To think cannabis isn't harmless?

[freedom26]

Cannabis seems to be normalised and many people don't even consider it a drug. My brother-in-law is a psychiatrist and he says that he fears legalization in the UK as it would increase

In his 20 years of work, he says that the patients who only used, alcohol, or prescription drugs had a far better outcome for their mental health than those who smoked cannabis regularly (apart from the addiction) who regularly visited after suffering a psychotic break.

Cannabis is obviously far safer in terms of physical health than other drugs and not everyone gets the bad effects, but people seem to downplay the potential harm it can cause if you're predisposed to psychosis/schizophrenia.

If I think back my childhood, I went to a high achieving private school were many people I knew dabble in all sorts of drugs and it seemed that even among the excessive users, those who used cannabis and didn't develop psychosis still fared worse in terms of academic achievement than those dependent on alcohol who usually reduced their drinking as they age.

Snoop dog is literally a millionaire and smokes cannabis. 🤨

If we're going by anecdotal evidence, I know several professionals (accountants, lawyers, doctors etc) who take party drugs, including some much stronger than cannabis. It certainly hasn't caused them any professional harm.

I do know a few people who have become alcoholics. I can't think of any who have progressed far in their careers, which is interesting.

I agree ... you could get monumentally strong cannabis in the 70s / 80s. The black hash from Pakistan / Afghanistan was unbelievable. There was a lot around the west of Scotland in the 80s thanks to Howard Marks (Mr Nice.. Google if you don't know who I mean).

I think the "I smoked but it was different then" is just a way for people to excuse their own past behaviour whilst condemning consumption today.

Bit like Bill Clinton who "smoked but did not inhale"

What a tragedeigh.
I was once chased by a lady with a weapon that was clearly on drugs. It causes wild and erratic behaviour which is probably why it isn’t legal

.....that or they just weren't cool enough to get their hands on the good stuff!

Based on my own experience, I'd say we underestimate how dangerous this drug can be. If you smoke it every day, it will damage your mental health. That much I'm sure of. No drug is harmless, including prescription drugs. Anything that alters your mood/brain/state of consciousness must be powerful. If it wasn't, it wouldn't have any effect.

I’ve seen a couple of people experience psychosis after excessive marijuana use. It’s hard to say whether the cannabis alone pushed them over the edge or if it was a combination of factors, but it definitely seemed to tip the balance.

I would say regular smokers have a flatness/dullness about them and are often a bit stuck and not interested in personal development/going deeper.

And using it as medicine is also a different discussion, I wouldn't judge anybody whose in pain for using it as a pain killer.

@Efacsen
No, just simply more harmful
Risk of COPD far higher than rolling tobacco or tailor made cigarettes. I'm not talking lung cancer here
The amount of COPD in younger people is increasing. It's almost exclusively due to smoking cannabis

Agree, it smells vile and clings to the person and their clothes.

@catphone that's a weirdly unpleasant response, are you stonned?

Since retirement, I've come back into contact with cannabis after using pretty regularly late 70s / early 80s.

In short, I do think it's effects on mental health are underestimated. I also thing the "self medication" line is vastly overplayed and it's potential for therapeutic use is greatly overestimated.

I'm amazed how many chronic users, people who are pretty much stoned all the time, will happily explain that they take it for anxiety, depression, ADHD, insomnia, agoraphobia .... the list goes on.

A lot of these people have basically been constantly stoned for years. I'm left with a very strong feeling that the therapeutic use idea is an excuse that they tell themselves.

You can get prescriptions now, which makes therapeutic use legal.

YANBU. A previous good friend of mine developed lifelong MH issues after heavy cannabis use as a teenager and student. He has never really been able to work after developing psychosis. A colleagues son developed schizophrenia after prolonged cannabis use. Wasted lives and very sad. My mil used to smoke it to help her severe arthiritic pain so I guess it can help some people.

Pick at something else and not me

@hazelnutvanillalatte no not on nhs but through a private clinic. Costs me £15 a month in subscription (to cover quarterly consultant appt) plus medicine costs: approx £100 for 30ml oil which lasts me about 2 months; £69 for 10g weed and about £35 for 14 edibles. Incredibly validating and has truly changed my life. Loads of clinics out there, I’m with Curaleaf.

Similar with those I know. Of the habitual users I know, two are successful professionals, two are addicts with a clear effect on MH (disorganised, scatty, lethargic, no memory), and one developed schizophrenia.

Thank you. Really glad you've found something to help x

How I feel is that what you originally posted was very badly worded, and felt insulting. I have to take opiates every day if I want to be able to walk - a couple of days a week I don’t take them and just limp around my flat in pain. I actually loathe the stuff, but wouldn’t have a life without it, so needs must. I can’t afford the cannabis route. I understand what you’re saying now, but it didn’t come across that way in the post I responded to.

Okay but I did say, "and it is thoroughly appropriate for short-term pain relief but not okay to take home and shoot up every weekend for fun."
I don't see how that can be seen to be insulting anyone who needs pain relief for medical reasons. I said it is thoroughly appropriate! Just not okay for fun.

But, more importantly, anyone who is in pain, which cannabis alleviates, should have it prescribed on the nhs. It's probably cheaper than codeine.

They don't really have much going for chronic pain, especially if you react badly to opiates and can't tolerate NSAIDs. They can put you on an incredibly long waiting list for a class on how to gaslight yourself into pretending you're not in pain.

There are times I couldn't move unless I got that cannabis to relax my body enough. It makes such a huge difference to my quality of life. It's an amazing medicine, really.

A big part of this is social stigma and privacy.

Do you know any cocaine users who are successful? Are you amenable to the idea that top level professionals routinely take cocaine?

It's not something anyone who has their shit together tends to publicise.

If you rant a company with 50 employees would you let anyone of them know and have this kind of leverage over you?