Confronting someone about their marijuana addiction can be very challenging. You have to calculate and focus your confrontation and intervention efforts to best help someone scale back and gradually quit their addiction. Because marijuana is frequently dubbed a "soft drug," with no proven chemically addictive quality, it can be even more challenging to help someone stop using it. With adequate preparation, however, you can successfully confront someone about a marijuana addiction.
Step 1
Call friends and family members of the marijuana user to have a meeting before you actually confront the individual. Understand that gathering the support of people close to a marijuana addict can help you all send a stronger, unified message when you do confront him.
Step 2
At the meeting, prepare for your confrontation. List the different things you can say to the marijuana addict. Prepare for how you can address the user's possible statements that "marijuana is not even a real drug" and "you can't be addicted to marijuana" during your confrontation. Practice how you can remain mellow during the conversation to make the addict feel comfortable. Prepare to address this person with firmness and intensity without victimizing or being overbearing towards him. Provide solutions to every problem you anticipate the addict will present regarding quitting his addiction.
Step 3
Create a list of the impact this person's marijuana usage is having on his life and how you feel about the addiction. You can include items like short attention spans, memory loss, missed career opportunities, health problems and less time spent with loved ones as well as other marijuana-related side effects. Make sure the examples you use are particular to the situation of the addict you will confront. Use concrete examples. Prepare to use "I statements" (statements that begin by using the word "I" instead of "you") when you confront the marijuana addict about how you feel regarding the effects of his behavior.
Step 4
Set up an appropriate time and place for your confrontation. Make sure to choose a place that is quiet, where there are few other distractions and that has enough space for each person who will participate.
Step 5
Make sure the user is in a healthy state of mind when you confront him, as it will be difficult to get through to this person if he is high or is severely depressed. Assuming he is healthy when you do confront him, make sure you say everything you have planned in steps 2 and 3.
Tips and Warnings
- Make sure to express your love and concern to the addict to ensure he does not become defensive.
