What is this denial about cannabis ?

[9ofpentangles]

That it is a completely harmless drug? There is so much research on this from reputable sources

My DS had a horrendous response to cannabis. Ended up needing emergency mental health intervention (no previous issues.)
Absolutely terrifying for us all.

My ex partner is addicted to cannabis. Has physical symptoms if he hasn't smoked it, sweats, sickness stomach cramps etc. Within half a hour of not smoking it he becomes angry and agressive, his whole life revolved around it. Its stopped him holding down jobs and his addiction ruined our relationship.

I think there are different strengths and types of cannabis. I have known a few people who have paranoia and memory loss and lung problems.due to long term use. Also some users lose any incentive to do much in their lives, so make crap partners/parents etc.

I used to work with psychiatric patients and cannibals use was more or less a constant. Really put me off.

Cannabis not cannibals!

Everyone I know that didn't grow out of smoking the occasional joint as a teen and made it a regular habit as an adult - can't hold down a relationship, have no career drive, are permanently skint, memory is terrible, stay in their bed half the day, constantly let down friends and family because they're so unreliable.
I realise that's only a small amount of people but I can't see anything good about it from my experience.

Totally agree
It's a horrible drug and responsible for so much apathy in adults who never go on to have a successful career and or relationship .

What FlamingoAndJohn said is a big factor, I think.

Loads of fortysomethings (and older) who used to use it back in the day and never got any noticeable ill effects.

So now they don't really feel it's a big deal if their teenage (and older) kids use it. It's just normalised.

But cannabis has moved ON. More sophisticated growing techniques, different varieties of plant, etc etc. It is absolutely not the same thing it was in the 90s, never mind the 70s. The change in potency is astonishing. It's far more dangerous than it used to be.

I consider myself fairly liberal and don’t take issue with occasional recreational drug use but I HATE the misinformation about cannabis in popular culture. Habitual smokers are not chilled and happy-go-lucky, they are psychologically dependent, angry when they need the drug and paranoid to boot.
I’ve worked in acute mental health settings and far too many chronic daily cannabis users are admitted for it to be a coincidence. My own mother was a regular smoker until about 45 and she is paranoid and obsessed with conspiracy theories.
I work in oncology now and regularly come across patients who are convinced cannabis will cure them when everything else has failed. They don’t understand it’s usually prescribed when someone is at the end of their journey for symptom management. It’s limited success in treating children with epilepsy has been publicised irresponsibly.

Genuine question for those who’s work brings them into contact with those with serious effects.
How do you know there aren’t just as many doing the same without serious effects?
Plenty of people drink alcohol but you’re only likely to see those for whom the effect is detrimental, surely?

I personally smoke a lot of weed, have had depression and anxiety since about 10 years old. I’m now 25. I used to smoke loads(and I mean loads) from about 14-16 (never impacted my education, motivation or worsen my mental health.

I then gave up for years, come second year of uni, started smoking a shit ton with my flat mate again. Once again, no impact to my work life/uni life or motivation or forgetfulness. I graduated with a high 2:1 and I worked 4 days a week and went to uni 3-4 days a week/constantly on my laptop completing my essays. It never once impacted my performance in anyway.

I’m not saying that there an no negative impacts from smoking weed as there definitely is. However, my alcohol and nicotine addiction are far more detrimental to my health and mental health than weed is!

All those saying cannabis gave their children mental health issues, I can guarantee your child already has issues and unfortunately smoking made these issues worse and brought them to the fore front.

I am in no way condoning smoking cannabis, however, I think people need to realise that actually alcohol and cigarettes are far more detrimental to your psychical and mental health issues than cannabis ever will be, but this doesn’t mean that cannabis is the worst thing ever!

Also, regardless of how much I smoke, I can easily quit when I want too which I have a few times but I enjoy it and just like anyone having a drink on a night, a spliff ain’t going to have a worse impact than a glass of wine or rum and coke.

I suppose there’s no real way of knowing if weed has caused lots of mental health problems or if people predisposed to getting them are more likely to turn to drugs, weed being the easiest thing to get into to as a teen. I think it’s probably a bit of both.

It's true that people with existing problems tend to take drugs anyway so just counting people with MH problems who smoke it may not be useful.

I gather that what people buy now is a bit different to what I had in the 70s, but back then it made me relaxed and it seemed to do that to people around me. After a while I grew up and got a life so I didn't need it.

I wish my dad had taken to smoking weed instead of the perfectly respectable, legal and harmless beer he used to get through before kicking the crap out of his family.

Every regular user I know now cannot get to sleep at night without it.

That’s not good. Plus it absolutely stinks to high heaven.

My friend is a drugs nurse. She says the mh problems they see in regular users are frightening. Paranoia being the worst I think she said.

It’s so dangerous- cannabis induced paranoia is no joke.

this is interesting - www.ias.org.uk/uploads/pdf/News%20stories/dnutt-lancet-011110.pdf

Well coming back to this there's a guy who some people have followed for years he's a massive stoner, he's "insta famous" has videos of him smoking cannabis in places like football matches, McDonald's etc.
Last night he put up loads of snaps about Coronavirus 5g and stuff just very creepy conspiracy stuff and today he's dead. I think looking back to all of that and the huge intake of cannabis that has set off or caused mental health issues. He was 32.

I smoked a lot of weed in the 80s but DH never really liked it so when we got together, it sort of petered out. For me it was a harmless chilling drug that just made good times even better.

However my DD1 had an awful time with weed and basically trashed her uni experience. She was a regular smoker and ended up apathetic, depressed and ridiculously paranoid. Her then boyfriend has pretty much wrecked his life with it.

We managed to persuade DD somewhere where smoking was not an option and over a few weeks she kicked the habit and returned to her old lively, feisty self.

What convinced me of its effects was that she rang me in tears a couple of years after she had quit, crying that none of her lovely flat mates liked her and she had no friends (she has loads of friends). I asked her if she had smoked weed and she had indulged the day before. It made it really obvious the effect it had on her.

This is definitely a thing, it was viewed as similar to alcohol when I was a teen. If it doesn’t grow I don’t wanna know was the catch phrase at the time. I’ve also heard that it’s less harmful than alcohol quite a few times.

I don't think I've known anyone, weed smoker or not, that thinks it is completely harmless.

Is it less harmful than some other legal or illegal drugs, well then yes.

If used in moderation is it compatible with being a productive member of society, good parent and holding down a job, again? Almost certainly yes.

Psychiatrist friend says it’s Russian roulette - lots of people get the empty chamber but for the ones who get the bullet...

I’ve seen it destroy two families

I live in a state where it’s legal and is even considered “essential business” right now so pot shops are open. I never smoke it. That’s nasty. The smell, the cough, nope. Not for me. But a nice caramel edible is something my husband and I enjoy most weekends. Because it’s legal here I find it’s consumed far more responsibly.

Psychiatrist friend says it’s Russian roulette - lots of people get the empty chamber but for the ones who get the bullet...

Yes I would agree with this (as a HCP working in Psychosis services).

Yanbu. For people who have seen it ruin lives, it’s hard to see it treated as a soft, harmless drug.

My partner uses to take it recreationally until he got together with me. I refused to be around him if he was on it. Never told him he should stop taking it, but did tell him he was a fool if he thought it wouldn't ever affect him. He still doesn't think it affects him and could keep taking it, but he doesn't. He is aware of the side effects, one of his friends is affected badly by it, but he thinks he is the exception. I gave up on trying to explain to him he is wrong, it just hadn't affected him yet, but it makes no difference now he doesn't take it anyway.

I'm fine with the medical users, because ut does actually help them, plus it's being monitored by a doctor. But not recreational.