Written By: Erika Dalton, LCSW
Medically Reviewed By: Dr. Rahul Gupta, MD
Last Updated: June 10, 2024
In previous generations, people who wanted to get high from marijuana would smoke it using items like a pipe, a bong, and rolling papers. Today, many people choose to consume edibles to get the same effect. This can seem like a harmless habit, especially when the high is delivered via something fun, like cookies or gummy bears. However, using edibles contains the same risks that abusing marijuana does. In fact, studies have been done to answer the question, “Do edibles make you age faster?” Buckhead Behavioral Health explores this query to see what sort of effect edibles can have on a person.
If you or a loved one are struggling with marijuana abuse, marijuana rehab is available. Give us a call now at 470-460-6962 or verify your insurance now.
What Are Edibles?
Edibles are food products that have marijuana infused into them. Common types of edibles include gummy bears, candies, cookies, chocolates, and beverages. In states where the medical or recreational use of marijuana is legal, edibles are sold in dispensaries. As an alternative, many people make their own at home.
When someone wants to use marijuana, a lot of people opt for consuming edibles. For many, it feels like a better alternative than smoking pot. For example, in the first year after Colorado legalized the recreational sale of marijuana, almost half of all sales were edibles.
Because the usage of edibles has become so common, studies are still being done to determine how they affect people, including if edibles make you age faster.
Why Do Some People Prefer Edibles?
How a person prefers to use marijuana varies for different reasons. Some people find a stigma to smoking marijuana. They may feel that eating a brownie or piece of candy that contains it is less like actual drug usage. The younger generation is growing up with edible usage being common and is often tempted by drugs that feel like candy, such as edibles and vaping products.
Some people prefer the fact that the effect of using edibles lasts longer. Smoking marijuana causes a person to achieve a high quickly. Edibles require the THC to go from the stomach to the liver, bloodstream, and finally the brain. The average high from this process is 6 to 8 hours, compared to less than half that amount when smoking.
Unfortunately, it can be difficult for many people to estimate how much of an edible product they can tolerate. It’s easy for them to ingest too much and experience anxiety, paranoia, and difficulty with motor skills and thinking.
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Do Edibles Make You Age Faster?
Abusing certain narcotics can certainly make a person look or feel older than they are, but do edibles make you age faster? THC has been shown to speed up the aging process in many people. It can cause changes in a person’s cells that cause the cells to appear older than they are. As a result, the body and brain may tend to age more quickly over time.
Marijuana abuse can also diminish a person’s cognitive abilities, which can lead them to feel and act older. This includes damage to the memory and the ability to make decisions. The longer a person uses edibles, the more likely they are to incur damage.
Abuse of edibles can cause an increase in the development of certain mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety. The risk for this increases even more so for older users. At this time, fully answering the question, “Do edibles make you age faster?” requires more in-depth studies. Consumers should be aware of all the risks they take when using drugs, including legalized ones.
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Does Insurance Cover Treatment for Addiction to Edibles?
Insurance companies recognize that substance use disorders greatly impact a person’s physical and mental health. Most of them offer some sort of coverage for the treatment of addiction. If you would like to find out if your insurance plan covers getting help to overcome edible abuse, contact a representative and find out your options.
How is Marijuana Addiction Treated?
When someone develops a substance use disorder, often an outpatient rehab program provides them with the necessary help to overcome it. Outpatient plans require a person to attend several therapy sessions per week at a treatment facility. They do not have to enter a residential rehab, which means they still have time for work, school, or personal responsibilities.
Addiction-related therapies help people discover why they turned to abusing substances and how to avoid future triggers. As well, someone who abuses pot often has a co-occurring mental health disorder, such as depression, anxiety, or PTSD. Treatment for addiction often includes addressing these mental health disorders, which greatly reduces a person’s desire to use edibles.
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Begin Treatment for Addiction to Edibles in Atlanta, GA
Did you start taking edibles to have fun and relax but find the habit turned into an addiction? Marijuana abuse can derail a person’s life by keeping them from reaching their full potential.
Buckhead Behavioral Health provides effective treatment for marijuana abuse that includes a variety of therapies that help people understand what drove them to addictive behaviors. Our outpatient programs fit easily into your schedule and allow you to rediscover who you are without getting high.
For more information about our program, visit our admissions page now. We can help you find balance and happiness in your life again without needing edibles.
