This post is in honor of 4/20 and those of us who want more discussion about the not so pleasant aspects of today’s marijuana if you have bipolar, schizoaffective or schizophrenia.
There are 113 cannabinoids in the cannabis marijuana plant. They are wondrous substances that can help with cancer pain, restlessness, sleep, and more. Many swear by cannabis marijuana for chronic pain and helping with trauma.
The main cannabinoids in cannabis marijuana are CBD and THC. These are also referred to as the chemicals in cannabis. They can be extracted and modified in labs or through genetic growing practices, yeast solutions and more.
CBD is the calming chemical in cannabis marijuana and cannabis #hemp. Heavy CBD, low THC cannabis marijuana is referred to as Indica.
THC is the hallucinogenic chemical in cannabis marijuana. It is not as present in cannabis hemp. THC is the most stimulating of all cannabis chemicals. Cannabis marijuana with a higher level of THC is referred to as Sativa. This is the weed that gets a person high.
CBD is the chemical in cannabis marijuana that people use for relaxation. It’s Cheech and Chong silly pot. It causes mild paranoia, but due to the low THC and the pure growing styles of the past including home grown and small batch growing, this pot was pretty darn benign for people with serious mental illness, although it was still a drug that kept people inactive if they used it a lot.
THIS IS THE CANNABIS THAT PEOPLE WANTED TO LEGALIZE… and use medically.
In the 80s when I used a lot of weed, the product all over the world was a very heavy CBD product with an average TCH of around 4%.
Now, everything has changed. The average THC in today’s marijuana is 18%. Many strains are 25% or more and dabbing creates a 80-90% THC product.
No one feels that CBD is a problem in SMI. It’s considered calming and there may be beneficial uses in the future if we can find pure CBD, such as growing CBD in a yeast solution.
The problem with today’s pot, a pot I called the New Psychotic Pot when I saw the harm it caused to the children and partners of my clients starting in 2010, is this high level of THC.
We know, without question that THC increases the risk of psychosis in a person with an SMI by around 500%. Think about that please. 500%. The higher the THC, the higher the risk of psychosis.
Even though we know that higher THC increases the chance of psychosis in people with SMI , the product is sold with no psychosis or mental health warning. It is the same in all states with medical and or recreational marijuana.
It has created a mental health crisis in every state where it was legalized without education and regulation: Colorado, Washington, my state of Oregon and now California.
- The ER is filled to maximum with people in a mental health crisis as soon as cannabis marijuana is legalized.
- Psych hospital beds are full to capacity as soon as marijuana is legalized.
- Visits to the emergency room for psychosis in general increase rapidly in states that legalize marijuana.
- Homelessness increases as does street violence.
All of this research is now available online. It’s also coming out in books. I work directly with ER doctors and police officers, so please know that what I’m writing is not simply an opinion.
When it comes to bipolar, we are hit with a double whammy of psychosis and mania. THC is the most stimulating chemical in the cannabis plant and when used by people with bipolar, we tend to react with a dysphoric manic episode that has full on psychosis. For some reason, it doesn’t seem to create euphoric mania.
I find that high THC weed hits the bipolar brain like meth. We see similar symptoms to meth use when a person dabs.
We all want relief and the marketing arm of the cannabis industry has been incredibly good at telling literally everyone that cannabis can help.. no matter what ails you.
This is not a question of what cannabis can help. Of course it has benefits. My work is to help educate the public on the common side effects of using today’s cannabis marijuana if you have bipolar: psychosis and mania.
Products labeled CBD heavy or low THC are not tested. They almost always contain more THC than suggested. Also, I believe that we have changed cannabis marijuana through genetic growing and the THC has changed, so even the lower THC Indica weed can cause serious symptoms for those of us with bipolar, schizoaffective and schizophrenia.
When legalized, prices plummet and ALL companies start to compete on THC strength.
The choice to use cannabis marijuana is you have bipolar or a psychotic disorder is yours. No one can tell you what to do. I know how badly you want to feel better or escape, but please know that for the majority of people myself with SMI, we will get sick if we use today’s weed.
