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Cannabis and mental health have been making the news lately and you might be surprised to find out why! For decades before recreational legalization in Canada people have been self medicating with cannabis products with the intention of regaining control over their own lives and keeping their symptoms in check. Reports of peoples struggles and successes using this natural and enjoyable plant have been flooding the internet encouraging many others to seek out and try cannabis as a solution for their own mental and physical health concerns.
With many of the traditional medications that are commonly used to treat issues such as depression, insomnia, anxiety, nausea, chronic pain, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and a host of other medical conditions the possible side effects can often seem overwhelming. It is not uncommon for a person seeking treatment for one condition to find that the medications that they are prescribed wreak havoc on their already weakened or struggling systems. Some of these conditions have no known cure and require the vigilant management of a wide range of possible chronic symptoms so the addition of other unwanted side effects can take a heavy toll on both the body and the mind.
Nothing Cures Everything
Although it is far from the “cure all” solution some seem to suggest it is, there is a growing pile of research and study with findings in support of the many benefits introducing THC and CBD products into your daily routine can add to your life regardless if you are struggling with a mental health condition or not. For those among us who have tried conventional treatments and medications and found difficulty rather than comfort and relief there is still hope! Many people have discovered that using cannabis as an alternative treatment method for their mental health issues allows them to reclaim their sense of self and enjoy a feeling of control over their negative symptoms while minimizing the possibility of harmful and unwanted side effects.
Driven by calls from desperate parents around the world, medical marijuana legalization – which paved the way for recreational legalization in Canada – first started to gain traction and social acceptance in the fight against rare forms of epilepsy in children as young as two years old. High CBD cannabis extracts and medications were approved and developed and achieved incredible successes in helping very young people gain some control over their symptoms which could often be completely debilitating. Some children reportedly experiencing upwards of several hundred seizures a week were able to enjoy relatively ordinary childhoods after the introduction of CBD based cannabis medications, lowering their incidents of seizures down to just one or two a month.
What Is It Good For?
As it is presently understood the relationship between cannabis and mental health seems to be a mostly beneficial one. Some of the other conditions that extensive study and significant positive outcomes seem to suggest THC and CBD products as a beneficial and even ideal treatment include; chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting, controlling spasticity in MS and managing a wide range of forms of chronic pain.
Some other ailments that users around the world report they have had success treating with cannabis products include: depression, anxiety, ADHD, autism, tourette’s, PTSD, psychosis, schizophrenia, insomnia, bipolar disorder, anger management and reduction of stress. Not enough resources have been allocated to the important study of THC and CBD on the human body and mind but slowly and certainly, driven by the passion of those who have had their lives improved by it, these attitudes are evolving.
As far as anecdotal evidence is concerned there is no shortage of it to be found. While this can offer us very little in the way of valuable scientific evidence it can provide insight into the variety of ways people are already mixing weed and mental health issues. Users worldwide report positive outcomes experimenting with the mental effect of marijuana and it is hard to ignore the good news after so many decades of bad press and PR disasters for users of cannabis. The war on drugs and the zero tolerance attitudes of the past have left an undeniable mark on the attitudes and opinions of the public at large but with ongoing study and the mountains of reports from happy users this widespread perception of cannabis as a “gateway drug” is changing.
Reefer Madness
It isn’t all sunshine and rainbows of course. Just as with any other drug or substance there is a potential to form a dependency and abuse it. Marijuana and mental illness may share an important link and although many people are reporting that they have found relief using cannabis the same won’t be true for everybody. Your personal psychology, medical conditions and comfort level with cannabis products may vary and therefore so may your personal results. If you are thinking of mixing marijuana and mental health concerns be sure you do so armed with all the facts and information you can find. You may also wish to discuss your interest in medical cannabis with a trained medical professional to be absolutely certain it is the right treatment for you.
But does weed make you hallucinate? Can weed make you depressed? What about the famous link between marijuana and paranoia? The various potential mental effects of marijuana can seem intimidating to novice users and it is easy to scare yourself off, especially if you have a bad experience by taking too high of a dose by mistake! Many people have mistaken their tolerance level as being greater than it is and unwittingly taken a bit too much of an edible or extract and ended up “greening out” – a circumstance that can see you suffering from nausea, physical discomfort and extreme feelings of paranoia, anxiety and in some extreme cases auditory hallucinations.
Luckily this circumstance is easily avoidable and most importantly it is absolutely never fatal. Although you may feel an overwhelming sense of despair or even fear for your sanity or wellbeing the absolute worst that can happen to you is a half a day wasted and a bit of discomfort and paranoia. It is regarded almost like a right of passage when it comes to smoking or ingesting high quantities of marijuana and apart from the displeasure it poses no real threat to a person’s health or sanity.
But does weed make you hallucinate visually? It is not possible to experience visual hallucinations on marijuana and anybody who tells you that they have experienced visual weed hallucinations is either misinformed or attempting to misinform. Weed hallucinations only occur in the most extreme cases of overdose and are the most severe symptom possible and only manifest as auditory experiences.
Paranoia & Depression
Cannabis paranoia is a well known and documented side effect that seems to strike some people more than others depending on their personality type. Certain strains tend to activate it in people more than others but your personal mileage in this regard may vary. Marijuana and paranoia are often negatively associated with one another but people have also reportedly used CBD and THC to curb and maintain paranoid feelings and thoughts especially in the case of those suffering from PTSD. With the right relaxing strain and mindset – we recommend an indica heavy low THC, high CBD strain – you can soothe frayed nerves and ease a racing mind to reclaim your state of mind.
Much more study is necessary to fully understand the relationship between cannabis use and depression with many users reporting that they have achieved relief from their day to day symptoms of depression. But can weed make you depressed if used improperly? Some users have reported a lowered state of mood and a struggle to accomplish their daily responsibilities when trying cannabis related medications to manage their mental health issues. For people in this circumstance it might be worth switching to a different strain of cannabis with a higher focus on sativa content or a strain rich in CBD and low in THC. It is also possible that cannabis is simply not the right option for you and if so you should discuss other options with a trained medical professional.
Marijuana & Mental Illness
Before you decide to mix marijuana and mental health concerns you may be experiencing it is always a good idea to speak to a trained medical professional and find out the facts for yourself. Weed and mental health go hand in hand for a rapidly growing number of people all over Canada and throughout the world and as more and more people discover the freedom and relief they can experience with relatively low risk of adverse side effects the word is only sure to spread further and faster. As more research is completed and more information comes to light those of us struggling with mental health concerns who have been self medicating with cannabis products for years already have grown to feel a sense of acceptance, understanding and hope that had previously eluded them.
Why not try cannabis yourself today and see what comforts it may be able to provide for you and the people in your life that you love? If you are looking to buy weed online Haute Health has a fantastic selection of top quality cannabis products like cannabis concentrates and cannabis flowers and we are the number one source in Canada for people looking to buy top quality shatter online. Enjoy free shipping on any order over $200 and be sure to take advantage of our fantastic smokin’ daily deals and special offers!