I supervise this 28 year old man than is being supervised on state Probation for an Assault against a male cousin. Otherwise no criminal history (the cousin derserved some slapping around for what he did..but..the law is the law) anyway, he is facing 7 months at the county jail soley because he can't or won't stop smoking pot. He has never passed a drug test in the last 6 months. I've tried treatment on outpatient basis (no inpatient around here for solely pot smokers), he was positive again, up treatment to 2x a week, increased reporting to 3x week, still hot test. I go and visit him 4 times a week, to incourage him to stay off it, but still smoking. The man comes right in and just admits he smoke the day before, he is very upset about his lack of control and going to jail but still probably smoking tonight! My concern and issue is that this working man, with only 1 criminal conviction (or charge for that matter) who otherwise is a very good client will lose his job and be a burden on the tax payers for the 7 months I must put him in jail. All because he is addicted to pot (normally I don't buy that people facing loss of their freedom, family, money ect.. can't stop smoking pot), Due to this mans depression he usues pot to make himslef feel better as it works better than any prescription he's ever had. He even accepts that he has painted me into a corner and that he will spend the winter and spring in jail. He has never spent more the 24 hrs in jail. What a waste!!

Well, look at it this way-----it will get him off pot! I don't buy that pot is better than anything else for depression-----that's an addict's rationalization, pure and simple. If there's no treatment around specifically for pot, NA or any inpatient drug treatment will do him fine if he really wants to quit. Lock him up. You've given him every chance, so now it's time for consequences and it might be the best thing that ever happened to him if it gets him off pot. Then he can come out and make a go of life without his addiction if he wants to.

I just passed my 18th anniversary of recovery last May, so I'm not just being a hard-nose here. It sometimes takes drastic measures to get someone to want to be clean.

Hi Searcher - Bless your heart! The fact that you're looking for more ways to help is a great good on your part. Thanks for that.
Toi may be right - pot addiction is pretty rare, but it happens, and an addict is an addict, whether it's sex, drugs, cigarettes, alcohol . . . (my own personal addiction is books.)
He may not have had enough good medical work to get the right legal chemical for him. They can take a long time to work, and the fact of depression is that you want out! Now! It's still a terribly hit-or-miss process to find the right one.
It's also possible that the pot is now responsible for his depression. If he needs a time-out for that information to sink in, so be it.Keep doing your kind best for our guys - they need more like you

Today I call the clients substance abuse counselor regarding a different client, after a 5 min confersation I say good bye, she says very fast before I get off "please don't put *&^$# in jail!!..man that pisses me off. She hs gotten to personally involved in her client at this point. She see's him twice a week for the last 6 months and the whole time he is getting stoned every day or two and she still can't see that she has lost the battle with him.

P.S. I'm refering to the same guy in my orginal post

It's not true that pot addiction is rare. It's very common. It's not the harmless "herbal" drug it's often thought to be. It's as addictive as any other drug and more insidious, I think, because of the myth that it's "herbal" and "natural"and "harmless". You're right that she's too personally involved with her client, I think.

I think what she means by rare is that pot is not a physical addiction like some other drugs, it's a mental addiction. I know several people that say they need it and usually it is because it helps them relax and not think about day to day pressure's.

I personally would rather be around people that smoke than drink, because the attitude and aggressiveness is so much different, but if he is using all the time and driving (which many pot smokers do) he could get into some bigger trouble. It sounds like he needs life management and stress management courses and possibly a therapist.

I've been around a lot of pot addicts, including relatives, who use only pot, and it is definitely a physical addiction and it causes aggressiveness when they go into withdrawal and have to have it. I've seen it cause agression in people who were non-agressive before their addiction.

Pot smoking is way more addicting than people realize it is, being around a pot addicted person helps to understand it better...more people are addicted than we even know.

Yes, they do get aggressive and that is part of the mental addiction of it. However your body doesn't go through physical withdrawels with stopping MJ. The aggresiveness is them usually not knowing how to deal with reality in their own head because they are usually clouded by it.

It's the same for those addicted to anything else-----it's a mind altering chemical, just like any other drug, and it involves physical as well as mental ramifications. The brain is part of the body, right? That's physical.

people that smoke pot on a regular basis can end up with serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. Also, people that smoke alot of pot can sometimes have a mental illness and smoke to feel "normal" It is also very addictive, and believe it or not, the myth that it can lead to other problems and chemical abuse is correct.

Pot does not help depression. I feel for this guy, but as in most cases, he has to hit the botton before he can see it

Instead of clogging the prisons with pot smokers, it should be handled the same way as alcohol. Legalized and regulated.

This is a very simple issue. He CAN stop smoking pot. He is CHOOSING not to.
He is the only one who can make this choice, there is nothing you can say or do to make it for him.
Marjuana contains a chemical THC. THC is NOT a physical addictant it is a psychological addictant. He will not go through withdrawls (dt's) from pot. He will not physically crave it. It is mind over matter and his mind is still choosing to smoke.
I personally do not think that he should go to jail for weed. I have some very strong opinions about pot, it's legality etc. but I will not get into that. Fact is that it is part of his probabtion to stop smoking. Many you can suggest that as a last resort beofre jail he go to an in-patient treatment facility. His job cannot fire him if he goes to a treatment program. Most are 30 days but he needs long term couseling to deal with the underlying issues he has. Smoking the pot is not the issue here. The issue is why does he continue to do it even though he knows the consequences.

Many inpatient treatment facilties won't offer a bed for a pot smoker as they have alcoholics, crack addicts, coke addicts, herion addicts and such that are waiting for a open slot. In many parts of the country the only treatment for a chronic pot smoker is outpatient (1-2x session a week) or Intensive outpatient (3-4x week) then they go home and light up. Putting someone in jail for smoking pot (not dealing or committing crimes outside of civil violation of possession) is not my choice but...in this case it will happen as there are rules with Probation (don't forget there is a initial crime that was committed) and repeated violations of the same rule (no drugs) "paints me into a corner". Should pot be legal....I won't comment on that but I'll say this, alcohol and cigaretts kill hundreds of thousands of people a year and destroy as many or more lives a year. No one can convince me pot is even close to those drugs in regards to damage. In fact the statistics support this! Do some people use pot then move on to harder drugs..yes, but if there was no pot would that prevent them from using? I don't think so, not for a second!! If someone wants to alter their state of mind they would get there with or without pot. I know way to many people that have or do smoke pot for many many years and have never used any other drug. I think the majority of people that move on to more damaging drugs would get there even if pot was not in the equation. Having said that...Just Say NO!! :)

Well Im wondering... if you cant find any group or whatever that can help with his pot smoking and he says its for his depression then perhaps a different approach and get him in heavy therapy for the depression and let the therapist deal with the pot thing. Many addicts have underlying issues or disorders and this man should be treated for the root cause not the chain reaction/crutch. Just my opinion but maybe its worth a try.