Schizophrenia is a debilitating mental illness. Symptoms can lead to risky and often self-destructive habits, which can have a negative effect on your daily life. Symptoms may occur on a daily basis or may come and go in stages. Delusions, paranoia, speech difficulties, erratic behavior, and failure to cope are all signs of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia necessitates lifelong monitoring and care. Working with a psychiatrist to develop a recovery plan that treats the problems is important.
Schizophrenia is caused by a variety of factors. Genetics, brain growth, and complications that happened in uterus or after birth are also possible causes. Stress and frequent drug use are examples of incidents that may set off the disorder.
Much research on drug use and schizophrenia have been released. These studies take a variety of approaches to the subject; but the majority of them make negative connections between the medication and the disease. Keep in mind that these experiments have a lot of factors at stake. Drug use rate, drug efficacy, age, and risk factors for schizophrenia are some variables.
A broad field of studies supports the link between marijuana use and psychological disorders, especially schizophrenia and for obtaining guidance from expert doctors you can even get your Marijuana Card made. But the controversy over whether one is more responsible for the onset than the other remains.
One popular concern against cannabis legalization is that the drug is linked to an elevated risk of psychosis. Despite the lack of proof of correlation, these claims suggest that drug consumption causes insanity. It’s unclear whether this is true or if people with psychotic disorders are self-medicating in some way, now that weed delivery is too easy and accessible.
The Evidence for Cannabidiol
Evidently, cannabis affects the endocannabinoid gland, which is engaged in neurotransmission; and tends to control processes including sleep, memory, and mood, and which has been linked to schizophrenia in studies. The endocannabinoid system is also active in reward intake; which seems to be lacking in individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, according to recent studies.
According to Matthijs Bossong, PhD; of the Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience at the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands; “The main psychoactive ingredient of cannabis, 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), exerts its effects by binding to cannabinoid receptors in the endocannabinoid gland.”
“It has been shown that patients with schizophrenia have enhanced levels of endogenous cannabinoids as measured both in their blood and cerebrospinal fluid; and neuroimaging studies and post-mortem examinations have shown that they have increased levels of cannabinoid receptors in their brains.” Bossong said.
In observational trials, the link between cannabis use and psychosis is well-established, and a dose-response connection with odds ratios of 3.80 for the risk of schizophrenia in heavy cannabis users is reliably documented. The use of cannabis strains rich in CBD, on the other hand, has been linked to less psychotic symptoms. Pre-treatment with CBD reduces THC-induced psychotic effects and developmental disabilities in healthy volunteers, whereas THC causes acute psychotic-like symptoms.
Since neurological dysfunction are prevalent in schizophrenia, the possible beneficial effects of CBD on cognition in patients with schizophrenia are important (up to 75 percent -85 percent of patients).
Experimental Results
Scientists released the first case study on the use of CBD as an antipsychotic drug. In this study, a 19-year-old female patient with schizophrenia was given CBD at a dose of up to 1500 mg per day for four weeks; and her acute psychotic symptoms improved. The results of a 2006 trial that looked at the effectiveness of CBD as monotherapy for treatment-resistant schizophrenia in three people found that only one patient improved. A subsequent research on the antipsychotic efficacy of CBD (at flexible doses up to 400 mg/d) on 6 Parkinson’s disease patients found that psychotic symptoms improved over the span of four weeks.
Since then, three clinical trials have looked at CBD’s antipsychotic properties, with mixed findings. Scientists conducted the first double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial comparing the therapeutic benefits of CBD (600-800 mg/d for 4 weeks) versus amisulpride on acute psychosis of schizophrenia patients in 2012. CBD is as effective as amisulpride in curing psychotic symptoms and has less side effects, such as extrapyramidal symptoms and weight gain, according to the report.
On a behavioral basis, it is apparent that people with schizophrenia consume cannabis at higher rates than the general population. According to a small joint study conducted in September in Schizophrenia Research by researchers from Dartmouth College’s Geisel School of Medicine and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, up to 40 percent of people with schizophrenia have comorbid cannabis-use disorder, which substantially worsens the disease’s development.
Conclusions
CBD can play a role in avoiding or treating psychosis associated with recreational cannabis use in disadvantaged patients; in addition to its possible beneficial effects for schizophrenia. Cannabis is the most widely consumed synthetic drug in the USA, with cannabis delivery services available everywhere. Although with its widespread legalization for medicinal and recreational uses, a smaller proportion of people believe routine cannabis use poses a risk. Around the same time, the CBD-to-THC ratio of street cannabis is declining. Low CBD content may have an effect on the cumulative impact of cannabis use on mental health, which may become apparent in the future. When considering the therapeutic use of cannabis, it’s critical to differentiate CBD, which can have positive effects, from THC; which has controversial negative effects, especially in people with psychotic disorders.
“I think the only way for people with schizophrenia to get through their ‘stormy passages’ with worsening delusions or hallucinations is to provide a community of support that understands schizophrenia, a close relationship with their mental health,” says Julie Foster, FNP, MSN, medical director of Pohala Clinic, a center for integrative care and alternative medicine approaches in Portland.
“We know that people who don’t have a support system, who do not trust their providers even when not psychotic; and who get out of healthy routines and lifestyles will flounder. While schizophrenia is a challenging illness to live with, with the right supports in place, one can still lead a happy, full, and successful life,” says Foster.
If you decide to try weed, consult with a doctor and other trustworthy members of your mental health team who are familiar with effects of THC and CBD on patients who are prone to paranoia and may provide guidance. Weed delivery in Santa Monica and throughout California is available at your fingertips.
