Cannabis Induced Psychosis

An author from Sandilands Hospital, Nassau, Bahamas, observed that specific psychosis of a severe and semi-permanent nature may occur following cannabis intake and it is suggested that the drug acts as a precipitating factor in predisposed individuals. All were under the age of 25 and smoked the drug every day for several months before their illness.

In order to establish a rational link between the consumption of cannabis and the condition of psychosis, it is necessary to understand the nature of psychosis. Psychosis is classified as the inability to process and receive everyday information in a normal or sane way. Early stages of psychosis can be observed when a person’s thoughts begin to drift away from reality. When they begin believing their own delusional thoughts and have difficulty agreeing with others.

Psychotic people are either pre-disposed to the mental illness at a young age or are forced into a psychotic state due to multiple negative life experiences or repeated abuse or even childhood trauma. Recently researchers begun to observe psychotic behaviour among individuals who consume cannabis regularly and are wondering whether there is a direct relation between cannabis consumption and their condition. 

Though Cannabis is considered harmless due to its less addictive nature, the psychotic behaviour that results from the consumption of Cannabis proved life-wrenching for most of the addicts in the form of hallucinations, suicidal behaviour, risky and violent behaviour. Their families have been shattered and work life impaired. In fact, Cannabis related psychosis is said to be the most devastating side effect among all.

According to the author from Sandilands Hospital, the onset of illness due to psychosis was always sudden, amnesia was a common scene in all cases and covered the period prior to the onset of the illness; psychomotor overactivity was the most prominent symptom among all. All the patients showed passivity, reference and ideas of influence, some with delusions of grandeur; elation of mood with considerable incongruity and lability was a constant factor. Motivation was poor, the sensorium was clouded at first but cleared later on. None of them showed evidence of hallucinations. Sleep was frequently affected and insight was generally absent.

Having discussed that, it is also important to understand whether the consumption of cannabis makes an individual susceptible to psychosis or people Pre-disposed to psychosis tend to consume cannabis. There have been more than 622 experiments over the past five years to determine the relation between cannabis and psychosis. The point that was brought into focus was that both assumptions regarding the effect of cannabis on the human mind were right. 

Although, the most widely believed fact is that cannabis doesn’t have any direct relation to psychosis, Cannabis consumption aggravates psychosis and users are observed to be vulnerable to both psychosis and addiction at the same time. As in, any person susceptible to psychosis would have or is consuming cannabis on a regular basis. 

Also, it has been established that cannabis can degrade neurons in the brain and weaken nervous co-ordination. Therefore, it may be speeding up the already undergoing process leading to psychosis much faster than normal. Some studies have also showed that cannabis calms psychotic people, although these studies have been debunked by multiple experts. 

However, it is evident from the above that Psychosis and Cannabis consumption are inter-related and both are mutually influenced by each other directly or indirectly.