When you finally decide to do a detox from marijuana, it can feel like an intimidating process – and it feels overwhelming most of the time. You may decide to do it for a number of reasons; maybe you are looking to get a new job and they require you to do a drug test, you probably want a break from the drug and want to start anew, or any other reason.
Whatever it is that drives you to make the decision, you need to know some ways of approaching a detox from cannabis, including specific things you need to stay away from.
What does detoxing involve?
This is the process of abstinence from a substance, and the end goal is getting rid of the substance from the body completely, in this case, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient). When you abstain from using cannabis in any of its forms for quite some time, the body is able to gradually flush it out.
The process is difficult for some, while simple for others. This is completely dependent on how long you have used cannabis, and your level of addiction, as well as whether you were using it for medical reasons. In the case of medical users or heavy addicts, there are unpleasant withdrawal symptoms you will go through. These include headaches, irritability, and moodiness, anxiety, depression, decreasing appetite, and insomnia. People tend to use detoxification teas such as dandelion root tea, red raspberry tea, etc for such issues.
There has been a debate in the marijuana community whether these should be considered withdrawal symptoms, or effects experienced after discontinuing the use of a medicine that reduced the uncomfortable discomfort.
What are some detox methods that fail to work?
Many times, you will encounter false information that tries to tell you about the so-called ‘quick fixes’ for the detox process. However, most of these are not true, and they will not accomplish the final goal. Some methods you should avoid include excessive consumption of water, cranberry juice, vinegar, detox teas, bleach, and niacin detox.
Keep in mind that the detox process is long, especially from marijuana, and scientific tests can find the substance easily even after some time. The easiest way to test this substance is through the urine for two reasons – since it is the easiest sample to collect, and THC tends to stay detectable for a longer time in urine than any other fluid of the body.
On the other hand, the metabolite these tests look for is THC-COOH, which the body stores within your fat cells. In fact, this is among the major reasons marijuana is easily detected even after months, compared to other drugs that will stay for a shorter time. The fat cells in your body actually store the metabolites from marijuana.
How long does THC remain in the body?
The time that THC will remain in your cells and excretory waste such as urine will depend on some factors. These include your body metabolism if you have an exercise routine and the frequency which you carry it out, your body fat percentage, and your frequency and amounts of marijuana use.
Since all these factors determine its stay, there is no standard time for detection. It can, therefore, stay anytime from two days to several months.
Detox methods that actually work:
Natural cleansers are always the best bet for detox from cannabis but note that this can take up to six weeks to rid the system completely. Even though this seems to belong, it is the most effective method.
Natural detox involves several methods, which you can combine together. Most are good on your body, and you can develop them into positive habits that promote your health even after the detox is over. They include:
Abstaining:
This seems like the most obvious solution, but it is actually necessary to flush out the THC from your body completely. Note that the greater your level of addiction, you may need to consider medical supervision at the recovery village to help your body ease into it, and if you are casual; the user, cold turkey may work for you.
Exercise regimen:
As we have stated before, the body stores THC in the fat cells, so when you exercise, the fat undergoes metabolism, and THC is released. That also means that the more fat percentage you have, the harder it will be to detox.
A good thing that comes from exercise is the body producing an endocannabinoid hormone called anandamide, which is a natural ‘bliss’ molecule and makes you feel happy. This is the same hormone that the body releases after you finish an intense exercise session, and it makes you feel good.
Drinking water:
During this period, drinking plenty of water regularly (not excessive amounts though) will help the body to flush out the toxins and enhance your health status.
Eating a healthy diet:
If you want to speed up your metabolism and flush out THC, you need to avoid foods that have high levels of fat, sugar, and sodium throughout the period of detox. This is because they make the body have high water retention rates and slow down metabolism rates, which in turn slows down the ability of your body to eliminate the THC metabolites.
Instead of the unhealthy options, opt to take a diet full of fruits, vegetables, lean meat, and plenty of leafy greens. Green leafy vegetables work on your metabolism since they have high amounts of iron as well as other vitamins. Healthy fibers are also very important to the body, so eat legumes, beans, unrefined wheat products, peanuts, in addition to other good fiber sources.
In addition, all these foods have the additional benefit of helping to stabilize your mood, so they indirectly help in dealing with your withdrawal symptoms.
Take more tea:
Not all types of tea will help you in the detox process – make sure to go for teams that have high antioxidant levels or choose teas that help in liver cleansing like milk thistle or dandelion tea.
Final thoughts:
Undergoing a detox from marijuana is not a process that takes a short time – it can take a long time, depending on your addiction level and time you have taken the drug. However, you can still eliminate it completely, by following natural remedies and having patience and determination along with it.
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