Does Medical Marijuana Creates Recovery Obstacles?

By New England Recovery CenterPublished On: July 12th, 2025Categories: Drug Addiction, Marijuana, Relapse

Currently, marijuana use for medical purposes is legal in 40 states (plus three territories and the District of Columbia.) As of August 2025, 24 states have legalized it for recreational use.

Advocates suggest that medical marijuana can treat a wide range of conditions, from chemotherapy-related nausea to glaucoma. However, people in recovery should be aware of the dangers of using marijuana medicinally or recreationally. Like other drugs that produce mind and mood-altering effects, marijuana can create obstacles and may lead to relapse over time.

How does marijuana affect people in recovery?

For people who struggle with substance dependence, the THC in marijuana can produce a high that can become addictive. Psychological dependence on marijuana can lead to:

Cravings
Irritability
Anxiety
Depression.

For people who suffer from existing substance use issues, it can also lead to using more and more of the substance or even switching back to the individual’s “drug of choice,” such as alcohol or opioids.

Why does the addicted brain respond differently?

Addicted brains don’t just process mood-altering chemicals and move on. Instead, they become “hooked,” triggering cravings for more. For people in recovery, using medical cannabis can open the door back to addictive behaviors.

What about marijuana and co-occurring disorders?

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) examined outcomes for 186 participants in a randomized clinical trial, each of whom acquired medical marijuana cards and used the herb to treat a variety of conditions such as chronic pain. The study concluded:

No significant improvement in pain, anxiety, or depression symptoms.
Those seeking relief from anxiety and depression were at the highest risk of developing cannabis use disorder (CUD).

However, it did find that those at most significant risk of developing the addictive symptoms of cannabis use disorder (CUD) were those seeking relief from anxiety and depression—two common co-occurring disorders that often appear alongside drug or alcohol addiction.

CUD symptoms include the need for more cannabis to overcome drug tolerance and continued use despite physical or psychological problems caused by use of the cannabis. In other words, creating the perfect storm to trigger cravings, and promote relapse from substance use disorder recovery.

Do the risks of marijuana outweigh the rewards?

The potential medicinal properties of marijuana and its components have been the subject of research and heated debate for decades. THC itself has proven medical benefits in particular formulations, and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has approved some THC medications in pill form.

However, for most people who are recovering from addiction or alcoholism, the use of a drug that produces a high is a risky practice that can lead to dependence and relapse into using other substances.

Addictive behavior can occur in response to any drug that produces a high, even if the intention of the drug use was purely medical. For people who want to avoid addictive behavior and who are recovering from substance dependence, the medical use of marijuana is probably too great a risk, and it may be wise to look for alternative treatment methods.