Cannabis and Mental Health
Cannabis, also known as marijuana, has a complicated reputation. On one hand, some people use cannabis as medicine. On the other hand, others link it to mental health problems. So what do we know?
With the New Cannabis Laws, Is Everyone Now an “Addict”?
Visions Journal, 2018, 14 (1), p. 11
Cannabis is legally allowed to 19+ but there are doctor groups saying it’s potentially harmful to age 25
Any use or certain use? What’s myth and what’s fact? If I’m a parent, what should I tell my young adult?
If cannabis is dangerous, why are we legalizing it?
Legalizing cannabis provides an opportunity to put in place regulations to minimize potential harms. The danger of buying and using any illegal drug is that we can never know for sure what exactly is in it. Since cannabis is illegal, it is unregulated.
Cannabis
Cannabis is the scientific name for the hemp plant. Its leaves and flowers—often called marijuana—contain a psychoactive (mind altering) resin that can affect how you feel, think and act. Like many drugs, there are both benefits and risks to using cannabis.
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Treatments: What Works?
It seems like everyone has an opinion when it comes to treatments for mental health or substance use problems. To add to the confusion, it isn’t always obvious who is basing their opinions on real evidence and who is not. And while we often hear people talk about evidence-based treatments, it’s also clear that complementary and alternative medicine approaches are helpful for some.
Finding the Right Help - Navigating the System
While it's common to talk about the mental health system, the system isn’t a singular entity. The system might include primary care, mental health, substance use, housing, income assistance, and justice. They are not always accessed the same way, through similar gatekeepers.
Recovery
When we talk about mental illnesses and substance use problems, it’s easy to talk in clinical terms: that person has this symptom, or that person uses a certain drug. But recovery is so much bigger than a checklist.
Safer Cannabis Use: Marijuana, hash, hash oil
While using cannabis may be safer than using some other drugs, there are things about using cannabis that can be harmful. Here are some things you can do to reduce your risk of harms and bad experiences.
