Marijuana and Mental Illness Research
"If I knew marijuana would make me go crazy I never would have tried it." - K. Anderson, co-author of A Night In Jail
Because pot is being legalized in more and more states, many young people assume it must be safe. However, when used by people whose brains are still developing (up to age 25) there are several risks, one of which is developing a mental illness. Recent studies have shown this vulnerability, and the tragic correlation is starkly illustrated by the life of my brother, K. Articles, websites, and videos, like the ones below, inspired my brother and me to bring his story to the public.
Videos
Please go here to see the full article by Fox.com: https://www.foxnews.
Dr. Daniele Piomelli was kind enough to meet with me when I was doing a series of interviews about marijuana and mental illness on a social media app. It is a prized interview for me because Dr. Piomelli was a member of the National Academy of Science who published this gold-standard report on the health effects of marijuana. Note: Dr. Piomellis says regular use of 8% THC increases a person's risk to develop schizophrenia later on in life. In California, a joint is about 23% THC. Kids are vaping and dabbing THC at 60-99% THC. The higher the potency, the greater the risks.
This fascinating 17 min presentation is by Dr. Eric Messamore (he has been quoted by our U.S. Surgeon General and AP News). Dr. Messamore discusses what marijuana does to the brain. This was part of a longer presentation, which was co-sponsored by Heidi and Behavioral Health Services. To see the full video, go here: Preventing Addiction, Mental Illness and Homelessness .mp4
This is a 73-minute recording of our first webinar held in sponsorship with Behavioral Health Services (a Los Angeles County contractor). It consists of a presentation about the risks of today's marijuana by Jen Harris (of BHS); an NBC-LA interview about our short film, A Night In Jail; a screening of the 18-minute film (not shown here for copyright purposes), and a panel discussion. The panel includes Kirk Anderson, co-author, whose life inspired the story, and Dr. Jeremy Martinez from LA County Dept of Mental Health and Homeless Outreach. Moderated by Redondo Beach Mayor, Bill Brand.
Two-minute video: Anne Hassel used to work at a marijuana dispensary. She was a true believer in the plant as medicine and wanted to help others. She became a "budtender". Shortly after working in the dispensary, Anne became addicted to the new high potency products and suffered severe psychological effects.
Sally, from Momsstrong.org, lost her son to suicide. Andy served in our military and did not have PTSD. His note said: "Marijuana killed my soul + ruined my brain"
Kalie Guse' was in a cannabis-psychotic state. She thought things were happening which were not. Afraid, she left her home and hasn't been seen since.
Dr. Miller explains the science that proves marijuana can cause psychosis.
Ethan Andrews had a harrowing experience with Cannabis-Induced Psychosis. In this podcast, he tells Aubree Adams, the founder of http://www.
Dr. Roneet Lev and I worked together to get mental health risks added to warning labels on THC products here in California. We saw how successful Colorado was at providing warning labels...how did they do it? Hear Dr. Lev's interview Dr. Libby Stuyt. Dr. Stuyt was instrumental in getting warnings, and other regulations, for Colorado consumers. It's a fantastic & educational interview.
Studies and Articles
- Psychosis, Addiction, Chronic Vomiting: As Weed Becomes More Potent, Teens Are Getting Sick
- Cannabis and the Violent Crime Surge
- How Weed Became the New OxyContin
- Geographical variation in hospitalization for psychosis associated with cannabis use and cannabis legalization in the United States: Submit to: Psychiatry Research
- The Long-Term Cognitive Effects of Early Marijuana Use
- Marijuana use may cause cognitive impairment even when not still high
- Parents are warned cannabis can 'induce schizophrenia-like psychosis'
- Schizophrenia linked to marijuana use disorder is on the rise, study finds
- Associations of Suicidality Trends With Cannabis Use as a Function of Sex and Depression Status
- Prefrontal Cortical Thinning Associated With Increased Cannabis Use During Adolescence - Psychiatry Advisor
- Teenage Brains May Be Especially Vulnerable to Marijuana and Other Drugs
- Intelligence quotient decline following frequent or dependent cannabis use in youth
- Association of Cannabis Use With Self-harm and Mortality Risk Among Youths With Mood Disorders
- Association of High-Potency Cannabis Use With Mental Health and Substance Use in Adolescence
- Single cannabis joint linked with temporary psychiatric symptoms
- Will Legalization and Commercialization of Cannabis Use Increase the Incidence and Prevalence of Psychosis?
- Cannabis Awareness & Prevention Toolkit (Stanford Medicine)
- FULL TEXT FROM SURGEON GENERAL WARNING (Scroll most of the way down the article to find this: "Marijuana use is also linked to risk for and early onset of psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia...Marijuana’s increasingly widespread availability in multiple and highly potent forms, coupled with a false and dangerous perception of safety among youth, merits a nationwide call to action. ")
- Association of Cannabis Use in Adolescence and Risk of Depression, Anxiety, and Suicidality in Young Adulthood
- NHS opens first ever cannabis clinic as mind-altering 'skunk' fuels psychosis among users
- Before Maryland legalizes marijuana it should consider this: Pot is linked to psychosis
- Teen Brain Volume Changes with Small Amount of Cannabis Use
- Marijuana Is Way More Dangerous to Teens than Alcohol, According to Study
Websites
The International Academy on the Science and Impact of Cannabis (IASIC) counters the pervasive misperception of the safety of marijuana by international experts who provide science, data and clinical expertise. This non-partisan and non-political group is developed, organized, and guided by doctors. They hope science guides policies that protect the public and create informed decision-making.
Every Brain Matters. I am a member of this organization which unifies organizations and individuals that educate about the dangers of marijuana and the drug culture expansion. They call for a cultural movement by encouraging widespread use of Every Brains Matters merchandise to bring visual public awareness, and by promoting optimal brain and environmental health.
Safe Launch Healthy Futures. Stopping the disease of addiction before it starts to ensure healthy futures for America's teens. They have a remarkable program called Flights Above Addiction. This is a traveling teen art and aviation program that informs communities that addiction is a preventable chronic brain disease contracted in adolescence 90% of the time.
One Choice Prevention. The goal for One Choice is preventing or delaying all substance use by teens reduces the risk of later addiction as adults. They have a very simple message: To ensure good health, a kid really has ONE CHOICE: no use of alcohol, nicotine, marijuana, or other drugs under age 21.
Jennifer's Messengers. There are many misconceptions about driving while high. My friend, Corrine La Marca, lost her daughter, Jessica, to a driver who was high. She began this organization in her honor. Jessica's Messengers is sounding the alarm about marijuana-impaired driving dangers.
Parent Movement 2.0. What a parent thinks about their child using drugs is an extremely important factor in their child's decision whether or not to use. Information like this is provided on Parent 2.0. It gives parents the most up-to-date information we need to know about drugs. They send out emails once or twice a month with articles and studies. Their mission is: Helping parents help their kids navigate away from marijuana, alcohol, nicotine, and other drugs through education and advocacy.
Parents Opposed to Pot. The cannabis grown and sold today is not the same drug as was available in the 1970s. The average THC has increased to more than 15%. Cannabis issues can clearly lead to addiction. The damage to the brain from chronic use is worse compared with the chronic use of heroin. Among the negative effects of long-term cannabis use in adolescence include neuro-psychological dysfunction, decline in IQ, short memory, among others.
Smart Approaches to Marijuana. We are professionals working in mental health and public health. We are bipartisan. We are medical doctors, lawmakers, treatment providers, preventionists, teachers, law enforcement officers, and others who seek a middle road between incarceration and legalization. Our commonsense, third-way approach to marijuana policy is based on reputable science and sound principles of public health and safety.
Moms Strong is a support group partnering to inform and educate those harmed by marijuana. We are not funded by industry or the government, rather by parents as we hope to spread awareness and prevent tragedies as we’ve experienced.
One Chance to Grow Up was started by Smart Colorado. They have been at the front lines to protect kids since 2013. They've shared their information with me (and other allies) to help us protect kids.
Smart Colorado recently traveled to California and Nevada to photograph adult-use marijuana products for their THCPhotos.org initiative. Their site is to used to help educate that marijuana is not just a plant. Smart Colorado says: "It is time to end the practice of illustrating all marijuana related-news stories and educational materials with the same overused photos of a marijuana plant. The public deserves to be informed about the wide variety of products and the THC potencies sold in legal adult-use marijuana markets. This collection of photographs also illustrates that, as of 2020, there is no consensus on health and safety laws regarding adult-use marijuana. State laws differ on individual serving sizes of THC, total THC limits, packaging, wrapping, and marking of products." While in California and Nevada, Smart Colorado obtained 25mg THC tablets and a 500mg THC mouth spray, both products that would be illegal in Colorado's adult-use market.
Stop Teen Suicide by THC! Johnny's Ambassadors works to educate parents and teens about the dangers of dabbing high-potency marijuana extracts and their impact on adolescent brain formation, mental health, and teen suicide.
The Award-Winning film, The Other Side of Cannabis: Negative Effects of Marijuana on Our Youth, will help you to understand today’s marijuana through interviews with researchers and other professionals, as well as individuals whose lives were negatively impacted by this drug.
Evidence for Storytelling and Drama Therapy in Prevention Education
Storytelling Changes Attitudes and Behaviors
"Many business people have already discovered the power of storytelling in a practical sense – they have observed how compelling a well-constructed narrative can be. But recent scientific work is putting a much finer point on just how stories change our attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors."
https://hbr.org/2014/10/why-your-brain-loves-good-storytelling
Drama Therapy: excitement without drugs, enhancing self-esteem for people with addictions
What if one key could...turn a young woman away from substance abuse...There is perhaps not one key, but there may be one set of keys: drama therapy. Drama can provide excitement without drugs and offer a new interest and skills...Ultimately, drama therapy can enhance positive self-image, self-esteem and self-discipline among people struggling with addictions.
Performance is beneficial to both participants and audiences
Performance is very captivating and beneficial to both participants and audiences...The development and practice of these characteristics along with others make for resilient youth, better able to withstand problems that can lead to substance abuse. But audiences can benefit as well, by being exposed to the accomplishments of young people, by learning more about substance abuse, and perhaps by participating in some solution building. The organization benefits through using performance to accomplish its goals and ultimately, the whole community can become a safer, more supportive environment.
http://www.unodc.org/pdf/youthnet/handbook_performance_english.pdf
Drama is effective for prevention education and motivation
Drama incorporates a component of emotional response to the informational content, and the combination of emotion and information works together to promote individual intentions to become more involved in family and community prevention activities. This study demonstrates the efficacy of drama as a mechanism to educate and motivate.