Mixed thoughts about cannabis became more common over time. This is often not surprising given the complexity of the cannabis plant and therefore the complexity of conducting Cannabis-related research. The satire of discussions surrounding cannabis is that they are often so emotionally and politically charged that they become polarized.
The exciting news about the complexity of cannabis is that it holds much promise as a possible medicine for several ailments. The worrisome news is that there's a niche between the hype and therefore the evidence-based research supporting the hype. This worry is especially true concerning the subject of psychological state, whereby cannabis has been touted in popular media as an efficient treatment for the spread of psychiatric conditions. Conflicting evidence suggests that Cannabis use could also be related to either a positive or negative psychological state. Many studies explore the likelihood that the association of Cannabis use with psychological state differs among various subgroups of users. Research shows that the hypothesis that Cannabis use is associated significantly with mental distress for highly self individuals. Indifference, Cannabis use has not much association for those low on thinking. Further evidence shows that Cannabis use involves primarily self-oriented intellectual and emotional experiences for highly introspective individuals, whereas for those low on introspectiveness it's characterized more often by perceptual misinterpretation.
Some people would argue that Cannabis is useful to psychological state and well being, there's little or no formal research on this, and it generally sets aside that aspects of Cannabis effects on psychological state, instead focussing on the aspects of most relevance to psychiatrists and other health professionals (who rarely see people presumably taking advantage of Cannabis use but commonly see those experiencing detrimental effects). The goal of all of the contributing authors has been to convey what's known and specifically what psychiatrists, other psychological state professionals, and public health and medical professionals, generally, realize Cannabis and psychological state need more research before issuing any such official statement. The reality is that cannabis can't be pigeonholed as strictly useful or harmful. Instead, significant discussion regarding its potential edges and harms needs careful and nuanced thought of the scientific literature, including a humble perspective. When it involves psychological state and addiction, we cannot afford to be blinded by ideology and lazy thinking.
Is Cannabis addictive?
How cannabis affects an individual depends on many things including their size, weight and health, also whether the person is used to taking it and whether other drugs are taken around the same time. The effects of any drug also depend upon the quantity taken.
The story about cannabis and addiction is not any less confused. The scientific literature supports the thought that cannabis addiction is possible for a substantial minority of users, with THC’s euphoric effects, thought to account for the addictive potential. This suggests that while a mere one in 10 people that ever try cannabis a minimum of once might develop an addiction; this still represents a sizable number of individuals.
The topic of cannabis and addiction has been turned on its head in recent years as cannabis has entered the discussion as a treatment for addictions to other substances—most notably opioids. If the goal of treatment is to scale back harm, it certainly is sensible to supply cannabis to exchange opioids. But there's a line of thinking that cannabis treatment for other substance addiction holds promise not only for harm reduction but also as a treatment for addiction symptoms intrinsically, like withdrawal and cravings.
The term addiction is more complicated than cannabis itself. It's therefore likely the case that while cannabis-based medicines can play a helpful role within the treatment of addiction; they're going to not be the answer. The causes of addiction are multifaceted and therefore the solutions will still be multipronged.
Unlike opiate misuse, which may set in fairly quickly with heavy use, Cannabis misuse can take months or maybe years to develop.
May Smoking Cannabis Cause Depression or Anxiety?
The link between Cannabis and other more common mental state disorders like depression and anxiety is confusing because Cannabis is additionally sometimes used to relieve symptoms. Cannabis affects psychological states in diverse ways whereas it can cause you to feel relaxed and happy, or quiet and reflective. The results are felt soon after smoking it.
However, while Cannabis could seem to help ease depression before the results of the drug wear off, then, smoking Cannabis may make depression worse. People who use Cannabis are shown to possess higher levels of depression and depressive symptoms than people who don't use Cannabis as smoking. The danger increases up to its maximum that uses to require both Cannabis and alcohol.
Although results are mixed, there's some research to suggest that cannabis use in teens, particularly frequent or heavy use, is said to the event of hysteria disorder at a young age. Studies have also found that frequent cannabis use in teenagers predicts depression, also as a mental disturbance, later in life also; with daily users carrying the absolute best risk and young women might experience more of this effect. The use of Cannabis in adolescence has also been correlated with the event of suicidal ideation, certain personality disorders, and interpersonal violence. Younger age of initiation increases the danger of developing all of these mental state disorders later.
Its impact on the psychological state
The acute psychoactive effects of cannabis include a way of calmness and relaxation, euphoria, and perceptual alterations, including time distortion and therefore the intensification of emotions or experiences. However, in some cases, unpleasant reactions come to cannabis. These include depression, paranoia, anxiety, or panic attacks. In reality, a high dose of THC produces transient symptoms and financially (ie. positive and negative symptoms, perceptual alterations, anxiety, deficits in memory, recall, and therefore the executive control of attention) that closely resemble those observed in people with chronic psychotic disorders, implicating the endocannabinoid system within the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. According to this notion, reductions in brain regions (ie. hippocampus and amygdala) related to psychosis and depression are reported in future heavy cannabis users, alongside related cognitive deficits.
Things are going to be changing within the years ahead. Health professionals should expect changes to laws concerning driving under the influence, changes to drug-free workplace policies, and major expansions of and changes to medical Cannabis programs. Health professionals should also stay tuned for an evolving story concerning potential therapeutic uses of CBD.
CBD is being examined about epilepsy, cancer, pain, spasticity, inflammatory diseases, and diverse behavioral disorders, including anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and substance use disorders.
Mental health conditions, which have both genetic and environmental causes, play an outsized one during a person’s chance of developing an addiction.
In simpler language, this suggests that cannabis can reward by enhancing positive feelings and may even be relieving insofar because it can soon deduct the experience of uncomfortable emotions. But evidence-based psychological treatments of the many psychiatric conditions involve the training of skills to confront and have interaction with difficult emotions, not avoid them. If cannabis is getting used to avoid uncomfortable emotions, and memories, then it can cause the event or worsen of symptoms. In other words, repeated temporary relief from psychiatric symptoms by using acutely-mind altering substances isn't therapy, and actually, often runs counter to therapy.
Can Cannabis help your mental health?
Products with THC or CBD have been used in recent years as to how to self-medicate for psychological conditions.
Researchers did find that pharmaceutical THC — with or without CBD — reduced symptoms of anxiety in people with other medical conditions, compared to a non-active placebo. However, Dr. Roopali Parikh, MD, a psychiatrist specializing in substance use disorder at Northwell Health Physician Partners’ Behavioral Health Group Practice in Manhasset, New York, pointed out that this evidence was of “low quality” and based on only seven studies with a total of 252 patients.
There was no impact of pharmaceutical THC — with or without CBD — on depression symptoms.
Most of the studies for anxiety and depression were for conditions like chronic, non-cancer pain, and multiple sclerosis, with anxiety or depression as a secondary symptom.
THC is the compound in cannabis that causes the “high,” while CBD is nonintoxicating. Cannabis and some cannabis products contain both of these compounds in differing amounts.
Know more from the video below.
Building up a tolerance
Dependence on Cannabis happens when users build up a tolerance for the substance and need more and more of it to experience the same effect.
When a drug enters the brain, it overrides the brain’s natural processes, boosting a specific function far above, or below, normal levels.
The brain may become resistant to the effects of the drug to protect itself, so that next time the person uses the drug, it doesn’t have as strong an effect. To feel the same high, the person has to take larger and larger doses.
A 2012 study found that people who use Cannabis have fewer receptors in their brain for endogenous cannabinoids, the signaling molecules that Cannabis’s active component, THC, mimics.
THC also affects the brain’s reward system and therefore the release of the “pleasure hormone” dopamine.
“It is very well-known that dopamine is one of the most important neurotransmitters that regulate reward, motivation, and self-control,” said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of NIDA and one of the authors of the study.
Volkow also conducted a 2014 study that found that the brains of people who misuse Cannabis have a decreased response to dopamine.
When given a chemical, methylphenidate, that caused dopamine levels to rise within the brain, the Cannabis users didn’t respond as strongly or feel as high as nonusers.
“The problem isn’t that they are releasing less dopamine, but that the dopamine stimulation in the brain is having a very attenuated effect,” Volkow said.
So any solution is out there?
Drug and alcohol services and psychological state services are available in most areas and ideally, a coordinated approach that will tackle both issues at the sample time is often arranged. Often medication is out there to help with symptoms and this will be managed by a talented GP. Additionally, there are some psychologists and social workers who may have specific training during this area.
Conclusion
Research and recent lessons learned are reminders that we as an organisation should be mindful of how we present our products to ensure we’re not misrepresenting the contents or the safety of our patients’ and consumers’ favourite products.
There is a lot that we don’t know in this space. With medical Cannabis and cannabis-derived medication in the market, understanding how they’ll affect teens is of the utmost importance and we at Himalayan hemp are always there for you. Have a look around our website and join us if you wish to.