If you’re looking to quickly detox from cannabis, you might find a lot of supposed quick fixes on the internet. But before you invest your time or money in pursuing a marijuana detox approach, make sure you do some research. We’re here to bust some of the top myths about how to detox from marijuana — and let you know which approach really does work.
Myth One: Sweating as a Cannabis Detox
Most of us have heard of the approach to “sweat out toxins from the body.” This recommendation seems to be given for all kinds of substances — you’re told to sweat out alcohol, a bad diet and marijuana.
This advice is partially true — exercise can help release stored THC from fat tissue. So sweating it out technically works, but the results will barely be noticeable. For example, you might be rid of all stored THC in 27 days rather than 30. However, that difference is so small it’s likely not the solution you’re looking for.
An interesting note is that people with lower body fat will rid their bodies of THC faster thanks to their faster metabolism. But a few visits to the gym won’t increase your metabolism fast enough for you to notice a difference in your marijuana detox timeline.
Myth Two: Drinking Water as a THC Detoxification
In addition to sweating it out, we’ve all heard the advice to “flush it out.” Just drink enough water, and any alcohol or drugs in your system will disappear, right?
Wrong.
Water is good for you and essential to your overall physical health, but excessive water consumption can be harmful. Your kidneys can’t keep up if you drink too much water, which can dilute the sodium balance in your blood. This condition is known as hyponatremia, and it can be incredibly dangerous.
On top of that, excessive water consumption isn’t going to do anything to detox you faster from cannabis. And if you’re asked to take a urine drug test, there’s a chance your urine will be so diluted that it’s missing expected enzymes and you’ll be told the sample is unacceptable.
Myth Three: Cranberry Juice Detox
Drinking cranberry juice has many health benefits. It’s a good source of vitamins C and E and can potentially help prevent urinary tract infections. Unfortunately, that’s where the benefits of cranberry juice end. While there’s a lot of advice online about drinking cranberry juice to detox from marijuana quickly, there’s no scientific proof to support this claim.
Myth Four: Vinegar Detox for Marijuana
Apple cider vinegar has definitely been having a moment in the wellness and nutrition community. People are boasting about all the benefits of drinking it. And some claim that drinking a small glass of this acidic concoction will help you detox quickly from marijuana.
However, this isn’t true, and drinking large quantities of vinegar can be quite harmful. Drinking vinegar can trigger hyponatremia, which causes sodium levels in your blood to decrease significantly. This is an incredibly serious and potentially fatal condition.
There’s no evidence that apple cider vinegar helps you detox from cannabis, so feel free to skip even trying this method.
Myth Five: Detox Tea for Weed
Detox teas are a popular diet product that contains trace amounts of laxatives to cause a person to go to the bathroom frequently. Some theorize that because these teas “flush out your system,” they may be helpful for a drug detox.
As we’ve already stated above, flushing out your system does nothing to help you pass a drug test. Save your money and avoid these detox teas, which have been known to have adverse long-term side effects.
Myth Six: Weed Detox Kit
It seems like you can buy a product for just about anything these days, including a promised cannabis detox. A quick internet search will show you dozens of weed detox kits available for you to buy. However, there’s no scientific proof that these kits work.
Myth Seven: Weed Isn’t Addictive, So There Are No Withdrawal Symptoms
One of the biggest misconceptions when it comes to marijuana use is that it’s not addictive, so it doesn’t have any withdrawal symptoms. In reality, both of these ideas are incorrect — weed is addictive, and it can trigger withdrawal symptoms.
According to the NIH, studies show that as many as 30% of people who try marijuana end up having a marijuana use disorder, so the drug is quite addictive. Potential withdrawal symptoms coming off of frequent marijuana use are:
- Aggression
- Mood swings
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Restlessness
- Changes in appetite
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Headaches
Know that anyone telling you that cutting off marijuana use isn’t challenging or doesn’t have side effects is incredibly incorrect. Marijuana abuse disorder is treatable, but professional help is often the best solution.
Marijuana Use Treatment Options
Before, marijuana use was seen as a very safe drug, with its most significant risk being a gateway drug. Now, we know that even if someone never proceeds to harder drugs, marijuana use has many downsides.
If you or someone you love is struggling with excessive marijuana usage, getting help is essential. Long-term marijuana use can potentially lead to adverse side effects in the brain. Most notably, marijuana use can cause permanent psychological disorders, including anxiety, paranoia, cognitive impairment and psychosis.
Luckily, the condition is highly treatable. Treatment options include support groups, medicine, one-on-one counseling and drug rehab programs. The sooner a person seeks professional help, the sooner they can take back control of their life.
Marijuana Treatment at Sunlight Recovery
Sunlight Recovery offers detox and residential substance abuse treatment programs. You don’t have to waste your time and money on detox myths that won’t achieve anything. If you’re ready to detox from marijuana the right way, contact us today to find out how we can help.
