What is marijuana treatment?
Recently, researchers have been testing different ways to attract marijuana users to treatment and help them abstain from drug use. Currently no medications for treating marijuana dependence are available. Treatment programs focus on counseling and group support systems. A marijuana treatment group is typically an abstinence-based group of 10-12 persons trying to end their dependence on marijuana. In one recent study, 14 groups were started; they met once a week for 14 weeks and were led by two co-therapists. People were able to join without proving that they had stopped smoking pot before requesting assistance; thus, people entered the groups at varying levels of dependence. The intervention was designed to help people quit using marijuana by the fourth week. They were not asked to leave the group if they were unable to completely stop using marijuana. Instead, those still using the drug were encouraged by the therapists and group members to continue trying to stop.
