There is a relationship between marijuana use and the possibility of experiencing psychotic episodes. Cannabis is a psychoactive drug that enjoys widespread social acceptance. There is a very low perception of risk. The main reason for its normalization is that it is often classified as a “soft” drug due to its natural origin, which mistakenly leads people to believe it is not harmful to health. It has even been claimed to have benefits for its users and not to be addictive.
In most cases, its use is purely recreational. For this reason, many adolescents begin using it at an early age, believing it poses no danger. However, by consuming it, they are exposing themselves to many risks. One of them is suffering psychotic episodes. Three factors must be considered that will determine how marijuana affects the body and what side effects it will cause: the amount of cannabis consumed, the age at which consumption began, and, finally, aspects related to genetics. That is, individuals with a greater genetic predisposition to suffer a psychotic episode and develop substance-induced psychosis.
At CCAdicciones, we offer treatment to overcome marijuana addiction and leave dependence behind for a healthy life.
Marijuana Use and Psychotic Episodes
To state that marijuana use will cause psychotic episodes is too hasty. Consuming marijuana is not synonymous with suffering psychosis, but it can be a factor that increases the risk if the person has different factors, such as genetic predisposition. It does not mean that because one cannabis user has had a psychotic episode, it will happen to all marijuana addicts, but neither is the reverse true. Even if a person who smokes marijuana has never experienced it, even after many years of use, it is no guarantee that it will not happen to others.
What is undeniable is that marijuana use and psychotic episodes are related in some way. The THC substance in cannabis is responsible for causing psychotic episodes or schizophrenia in people with a genetic predisposition. There is evidence that cannabis use can lead to mental illnesses and psychosis, causing hallucinations and delusions. If someone has already suffered an episode of psychotic breakdown, marijuana use will worsen it. The same applies if one suffers from schizophrenia.
Special attention must be paid to marijuana use during adolescence. It is a developmental stage, and this substance causes neurobiological changes in a brain that is still growing and not yet fully formed. Therefore, age is a risk factor.
What is a Psychotic Episode?
A psychotic episode is a break from reality. The person loses awareness of what is happening around them. Symptoms of psychosis include delusions, false beliefs, and hallucinations. The person sees, feels, and hears unreal elements that are not happening. Other signs include incoherent speech and inappropriate and incongruous behavior given the situation they are in.
Psychotic individuals experience increased activity of the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin. Certain drugs, such as cannabis, act on the dopaminergic and/or serotonergic system and produce psychotic states. When a person has a psychotic episode, it is important to address this issue from two perspectives. Firstly, the psychotic episode itself: trying to help the person return to their normal state and for all effects to pass. But, secondly, it is crucial to discover what caused this psychotic episode to understand its origin. If it was caused by marijuana use, it will be important to treat this addiction so that the person can stop using and prevent the side effects from escalating.
Symptoms of a Psychotic Episode
Some of the signs to identify a psychotic episode are the following:
- Persecutory ideas, the conviction that people are spying on them
- Paranoid thoughts
- Auditory hallucinations
- Cognitive abilities worsen
- Behavioral changes
- Attitude that does not adapt to the situation they are in
It has been noted that patients who have suffered an episode of drug-induced psychosis, such as cannabis, are at risk of subsequently developing a schizophrenia spectrum disorder.
Marijuana and Schizophrenia
Although cannabis can contribute to suffering a psychotic episode and developing schizophrenia, it is important to differentiate between the two. A marijuana user may have a psychotic episode at a specific point in their life and never suffer it again. If they stop using marijuana, it is likely they will not experience it again. It will be momentary, and once the effects pass, the person will return to normality.
The situation is different with schizophrenia. It is a severe mental disorder that produces hallucinations, delusions, personality alterations… In short, it causes a loss of real contact with reality. The components of marijuana can activate the part of the brain susceptible to schizophrenia if there is a genetic factor. In this case, it is not an isolated event, like psychotic episodes, but rather a disorder that will require treatment and medication.
Marijuana Detoxification Treatment
It is common for an addict to deny their dependence on a substance; self-deception is frequent. It is important that they recognize the problem to be receptive to receiving help. Once they have acknowledged their addiction, the next step is to begin detoxification treatment.
CCAdicciones provides you with a guaranteed treatment because it is designed by a medical team. It focuses on providing tools that allow the patient to develop strategies to modify their habits and break free from all toxic behaviors. To avoid suffering a severe withdrawal syndrome and minimize its effects as much as possible, it is important that the entire process is supervised by expert addiction professionals.
Quitting Marijuana
If you or someone around you has a marijuana addiction, it is advisable to go to a center with expert addiction professionals. CCAdicciones is a detoxification center that has a medical team that, by analyzing the particularities of each patient, will design the treatment best suited to their needs.
Contact us if you need more information on how to overcome an addiction. Quitting marijuana or any other addiction, with or without substances, is possible with the right help.
