Cannabis & Mental Health

Professional Experience Article

Millions of Americans struggle with Mental Health Issues. An estimated 1 in 5 Adults and 1 in 6 youth, aged 6-17 yrs. old are diagnosed with mental health conditions every year. 50% of all lifetime mental health concerns begin by age 14, and 75% by age 24. Sadly, suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-34 yrs old

What is Mental Health?

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It helps determine how we handle stress, how we relate to others, and even the choices ( both helpful and hurtful) that we make As the numbers clearly indicate, mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood through adulthood.

In recent years, a great deal of attention has been focused on what Mental Health Practitioners have come to call “Adverse Childhood Experiences” (ACE’s). These include early childhood trauma or a history of abuse (child abuse, sexual assault, witnessing family or Community violence) and these ACE’s are highly correlated with mental health issues in adulthood.

Other contributing factors in the development of Mental Health Conditions include: Adulthood traumatic events, ongoing chronic or medical conditions (such as Cancer and Diabetes) and biological or genetic factors such as chemical imbalances or a family history of mental health challenges.

Commonly diagnosed mental health conditions include:

Anxiety and related conditions like generalized anxiety, social anxiety and PTSD. Symptoms of Anxiety and PTSD include; excessive worrying, feeling agitated, restlessness, muscle tension, hyper vigilance, difficulty relaxing, sleep disturbances and panic attacks

Depression is commonly characterized by depressed mood (this is much more than feeling sad), decreased interest in previously enjoyable experiences, feelings of helplessness, hopelessness and worthlessness, changes in appetite which can lead to weight gain or loss, fatigue and sleep disturbances. Women are more likely than men to develop depression and it’s common to be diagnosed with both depression & anxiety

Bipolar can cause serious shifts in mood, energy, thinking and behavior. Someone who is bipolar can shift from one extreme to another. This condition is much more than “mood swings”, the changes in mood are so intense that they generally interfere with daily functioning and oftentimes disrupt job or school performance and even relationships. These changes can include unusually high energy (followed by periods of fatigue), erratic behavior and disrupted sleep patterns.

These issues affect much more than mental health, they commonly affect physical health as well. People with depression and other serious mental health concerns have a 40% higher risk of developing cardiovascular (heart) disease and suffer higher rates of conditions like stroke and type 2 diabetes. As we can see, mental and physical health are equally important components of overall health and well being.

Historical evidence for the use of cannabis in alleviating “suffering of the mind” is remarkably ancient Herodotus, an ancient Greek Historian, is believed by many to be the first to mention Cannabis in Western Civilization He wrote about Community members gathering in tents and placing seeds from the hemp plant upon burning stones, where the vapor emitted was used in a “grieving ritual” after a beloved member of the Community died. These records date back to 500 B.C. Additionally, Ancient Sacred text from India, described cannabis as reducing anxiety and promoting laughter.

The endocannabinoid system has been found to be a modulator of memory, anxiety and mood, with studies showing that cannabinoids interact with specific brain regions including; the cerebral cortex (responsible for memory, thinking, perceptual awareness and consciousness), the amygdala (which helps to regulate emotions) and the hippocampus (key to memory storage and recall).

With the advent of medical cannabis legalization, more focus has been placed on studying the potential benefits of cannabinoids in treating mental health conditions Medical cannabis users commonly report using Cannabis for depression, anxiety, to help manage panic reactions and for insomnia.

Recent scientific studies attribute anti-anxiety, antidepressant, anti-psychotic and sedative properties to several plant derived cannabinoids and terpenoids, providing further evidence for the therapeutic use of cannabis in treating mental health related symptoms & suffering.

A 2019 review by researchers at UCLA “found that cannabinoids may hold promise as a treatment for PTSD, in particular for reducing nightmares and helping people to sleep.” Cannabis has been shown to promote “fear extinction” and “forgetting”, additional benefits to sufferers of PTSD.

A 2017 study indicated that 41% of cannabis users surveyed report replacing their usual medications in favor of cannabis, while 40% of those surveyed said that CBD was much more effective for relieving anxiety compared to other medications.

The beauty of the cannabis plant is that there are hundreds of different cannabinoids, terpenoids and flavonoids, all working together synergistically. One plant that can treat a wide array of symptoms, instead of several prescription drugs that only target one symptom at a time.

With prescription drug overdoses continuing to rise, America finds itself in the midst of an overdose epidemic. Raising awareness and excellent education are key to breaking the stigma associated with both cannabis and mental health concerns. Cannabis not only holds the potential to alleviate human suffering, it can literally save lives!

References:

Hindocha C, Cousijn J, Rall M et al. J Dual Diagnos 2019

Khan, R., Naveed, S., Mian, N. et al. The therapeutic role of Cannabidiol in mental health: a systematic review. J Cannabis Res 2, 2 (2020)https://doi.org/10.1186/s42238019-0012-y

NAMI. Mental Health By Numbers. Sept. 2019

Oswald, K. Cognitive Cannabis: The Emerging Evidence for Treating Mental Health Problems. The Pharmaceutical Journal 31 OCT 2019

Sarris, J., Sinclair, J. et. al. Medicinal cannabis for psychiatric disorders: a clinicallyfocused systematic review. BMC Psychiatry. 20: 24 (2020)

Written By: Josephine Cannella-Krehl, LCSW

Josephine is the Founder of MMJ Knowledge, LLC, a medical cannabis education Company whose Mission is to “Inspire Hope Through Excellence in Education” Josephine is a compassionate, highly knowledgeable licensed clinical social worker who has been active both legislatively and in Florida’s clinical setting Based on her long experience in compassionate hospice care and outstanding educational skills, she illuminates the path towards health and well-being