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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by Brainbeard on April 12, 2012, at 16:30:55
In reply to Psychosis from Cannibis, posted by rjlockhart04-08 on April 12, 2012, at 15:48:29
God sits there and does nothing... What a joke. Lucifer really hasn't learnt anything, has he. Liar!
Cannabis (especially the kind that's overly rich in THC [tetrahydracannabinol, the major active component]) can trigger psychotic episodes and should be avoided by anyone who is at risk for mental instability. Some people won't know they were at risk for psychosis until smoking cannabis triggers such an episode, after which irrepairable damage may already be done.
I smoked lots of cannabis and I can well imagine the state you describe.
In your case it's probably best to never use cannabis again, or, if you 'must', to use cannabis less rich in THC and with a higher cannabidiol to THC-ratio (cannabidiol, another active component of cannabis, actually counters psychosis); which would mean marijuana grown outdoors or hash. Set and setting are also very important. In my experience, music can be very enjoyable when high/stoned. Thinking about sex can also make anxiety pass, but it may be troubled by religious preservations.
Your experience can be partly explained as going batshit crazy on cannabis.
I myself do believe in the existence of a spiritual reality. Authentic spiritual experience and psychosis are just two extremes of a fine line running between them, I theorize... From my own spiritual kind of view (which is christian, I'll admit), I'd say that God is far from sitting there and doing nothing. He has done a lot and is still doing a lot. Going to do a lot. I believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ. I also would stay far from asking for messengers or spiritual guides since such entities, if they appear or manifest themselves, may either be phantoms of the imagination or malevolent spirits disguised as helpers (or both). From my particular point of view, the work of Jesus Christ has made any other kind of intermediation redundant, so that God can be approached directly by appealing to mentioned work.
If one would have to choose between religious insanity and atheistic (or agnostic) sanity though, I think the latter would be preferable, perhaps at least for the time being.
Grace to you.
Posted by SLS on April 12, 2012, at 18:11:14
In reply to Psychosis from Cannibis, posted by rjlockhart04-08 on April 12, 2012, at 15:48:29
Do you plan on trying cannabis again?
If not, then you will most likely recover from your episode.
If so, then you might be putting yourself at greater risk of developing psychosis. It will depend upon your neurobiology as to whether or not you are vulnerable to this happening. Medscape has quite a few articles addressing this issue.
Is there a history of mental illness in your family?
- Scott
Posted by Phillipa on April 12, 2012, at 18:12:01
In reply to Psychosis from Cannibis, posted by rjlockhart04-08 on April 12, 2012, at 15:48:29
Does you doc know you have been smoking? Didn't this happen also to you when I was corresponding with your Mom? Phillipa
Posted by sleepygirl2 on April 12, 2012, at 18:54:18
In reply to Re: Psychosis from Cannibis » rjlockhart04-08, posted by SLS on April 12, 2012, at 18:11:14
The cannabis debate....
I've nothing intelligent to say about it.
I miss it.
People have said it isn't good for me. I don't know. Maybe it's like pizza? Pizza is great, as long as you don't eat it everyday.
However, if you have really bizarre experiences on it, then its a good idea to stay away.I'm pretty well connected to reality, seems like unless I start doing PCP, or something else that's ridiculous, I'm going to stay firmly attached to reality. Lucky, I guess.
Posted by bleauberry on April 13, 2012, at 6:42:48
In reply to Psychosis from Cannibis, posted by rjlockhart04-08 on April 12, 2012, at 15:48:29
it appears to me two things went wrong. First, too much was smoked. Second, it was probably not an Indica dominant strain....those are the ones with the relaxation/antianxiety/sedation. Sounds like you smoked something more on the Sativa side which are more stimulating and psychoactive, they can easily bring on anxiety and paranoia in a novice smoker.
The spiritual world is real. There are lots of things we can't see, feel, touch, hear, taste, or smell....and yet we know they are there and accept them as fact. X-rays or radio waves for example. Magnetism. Gravity. Electricity. Just because we cannot physically sense the spiritual world doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Battles of good against evil, angels against demons, happening all around us even where ever you are right now. I do not know however if your spiritual experiences on cannibas were real or imagined. Could have been either. Being high is a good medium for demons to sneak in. Or not, maybe it was just a mind high as a kite.
In any case, common mistake, smoked too much.
Posted by rjlockhart04-08 on April 13, 2012, at 10:49:02
In reply to Re: Psychosis from Cannibis, posted by bleauberry on April 13, 2012, at 6:42:48
This is what happened previously: I took a supplement called 5-HTP the night before and it caused me to clench up and be vary irrtible. I could not sleep, and layed there in the bed. I prayed to the arc angel Gabriel and put my prayer on my alter to God for him to read it. I was in alot of despair and anxiety and I prayed that he would send peace, and sleep, and relief from this horrible despair. I layed in my bed and at 3:00am Lucifer came into my thougts and told me he saw my letter and had came to give assistance. He told me that he would give me intelligence and he kept implying that I should go back to school and be a scholar, and expand my cousiousness. He stated clear that he showed up because he heard my prayers by reading them, and that neither God nor arcangels came for assistance, and implied that he has been observing me over sometime. It just does not make any sense because why would someone take intrest in me because I don't...i have no charasterics that would attract these beings, nor people, I live a vary boring life right now with periods of severe depression and seriously I just don't understand it. He has alot of charm and intellict, but he left. I smoked the cannabis and it caused me to feel I had lost reality, my sense of who I was, and I didnt even feel that I was real in my own body. After that my awareness of reality expanded a little after I got back to normal. During this time, while I was panic, I sat there and had a fine conversation with friends butI would say dereailed thoughts when I talked and they just ignored it and told me to wait until it wears off. I think somewhat diffrently, and seriously I know vary well that you can get in mindsets of delusions that will leave you not happy because they are not real and they where just enteraining your mind for period of time. Stay clear of these thoughts, and focus on earthly things, too much information of the spirit world and beyond can make you confused and delusioned. Anyways, that's just my expeirience.
I guess you have concluded that I should not do this again, that is correct. I'll be back, but thanks everyone.
Posted by ron1953 on April 13, 2012, at 12:47:47
In reply to Psychosis from Cannibis, posted by rjlockhart04-08 on April 12, 2012, at 15:48:29
In my many years (over 40) of cannibas experience, I have never experienced, witnessed or heard of a psychotic episode caused by cannibas, unless it was treated with another chemical. There is definitely something wrong with this picture.
Posted by SLS on April 13, 2012, at 13:07:43
In reply to Re: Psychosis from Cannibis, posted by bleauberry on April 13, 2012, at 6:42:48
> Second, it was probably not an Indica dominant strain....those are the ones with the relaxation/antianxiety/sedation.
How do the various strains differ with respect to the concentration of THC?
- Scott
Posted by rjlockhart04-08 on April 13, 2012, at 14:05:47
In reply to Re: Psychosis from Cannibis » bleauberry, posted by SLS on April 13, 2012, at 13:07:43
I clearly did not understand why It caused this action, I smoked some to calm down, and what happened I kept smoking it out of bong because i did not feel it take effect, and slowly it slowed my perception down and then caused me to panic because this feeling of not being real, and it slowed my down to the point where I could not percieve reality, and then I had anxiety and I had to sit down and talked with the poeple that where there with me and they kept trying to tell me come back to reality because I started to talk about things that I would never say in a conversation. That's what happened and they thought I had done LSD, or some kind of psychadelic, which I HATE psychidelics. It felt like a dissociate substance. That's what happened.
Posted by bleauberry on April 14, 2012, at 5:40:41
In reply to Re: Psychosis from Cannibis » bleauberry, posted by SLS on April 13, 2012, at 13:07:43
> > Second, it was probably not an Indica dominant strain....those are the ones with the relaxation/antianxiety/sedation.
>
> How do the various strains differ with respect to the concentration of THC?
>
>
> - ScottThe concentration os THC is a factor of genetics and growing conditions, but primarily in the genetics. Whether a plant is from the indica family or the sativa family isn't that much of a factor, sort of.... Indica plants are high in other active chemicals such as CBN and CBD. Those are two variations of the multiple different types of cannibinoids in the plant. Most people assume THC is the active chemical but it alone is not....it's the interaction and ratio relationship to the other cannibinoids that determines the effect of the plant....whether it will be psychoactive in a stimulating way, psychoactive in a sedative way, pain relieving, whatever. Some of the cannibinoids actually counter the psychoactive effects of THC, and those plants are especially useful for pain/anxiety.
I've had periods of being both on and off marijuana for long stretches over my life and like the other poster said, I have never heard of or encountered a psychotic episode from the plant. What people might perceive as a psychotic episode is basically just as simple as this....they got too high! They smoked too much. I mean, it is psychoactive, what the heck did someone expect? For someone who doesn't smoke regularly, the effects feel exaggerated and intense.
Posted by Brainbeard on April 14, 2012, at 5:50:20
In reply to Re: Psychosis from Cannibis, posted by bleauberry on April 14, 2012, at 5:40:41
Psychosis induced by cannabis is a well documented phenomenon - at least in the Netherlands. We do have the strongest marijuana on the planet, with extremely high concentrations of THC. Still, I'm convinced that cannabis IS dangerous for anyone prone to psychoses.
Posted by SLS on April 14, 2012, at 6:25:12
In reply to Re: Psychosis from Cannibis, posted by bleauberry on April 14, 2012, at 5:40:41
> > > Second, it was probably not an Indica dominant strain....those are the ones with the relaxation/antianxiety/sedation.
> > How do the various strains differ with respect to the concentration of THC?
> The concentration os THC is a factor of genetics and growing conditions, but primarily in the genetics. Whether a plant is from the indica family or the sativa family isn't that much of a factor, sort of.... Indica plants are high in other active chemicals such as CBN and CBD. Those are two variations of the multiple different types of cannibinoids in the plant. Most people assume THC is the active chemical but it alone is not....it's the interaction and ratio relationship to the other cannibinoids that determines the effect of the plant....whether it will be psychoactive in a stimulating way, psychoactive in a sedative way, pain relieving, whatever. Some of the cannibinoids actually counter the psychoactive effects of THC, and those plants are especially useful for pain/anxiety.
Yes. I am aware of this. THC and cannabidiol have opposite effects in the brain. I was hoping you could tell me which strains are highest and lowest in THC. THC seems to be the substance that is psychotomimetic.
> I've had periods of being both on and off marijuana for long stretches over my life and like the other poster said, I have never heard of or encountered a psychotic episode from the plant.Well, I've tried the stuff, too, and I was put off to it because of the way it warped my sense of reality. I would hate to get stuck in that altered state of consciousness. I might represent the minority in this respect. However, that it happens at all is disturbing to me.
Does THC produce psychosis? Does THC hasten the onset of psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia? There is a lot of science out there that says yes to these questions. Are all of these studies an artifact of some sort of conspiracy? I really don't know. I haven't researched the matter well enough to develop an opinion on this. However, one can certainly find enough published material to work with.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=cannabis%20psychosis
What does it mean to say that one can "smoke too much"? What are the consequences of smoking too much? What happens? It seems to me that to say this is just a convenient way out of admitting that THC is psychotomimetic.
I wish people would lobby for the identification and extraction of the therapeutic substances contained in marijuana and not advocate to distribute a substance containing THC.
- Scott
Posted by europerep on April 14, 2012, at 7:42:21
In reply to Re: Psychosis from Cannibis » bleauberry, posted by SLS on April 14, 2012, at 6:25:12
I agree with Brainbeard in that there is indeed a link between cannabis and psychosis. Cannabis is a powerful substance, so obviously, if used by the wrong people, it can have bad effects. I do think it's more about who uses it than how much they use. (That of course doesn't mean that those who can use it safely won't experience bad effects when using too much.)
However, the actual question is: how strong is the link between cannabis and psychosis? Check this out: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22394457 (published February 2012)
"Our findings support the notion that continued cannabis use after the onset of a first-episode psychosis is correlated with worse social outcome and should be discouraged whenever possible, but its role in outcome is modest in comparison to other factors."
There's also the question of publication bias. I was impressed to see the above study in the JCP. I would think that it's much easier to get a study published that supports the link between cannabis and psychosis than one that rejects it.
Posted by Phil on April 14, 2012, at 8:11:14
In reply to Re: Psychosis from Cannibis, posted by europerep on April 14, 2012, at 7:42:21
I haven't read all of the above article so I'll just speak from my own experience.
I started smoking in 1969 and have smoked on and off since then. Decades ago, research had many claims of how marijuana could cause every malady you can imagine.
I have no proof that pot triggers schizophrenia earlier than it would have shown up and I don't believe these studies. Again, I don't have proof but I don't think anyone else does either.
So, after more than 40 years of smoking and knowing hundreds if not thousands of stoners I've never heard a peep about this happening.
If you believe it, don't smoke it or don't let your kids smoke it(good luck)
By the way, sativa's are a more 'up' pot and can be trippy, especially Haze or any Haze hybrid.
I'd be more concerned for someone smoking brick weed or soap hash because you don't know what's in that garbage.
So, grow organic, grow the best. And if anyone can give me the name of one person that they ''know'' was triggered early with this disease and they ''know'' pot did that to them, then I'll vape a hit in your honor.
Posted by Brainbeard on April 14, 2012, at 9:58:01
In reply to Re: Psychosis from Cannibis, posted by Brainbeard on April 14, 2012, at 5:50:20
I know one guy who became psychotic after smoking cannabis. He has been mentally crippled ever since. Every psychotic episode tends to damage the psyche.
Cannabis is a great plant, but it has its dark sides. It can be highly addictive if used without measure. Its addictiveness has been underestimated far too long, well, at least here in the Netherlands. Cannabis can also aid in building grandiose narcissistic fantasies. It tends to make people superhorny in the right (?) circumstances. Which is not always a good thing. Plus, smoking marijuana is very detrimental to health. Especially smoking cannabis and tobacco in combination is worse than smoking tobacco alone. There is research to back these claims up.
I try to eat it rather than smoke it.
Posted by Phil on April 14, 2012, at 10:40:24
In reply to Re: Psychosis from Cannibis, posted by Brainbeard on April 14, 2012, at 9:58:01
> I know one guy who became psychotic after smoking cannabis. He has been mentally crippled ever since. Every psychotic episode tends to damage the psyche.
>>>And you know that he had never self-medicated with any other drug. He smoked weed, became psychotic and that was it. Could he possibly have been using weed to help calm early symptoms that he couldn't verbalize?
>>>If none of what I said matters we have an N of 1. I'll buy that.
>>>Cannabis is a great plant, but it has its dark sides. It can be highly addictive if used without measure.>>>Only addictive if you're Bob, Snoop, or Willie.
Its addictiveness has been underestimated far too long, well, at least here in the Netherlands.
>>>I haven't read that but it's hard for me to read when I'm stoned all the time.
Cannabis can also aid in building grandiose narcissistic fantasies.
>>>You're confusing that with cocaine. I've never seen that with pot, ever. Well, there was Steve Jobs.
It tends to make people superhorny in the right (?) circumstances. Which is not always a good thing.
>>>The right circumstances, like Anne Hathaway lying naked in bed with you? It's never made me super horny unless I had reason to be. Doesn't matter, my plumbing is broken from meds. That point is right out of Reefer Madness.
Plus, smoking marijuana is very detrimental to health. Especially smoking cannabis and tobacco in combination is worse than smoking tobacco alone. There is research to back these claims up.
I try to eat it rather than smoke it.>>>Not many Americans use tobacco in their joints, that's the rest of the worlds problem.
Less people are smoking these days but are using vaporizers instead. They range from $29 - $700.
You don't inhale smoke, just vapor. You can barely smell pot, you use less which frees up your budget for Cheetos and Gummi Bears.>>>As far as addiction, anything can be addicting. Religion, cars, food, shopping, porn, exercise, porn, fishing, porn, golf, skydiving, war, driving too fast, stealing, bumper cars, sports, and cooking shows. So yeah. pot is addictive in some cases, pick your poison.
Posted by europerep on April 14, 2012, at 10:49:59
In reply to Re: Psychosis from Cannibis, posted by Phil on April 14, 2012, at 8:11:14
> I have no proof that pot triggers schizophrenia earlier than it would have shown up and I don't believe these studies.
Well, if you don't want to believe the studies out there proving something you don't want to accept, there is little people can do in convincing you. It does make you look like an ideologue more than a person who's trying to rationally come to conclusions, though.
In my earlier post I forgot to mention my thoughts on indica vs. sativa. Basically, if you use commercially grown weed, you always get a product that is mostly, if not practically 100% indica. This is simply because sativas have a much longer flowering time, and their yield is very low. For a commercial grower who sells by the kilos, sativas are not interesting at all. Plus, I had some 100% sativas the last times I was in the Netherlands, and it didn't look anything like the weed that you can buy on the street.
Posted by rjlockhart04-08 on April 14, 2012, at 11:37:25
In reply to Re: Psychosis from Cannibis » Phil, posted by europerep on April 14, 2012, at 10:49:59
I have to say, that the place I was at they had thought I had taken another substance because they said we have never seen this happen before, and when I was in this state I kept saying this is suppost to calm me down. It was derealization and detachment with random thoughts that made no sense. And I had admit, I've done methamphetamine and cocaine with no issues expect my heart beating really fast, none of this mind serperation. But I have to say that it opened my mind and I did have personality changes such has making jokes and being funny, usally I am frozen and stay quiet. Anyways, I just know that I am going to have avoid this in the future.
Posted by Phil on April 14, 2012, at 12:00:59
In reply to Re: Psychosis from Cannibis » Phil, posted by europerep on April 14, 2012, at 10:49:59
I know about strains. Let's just say I was a hobbyist about a decade ago.
Maybe I am being a knucklehead about this because I've done little research. Maybe I can read on this today. As far as I know, this may be accepted in a lot of the cannabis community.
But the reason that I am leery is that I've been around, I've heard lies for years and no one I've ever known, smoked with, talked to in over 43 years has even had an anecdote to share. I mean if this was happening it would spread like wildfire. ''You know, I have a friend whose brother lives in Canada and smoked a joint with a neighbor who became psychotic.'' You think a story like that wouldn't go viral before we knew what viral was?
I mean, are more people being diagnosed now and at an earlier age? If pot is the scourge of the planet, why aren't these numbers changing? Or are they?
And, the politics of pot is ruthless. If I see anything about this with .gov at the end, well.
Who wants to shut MM down? Big pharm, tobacco, alcohol. Who is funding these studies? I'm just asking?I will read up on this and keep an open mind. I certainly don't want anyone to suffer because of pot or anything else. I'd rather not see anyone under 21 smoking pot or drinking but I was young once and there's no way to stop it.
Time will tell. It's a good discussion here and that matters.
Posted by Phil on April 14, 2012, at 12:07:22
In reply to Re: Psychosis from Cannibis, posted by rjlockhart04-08 on April 14, 2012, at 11:37:25
At least you know now and that's good. I know tons of people that don't smoke because it makes them feel weird.
I hope you aren't going anywhere near meth or coke anymore. From experience, I hate those drugs, especially meth. I lost 3 friends to it and several others that pickled their brain. Worst drug ever.
Posted by bleauberry on April 14, 2012, at 17:52:41
In reply to Re: Psychosis from Cannibis » bleauberry, posted by SLS on April 14, 2012, at 6:25:12
Scott you asked some great questions I wish I knew the answers to all of them I don't. Strains highest in THC are generally sativa or sativa dominant hybrids. Weird thing though Scott, a doc once prescribed for me the pharmaceutical prescription THC pill for appetite stimulation and there was no psychoactive effect at all. So I dunno, it's probably a complicated interplay of ingredients that determines the outcome I would guess. I'm aware studies have looked at a possible relationship between chronic usage causing psychosis or chronic usage causing depression. I don't think it is as correlated as they tend to present it but, and actually I don't buy the premise at all, just being polite, but not being real familiar with all of the studies I don't know. As to how do we know when someone smoked too much, well, how do we know when someone drank too much? I mean, you just know. Any psychoactive substance taken in excess is going to do something undesired I think. Medical marijuana MDs teach patients how to dose properly, which usually involves lower doses than people use recreationally. Any bizarre undesired effects simply means the dose was too high. When dosed too high it can make symptoms worse instead of better. I'm sure every person is different. As with most herbal medicines, the primary ingredient within the whole is usually more broadly and potently effective than the isolated ingredient by itself.
> > > > Second, it was probably not an Indica dominant strain....those are the ones with the relaxation/antianxiety/sedation.
>
> > > How do the various strains differ with respect to the concentration of THC?
>
> > The concentration os THC is a factor of genetics and growing conditions, but primarily in the genetics. Whether a plant is from the indica family or the sativa family isn't that much of a factor, sort of.... Indica plants are high in other active chemicals such as CBN and CBD. Those are two variations of the multiple different types of cannibinoids in the plant. Most people assume THC is the active chemical but it alone is not....it's the interaction and ratio relationship to the other cannibinoids that determines the effect of the plant....whether it will be psychoactive in a stimulating way, psychoactive in a sedative way, pain relieving, whatever. Some of the cannibinoids actually counter the psychoactive effects of THC, and those plants are especially useful for pain/anxiety.
>
> Yes. I am aware of this. THC and cannabidiol have opposite effects in the brain. I was hoping you could tell me which strains are highest and lowest in THC. THC seems to be the substance that is psychotomimetic.
>
> > I've had periods of being both on and off marijuana for long stretches over my life and like the other poster said, I have never heard of or encountered a psychotic episode from the plant.
>
> Well, I've tried the stuff, too, and I was put off to it because of the way it warped my sense of reality. I would hate to get stuck in that altered state of consciousness. I might represent the minority in this respect. However, that it happens at all is disturbing to me.
>
> Does THC produce psychosis? Does THC hasten the onset of psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia? There is a lot of science out there that says yes to these questions. Are all of these studies an artifact of some sort of conspiracy? I really don't know. I haven't researched the matter well enough to develop an opinion on this. However, one can certainly find enough published material to work with.
>
> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=cannabis%20psychosis
>
> http://search.medscape.com/news-search;jsessionid=E791F60F00F215B446383BC3FBE230D0?newSearch=1&queryText=cannabis+psychosis
>
> What does it mean to say that one can "smoke too much"? What are the consequences of smoking too much? What happens? It seems to me that to say this is just a convenient way out of admitting that THC is psychotomimetic.
>
> I wish people would lobby for the identification and extraction of the therapeutic substances contained in marijuana and not advocate to distribute a substance containing THC.
>
>
> - Scott
Posted by Phillipa on April 14, 2012, at 19:25:25
In reply to Re: Psychosis from Cannibis, posted by bleauberry on April 14, 2012, at 17:52:41
I just remember one time in 30's some guy I knew I was at his home waiting to go on a date. He offered a beer I accepted, then he asked if wanted to smoke pot. Since never had before he showed me how to do it. Only let me take three puffs, hits whatever and I had had three beers. Now in no way was I ever attracted to this man. But he asked me to dance and his hands were the most sensual feeling I'd ever experienced before. Somehow managed to think no I do not want to be romantic with this man. Got in car and felt like I was flying in an airplane and flew home. Went to sleep. Next morning taught an Aerobics class and nothing at all bothered me was so relaxed. Then went into another State taught another class same feeling, that night taught another and in the middle of the class felt like slam I entered the earth again. So whatever it was boy it was rather scarey after it left my system over 24 hours later. Never smoked it again. Someone said it must have been laced with something. I just know for me it was scarey that something could do this to me. Phillipa
Posted by phidippus on April 14, 2012, at 21:07:49
In reply to Psychosis from Cannibis, posted by rjlockhart04-08 on April 12, 2012, at 15:48:29
I thought drugs didn't effect you.
Eric
Posted by Brainbeard on April 15, 2012, at 2:14:26
In reply to Re: Psychosis from Cannibis » rjlockhart04-08, posted by phidippus on April 14, 2012, at 21:07:49
'The Good Drug Guide' by David Pearce is enlightening on the subject. Two negative side-effects of cannabis use haven't yet been mentioned in this thread: the apathy and lethargy that follow (heavy) use the next day; and the increased vulnerability to stress when sober (see biochemical reasons for this below). Demonizing cannabis is no good, but naively seeing it as Mother Nature's product that is inherently harmless is no good either.
' By contrast to today's opioids, marijuana isn't usually addictive in the traditional sense of the term. It can still be habit-forming. Marijuana has euphoriant, psychedelic and sedative properties. Experiments with stoned rats suggest that cannabis use reduces the amount of corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) in the amygdala. Excess secretion of CRF is associated with abnormalities in the HPLA axis and depression. The rebound surge of CRF on ceasing cannabis-use correlates with increased vulnerability to stress and a withdrawal-reaction, arguably one good reason not to stop in the first instance. Stress-induced endocannabinoid deficit in the brain may induce melancholic depression in users and non-users alike. A dysfunctional response to stress, linked to a chronically overactive HPLA axis, causes anxiety disorders and depression; CRH-type 1 receptor antagonists like antalarmin are being investigated as potential anxiolytics and antidepressants. The deeper roots of our malaise lie buried in the evolutionary past.
The primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana is THC, tetrahydrocannabinol. Smoking or eating marijuana and its complex cocktail of compounds may rarely trigger episodes of depersonalisation, derealisation and psychosis. Sometimes it can induce paranoia, particularly in advocates of The War Against Drugs. More commonly, marijuana just leaves the user pleasantly and harmlessly stoned. It's fun. Sleepiness, pain-relief and euphoria are typical responses. Cannabinoid CB(1) receptor agonists are potential antidepressants. Indeed cannabinoids may be neuroprotective against the effects of stress. Conversely, cannabinoid CB(1) receptor antagonists/inverse agonists, like the new EC-licensed diet-drug rimonabant (Acomplia), may cause depression and anxiety. Indeed the first brain-derived substance found to bind to our cannabis receptors was christened "anandamide", a derivative of the Sanskrit word for internal contentment. Getting high may thus serve as an innocent recreational pastime in an uncaring world.
Yet marijuana is not a wonderdrug. Cognitive function in the user is often impaired, albeit moderately and reversibly. Marijuana interferes with memory-formation by disrupting long-term potentiation in the hippocampus. One of the functions of endogenous cannabinoids in the brain is to promote selective short-term amnesia. Forgetting is not, as one might have supposed, a purely passive process. Either way, choosing deliberately to ingest an amnestic agent for long periods is scarcely an ideal life-strategy. It's especially flawed given the centrality of memory to human self-identity. Some artists and professional bohemians, it is true, apparently do find smoking grass an adjunct to creative thought. For persons of a more philistine temperament, on the other hand, it's hard to see such a drug as a major tool for life-affirmation or the development of the human species. This shortcoming does not, one ought scarcely need to add, suggest marijuana users should be persecuted and criminalised. Indeed the marijuana compound THC may actually be superior to commercially licensed products at blocking the formation of mind-rotting amyloid plaques of the memory-destroying Alzheimer's disease.'.
Posted by Brainbeard on April 15, 2012, at 2:15:08
In reply to Re: Psychosis from Cannibis, posted by Brainbeard on April 15, 2012, at 2:14:26
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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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