user and is addicted to the substance is going to have more intense withdrawals than that of a relatively new user who is in and out of cannabis use.

This also goes for people who are suffering from other addictions alongside cannabis. This can again require more complex treatment which can take more time – thus, the duration of cannabis treatment is determined on a case by case basis.

Rules and Guidelines in Rehab Facilities

The rules and guidelines for rehab facilities differ from place to place however there are some things that should never change to ensure an industry standard is kept.

In order to ensure that there is a uniform high quality standard of care in rehab facilities, the aforementioned CQC audit is based on particular criteria. However, there are still differentiating rules and guidelines that allow for cannabis rehab centres to offer unique things yet still keep high standards of care.

Why Do Rules Vary?

Some of the reasoning behind differing rules is down to the discretion of the rehab itself, this can be due to some of the following reasoning.

#1 Specialised Areas of Treatment

Rehabs are all at different standards, meaning there are top rehabs that offer high standard treatments that may even be unique to that space. For example, while a top of the range rehab facility may offer unique treatments like the Satori Chair, others may not have the means to offer this.

Due to this, there will be areas of treatment that thus, come with different rules and guidelines to abide by.

#2 Demographic of the Patients

Something else that can impact the level of rules and guidelines includes the demographic of the patients. Any rehab centres that may care for more vulnerable members of society are going to require more rules and guidelines to ensure safety of these people.

#3 Available facilities

There are risks for any space, no matter where. For example, a space with outside space and larger environments comes with more risks than a rehab that doesn’t have these sorts of facilities.

That being said, the rules and regulations for them are different to ensure that safety is always at the utmost importance and that standards are kept to a high standard.

Relapse Prevention: Aftercare and Continued Support Options

Once treatment in a cannabis rehab centre is complete, there are still challenges during long term recovery.

These challenges mostly come down to resisting temptation and ensuring that anybody who has undergone treatment stays on track. In order to do this, aftercare is a key part of long term recovery to ensure relapse prevention.

Free Aftercare Programmes

What are aftercare programmes?

Aftercare programmes consist of therapies, typically held weekly that help those in long term recovery stay on track. All aftercare programmes differ and the programme contents are at the discretion of the facility itself, therefore, as we are a referral service there isn’t a definite answer to what they consist of across the board.

Many aftercare programmes held by our partnering rehabs offer up to an entire year of therapy, ensuring that anybody in recovery has the tools to stay on track for good.

Why are aftercare programmes a staple in recovery?

Aftercare programmes are a key staple in recovery due to the temptations that come with being in familiar environments once again. It is understandable that there are triggers, whether it be mental health issues or even being in social settings where cannabis is being used.

Therefore, a good aftercare programme can make for a stable part of recovery.

Continued Support Provided in Aftercare Programmes

The kind of continued support in provided during aftercare typically involves:

• Weekly Therapies: Many aftercare programmes offer therapy once a week, this provides past inpatients with the ability to check in with addiction specialists and share struggles to come up with useful coping mechanisms.
• Out-patient groups: Outpatient groups include the likes of Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous in this case. This can be online or in-house in a group setting and is a free, extra way of staying on track.
• Sponsorship mentors: Sponsorship mentors are a commonality for people who require somebody who is always there for them and most importantly, have been in the same position. Sponsorship mentors have been through the recovery process and are a shoulder to lean on in times of hardship and temptation.

Support for Families of Those Affected by Cannabis Abuse

Addiction doesn’t only have an effect on a user, it has an effect on the whole family. We completely understand this at Action Rehab and want to reassure anybody who is struggling with caring for a loved one.

How Cannabis Addiction Impacts Families

Cannabis addiction impacts families by breaking down relationships, typically due to behavioural changes that come along with cannabis addiction. For example, neglecting responsibilities as cannabis becomes the priority, dealing with mental health issues that are formulating as a result of cannabis abuse and even getting into financial difficulty by borrowing money from family members to fund the habit.

All of these kinds of issues boil down to cannabis becoming the number 1 priority over family relationships and the struggle that is seeing loved ones battle with addiction.

Support for Families With Action Rehab

There are many ways that we support families being affected by cannabis addiction.

The family is able to contact us and we can help in providing advice, guidance and help with setting up interventions and ultimately understanding how to approach somebody suffering with cannabis addiction.

We also help families with referrals, meaning that if somebody is looking to refer their family member to a rehab, we can help with the entire process. Trust in us, as a referral company, we are able to provide all the information necessary to find a solution, together.

How to Begin the Process of Rehabilitation from Cannabis Abuse

Begin the process with help from us at Action Rehab, we can help answer the question how does rehab for cannabis work?

All qualms can be put at bay with our help, there is no need to feel intimidated as we are here to help take prerequisites and find a rehab that suits individual needs. Don’t let cannabis addiction take over, seek help for you, or somebody else before it is too late.

The Admissions Process With Action Rehab

We provide a streamline process at Action Rehab, meaning that anybody suffering is able to get into rehab fast without any searching around for the most appropriate centre.

The direction of getting help typically follows this structure…

• Pre-admission: This is when somebody would reach out for help at the first instance, it may take a phone call, a call back request or an email to get the ball rolling. This allows for us to have a simple, non-obligatory chat about the cannabis addiction, any other addictions and allows for us to explain how we can help.
• Assessment: The assessment period would then begin, allowing for skilled onboarding specialists to help organise a suitable rehab for cannabis addiction.
• Admission: Once the details of the facility choice is confirmed, we are able to admit individuals into rehabilitation and get treatment started as soon as possible.

Reach Out to Action Rehab Today

Talk to us today to find out how we can help get anybody suffering from the weight of cannabis addiction into treatment with our top partnering rehabs all over the UK.

Waste no more time on addiction and start a life of sobriety, today.

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John Gillen - Author - Last Updated: 16th November 2017

John is a leading expert in addiction recovery and has been pioneering new techniques such as NAD+ for over 10 years. He’s committed to providing the best treatment options available throughout Europe, including ongoing research into therapies like laser therapy to help people heal from their problems.

Dr Lapa - Addiction Psychiatrist - Last Reviewed: 07/09/2023 1:00 pm

MBBS, PG Dip Clin Ed, OA Dip CBT, OA Dip Psychology, SCOPE Certified

After graduating in 2000, Dr. Lapa has worked across a wide range of psychiatric settings with differing illness presentations and backgrounds; this was aligned to him continuing professional development at postgraduate level which involved clinical research that closely related everyday clinical practice

Dr Lapa is indemnified by the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland (MDDUS) and MIAB Expert Insurance for Psychiatric and Private Medical practice. He is fully registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) in the UK with a licence to practice.

Member of Independent Doctors Federation (IDF), British Association for Psychopharmacology (BMA) and The Association for the Study of Obesity (ASO)

Dr Lapa’s extensive experience has also concentrated on the following areas of clinical practice:
– Assessment, Diagnosis and Pharmacological Treatment for Adults with ADHD.
– Drug and Alcohol Dependency and maintaining abstinence and continued recovery
– Intravenous and Intramuscular Vitamin and Mineral Infusion Therapy
– Dietary and Weight Management and thorough care from assessment to treatment to end goals and maintenance
– Aesthetic Practice and Procedures