If you struggle with a substance use disorder, addiction treatment is the best way to achieve long-term recovery. Once you complete a rehab program, you might be wondering what your next steps are. Because the transition from an addiction treatment facility to independent living can be difficult, you should consider attending a sober home.
Sober living programs are designed to ease the transition from addiction treatment to independence. They provide you with ongoing support from a house manager and your peers, assistance in building life skills like obtaining jobs and medical care, and teach you how to maintain your sobriety independently. While some sober living programs prohibit all marijuana use, some allow their clients to use medical cannabis.
At a cannabis-friendly sober home, you will be expected to see a doctor regularly to ensure your marijuana use is solely to treat a mental or physical health condition. You’ll also have rules and expectations to meet, regular house meetings to attend, and meetings specifically catered to sober individuals using medical marijuana.
In this article, you will learn:
- What is a weed-friendly sober living program?
- What should you expect during a marijuana-friendly sober home?
- What rules and expectations do you need to meet in sober living?
What is a Marijuana-Friendly Sober Home?
Medical cannabis can treat a wide variety of conditions, from chronic pain and glaucoma to post-traumatic stress disorder and even eating disorders.[1] If you struggle with one of these conditions, medical marijuana might be a good option for you. While weed can get you high, it is possible to remain clean from other substances while taking advantage of the benefits of medical marijuana.
Cannabis-friendly sober homes only allow medical marijuana use. In other words, you aren’t allowed to use weed recreationally or to get high. You must be using it to treat a diagnosed condition and receive a prescription for cannabis from a doctor.
At Patrick’s Purpose, we understand that everyone’s path to recovery is different. Sometimes, medical cannabis use is necessary to the addiction recovery process.
We acknowledge that medicinal cannabis use may be a part of some individuals’ recovery journey. We have created a program integrating harm reduction practices to support safe and responsible cannabis use.
In our program, we ensure our clients using medical marijuana are attending a doctor, sticking to their recommended dosages, and attending medical marijuana meetings for people in recovery from addiction. All of these methods work to make sure that your cannabis use remains beneficial instead of harmful.
What to Expect During a Medical Marijuana Sober Living Program
Medical marijuana-friendly sober living programs work very similarly to traditional sober homes. The only difference is that medical cannabis use is allowed and clients are supported to ensure their weed use remains safe and helpful rather than harmful.
During a cannabis-friendly sober home, you can expect:
Rules and Expectations
Like addiction treatment programs, sober homes have rules and expectations, including:
- Abstaining from drug and alcohol use, aside from medical cannabis consumption
- Only use cannabis that is prescribed to you by a medical doctor
- Adhering to randomized drug and alcohol testing for accountability and safety purposes
- Abiding by a nightly curfew
- Respecting your housemates and staff members
- Giving and receiving emotional support
- Participating in activities like support meetings and chores
- Sleeping at the house at least 5 nights per week
- Covering your expenses to live in the home
- Regularly attending addiction support meetings and/or therapy
Regular House Meetings
You will be expected to participate in daily or weekly house meetings with your housemates and house manager. During these meetings, everyone will discuss their progress, any issues they’ve been experiencing, and how to improve things around the house. In other words, your house meetings are like check-ins that keep the house running smoothly.
Building Life Skills
Your house manager will help you build life skills that make it easier for you to maintain your sobriety independently. For example, they’ll help you build interviewing skills so you can obtain a job. They’ll also connect you with resources and teach you how to get government services like financial assistance or health insurance.
Go Green Meetings
At Patrick’s Purpose, we support our clients who use medical cannabis by creating a support meeting specifically for them. These meetings focus on combating the stigma of cannabis in the recovery community, providing you with coping skills to ensure you remain sober, and offering peer support from others experiencing recovery in the same manner as you.
Go Green Stay Clean is for individuals who have been recommended cannabis for medical purposes; a meeting that allows for its use can provide an additional layer of support and may help to reduce the risk of relapse.
Get Connected to a Sober Living Program That Permits Medical Marijuana
If you or a loved one recently completed an addiction treatment program and has been recommended medical marijuana, you should consider attending a sober home like Patrick’s Purpose. We allow medical cannabis use and believe it can be beneficial to the addiction recovery process.
Contact us today for more information on our cannabis-friendly sober living program.
References:
- Medline Plus: Medical marijuana