Despite what initiatives to legalize and popular culture would lead you to believe, it is a proven and scientific proven fact that marijuana is an addictive substance that may lead to both short and long-term physical and mental harm to users. Similar to other drugs, a person who has used marijuana for a prolonged time period can become hooked on its effects and may experience withdrawal symptoms should they abruptly stop using marijuana. Users today have very high grade marijuana at their disposal which wasn't the case twenty years ago, which makes it an even larger issue.

Somebody who uses marijuana regularly is really changing the way the brain functions, hence the brain can't just instantly readjust to normal operation as soon as the person stops using marijuana, this could take some time. People actually detox from marijuana, like any other drug, as marijuana is eliminated from the body and the body readjusts to function without marijuana. So marijuana detox could be a challenge for long-term users, because users will experience withdrawal symptoms which are often tough to endure. These symptoms might not be as physical as it is with heroin withdrawal for instance, but marijuana detox and withdrawal can cause severe depression and other psychological symptoms for chronic users. This is the reason relapse is so common for those who attempt to cease using marijuana by themselves. Marijuana detox services are offered at drug detoxification and drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities in McLean to help people through this process so they don't relapse and may obtain further rehab services following detoxification.