In spite of what efforts to legalize and popular culture would lead you to think, it's a proven and conclusive fact that marijuana is definitely an addictive substance which can cause both acute and long-term physical and psychological harm to users. Like other drugs, somebody who has used marijuana for an extended period of time can become dependent on its effects and may experience withdrawal symptoms whenever they abruptly quit using marijuana. Users today have very high grade marijuana at their disposal which wasn't true 10-20 years ago, making it an even bigger problem.

Someone that uses marijuana regularly is significantly changing how the brain functions, and so the brain can't just automatically return to normal operation once the individual ceases using marijuana, this will take time. Individuals actually detox from marijuana, like any other drug, as marijuana is eliminated from the body and the body readjusts to normal operation without marijuana. So marijuana detox is usually a challenge for habitual users, because individuals will experience withdrawal symptoms which may be difficult to endure. These symptoms might not be as physical as it is with heroin withdrawal for instance, but marijuana detox and withdrawal may cause severe depression as well as other mental symptoms for long-term users. That is why relapse is so common for individuals who try to quit using marijuana on their own. Marijuana detox services are offered at drug detoxification and drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs in Alston to help individuals through this course of action so they don't relapse and may receive further rehab services after detoxification.