You can't get through a day without it
Waking and using, dosing between meetings, needing it to eat or sleep. Legalization changed the supply, not the biology — cannabis use disorder is a real diagnosis and daily use is the clearest predictor of it.
Cannabis treatment · Arlington, VA
Outpatient cannabis treatment in Arlington, Virginia
CBT, motivational interviewing, PHP and IOP, and psychiatric care for heavy daily use, high-THC concentrates, cannabis hyperemesis, and cannabis-triggered anxiety or psychosis — for adults in Arlington, Washington, DC, and Northern Virginia.
- Most insurance accepted
- Day & evening IOP tracks
- Telehealth for Virginia residents only
Medically reviewed by the VABH Medical Team
When treatment helps
Cannabis patterns we treat
Almost nobody calls us the first time they wonder about their cannabis use. They call when the thing they used to manage anxiety became the thing generating it.
High-THC carts, dabs, and concentrates
Today's concentrates run far stronger than the flower most people picture. That potency is what drives tolerance, dependence, and psychiatric side effects faster than anyone expects.
Withdrawal when you stop
Irritability, insomnia, vivid dreams, night sweats, appetite loss, and a spike in anxiety for one to two weeks. It isn't medically dangerous, but it's the reason most quit attempts fail around day four.
Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome
Cycles of severe vomiting and abdominal pain relieved only by hot showers, often after repeat ER visits with no clear answer. It resolves with sustained abstinence and almost nothing else.
Anxiety, paranoia, or psychosis
Panic attacks after use, persistent paranoia, or a psychotic episode — highest risk with high-potency products and young adults. We assess this carefully rather than treating it as a bad night.
Motivation and memory changes
Deadlines slipping, grades dropping, projects unfinished, relationships narrowing to people who also use. This is the effect people minimize longest and notice most clearly once it lifts.
How we treat cannabis use disorder
Structure through week one, skills for the year after
Cannabis withdrawal is short and unpleasant, and it's where most attempts end. Enough structure through that window changes the outcome.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
The strongest evidence base for cannabis use disorder. We map the cues — evenings, boredom, anxiety, the drive home — and build responses that hold when the routine says use.
Motivational interviewing (MI)
Most people arrive genuinely unsure whether cannabis is a problem. MI works with that ambivalence instead of arguing against it, which is why it outperforms confrontation here.
Contingency management
Structured, verified reinforcement for negative screens. Paired with CBT it measurably improves abstinence rates in cannabis treatment, especially in the first month.
Withdrawal symptom management
Sleep, appetite, and irritability are what derail week one. Our medical staff may prescribe short-term non-habit-forming sleep and anxiety support so the hardest stretch is survivable.
Psychiatric evaluation & medication management
Board-certified evaluation to separate cannabis effects from an underlying anxiety, depressive, bipolar, ADHD, or psychotic disorder — and treat what's actually there.
Dual-diagnosis care
Cannabis is most often used to manage anxiety, insomnia, trauma symptoms, or ADHD. Treating only the use leaves the reason intact, so we address both under one coordinated plan.
Levels of care
Cannabis treatment programs, from PHP to aftercare
Most people aren't sure which level of care they need — that's what the assessment is for, and you can step up or down as things change.
- 015 days/week · ~6 hrs/day
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
Our most structured outpatient level. Daily group and individual therapy with psychiatric oversight — the right level after a cannabis-induced psychotic episode, with severe hyperemesis, or when use sits alongside another substance.
- 023–5 days/week · day or evening
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
Several sessions a week of CBT, MI, and skills groups with morning and evening tracks. The most common starting point for students and working adults whose use has become constant.
- 03Weekly · ongoing
Outpatient therapy & medication management
Weekly therapy, ongoing psychiatric care, and relapse-prevention work through the months when sleep and mood are still recalibrating.
- 04When more support is needed
Higher level of care (vetted partners)
If inpatient psychiatric stabilization or medically supervised withdrawal management from another substance is the safer first step, we coordinate placement with trusted, vetted providers and take the guesswork out of the handoff — then pick your plan back up for outpatient care.
Across the river from Maryland
Convenient for Maryland commuters
Our Arlington center is a short drive from Bethesda, Montgomery County, and Prince George's County. Many Maryland clients choose in-person PHP and IOP here because the commute is manageable and evening tracks fit around work or classes. Telehealth is available for Virginia residents between in-person visits.
Common questions
Cannabis treatment questions, answered
Cannabis is legal in Virginia — can you really be addicted to it?
Legality and dependence are separate questions; alcohol is the obvious parallel. Cannabis use disorder is a recognized diagnosis, and roughly one in three regular users meets criteria. With today's high-potency concentrates, dependence develops faster than most people expect.
What does cannabis withdrawal feel like?
Typically irritability, anxiety, insomnia, vivid dreams, night sweats, and appetite loss. It usually starts within a day or two, peaks around days two to six, and largely resolves within two weeks. It isn't medically dangerous, but it's uncomfortable enough that support meaningfully changes the odds.
I only use to sleep or for anxiety. Is that still a problem?
It can be. Cannabis suppresses REM sleep and, over time, tends to worsen the anxiety and insomnia it initially relieves — which is why stopping feels impossible. We treat the sleep and anxiety directly so you aren't left without anything.
What is cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome?
Cycles of intense nausea and vomiting with abdominal pain, often relieved temporarily by hot showers. It's caused by long-term heavy use and the only reliable treatment is sustained abstinence. Many people cycle through ER visits for months before it's identified.
Can cannabis cause psychosis?
High-potency products carry a documented risk of paranoia, hallucinations, and psychotic episodes, particularly for young adults and people with a family history of psychosis or bipolar disorder. If that's happened, it warrants a psychiatric evaluation, not just stopping.
Does insurance cover cannabis treatment?
Most major commercial plans cover outpatient substance use treatment, including PHP and IOP. Our admissions team verifies your benefits and tells you the expected cost before you commit to anything. Self-pay options are available if you're uninsured.
Do you offer telehealth for cannabis treatment?
Yes, for Virginia residents — our clinicians are licensed in Virginia, so telehealth sessions are available statewide. In-person care at our Arlington center is open to Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC residents.
In-person cannabis treatment at 5400 Shawnee Road, Arlington, VA for VA, MD, and DC residents. Telehealth for Virginia residents only.
If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or call 911.
Get help today
Talk to someone who's done this before
Whether you're calling for yourself or for someone you love, the first conversation is free and completely confidential.
- Admissions — 24/7(571) 586-2883
- Location5400 Shawnee Road, Arlington, VA
Insurance accepted
Insurance coverage for cannabis treatment
Outpatient cannabis use disorder treatment is a covered behavioral health benefit under most commercial plans — Anthem, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Optum, Sentara Health Plans, UMR, and Johns Hopkins Health Plans. Send us your card and we'll confirm your PHP, IOP, and outpatient benefits before you start.
Don't see your plan? Call us — we also work with out-of-network benefits and self-pay.