Does cannabis use help overcome anxiety?

What is known about the effects of cannabis in relation to anxiety problems?

Cannabis is the most widely used illegal drug in the world.. This is largely due to widespread beliefs that it is a harmless drug (with zero or very few negative effects) and that it also brings a number of physical and mental benefits to people who use it regularly.

In this article I comment on some of the false myths about marijuana and its "therapeutic use".The use of marijuana for therapeutic purposes, which in many occasions causes a false sensation of security that makes that many people experience problems because of a risky consumption.

The false myth of marijuana that helps to combat anxiety

A large part of the population thinks that regular cannabis consumption is "good" for physical and mental health, as well as to combat problems such as anxiety, depression or irritability.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Both the latest scientific studies and the majority of experiences in clinical psychotherapy indicate that the continued and frequent consumption of marijuana not only does not usually help to alleviate the symptoms of anxiety or depression... but even worsen them..

And it is very common that, being in consultation, the person names "in passing" that he/she smokes joints habitually. Then the alarm that most of us psychologists trained in addictions have, and we start to ask more questions about this habitual consumption of cannabis (in any of its forms, marijuana, hashish, etc.).

It is becoming increasingly clear, both scientifically and clinically, that acute and excessive cannabis use can worsen many problems of anxiety, distress, apathy and irritability. And that most consumers are not aware that the joints they smoke weekly or even daily have anything to do with it. Let us not forget the great economic interests that revolve around this false myth..

Recreational vs. therapeutic use

Many regular cannabis users (or people who make money from selling cannabis paraphernalia) claim that they actually use it therapeutically. And that is a lie.

It is important to set the record straight. The vast majority of people who smoke cannabis use it recreationally, to feel the high, or to get high from it.to feel the high, or as a way of "self-medicating" for day-to-day worries.

Therapeutic use is when a doctor prescribes by prescription the use of some active ingredient of cannabis (e.g. CBD) for a specific purpose, for a specific time, and with proper supervision. For example, for chronic Pain problems. I insist, medical supervision.

There is nothing therapeutic about buying hashish from the "dealer" in the neighborhood.. That is just an excuse.

The cocktail of THC, CBD and many more things.

Once again, many companies take advantage of these false myths to make money at the expense of people's health, when there is no scientific evidence that the consumption of joints actually helps with mental health problems of any kind..

Simply put, the cannabis plant is too complicated and has thousands of different compounds. Some are beneficial, but others are very harmful. Ideally, we would be able to separate and synthesize them, so that we could consume only the substances that are beneficial, in the chemically appropriate amounts.

Genetic time bomb for people with a family background

Let's not fall into reductionism and generalization either. Cannabis does not cause problems for everyone.

There is still a long way to go in research on long-term effects, but more and more indicators are being found of a link between acute marijuana use and psychotic or paranoid symptomatology, as well as anxiety.

Can this happen to everyone who smokes joints?

Absolutely not. But many people who have certain genes or family histories are at risk of exacerbating problems, or of "flip" genetic switches that they would not have flipped if it were not for their regular cannabis use..

In any case, if a person smokes very frequently, he or she is much more likely to suffer the worst effects, such as:

• Memory loss
• Difficulty concentrating
• Outbursts of anger or irritability
• Sleep problems
• Anxiety
• Paranoid thoughts or disconnection from reality
• Psychosis
• Addictive behavior (loss of control)

As reports from the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIH) state:

"Marijuana can generate an acute psychotic reaction in non-schizophrenic people who use it, especially at high doses, although this diminishes as the drug is cleared from the body."

Calms anxiety in the short term, increases anxiety in the long term

The real problem for many people is the paradox of drug use. They make you feel good in the short term, and we only notice most of the negative effects in the long term.. That is precisely the trap for many people: they use joints as a way to cope with daily worries, and think it helps them, when in fact it is making it difficult for them to get out of anxiety over the years.

We call this tolerance: the more prolonged the consumption of a certain substance, the more the body gets used to it, and the more quantities are needed to enjoy it.and more quantities are needed to enjoy the same effects as at the beginning.

Then there is a gradual escalation of consumption, with all the problems that derive from it. We receive in therapy many cases of people who are consuming several joints a day, and still think that they "do not smoke much" and do not suspect that they continue to smoke such quantities by pure dependence.

The importance of real psychological help

It is clear that there is still a lot of research to be done on the effects of cannabis and how to get the best out of its active ingredients. It is also clear that there are many people who experience problems with excessive use, and become hooked.

When "willpower" is no longer enough to overcome an addictive behavior problem, the best solution is to contact a specialized professional, the best solution is to contact a specialized professional to study the case and guide the person.

I am a psychologist specialized in addictions, and I have been helping people to free themselves from the slavery of cannabis for years. Contact me and we will get to work on it as soon as possible.