A quick explanation on why I believe bipolar disorder and pot smoking don’t mix.
I have bipolar disorder. I work as a coach for parents and partners of children with bipolar disorder. Here are my experiences:
1. For over three years now, at least 50% of the coaching situations I experience involve POT smoking that leads to mania and abnormal amounts of psychosis in the person with bipolar disorder. In my experience, people who continue to smoke pot that causes bipolar disorder symptoms do not get better. At this time, three of the six clients I’m working with have children who are either in the hospital or are about to go into the hospital because of pot induced bipolar psychosis. It’s not a joke and I hope it can be addressed rationally and reasonably without causing us to take sides.
2. I broke my back and dislocated my hip in an biking accident three years ago. After two months of medical marijuana use where I carefully watched my THC intake, I had the WORST MANIA of my life. It lasted for four months after I stopped all pot use. I will never put pot in my body again. The following is an article about my experiences as a coach and as a person with bipolar disorder who experienced pot induced mania and psychosis. I’m not staying in the closet about this- we are about to hit epidemic proportions in the mental health world as more and more states legalize this drug that has little to do with the ‘mellow shit’ we used to smoke in the 80s. Let’s educate ourselves and grow up and see the facts. It can be dangerous if we are not informed.
With all due respect, this is not a forum for people to tell me how great pot smoking is and how it calms them and I don’t know what I’m talking about. My only goal is helping people with bipolar disorder and those who care about them get better. Please share pro pot comments on another page, not this one. Thank you. I am not anti pot and do believe that cannabis can be a GREAT help in many areas. I’m talking about THC here and the focus is specifically on people who have bipolar disorder or a genetic predisposition for the illness.
The New Psychotic Pot: Is High THC Marijuana Dangerous for People with Bipolar Disorder?
I’ve seen a very disturbing trend in the bipolar disorder world over the past five years and I’m very concerned for the health of people with bipolar disorder. I see a large amount of pot smoking in our community that leads to obvious and serious psychotic symptoms that are being missed because people don’t have the information needed to make informed decisions about the pot that is on today’s market. We are smoking, supporting and ultimately legalizing a strain of marijuana that presents a very high risk of psychotic symptoms for people with bipolar disorder due to an abnormally high THC content in the pot as a result of intense genetic modification. (THC is the hallucinogenic component of marijuana.) When I first voiced my concerns about the psychosis I saw that was caused by pot smoking, many told me I was crazy. “Pot is for relaxation Julie! The pot now is no different than the pot you used to smoke in the 80s! Pot helps people calm down!”
I originally wrote about this topic for my Bp Magazine blog over three years ago where I called this marijuana the New PSYCHOTIC POT. The responses were off the charts in terms of the DON’T TOUCH MY RIGHT TO SMOKE POT! comments I received. Years later, the research is out. The pot on the market today has little to do with the pot from even ten years ago. The pot today is ridiculously strong due to THC levels that are over ten times higher than found in more cannabinoid intense (the relaxing component of marijuana) and traditional ‘mellow out’ pot.
This high THC marijuana can cause psychotic symptoms that mimic full blown psychotic bipolar disorder episodes after just one hit of the pipe. Please, if you are someone who doesn’t think this is possible, please keep reading as I share my story about my personal experiences with THC induced psychosis. I am also seeing personality disorder type symptoms from this high THC pot and will certainly write about it in future blogs.
In my opinion, this psychotic pot (especially where the THC level is higher than 10%) is often too strong for people with bipolar disorder. Pot has always caused a bit of paranoia, but it was the kind that made you glance over your shoulder and spook yourself for fun. Not anymore. This pot with its high THC content causes psychosis that rivals the worst bipolar disorder episodes.
I’ll let Ozzy Osbourn from his book, Trust Me, I’m Dr. Ozzy explain it more eloquently: “When I used to smoke pot, it was happy stuff: you’d get the munchies, have a laugh and go to sleep. These days, when you have a joint, you end up having to hold on to your drawers and hoping you don’t go insane. They f#@% around with marijuana now, creating all of these genetically altered mutant varieties. In the old day, a joint’s THC content- the chemical that gets you high basically- used to be something like 4%. Today, you hear of it being 20 percent or 40 percent.”
He continues, “It’s a bit like walking into a bar one day and being given a Bud Light, and the next being given something that looks exactly like a Bud Light, and it tastes exactly like a Bud Light, but which has the same effect on you as four bottles of vodka.”
I respect Ozzy as he is so open about the hell he went through due to his drug use. I naively smoked this psychotic pot once about five years ago when I was trying to get help for stomach problems due to my medications and I remember thinking, “What is this stuff? This is nuclear compared to the weed I smoked in college in the 80s! What is it doing to my brain? Why am I thinking all of these thoughts, but I can’t actually speak? Why can’t I move my body! What the hell is going on?”
I’m not out to tell you that pot is the boogeyman and that I want you to stop smoking because I have some control complex. I honestly don’t care if you smoke pot or not as it’s a personal choice. My goal is to educate people with bipolar disorder about the dangers of High THC POT so that they can make informed decisions that protect the brain.
The argument that smoking pot is safe if you have bipolar disorder is an argument based off of a pot that no longer exists. The conversation about pot smoking and bipolar disorder must be re-examined in the context of the pot that’s being sold on the market today.
Yes, many people smoke this high THC pot and don’t have psychotic symptoms, but they don’t have bipolar disorder and aren’t my concern! People with bipolar disorder are my concern. People with bipolar disorder have brains that are more susceptible to the THC in today’s pot and we need to get the word out that comparing what used to be on the market to what is on the market today can be deadly.
Why do I know so much about this New Psychotic Pot?
I broke my back and dislocated my hip in a biking accident in 2012 and have lived with severe chronic pain ever since. I very, very reluctantly tried medical marijuana once I found out I could 100% control the amount of THC I would put into my body. I charted my moods from the first time I tried the medical marijuana by asking for a low level THC. The THC in the medical marijuana strain I chose was the lowest level possible- well under 10% and I felt ok using it as part of my pain management plan. That was at the beginning. Months later, after a lot of unexpected and unexplained mania, I had to face the fact that even the lowest dose of THC marijuana was making me ill.
Dispensaries Don’t Always Know the Risks
Even more worrisome was the lack of information in the dispensary. One day the regular medical marijuana I get from the dispensary was out and I very stupidly didn’t do my research and tried a strain that had a slightly higher THC. Even though the THC level was considered low at 19% as compared to what the majority of recreational pot smokers use, I had a full on psychotic episode that lasted six hours and scared me to death. My main memory is being awake while being asleep and seeing people come out of my dreams into my living room while my body was rooted to the spot and unable to move. My chronic bipolar psychosis has been under control for years and ONE experience with pot that had a higher THC count sent me over the edge. I will never let that happen again. I respect my brain too much to put anything in my body that will cause bipolar disorder symptoms.
I worry about what this pot is doing to people with bipolar disorder who smoke it every day. I work as a coach for family members who regularly deal with pot induced psychosis in their loved ones who have bipolar disorder. This is how I was originally introduced to the problem. We can’t be ignorant on this topic anymore. For years, this new psychotic pot was underground and wasn’t as accessible as it is today. Now it’s sold like candy. Literally.
I want us to be open about the risks posed by THC for those with mental health disorders. If you are someone who wants to smoke pot to calm down or deal with anxiety, please avoid pot with a THC level over 5% just to be safe. This is simply an opinion.
I’m not for the legalization of marijuana in its current form as I believe easy access to the drug without highlighting the very real mental health dangers of THC is going to cause an epidemic of psychosis unlike anything we have ever seen in the mental health world. I believe in labeling. A friend of mine has an opposite view- he believes that legalizing pot means people can see the THC content in what they are buying and as a result will make more informed choices. Maybe this is true. I’m not naive. People are going to do drugs. It’s part of being human. Much of this comes down to minimizing risk. If you or someone you love has bipolar disorder and smokes pot, keep the THC low and stay safe. Otherwise, it’s a psychotic brain time bomb waiting to go off.
Click here to read a study with the apt title Pot Smoking Boosts Mental Illness Risk Fivefold. Here are two quotes from the study:
“Compared with those who had never tried cannabis, users of high potency skunk-like cannabis had a threefold increase in risk of psychosis,” she said.
“The risk to those who use every day was even higher — a fivefold increase compared to people who never use,” she added in a statement.
I ask that all of us in the bipolar disorder community talk openly about the inherent risks of such easy access to marijuana. Let’s not confuse the old pot with this new and highly dangerous psychotic pot.
Can High THC Marijuana Use be Dangerous for People with Bipolar Disorder? The answer is yes.
This is not about politics, big pharma or the legalization argument. I simply want people with bipolar disorder to know the very real dangers of what they are putting in their brains.
Julie
Update: I would like to stress that the bipolar disorder and pot issue has many positives- unlike other drugs that can alter the course of a person’s bipolar disorder permanently, such as cocaine and meth accelerating a person’s mania, the psychosis (and mania) caused by pot smoking can end once the person stops smoking the pot. And from what I have seen so far, it doesn’t come back unless the person starts smoking again. People with bipolar disorder often use substances to feel better- my issue is sugar, so I certainly understand the problem with self medicating. Once we decide the substance is not working for us and we want to change, it’s essential that we have a healthy replacement for what we stop doing. For example, if a person just stops smoking pot cold turkey and doesn’t replace it with a positive alternative, the pot remains inviting and the person will start smoking again. This is a complicated problem, but one that CAN be solved.
Here are more links to current articles and research:
Cannabis-Related ED Visits Rise in States With Legalized Use
Pot’s Dark Side: Delusions, Psychotic Symptoms
I will add more articles as they come online.
Education is power.
As much as I agree with you on most things, and I love your work (as it helped me – the health cards – when i was first diagnosed), I would have to say that I disagree that smoking pot makes people with Bipolar Disorder psychotic in every case. I have been smoking and vaporizing pot for over 10 years. I have Bipolar type 2 and also PTSD with Conversion Disorder. I take lithium mostly for the bipolar, trileptal for sleep (along with melatonin and vaporized cannabis), .5 xanax once a day (slowly getting off of that), and that’s all. My anxiety is terrible and goes up and down. My bipolar disorder is very regulated and I don’t have much trouble with that. My PTSD is complex and from childhood.
I do agree that marijuana can have a negative effect on some people WITH or WITHOUT bipolar disorder. It’s just like any pharmaceuticals, some don’t work for people. (except some pharmaceuticals HAVE NEARLY KILLED ME AND I ENDED UP IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM 4 TIMES). If medical cannabis is regulated with the intake, it can be extremely helpful. I am living proof. I vaporize nearly 6-7 nights a week and my intake is regulated by my experience with it, so I only take in the amount I would need to feel the “side effects” of say, a xanax or a lorazapam. Now the psychosis that could potentially happen from smoking is not a wanted or fun outcome, but this does not happen to everyone. In fact I’ve only known one person where this happened to him and he was already off the rocker and in extreme bipolar episodes.
“medical” cannabis has been a lifesaver. My psychiatrist and my trauma therapist do not tell me that I shouldn’t be using it. I believe that if I did not have the cannabis to vaporize I would be worse off….and in fact I know that to be true because I am worse off when I have not had it. It is hard to regulate in the system if the marijuana isn’t regulated…like the potency or how it is put into the blood stream/body. But I have my system and I am extremely grateful that it is becoming legalized medically in my state. Veterans, in fact, don’t even need much to get a medical card for it. I think you might just have to be a Veteran…but i’m not sure…
I was just at a talk about medical cannabis and here is the website that they were promoting (as well as plain education for medical professionals): http://www.cannabistraininginstitute.com/
Anyways, I understand that the THC is higher, I know this because I know people from the 70s and now who still smoke/vaporize.
As a person with multiple diagnosis, as well as endometriosis (HIGH pain disease), I believe that smoking cannabis should not be labeled as a bad idea for people like me, but rather something that should be used with caution and experience.
Using my vaporizer….here’s why I do it:
-it is a better alternative to my Xanax, which has created a dependency and problems with my brain/pain receptors
-it is one of the only things that can help me sleep, in addition to my other medicine
-it is a pain reliever from physical and mental stress
-it helps my appetite as my anxiety can prevent me from eating
-my anxiety is lessened
-it makes me feel like my “normal” self other than my stressed, anxiety filled body
-it is used as another “pill” like taking a lithium, when used the right way, as i have found
-helps my depression, just like any other pill
Here are some links to look at, and you can find much much more. In fact, the Chicago Tribune had a piece on PTSD and Veterans using medical cannabis and it was highly recommended for them. I, as a PTSD woman, need marijuana. If i don’t, you might as well compare it to taking away my lithium.
(But as I said earlier, it isn’t for everyone. Just don’t promote ALL people with bipolar disorder shouldn’t use it.)
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/08/study-pot-may-improve-cognitive-functioning-in-bipolar-disorder/261140/
https://patients4medicalmarijuana.wordpress.com/medical-use-of-cannabis-video/marijuana-for-depression-bipolar/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/22/cannabis-ptsd_n_6199254.html
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/12/23/256610483/could-pot-help-veterans-with-ptsd-brain-scientists-say-maybe
Hello Julia, I will be back later this evening to re post my blog from Bp Magazine- we had to take it down from the website as the internet trolls simply got out of control. I want a dialogue with people- just as you are doing in your excellent response to my post. There are a lot of people out there who are not able to see both sides of any situation. Please know that my post is about high THC pot and not pot use in other situations- I am posting the full story tonight that includes my situation and this will explain my post in more detail and explain how I know so much about psychosis and THC. Thank you again for your comments. Julie
I am on dis for bipolar. the cookie cutter meds that they try n try to put me on don’t work.. I have explained my symptoms and how they change. I have incredible anxiety as my disability progresses.. the what I call baby medicine that they want me to take has sent me into psychotic states that I have to be hospitalized, yet again. and try yet another lame excuse for med help. when I have thoughts of hurting myself ( J/K ) killing myself.. I smoke pot to get the relief I so desperately need because no on e will listen that I need something stronger than a vague feelings the psych meds give me and don’t work. is my psych trying to kill me?.. I certainly think so, and have told her I would kill her if she keeps trying to kill me. so, I stopped going. ( court ordered to go ) but seriously.. no one gives a shit. I hate smoking pot. but it’s the only thing I’ve found that gives me imediate relief of murderous thoughts. so fuck you. the mental health care system takes too long with no guarentee.
The link to BP Magazine is no good. It’s a disappointment because I really wanted to finish reading your blog post. Cheers… 🙂
Hello Mindy,
We hit a snafu regarding that blog post. The internet trolls were so intense I was no longer able to control or respond to the comments. It was a poor reflection on the wonderful Bp Magazine and all of the people who simply want to get better and avoid triggers. I was alternatively fascinated and appalled at what I read for people. I tried to answer as many comments as I could, but they were so abusive, self righteous and once sided I started to get a bit ill myself! I am going to pot the full blog on this blog later this evening. So it will certainly be available and in a place where I can control the comments that get out of hand. There are a lot of people on the internet whom I don’t understand- why search out things you simply want to put down? It’s interesting.
Julie
Thanks for reposting this, Julie. Good job. I figured out a few years ago that bipolar and pot don’t mix, but it was one of those things I really hated to admit, even to myself. Plenty of my friends would disagree completely with anything even remotely negative about marijuana, but so far as I know they don’t have bipolar. People are not always happy when the truth doesn’t support their point of view, don’t let it get to you. You’re doing good work, and its necessary. Peace.
I can’t smoke high potency pot for that reason…bad psychosis! ive experienced that since I was a teenager, pot induced psychosis, I don’t and won’t smoke pot anymore because of it. I only have very mild psychotic symptoms every so often when I’m extremely depressed. Ive never experienced Full psychosis outside of pot. Thanks for this article. It cleared up a lot for me, because I always wondered why pot made me “crazy”. Im new to my Dx and I have found your blogs very helpful. I agree with the legalization of pot, but it’s just not for everyone…including me.
I’ve never been officially diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, but I have my issues and that’s probably one of them. I got addicted to the old pot “reg” about 20 years ago. I quit, using a recovery program. A year and a half ago (after 12 years), I relapsed. I live in Kansas so the super high potency stuff isn’t only easy to get. It’s all we have. I very rarely enjoyed it. My anxiety went through the roof. I gave my self gastritis due to the high high anxiety. I lost my mind to the point where everyone said it was the weed and I wouldn’t listen. This can all be explained do to the fact that I’m an addict, but the psychotic episodes I experienced were like nothing I’ve ever done in my life, and I’m 42. I met a whole new person this last year and she was just not right in the head. I finally quit about a week ago and the fog is starting to clear a little. Luckily I have a recovery program I can replace it with, and to help me get over the hell I put myself through this last year. I still conciser myself a total pot head, I love the culture, and I think we should legalize it. I agree with Julie though. We need to be smart about it. I don’t want anyone to go through what I just did.
Dear Julie,
This was all very interesting. I understand and fully respect your professional opinion and experience in this matter. My question is: do you have any studies or preferably meta-data to support your stand point and if so could you link to it?
Hello! There is a link at the bottom of the article for one of the first studies that has come out this year- it shows a direct link to this new pot and psychosis. Here is the link again: http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/marijuana-psychosis-cannabis-study/2015/02/16/id/624979/
The title of the article is pretty telling: Study: Psychosis Five Times More Likely for Marijuana Users
We can’t ignore this anymore. All of the people who knocked me for saying this over five years ago now have to change and open their eyes to the dangers of this pot. It’s dangerous.
Julie
I agree and disagree.
I would prefer links to studies done here on Canada or at least the states. We don’t smoke pot from England,ours is different. A perhaps a study of more than a couple hundred people. Because this does interest me. My pdoc has no issue with me using it for pain. I chose cannabis because I didn’t want to go hooked on pain pills for my chronic pain. So I thought I was trying to do the right thing.
It would also be good to have some links and write up concerning the different cannabis strains as they have much to do with how you’re going to feel after.
I just don’t think there are enough studies out there. Real concrete studies. I mean the states weren’t doing any tests on marijuana since the early 1900s, before it became illegal. No one has actually been allowed to do studies up until a year or so ago because it was still illegal.
I smoked for 20 years, almost daily. Wasn’t a problem for me until the THC levels rose. Have you ever heard of GMO food (Genetically Modified)? Well pot today is genetically modified. THC is sky high and the good cannabinoids are really low. For anyone with depression, anxiety, bipolar, or any mental illness…please quit pot. I’m serious. This article is spot on. I’ve been off pot for 1 year 8 months. Things are slowly but progressively getting better. I’ve read that it takes at least 2 years to get better from chronic use. After smoking for 20 years it’ll probably take me at least 3 years. Anything that affects your brain as much as pot can be the cause, especially if you use every week. Pot stays with you for 30 days. But anything you do repeatedly changes your brain pathways. If you are constantly high, you constantly think differently. You have to quit for an extended amount of time to cut these pathways out. I don’t know that I’m getting my point across but I firmly believe that pot use will not help mental illness. If you have a mental health illness, look at what affects your brain and your thinking the most…that may be the root cause.
Mark. THANK YOU! Thank you for being open and seeing that I’m not saying that pot is bad for everyone- I’m saying that the pot on the market today is genetically modified- just as you explain and the THC is dangerous for those of us with bipolar disorder. I would love to quote you on this- I too used high THC pot when I broke my back in a biking accident- I thought it was the same stuff as what I smoked in the 80s. The seriousness of the mania and psychosis I experienced scared me to death- and it took MONTHS to get it out of my system. I almost flipped from Bipolar two to Bipolar one- it was that serious. Thanks again for being honest and I commend you on getting yourself out of the cycle. Your comments are going to help a lot of people. Julie
Hi there, I would have to agree with Ms. Fast on her findings regarding “modern-day” pot. Much like Mark, I too had been smoking for a VERY long time, almost 10 years. My first manic episode occurred a few years after I started smoking. I didn’t find any direct correlation between MJ & BP only because I performed better than ever in college during the first year of smoking, thinking it was helping me focus and relax, which it initially did. I got an awesome job after graduation, got married, and thought all was well. My husband was also a smoker, but as he had his own demons he turned to harder drugs (which I was unaware of) and lost his job, creating a financial mess for us. I could not keep a handle on things as I felt overwhelmed and suicidal and pot could no longer hold me down. It was in this time frame that I suddenly lost control of myself, missing work and driving aimlessly and being totally unaware of my actions as if I was out of my own body. That was my first full out manic episode, and I was hospitalized and diagnosed with BP. Mental illness is not new to my family and I always had fears I would fall victim to it, another reason I turned to pot as it was a coping mechanism to deal with those personal tragedies. In hindsight I should have known better, but who knows – maybe I would have gone manic without the pot. Young and naive, I continued to smoke to cope with the diagnosis and other life stressors, thinking the plant was harmless to me as my friends and then spouse were heavy smokers and it seemed to have no negative effect on them on the surface. It did bring us together but it also pulled us apart since in my opinion “potheads” often end up in isolation or create self-destruction as any addict might, something I also experienced from heavy use and now have no friends as a result of. I am in the processing of changing that now that I no longer smoke and am seeking other “healthy” ways to keep myself in check and distracted from the negative thoughts associated with the disorder. In the following years after my initial diagnosis, as I continued to smoke on top of being prescribed the wrong meds, I found myself back in the hospital at least 4 times from now what I believe to be pot induced manic episodes. I experimented with various strains thinking I could find one that was the “right fit” for my symptoms. It didn’t matter the strain (indica, stative, or hybrids) I still felt like I numbing myself and in turn was stuck in a time warp and not getting anywhere in life. I stopped smoking because of this and also because I noticed it was no longer helping with my anxiety and stress, instead my anxiety was increasing and my feelings of anger and resentment began to build up like never before, and I was having to take higher doses of the RX meds I was on that were actually working for me. My brain was a chemical mess. Fortunately for me I have found that my spirituality is what is helping me cope the most with my diagnosis and finally finding the right meds that work for me. I have noticed my mind is sharper after not smoking, I am more articulate and calm, I remember to take my medicine on time (and gradually decreasing dosage as I am managing my symptoms), and I am able to sort through my emotions better through personal affirmations, journaling and talk therapy. I hope that someday I can become independent of all drugs and manage my BP through healthy lifestyle choices, mainly through a balanced diet, exercise, reducing stress, practicing meditation, self help and finding like minded people and support groups who understand what I am going through since living alone with BP is not a walk in the park. In my heart I know that pot is not right for me, although it might help others with serious ailments such as HIV or pain. The problem is that I don’t really know where the pot I was getting was REALLY coming from, what levels of THC/CBD were present, how it was grown (i.e. organic vs. with pesticides – which I also believe has an impact on our brain, just like organic food is better on the body than non-organic). There are just not enough studies out there to support the benefits of this substance and how it affects persons living with BP. I also want to point out that not all pharmaceuticals are the answer either, and not all doctors know what they are doing. I was prescribed antipsychotics on a few occasions that I HAD TO GET OFF of since they were giving me adverse side effects such as the worst suicidal thoughts and nightmares in my life. I am now on Valproic for my mood swings and Klonopin for the anxiety. But ironically, Klonopin is also a street drug that is abused (my ex like to steal it from me on many occasions). So overall, all the drugs, pharmaceutical or natural, prescribed or not prescribed, come with their ups and downs. You need to know in your heart of hearts what is best for you, which includes choosing the right doctors that will truly take the time to understand your personal struggle. It also takes a lot of courage to realize what is really going on, but then again that is life – we are all here to learn. Thanks for posting this blog and allowing me the opportunity to share my story. Good luck to anyone struggling to quit, God only knows how hard that was for me, and good luck to those with BP still in denial that pot is harmful for them, I was there I should know.
I really find the term “psychotic pot” disrespectful. It is a beautiful plant that can help and provide so many things. I have type 2 Bipolar disorder. I am addicted to cannabis. I personally enjoy highs in my mood. I have a very “I don’t care” personality when I’m not high. When I’m not high, I think “what’s the point, we are just going to die anyway.” But when I’m high, I have a new sense of love for life. I feel joy and I feel extremely lucky for all that I have. I also understand the shitty parts of life. And I always look at the glass half full. I need pot to enjoy living on this planet. My life has been nothing but difficulty. And if it wasn’t for pot I would have killed myself on several occasions. If I stop smoking cannabis, I feel like total dog shit (emotionally) It seems to only affect my illness when I try to quit smoking it. I get so irritable, amd hateful. I despise everything and everyone. Even my boyfriend
But honestly, I’d rather smoke a gram or two a day than hate everything about my life. And just let it eat my brain.
Hello Rachel, I respect your honesty. You talk about pot the way I talk about my issues with sugar. The reality is that pot with high THC can cause quite terrible psychosis and mania for people with bipolar disorder. It may be you are experiencing euphoric mania symptoms from the pot. It made me dysphoric. Julie
I agree with you on most things, but I disagree with that smoking pot makes people with Bipolar Disorder psychotic in every case. If you smoke weed extremely, you will get suffer and medical cannabis is used as pain relief and solve some other medical issues.
Hello Tara,
I often wonder if people ready my posts entirely. At no point do I say smoking pot will make all people with bipolar disorder psychotic. I also never say that I am against medical marijuana. I believe that people read what they want to read and this is a problem.
Please let me be very clear here. If a person with bipolar disorder smokes or uses pot with a high THC content, there is a good chance it will increase bipolar disorder symptoms. It happened to me- it has happened to the majority of the families I work with in my coaching and the latest research that is now readily available online supports this statement.
I teach pot education- if a person with bipolar disorder is going to use marijuana, they MUST look at the THC content and make sure it stays low. The risks are too high for someone if the THC is 10% or more. People are very confused about his topic and simply can’t see that pot comes in many forms these days. I believe we will have very strict THC regulations the next five years, but for now it’s the wild wild west. Higher THC sells more readily than low THC pot.
If you want to use marijuana for medical reasons- as I tried to do after breaking my back- please look for pot with low THC. It is safer and can keep you out of the hospital.
Julie
Ozzy’s wrong. Say you smoke two joints and the weed is 10% THC. That’s a reasonable dosage, in general. But say a bit later, you have some bubble hash that is 40% THC, but you have a tiny bit of it. It’s probably about the same amount as the two joints for your system. Then later, you have a tiny amount, like, the end of a pinhead, of ‘budder’ which is supposed to be 97% THC. You just smoke that tiny little bit and that’s probably going to get you as high as the two joints, or the bit of hash did. Higher THC percentages cannot be compared to alcohol because THC does not have a linear effect like alcohol does. You drink more, you get more drunk. Cannabis does not work in the same way. Higher THC is more efficient and means the user needs to burn less vegetable matter, inhale less tar and hot smoke, for examples. Cannabis actually limits itself, in a way, so unlike alcohol, a weed user can develop a tolerance and easily smoke four or five joints of high grade, 20% THC weed. Anyone claiming above 20% should be showing your their gas chromatograph results, for the batch of weed you are currently smoking. Just because the strain (or type) of weed -may- have achieved a maximum of 25%, once, in an ideal lab setting, does not mean your weed did. Grower skill, and many other variables affect this. Most weed, in any market, anywhere today, is probably between 7% THC to 15% THC, maximum and that’s just reality. Anything else is either slick marketing or a scare tactic.
My husband of 22 years is currently hospitalized and I believe his current state of mania is directly related to smoking high ,THC marijuana. He was having manic symptoms this February and was seeking to be recoviring in early June. He was getting medical marijuana for his ,PTSD since March. He was using Cbd products when he switched to high Thc somewhere about 17% in June. Within days of switching I was telling him that I think he is smoking the wrong type of marijuana. I noticed him sleeping much less and I questioned him about it. He blew my concerns off and i think my questioning made him want to use this type or pot more as he really hates me getting involved in his medical life. Suddenly this man I love and have loved for a quarter century seemed very different. His entire demeanor Chanel as did his personality. He became violent. I had him arrested for domestic violence and things have gotten worse day after day since then. As I mentioned earlier he is currently hospitalized and all I know due to privacy laws is that he is “very ill”. He calls me and says horrible things he wants nothing to do with me and says he will return to marijuana smoking as soon as he is released. I truly believe that although he has used marijuana for all the years I have know him, it was different than once he got it legally. Having easy access to pot allowed my husband to have it all the time and he smokes 24/7 as he has been unemployed for a long time. I hope that he can recover from this as I would love to see my really husband again. I miss him terribly and I know that the high thc marijuana spun him into his current website.
Thank you so much for this honest post. We are in a crisis in the bipolar disorder and mental health community. A drug that once had low THC at around 4% was put forward for legalization. The drug that is now being produced has on average 25% THC. This is the equivalent of saying beer can be legalized at 6% alcohol content, but when it is actually in stores, it’s is 25% alcohol content.
I believe that in about five years, all pot will be better regulated and high THC pot will not be allowed. It’s dangerous for those of us like myself and your husband who are good people who simply have brains that don’t like THC.
I have a pot education class on this topic. It focuses on harm reduction. Please send me an email and we can set up a time to talk. I offer a free intake session with my coaching where you can explain your situation and I will give you tips on how to help him get back to CBD pot. I know, it’s better if he never smokes again, but that is not the reality we have created. Helping him see the difference between CBD and THC can save your relationship. I have helped many couples in your situation.
I will send you an email with my personal email address.
Harm reduction works.
Good luck and I look forward to talking.
Julie
PS: For others in Laura’s situation, here is a link to my coaching page.
http://www.juliefast.com/family-coaching/
You stated, ” I would like to stress that the bipolar disorder and pot issue has many positives- unlike other drugs that can alter the course of a person
Thank you for this informative article ! I do see the dangers of those who have bipolar who could suffer episodes from taking weed. I also have to add that I read another blog from people sharing their bad pot psychosis trips and there were many who were not bipolar. I also personally know of a person who was not bipolar who had the most horrible trip after smoking weed. No one else in the group was effected like she was. You just cannot say pot is safe for everyone.
I thought I was loosing my mind. My adult son smokes in the A.M., leaves work to smoke at home during lunch, smokes after work…Before bed, you get the picture. I have been feeling astranged lately. I’m a 45 yr old with narcolepsy, but other than that & mild depression, I’m the plain Jane passive non-aggressive lady who doesn’t have much of a social life just getting by until now….I am ready to peel my skin off, I’m sweating for no apparent reason. I’m living with a constant migraine, my head & stomach feel like I just got off a round de round toy at the park, so very nauseous. The other thing that is scaring me…I’m sooo frustrated with anything, just everyday contact with, people, family, heck…Dropping the lid to the gallon of milk I was putting away, makes me want to go ninja on everything and everybody! I’ve heard of manic, have never experienced anything remotely close to this until my son has disrespectfully infested my home with the nastiest smelling, infiltrating poison…Sour feet smell better than this crap! FYI, I’m not biased on marijuana, to each their own. I smoked some in H.S., I have even tried the eatibles, & swear good things on the stativa wafers, and mini ments! I’m ready to leave my home. I just can’t live this way. Yes, I’ve gone to great lengths confronting him about this & he agrees to go outside, but that only lasts a couple of days, the smell is all over him, his clothes, it follows him in from outside, the smell is in the car. I’m out for the day so he sneaks a lunch smoke in his room, but I’m telling you that stuff is so potent it lingers for hours…Not 1 or 2, more like 10 to 12 hours. Another thought was maybe I was starting menopause, thing is I recently had a bladder tact, tests, and was assured by my OB that I wasn’t menopausal. It is the marijuana smoke & it’s quite scary…Just bc one person loves a perfume for example, doesn’t mean that another may be allergic or unable to tolerate it…This article wasn’t to bash those who enjoy, rely, seek comfort, it’s for those who have a reverse impact on or around the drug. I have a CP grandson & am fully aware of it’s amazing results, that’s why I was concerned when these horrible side effects were happening to me & why??? Not sure how to fix my situation but am relieved that I’m pretty sure what’s wrong now & that I’m not crazy, well, not completely crazy?