Just as a bit more following on EricPaul's post................
Personal experience only............
We have a young friend of the family who was diagnosed with cannabis psychosis some 5 years ago when he was 18............... he was a grade A student who was due to start university to study for a BSc degree.
I wont bore you with the details - but at the time this boy nearly lost his life due to the effects of cannabis induced psychosis. He now still suffers from depression and poor mental health. He has never got to university and now exists on state benefits here in the UK. His family are shattered. I can assure you that he has had the best of care from the doctors including specialist psychiatrists. There is no doubt his condition is a direct result of using cannabis.(as stated by the doctors) And not as uncommon as you might think. Harmless? No - I really think that most people really dont know the potential here.
Recently - at school - the kids and parents have had informative lectures about the possible side effects of cannabis. It would appear that the doctors are starting to see people in their 30s and 40s who smoked cannabis regularly over the years and who are now starting to show effects. Some strong indications that far from being harmless - cannabis may in fact produce organic effects similar to MS - where the myelin sheath on the nerve/muscle cells is stripped off the cells over time producing damage (and symptoms)of the same order as MS. There are some very large studies being undertaken here in the UK at the moment................. try googling............... There is talk amongst the medical profession of epidemic proportions starting to show up here in Europe............
Dont want to alarm anyone - but really now doubt that cannabis is the "harmless" habit that people have spoken of for so long. May be very far from the truth.
So - looks like there are organic physical problems with cannabis - not just a psychological aspect - but a real physiological one too.
I know my experience is just that - anecdotal - but its a dreadful sight to see a fit healthy intelligent bright able young man struck down in his teenage years by psychosis. The psychiatrists tell us there are many young people suffering in the same way................... Personally I think people are being lied to - so I would urge anyone to get informed. Dont assume anything about any pill/drug/habit.
It always appears to me that people who use cannabis are always trying to tell the rest of the world how "safe" it is - how its not addictive or harmful in any way. Why is that? I have never understood that. My daughter indeed had a boyfriend who for a while demonstrated all round the UK on marches to "Free the Weed"! Such passion? Why? He appeared regularly on TV. He was on a mission to convert us all? But - thankfully - he is no longer a boyfriend!
So - even here in UK and Europe where our laws regarding drugs are far less stringent than the US - our govts are still hesitant to legalise cannabis. There have to be sound reasons? Wonder what govt knows but wont tell us?
So - please dont let those who wish to tell us all that pot is harmless get away with it? For some reason they illogically need to believe that.
How can any artificially taken drug ingested into the body have no effect at all? It's just not logical. For every action there has to be a reaction? So there has to be some physical effect of taking any drug - and why assume it is benign? Daft? Dont believe it - you have too much to lose.
Veronica - I hope you dont mind my putting this post up on your thread - but I think its completely relevant and important.
Take care - you've made the most difficult step by identifying and acknowledging the problem................ take heart and go forwards now - keep posting - there is so much help and support here for you...............you can do this.
woops
