Marijuana Addiction Treatment and Rehab Program

Clinically Reviewed by Claire Pinelli LADC, ICAADC, CCS, MCAP, Written by Karen Hadley

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Marijuana is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world. It is estimated that approximately 30% of users develop cannabis use disorder, with 6.5% users developing an addiction. This risk of addiction however is not the only negative impact from using marijuana. Studies have shown that the use of marijuana in children under the age of 18 can cause permanent problems with learning, as well as an increased risk of mental health issues, including schizophrenia. It also significantly increases the chances of addiction in the future.

The Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation program offers a solution to those who have been unable to quit using marijuana on their own. For nearly six decades, this long-term residential program has provided a drug-free method with solutions for the cravings, relief for the mental suffering, and comprehensive life skills training to enable each person to navigate a safe and sober future.

Over these decades, tens of thousands of addicted individuals who completed the Narconon program have found a path to a better future. They discovered a way to reclaim self-respect and earn back the respect of their families and friends. Here, addiction is not a lifelong sentence. No one will ever be told that they will always be an addict. Here, the chains of addiction are broken and are replaced with productive, enjoyable lives.

I’ve been to seven rehabs and Narconon is just completely different. There are no medications in Narconon like there is in other rehabs. You don’t get put on psych drugs, sleep meds. You’re finding stuff out for yourself instead of having some psychiatrist or psychologist tell you what’s wrong with you.”

G.R., Narconon Graduate

Narconon’s International Mission

The mission of dozens of Narconon centers on five continents is to heal addicted lives. By doing so, thousands of individuals have been returned to healthier, more honest lives. Families and communities have been spared further pain and destruction when individuals break free from addiction.

Narconon consists of a network of residential rehab facilities located around the world. Each center is a non-profit, public benefit organization dedicated to the job of drug prevention and rehabilitation. Since 1966, more than 40,000 people have graduated from this long-term program.

The Narconon program is based on the research and discoveries of American humanitarian and author L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Scientology religion. The Narconon drug rehab program is, however, completely non-religious. It is not part of the Church of Scientology. Individuals from many different religions have completed this program and then returned home, more capable of adherence to their own religious principles.

My proudest accomplishment since then is getting my life back on track and regaining the confidence I lost with my family. I am also now an ordained preacher. Now, when people see me, they say,‘If it worked for Don, it’ll work for anybody.’”

D.R., Narconon Graduate

Understanding Marijuana Addiction

Marijuana addiction often goes unnoticed. However, 3 in 10 people who use marijuana regularly have the potential to become addicted. Marijuana addiction progresses slowly, influenced by the frequency and duration of its use. For most people, withdrawal symptoms are mild and the increased tolerance associated with continued use does not result in financial hardships or changes in spending habits. Because there are relatively few outward changes in the user, the point a user progresses into addiction can go unnoticed for years.

This is not to say that there are not harmful effects from using marijuana. There are. While not life threatening, these effects can have long lasting consequences:

• Impaired Short-Term Memory and Learning: Marijuana use, especially in the short term, impairs short-term memory, attention, and learning, making it harder to retain new information and perform complex tasks
• Paranoia and Psychosis: High doses can trigger paranoia and acute psychotic episodes, and may worsen symptoms in people with existing mental health conditions
• Cognitive Impairment and Lower IQ: Long-term or heavy use, particularly when started in adolescence, is associated with lasting cognitive deficits and lower IQ scores
• Increased Risk of Heart Attack or Stroke: Frequent cannabis smoking may significantly increase a person’s risk for heart attack and stroke, according to an observational study supported by the National Institutes of Health.

For individuals who started using in adolescence the effects can be even worse:

• Altered Brain Development: Early and frequent use can disrupt normal brain development, especially in adolescents, affecting areas responsible for decision-making and executive function
• Increased Risk of Addiction: Individuals who start smoking marijuana in their adolescence are more likely to later face problems with withdrawal and addiction to marijuana.

The legalization of recreational marijuana in many states has provided access to even stronger forms of marijuana. Dispensaries sell products with up to 40% THC in smokable flower form and up to 80% in concentrated forms. These stronger forms produce stronger negative side effects and increase the risk of addiction.

Note: THC stands for tetrahydrocannabinol. It is a psychoactive compound found primarily in the cannabis plant. THC is responsible for the intoxicating effects of cannabis, commonly known as marijuana.

Beyond traditional marijuana in its various forms, such as weed or hashish/hash, it's important to recognize other related substances that pose similar or even greater risks. This includes synthetic marijuana, often known by street names like Spice. These synthetic cannabinoids are human-made mind-altering chemicals that are sprayed on dried, shredded plant material or sold as liquids to be vaporized. While they aim to mimic the effects of cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant, their unpredictable potency and composition can lead to severe and dangerous health consequences.

This continues a trend seen with illicit marijuana where an analysis of marijuana seized by the DEA between 1995 and 2014 showed a steady increase in the quantity of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. That’s the component that creates the euphoric high users seek.

Here’s how THC levels have increased over the years:

• 1995: 4% THC
• 2005: 8% THC
• 2014:11.8% THC
• 2018: 14.64% THC
• 2020: 13.14% THC
• 2022: 16.14% THC

Once a person is addicted to marijuana, they may try to stop, or even manage to stop for a while. Without rehab to address the reasons they began using drugs in the first place, triggers may send them back to drugs again. Marijuana is now so widely available in the majority of states that the addicted person may be faced with people using these drugs every single day. It’s so easy to lapse into using this drug to cope with problems, upsets and failures. If they combine marijuana use with alcohol or other drugs, they further increase their risk of mental or physical harm or injury.

The Narconon Solution for Marijuana Addiction

Narconon has been the safety net that caught thousands of people as they fell and set them on the road to healthy sobriety. An addicted person must overcome physical cravings for the drug as well as their psychological and emotional dependence on that substance. The multiple steps of the Narconon program provide the support and care needed for a person to break free from this trap.

It is well known that THC is stored in the fatty tissues of the body where it can continue to influence a person’s mood and outlook. It is even possible for this THC to be released from the tissues under certain circumstances and create intoxication long after marijuana use ceased. The Narconon New Life Detoxification assists to flush out the stored THC residues and provides relief from its continued effects. This early step of the Narconon rehab program combines sauna time with exercise and nutrition to draw out these residues. This step helps provide relief from drug cravings.

For heavy users of marijuana, it can seem like they are living in a cloudy, dim world where their surroundings may not appear real to them. The program steps after the New Life Detoxification refresh a person’s perceptions and communication. They can then gain life skills they need. And finally, they work out how to rebuild their lives, setting goals and planning how to repair relationships.

With a well-rounded approach to resolving the physical, mental and social harm of drug abuse, Narconon offers a holistic approach to overcoming addiction. Each Narconon center is a safe and caring environment with plenty of support to help people exit addiction and begin a new, productive life. Narconon offers a thorough, proven solution for addiction that is designed to end the need for multiple stints in rehab—a dismal process that simply heaps more blame and loss on the addicted person.

Conventional Rehabs May Use Other Drugs to Solve Marijuana Addiction

While there is no FDA-approved medication for the treatment of marijuana addiction, some rehab programs medicate users to address psychological conditions such as depression, bi-polar disorder and a long list of other conditions. This approach does not address the underlying issues which led someone to use marijuana in the first place. The weakness in relying only on pharmaceutical solutions is that the individual may never address the reason they began using drugs, nor do they learn the life skills they need to stay sober.

Some of the drugs a person who is using marijuana may be prescribed:

• Buspirone: Treats anxiety disorders; possible side effects include nervousness, feelings of anger or hostility. Rare but serious side effects include blurred vision and hallucinations
• Fluoxetine: Treats depression, bipolar depression, panic disorder; effects include cognitive impairment, mania and anxiety

In addition to these drugs some programs may prescribe others off-label, meaning they have not been approved for the treatment of addiction:

• Quetiapine: Antipsychotic normally prescribed to treat episodes of mania (frenzied, abnormally excited or irritated mood) or depression in patients with bipolar disorder (manic depressive disorder; a disease that causes episodes of depression, episodes of mania, and other abnormal moods).
• Lithium: Used to treat manic-depressive disorder. Side effects include drowsiness, dizziness, tiredness, increased thirst, increased frequency of urination, weight gain and mildly shaking hands (fine tremor) may occur.

Use of these medications to treat marijuana addiction has not been approved by the FDA and are administered on a case-by-case experimental basis. The side effects of some of these drugs can be worse than the effects of marijuana.

The goal at Narconon is to help a person break free from reliance on any drugs— other than life saving drugs or medicines needed treat a confirmed physical condition. Therefore, replacement drugs are not part of the Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation program. When addiction treatment drugs are avoided, it’s possible for each recovering person to avoid these side effects and be fully drug-free.

The Unique Narconon Approach

At any of the residential Narconon centers around the world, the approach to recovery is drug-free. Prescription medications are used when a licensed medical doctor deems them necessary for the person. This generally includes medication for hypertension, or diabetes or an antibiotics for infections. Narconon offers a step-by-step program that has worked for decades to bring the addicted back to sobriety, back to ability and back to life.

This program addresses the three effects of addiction that trap a person:: guilt, cravings and depression. When drug use continues, a person generally doesn’t feel these things because they are high. However, when a person begins recovery, the guilt, cravings and depression can be so severe that they drive a person back to drugs. Fortunately, the Narconon program relieves these struggles to enable a person to leave addiction far behind.

We're here. We're ready to help you.
Call us at 1-800-737-5250 to get help now. or learn more about the Narconon Drug Rehabilitation Program

Narconon participants do not need to accept that they “will always be an addict.” Using the Narconon program, tens of thousands of people have left addiction in the past and built strong, sober lives that last. The goal is a person who is drug-free and who no longer needs or wants drugs.

Signs and Symptoms of Marijuana Addiction

Both families and health practitioners need to be able to identify the signs of marijuana addiction. If these signs are visible, it is important for close friends and family to take action. Not only is marijuana addiction harmful, it is also very common for a person to progress from marijuana to deadly drugs like methamphetamine, heroin or fentanyl.

Mental, Emotional and Behavioral Signs of Marijuana Addiction

The line between marijuana use and addiction can be clearly drawn. When multiple mental, emotional or behavioral signs like the following are seen over an extended period, a person has passed over into addiction:

• The person wishes to reduce their use but they are unsuccessful
• They crave the drug
• They neglect social obligations
• Poor performance at work or in school
• They are experiencing problems among family and friends
• They skip the social, occupational or preferred activities so they can use marijuana
• They experience consequences related to it’s use but are unwilling or unable to stop
• They need higher doses to get the effects they are seeking

The signs that a person has crossed the line into addiction are often accompanied by these signs that may also accompany heavy use:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Paranoia
• Memory problems
• Difficulty controlling emotions
• Sudden mood changes
• Feeling that life is unreal
• Secretive behavior
• Using the drug in situations that may be dangerous (like driving)
• Reduced motivation
• Poor performance at school or work

Physical Signs of Marijuana Addiction

The following physical signs may be seen if a person is addicted or a long-term, heavy user:

• Chronic cough or wheeze
• Weight gain
• Sleep disturbances
• Lung or heart damage
• Poor coordination and motor skills
• Fatigue and lethargy

Marijuana: What You Need to Know

Every year, marijuana becomes more pervasive in the world. Download this booklet to get the facts.

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Who Should Go to Marijuana Rehab?

When one's life suffers daily damage, when the cravings overwhelm one's ability to make decisions, when the above mental and behavioral effects become common, it's time to go to rehab. This is the only way to recover the quality of life the person had before addiction.

Long-term cannabis use is associated with increased risk of stroke, heart attacks and irregular heartbeats. A National Institutes of Health study revealed that daily users had a 25% increased likelihood of heart attack and a 42% increased likelihood of stroke when compared to non-users. Use may also be associated with pancreatitis and peptic ulcers. Research has also linked cannabis use with head, neck, or throat cancer, especially among those who smoke the flowers.

Aside from harm to health, heavy marijuana use can have a severe impact on every aspects of a person's life. Frequent use of this drug is associated with loneliness, psychological distress and a failure to have close relationships and feel satisfied with life.

In addition, familial relationships often suffer as a person struggles with cannabis addiction.

Escaping the Most Fearsome Effects of Marijuana Addiction

Perhaps most importantly, a person who goes to rehab can overcome the worst effects of marijuana addiction: while rare, marijuana use can cause psychosis and increased risk of suicide. Even short-term use can result in paranoia and psychosis at high doses. Long-term use increases the risk of chronic psychosis. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Those who consume the highest doses are the ones that are going to have the highest risk of becoming psychotic.”

If a person can enter marijuana rehab before family relationships, work, school, sanity and health are irreparably damaged, they can work their way back to a healthy, productive life.

The Narconon drug and alcohol rehab program provides a way out of this damage and suffering. When intense cravings and guilt are relieved, it’s possible for each person to look forward to a healthier, more productive and enjoyable life. The drug-free program at Narconon gives each person a chance to break free from a dependence on marijuana so they can truly enjoy life again.

You are not being rushed out the door because insurance says you are done. Or it’s only a 2-week program or a 2-month program and then you are told you are done and that now you need to go to pointless NA meetings the rest of your life. I am sorry but none of that worked for me. If it has worked for someone, great! But I can honestly say that it DID NOT work for me! NARCONON DID!”

M.S., Narconon Graduate

What Happens During Marijuana Rehab

When a person goes to rehab, the first change is that you are no longer surrounded by those using marijuana, alcohol or other drugs. Your drug dealers are out of reach. At a residential rehab, around-the-clock support is available to help you get oriented to your new sobriety. This offers a chance to break free from the pattern of marijuana use that clouds judgment and perception and get a fresh new viewpoint.

With the support of people who know what you are going through, it's possible to learn a new way of living and making decisions. This is a big help in breaking the cycle of addiction. Without this support, some individuals may never be able to break free from the heavy marijuana use that keeps them addicted.

For nearly 60 years, the Narconon program has offered all this support and help and much more. The carefully worked-out steps of this residential program guide each person through the repair of physical and emotional health needed for lasting recovery.

Too many people white-knuckle their sobriety after completing programs that may be too short or too incomplete. At Narconon, there is a thorough method of helping a person repair the damage done by addiction as they learn the skills that can sustain them through a future of sobriety.

Marijuana Detoxification and Withdrawal

Because marijuana withdrawal does not manifest the violent sickness and pain of, say, heroin withdrawal, many people have doubted that pot was actually addictive. But it is, and it has its own set of withdrawal symptoms.

When a person comes off heavy, addictive marijuana use, they are likely to experience these symptoms:

• Cravings
• Irritability, anger or aggression
• Anxiety and nervousness
• Insomnia
• Bad dreams
• Restlessness
• Depression
• Shakiness
• Tremors
• Headache

The intensity of these symptoms increases as potency of cannabis products increases.

Once a person arrives at a residential rehab center, they are protected from drug dealers and drug-using friends they used to see every day. They also have support and encouragement from staff. Typically, many staff in a rehab have had similar experiences and know how to provide motivation and guidance during this time.

The Narconon drug rehab program starts in right away to support and orient a person in marijuana withdrawal. Nutritional supplements that ease withdrawal symptoms are administered. The better a person eliminates THC and all the other chemicals in marijuana, the faster they can start feeling better. This support is accompanied by innovative methods of helping a person relax and focus on the present. Many people in withdrawal from all types of drugs at Narconon centers have found this to be a far more tolerable experience than they expected.

The Narconon program has helped me in many ways... the staff made me feel as welcome and comfortable as possible, showing me great hospitality and actions that proved they really wanted to help me. They made the Withdrawal Step a lot easier for me than I expected.”

A.T., Narconon Graduate

Benefits of Choosing Drug-Free Marijuana Rehab

Combining drug rehab treatment with prescription medications is common when people are recovering from addiction to opioids, alcohol, or marijuana. In the roughly 14,000 drug rehab centers in the country, about 45% prescribe methadone, buprenorphine or naltrexone. Another 50,000 medical practitioners of various types prescribe buprenorphine from their offices.

In alcohol rehab, more than half a million people are receiving medications as part of their rehab. While these services help people get off the street and break destructive habits, reliance on medications may mean that these individuals do not learn to rely on their own life skills once they get home.

A Narconon rehab is fully drug-free. Here, the emphasis is on learning to overcome the need for drugs or alcohol. Many of the drugs commonly prescribed during marijuana rehab are powerfully psychoactive—meaning that they have strong effects on the mind. Side effects can include uncontrolled urges, uncontrollable body movements, hostility, hallucinations, mania and much more. A drug-free rehab avoids all these side effects and any psychological or physical addiction to the treatment drugs.

Many families have placed their hopes on one drug rehab or another but then discovered that their loved one came home dependent on one or more new medications. That doesn’t happen at a Narconon rehab.

Beginning the Drug-Free Narconon Marijuana Detox and Rehab

Before starting this rehab, each person must be cleared by a medical professional who verifies that they are in good health and are ready to benefit from the detoxication procedures used at Narconon. Some people about to go through withdrawal will need the additional support of a medical detox before starting rehab. If they do, they will complete this medically-supervised withdrawal and then arrive to Narconon for the full rehab program.

Once they are ready for rehab, their entrance point is the Drug-Free Withdrawal Unit, where each person is monitored and supported as the drugs they were using leave their systems. Nutritional supplements ease the effects of withdrawal. Gentle physical techniques known as assists further calm both the body and the mind.

Many people who have gone through Drug-Free Withdrawal have commented that it is remarkably tolerable and provides a positive beginning to their recovery. Once complete, each person then joins the others in the rehab program.

With Drug-Free Withdrawal complete, the next step is to flush out the residues of the drugs they have consumed. This is accomplished with the Narconon New Life Detoxification. Decades ago, L. Ron Hubbard researched and found that drug residues can lodge in the body and can continue to affect a person’s mood and outlook. He developed this innovative step that combines moderate exercise, nutrition and sweating in a low-heat sauna. This precise, carefully supervised regimen helps the body rid itself of drug residues. As they are flushed out, intense drug cravings tend to die away and a brighter outlook remains. This is the perfect beginning to a new sober life.

I rid my body of all its toxic substances and cravings through the New Life Detoxification program.”

K.D., Narconon Graduate

What Sets Narconon Apart from Other Rehab Programs?

Decades of Dedicated Experience

The Narconon program has been helping addicted individuals in all corners of the globe for nearly 60 years. Tens of thousands of people have chosen this rehab for its unique and innovative approach to recovery which not only addresses cravings and upsets of the past, but also provides the life skills needed for the future.

With the tragic increase in drug-related deaths and the growth in drug and alcohol addiction, Narconon staff around the world work tirelessly with each person who comes to them for help. They provide guidance, encouragement and discipline for each person striving to improve their condition.

Finally, in this rehab program, the solutions to the most common physical and mental barriers to lasting recovery have been found. The discovery of these solutions has provided a safe route back home for thousands of formerly addicted individuals—back to their homes, their families and their communities.

The Unique Rehabilitation Methodology of Narconon

There are three barriers that must be overcome if a person is to achieve lasting sobriety: guilt, cravings and depression. If these are not relieved, that person may be dragged once again into marijuana use and addiction.

Cravings are relieved through an innovative combination of exercise, nutritional supplements and time in a low-heat sauna. This combination has proven to eliminate drug residues and toxins from the body. As the drug residues leave, cravings tend to drop and good health and energy increases.

Next, each person must come out of the fog of addiction and into a brighter present. This is accomplished with unique exercises known as objectives that improve communication and one's control of their thoughts and actions.

Finally, it’s vital to learn the life skills that provide a firm foundation for sobriety. It's necessary to learn which friends are safe and which may be harmful. It’s also important to learn how to face and resolve the damage they have done to themselves and others while addicted. This can be a difficult step, but with support and guidance, each person can come out shining. The application of these life skills includes performing a complete and honest moral inventory and developing a life plan of repairs to be made back at home. In this way, each person can once again earn the trust of family and friends.

Before making your decision about a drug rehab for your loved one, learn about the Narconon program.

I know some people out there judge Narconon for being nontraditional, but as someone that went to a dozen traditional rehabs, this is the program that worked for me, and I am now sober over 6 years.”

A.P., Narconon Graduate

Residential vs. Outpatient Marijuana Rehab

In an outpatient marijuana rehab, each person goes home at night to be faced by the same problems, challenges and pain that drove them to use drugs. There are drug dealers and old drug-using pals on every corner. This is the big disadvantage to an outpatient drug rehab.

There is also little support for the individual who may suffer cravings or just want to make the stress go away for a little while. Unfortunately, outpatient rehab can't provide around-the-clock supervision and support. There is no one right at hand when the cravings make one desperate. There are only meetings, perhaps three to six hours a day, three to seven days per week. That leaves too many unprotected hours and days.

Benefits of Long-Term Residential Marijuana Rehab

An inpatient or residential rehab provides the protection, support and guidance a person needs to succeed which makes it a wise choice. These benefits are available at a residential rehab:

• Around-the-clock monitoring and supervision
• Structure, stability and support
• A protected environment away from drug dealers and drug users
• No access to marijuana or other drugs
• A complete focus on a sober future and a break from the harm of the past
• Ability to step away from stress and upsets while learning to stay sober
• The companionship of others who understand what the experience of addiction is like and who know that recovery is possible

This safe environment enhances the effectiveness of the steps of the Narconon program. All these factors work together to provide the best chance possible for rehabilitation and lasting sobriety.

How to Choose the Right Marijuana Rehab

There are few decisions more important than which rehab you choose. The questions below can help you make the best choice.

1. Is the program long-term or short-term? Short-term programs typically last only 28 to 30 days. When marijuana use has gone on for years, this is often not enough time for a person to achieve relief from guilt and to develop new sober living skills. The Narconon program is long-term. The program typically takes between 10 to 12 weeks to complete but each person completes the step at their own pace. This gives a person enough time to leave pain and guilt behind and prepare for a brighter future.
2. Does the program prescribe other drugs? If a person overcomes the cravings for marijuana, replacement and/or substitute medications are not necessary.
3. Is the person told that addiction is a “chronic, relapsing disease” they will never recover from? Many rehab programs share this philosophy with those in rehab. This is not part of the lesson at Narconon centers. Our experience has proven innumerable times that it’s possible to conquer addiction for good and stay drug-free long-term.
4. Does the program have a method of helping people with their physical cravings? Without this help, sobriety can be difficult or even impossible. The Narconon New Life Detoxification enables individuals to recover from these cravings, preparing them for lasting sobriety.
5. Does the program teach life skills that are specifically addressed to a person recovering from addiction? The life skills component of the Narconon rehab program is designed to build the exact skills needed to resist further drug use and enable them to make drug-free decisions far into the future.
6. Does the rehab program offer nutritional support? Those addicted to marijuana often consume poor quality food. They may live irregular lifestyles plus marijuana and any other drugs they take rob their bodies of nutritional reserves. From Day One, the Narconon Program offers nutritional support using a regimen of high-quality vitamins and minerals.
7. How does the program measure its success? The best possible outcome is lasting sobriety. Ask any program you’re considering how many people maintain sobriety for an extended time after graduation. That is the outcome expected after completion of the Narconon Program.

Talk to an Intake Specialist at Narconon and you may discover that this program meets all your requirements.

We're here. We're ready to help you.
Call us at 1-800-737-5250 to get help now. or learn more about the Narconon Drug Rehabilitation Program

I went through several state-mandated drug rehab programs before enrolling in the Narconon program. I found Narconon to be far more effective and impactful than the others.”

I had previously dabbled in getting sober by going to 12-step meetings and/or cutting back how much I used to attempt to get off drugs on my own. None of it worked. That was until I went to Narconon, and things changed for the rest of my life. Even after I had completed the Narconon program, I never second-guessed whether I would remain sober. And here I am, nine years later!”

A.O., Narconon Graduate

The Narconon Difference

For almost 60 years the Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation has been providing its unique drug-free approach with tens of thousands of successful graduates who have gone on to live sober, happy lives.

The Narconon drug rehab program is both unique and innovative. The entire program is designed to enable a person to go home and build a new, sober life that will last. Program participants are not told that they will “always be an addict.” There are solutions for the cravings, guilt and depression suffered by those who have struggled with addiction. This is where addiction can finally be left far behind.

Also, many rehab programs administer drugs like lithium, fluoxetine, buprenorphine, methadone, but drugs are not part of the Narconon program. In fact, the word Narconon means “No Drugs.” Instead, nutritional supplements are used and they help build back a person's health. The New Life Detoxification addresses cravings. Life skills provide a stable foundation and hope for lasting sobriety. The outcome of this program is not only a restoration of sobriety but also a restoration of the person's will to live, to succeed and to help others along the way.

Learn why the Narconon program can give someone you care about new hope and the ability to make the right choices.

How the Narconon Program Creates Lasting Sobriety

There are four distinct phases to the Narconon Program:

1. Drug-free withdrawal utilizing nutritional supplements plus objective exercises to orient a person to the present. Gentle physical assists calm the aches and pains.
2. New Life Detoxification, a process combining moderate exercise, sweating in a low-heat sauna and the exact nutritional supplements that improve detoxification. This combination has proven to flush out old accumulated drug toxins.
3. Objectives, exercises that help refocus a person on the present, freeing them from past guilt, pain and trauma.
4. Life skills training to enable a person to safely navigate future challenges so they can rebuild trust and relationships with others and make sober decisions.

When you choose the Narconon program, you choose a program with nearly 60 years of success behind it. In centers around the world, tens of thousands of individuals trace their enjoyable, sober lives back to the Narconon program.

Whether this is your first rehab or you have been to many, this can be your last. Learn more about the Narconon program before making your choice. Call now for a confidential conversation with an Intake Specialist.

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Narconon’s Comprehensive Drug-Free Marijuana Rehab Process

Learn the details about every phase of the Narconon drug-free marijuana rehab program Instead of substitute medication or group meetings, it’s possible to break free from addiction. It’s finally possible to gain the skills to enable you to live drug-free for the rest of your life.

The Narconon Program consists of four distinct phases.

1. Drug-Free Withdrawal. Before beginning this drug-free withdrawal, all participants arriving for the Narconon program are required to have a thorough medical assessment first. In some instances the the physician directs the person to a medically-supervised detoxification first as a prerequisite to beginning this rehab program. Once they have started the Narconon program, the Drug-Free Withdrawal step helps the individual to come off drugs as rapidly and comfortably as possible. Narconon Withdrawal Specialists are on hand around the clock to monitor sleep, food, fluid intake and to provide support. They also use gentle physical techniques known as assists to help lessen aches and pains. Carefully planned vitamin and mineral formulas further calm the body and begin to repair the damage done by marijuana or other drugs that were consumed.

The Withdrawal Specialists helped me understand what I would be doing every day, they made it easy to deal with the mental anguish I was going through. This was the point I realized this place was different, and I progressed more in one week than in months of other programs.”

T.S., Narconon Suncoast Graduate
2. New Life Detoxification. This phase was designed to eliminate toxic residues from the body and help eliminate physical cravings. Author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard discovered that drug residues can remain trapped in the body’s fatty tissues and may be reactivated even years after the person has ceased taking drugs. This step consists of running to stimulate circulation, spending time sweating in a low-heat, dry sauna, and proper nutrition including specific vitamins, minerals and oils in exact quantities. The purpose of the New Life Detoxification is to help rid the body of drug residues and eliminate their negative effects, including drug cravings.

The program completely removed my cravings. More than anything, it put in my head that there is a lot more to life than just drugs. I can hang out with people without using drugs, and I can deal with life. It’s a pretty cool feeling.”

A.M., Narconon Graduate
3. The Objectives. Drugs dull a person’s awareness and impair their perceptions and communication with the environment, family and friends. Objectives refresh the person’s view of the world and engagement with the present environment. This improvement can extrovert the person’s attention from disturbing memories associated with drug use. Those who have done Objectives report that they are able to view the world around them clearly, often for the first time.

After two weeks in objectives, I realized for the first time that I was here for myself. I was able to forgive myself for what I did to my mother, and I was able to forgive the bad people that had hurt me. For the first time in 13 years, I was able to look in the mirror, smile, and know I loved myself.”

E.A., Narconon Graduate
4. Life Skills Courses. Finally, it’s time to address the reasons a person turned to drugs in the first place and to give them the skills to stay sober. These tasks are accomplished through practical coursework which instills vital sober living skills. These are skills that people struggling with substance abuse have often lost sight of—or never had. There are three courses:
• Overcoming Ups & Downs in Life Course: In this course, the person learns how to identify true friends and the positive people and how to isolate those likely to lead to trouble. They learn how poor decisions, regarding friends and acquaintances damaged their lives in the past and how to make better choices in the future.
• Personal Values Course: The person learns how personal values are lost and how to restore them. They come to recognize their actual obligations. They learn how to take responsibility for the past. This process provides relief from past trauma and guilt, enabling them to look forward to a fresh, new life. The person learns to take responsibility for their drug use by resolving problems without compromising their own personal integrity.
• Changing Conditions in Life Course: Because drug and alcohol use often stems from an inability to deal with challenging situations, it is vital that those in recovery learn constructive problem-solving skills. This course educates individuals in how to make the right choices.

This course saved my life. I would never have made it. This is a special rehab because you end up dropping the idea that you ever did the drugs or that you were drinking. A lot of other programs keep you clean, but when you’re done you’re still a druggie, an addict—whatever you are. But when I came here, at the end of it, I didn’t even know what they were talking about.”

C.L., Narconon Graduate

Graduate Aftercare: As the Narconon program winds up, each person spends time with a specially trained Graduate Officer who first reviews the entire program with the individual. When this is complete and the results of the program have been confirmed, the Graduate Officer helps the person plan their return to home, work and study. Together, they craft an individual plan of action that addresses any situations that may still exist in the home environment.

The Narconon program helped him to communicate and the sauna program got the drugs out of his body. He now says that he never wants to touch drugs again.

What stood out to me about the staff is that even now, they are still calling to find out how he is doing and keeping in touch.”

M.M., Mother of Narconon Graduate

Questions About Marijuana Rehab, Addiction, Treatment & Recovery

How to Take the First Step in Marijuana Recovery

It’s very simple. Just call Narconon and ask for an Intake Specialist. This person will explain this innovative drug rehabilitation program that has helped tens of thousands of people return to sobriety for nearly 60 years. In this confidential conversation, you can get all your questions answered.

By now, you probably understand that the Narconon rehab program is very different from a conventional, medically-oriented rehab program or 12-Step program. It is a long-term, residential program that provides each person with the relief, support, and life skills training they need to stay drug-free. After graduation from this unique program you can learn to finally live a life free from drugs.

Addiction need not be a lifelong curse or incurable disease. There can be an end to addiction. Call Narconon now for a confidential conversation.

When I first came through those gates, what I felt was relief. I decided to give it my all. I actually broke down crying when I first came in because I knew these people cared about me. All the students were very welcoming, and I made friends instantly. I started gaining weight. When I was using, I hadn’t been eating. I think I gained 10 pounds in just the first week of being at Narconon.”

J.R., Narconon Graduate

Get Support and Access to Valuable Resources

Are you ready to learn more about Narconon? Or do you need help understanding addiction or identifying a drug problem in a loved one? Find your nearest Narconon center, a list of ways to contact us and much more.

Additional Resources

• Complete Program Information
• Narconon Blog: Recovery Stories and Insights
• Understanding Marijuana Addiction
• Understanding Synthetic Marijuana
• Support & Resources
• Long-term recovery planning: what is important to have in place.
• Guidance of what to do when dealing with addiction.
• Marijuana Information