States’ continued legalization of medicinal and recreational cannabis has coincided with an alarming increase in marijuana potency. As cannabis consumption increases, so has the evidence of marijuana-related health risks. For some users, the commonly held belief that marijuana is safe and beneficial is having devastating results.

The Risks of Marijuana

Marijuana activates specific receptors in the brain, leading to effects such as mood changes, impaired memory and decision-making, and an altered sense of time and reality. While the marijuana plant contains hundreds of compounds, the one that causes these characteristic effects is tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.

High-THC strains are more common than ever, and are now readily available in a wide range of products, from candies to baked goods. Often, marijuana products like gummies come in colorful, eye-catching packaging to appeal to more customers. For younger people, their curiosity about cannabis and the idea that getting high is a rite of passage can start a dangerous pattern of heavy use.

Using marijuana products containing more than 10% THC can increase people’s chances of developing psychosis and addiction, according to a 2022 report published in The Lancet Psychiatry. There is a direct link between cannabis use and these risks, particularly among younger users. Research confirms people who use cannabis are four times more likely to develop schizophrenia than those who don’t. The odds increase when people smoke daily or use high-potency strains.

How Does Marijuana Lead to Psychosis?

While researchers are not certain whether cannabis-induced psychosis is an early manifestation of schizophrenia or a catalyst, they have found a clear correlation between the two disorders.

As with other mental illnesses, psychosis involves multiple factors like genetics, family history, trauma, and environmental influences like marijuana use. There’s also a chicken-and-egg situation occurring – cannabis can trigger psychotic episodes, but people who already experience psychosis may also rely on marijuana to minimize their symptoms.

Cannabis can impair essential brain functions such as attention, memory, learning, and decision-making, and those effects can last for days after the high wears off. Even people who do not experience psychosis or schizophrenia can still have long-term cognitive damage from marijuana that adversely affects their daily lives.

How to Get Help for Marijuana Addiction

Many people start relying on pot to manage physical or mental health symptoms because they have heard it is safe and non-habit-forming. However, continuing to smoke, vape, or ingest cannabis products can cause a marijuana dependence, which happens when your brain reduces its natural production of endocannabinoid neurotransmitters in the presence of regular doses of THC.

Often, people who try to quit using pot after developing a dependence will experience uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms and crave the drug to feel “normal.” To avoid these consequences, they will continue relying on cannabis despite its adverse effects. The longer you have been using marijuana, the more you can expect to struggle when you try to quit. 

If you have used marijuana regularly and often, cutting back may help you ease into a life without relying on it. However, if you are struggling to imagine your life without drugs, or if cannabis has become a gateway to more addictive substances like opioids, professional treatment at Lakeside-Milam Recovery Centers can help you get back on the right track. To learn more about our locations, philosophy, programming, and accreditations, contact us today.