If you struggle with alcohol and drug abuse, you are not alone. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 48.5 million people had a substance use disorder in 2023.[1]
While most people in recovery believe that total abstinence is the only correct path, this might not be true. For example, some people have physical or mental health conditions that require them to take a mind-altering substance for relief. In particular, many people in recovery use medical marijuana to manage a mental health condition or chronic pain.
If you’ve found that smoking marijuana makes you feel healthier, it might be appropriate for you to use it in recovery. As long as your marijuana use does not cause you to partake in other drugs, you should be allowed to consume it. That said, you might be afraid to tell your family about your marijuana use.
Speaking with your family about using marijuana in recovery can be tricky. Because they’ve seen where addiction has taken you, they might be hesitant to accept that you are engaging in cannabis use for the right reasons. Thankfully, there are a few tips and tricks to make this conversation go smoothly.
In this article, you will learn:
- When is it okay to engage in marijuana use during recovery?
- How can you talk to your family about marijuana use in recovery?
- How can you avoid marijuana addiction?
When is Marijuana Use Okay in Recovery?
When someone imagines marijuana users, they probably picture people who are engaging in cannabis use simply to experience a high. While some people do use cannabis in this manner, it is also considered a medication. Medical cannabis can treat a wide variety of conditions, including chronic pain that would otherwise be managed with other drugs like opioids.
Some of the conditions that medical cannabis can treat include:
- Chronic Pain- Marijuana can manage the symptoms of neuropathic pain, chronic pain conditions like arthritis, and pain stemming from cancer treatment.
- Nausea and Vomiting- If you are going through chemo and experience symptoms of nausea or vomiting, you might be referred to medical weed treatment.
- Muscle Spasms- Medical cannabis can treat muscle spasms stemming from Multiple Sclerosis, Tourette’s syndrome, and Parkinson’s disease.
- Seizures- Medical weed can lessen seizures among people with conditions like epilepsy.
- Mental Health Conditions- Medical weed can treat mental health conditions like anxiety, insomnia, and post-traumatic stress disorder. It can also increase appetite among people with eating disorders.
- HIV/AIDS- Medical cannabis can help stimulate appetite and reduce vomiting among people with HIV/AIDS.
- Glaucoma- Medical cannabis can lower eye pressure among individuals with glaucoma.
If you are using medical cannabis to manage a qualifying health condition, you are not relapsing. You are simply using the tools you have to treat a condition that could harm your recovery in the long run.
How to Talk to Your Family About Cannabis Use in Recovery
If you are using cannabis in recovery from drug abuse, you might not know how to approach the conversation with your family members. It is understandable to be nervous, as some people view marijuana use as a relapse. That said, there are ways to control the conversation and ensure your family understands your motivations for consuming weed.
The best tips for talking to your family members about your marijuana use in recovery include:
Explain Your Reason (i.e., Mental Health or Chronic Pain)
Your family members will want to understand why you are engaging in marijuana use. At first, they might think you are simply trying to get high. You need to explain how marijuana is helping you for them to understand that you aren’t amid a relapse.
For example, if you are using marijuana to treat chronic pain, let your family members know. Tell them that you’ve received a prescription from a doctor. You can also explain that the other medication used for chronic pain is opioids, which are more harmful than weed.
Reassure Them You Won’t Engage in Drug and Alcohol Use
Your family might be afraid that you’ll begin engaging in drug use. After all, many people view marijuana as the “gateway drug.” Reassure them that you aren’t using cannabis to get high, which means it won’t lead you to begin engaging in other types of substance abuse.
Tell Them How You’ll Avoid Marijuana Addiction
Your family might be understandably worried that you’ll develop an addiction to weed. Marijuana addiction is a possible risk of smoking cannabis in recovery. That said, there are ways to prevent yourself from developing marijuana addiction.
For example, you can explain that you’ll only use the marijuana as prescribed. You should also be speaking with an addiction counselor about your marijuana use, which means you’ll have regular check-ins with a professional to evaluate your motivations for using weed. It can be beneficial to attend support groups for people who participate in the Cali sober lifestyle.
Allow For Open Conversations With Your Family Members in the Future
Your family members might be overwhelmed during the initial conversation and unable to think about questions they want to ask. When you finish explaining why you are using weed, open up the conversation for questions. Once the questions have been asked and answered, let your loved ones know that you are willing to continue the conversation anytime they have a question to ask you in the future.
Having an open line of communication about your marijuana use will allow your loved ones to feel comfortable. It will also keep you accountable and improve your emotional well-being at the same time. Make sure you are paying attention to your loved one’s concerns and taking breaks when you feel angry or anxious about the conversation.
Set Boundaries to Prevent Resentment
While you want your loved ones to accept your cannabis use, other family members might view it as substance abuse and think you are harming your sobriety. If that is the case, you need to set boundaries with them to prevent resentments from brewing over time. Let them know that while you respect their opinion, you are going to continue using marijuana to manage your physical or mental health condition.
Your family can play a crucial role in your recovery. By setting boundaries with them, you help them understand how to best support you. Over time, they’ll understand that your marijuana use is simply a tool to help you deal with underlying issues like chronic pain.
Get Connected to a Top-Rated Marijuana-Friendly Sober Living Program
While marijuana can lead to negative consequences when abused, it can also be a helpful tool for some individuals. If you have health concerns like chronic pain or psychiatric disorders, medical weed might be a good option for you. If you are smoking or vaping marijuana in recovery from addiction, you need to find support.
At Patrick’s Purpose, we are a marijuana-friendly sober living program. This means we allow our residents to engage in medical weed use as long as they refrain from using other substances or illicit drugs. We offer support groups for the Cali sober lifestyle to ensure you have effective conversations, understand the long-term effects, and make an informed decision on whether medical weed is right for you.
We can also facilitate conversations with your family about your use of cannabis products. If you need help setting healthy boundaries, Patrick’s Purpose is here to support you. As long as you start the conversation early, your family will eventually come to understand your reasoning for marijuana use in recovery.
Contact us today to learn more about our cannabis-friendly sober living program.
References:
- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): Highlights for the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health