weed – DSM (Defeating Stigma Mindfully)

September 13, 2021August 29, 2022

Cannabis Legal States

Boy was that an election! Donald Trump never stopped being the president and Joe Biden’s mental status likely confused him regarding his election win. But guess who has been impressively standing on stage this entire time delivering the most useful message? Marijuana was recreationally legalized in the states of New Jersey, Arizona, South Dakota and Montana this year. Mississippi came in big by legalizing medical marijuana. It seems that with each passing year, cannabis is gaining more supporters who are pro-legalization. This will lead to more cannabis legal states.

The science remains young and we don’t have enough evidence to conclude any long-term health benefits or adverse effects. But we have reached a point where criminalizing cannabis users is no longer sensical. I mean, going to prison for possession of marijuana? That sounds very archaic. Remember, that even though marijuana is being legalized, should not mean that we become naive to its potential mental health side effects such as anxiety, psychological addiction or even psychosis.

Cannabis legal states - drawing of woman holding hair next to cannabis leaves

Are Cannabis Legal States the Future?

I predict that the United States will legalize cannabis in all fifty states within the next ten years. The people want it legalized, it’s no longer taboo to indulge and it’s great as a stress reliever. Not everyone enjoys drinking a glass of wine to unwind. Some people prefer to take a hit of a vape pen or consume an edible and call it a night. As long as cannabis is used in moderation and you’re not experiencing any mental health symptoms, it should be fine to use. The only thing going against cannabis at the present time is that we lack the science behind long-term side effects. But with ongoing clinical research trials, we will have those answers within the next 5-10 years as well.

Cannabis legalization is here to stay.

Are you Ready? (This is Defeating Stigma Mindfully)

July 7, 2020August 22, 2021

I am Free of Marijuana

Marijuana leaf symbol with chromatic colors

Positive Affirmation: Cannabis

“I am free of marijuana because I realize that it’s not necessary for me to use it in order to be happy and find joy in life. Even though marijuana may be fun, I find pleasure in socializing in a sober state of mind, enjoying my senses without having the munchies and watching movies and listening to music without experiencing an altered perception of my reality. I also enjoy to not cough up a lung or experience mini panic attacks when I am getting high. I also prefer to have a clear conscience and not feel guilty when I am high. I am free of marijuana!”

Are you Ready? (This is Defeating Stigma Mindfully)

July 7, 2020August 29, 2022

Smoking Marijuana

Positive Affirmation – Free from Cannabis

“I am free of marijuana because I realize that it’s not necessary for me to use it to be happy and find joy in life. Even though marijuana is fun, I find pleasure in socializing in a sober state of mind. I enjoy my senses without having the munchies or watching movies and listening to music in an altered state of reality. I also enjoy not coughing up a lung or experiencing panic attacks when I am getting high. I prefer to have a clear conscience and not feel guilty when I am high. Smoking marijuana is an act of my past.

Cannabis helps me think outside the box but I can also do that without using it. I enjoy meditating and thinking which help me harness new creative ideas. Cannabis intoxicates my mind and makes me want to use more. The high gets my dopamine to act funny, making me psychologically crave more of it. I’ve tried stopping cannabis in the past; the worst part are the first few weeks after stopping. I end up craving more and have to struggle to stop myself from using. Why put myself through this mental obstacle? I rather just be free and at peace, regardless of its legality.

Smoking marijuana - burning joint on ashtray

Smoking Marijuana – The Gateway Act

Everyone says it’s not a gateway drug but they are wrong. Marijuana convinces the mind that there is more next door. This leads to either consuming more of it or seeking other substances never previously experienced. Classically, the next class of substances to make an appearance are the hallucinogens; can you say shrooms without thinking of its magical effects? And after that comes cocaine and what not. This does not apply to everyone but certainly applies to enough. Why do I need more drugs in my life? I can find mental satisfaction without consuming mind-altering chemicals.

How do I prevent myself from consuming? I stop smoking marijuana and put away the substance without seeking it. Sometimes it helps to completely discard it. I stop seeking the munchies, fun experiences and thought-provoking moments; I can find those naturally. I am not here to judge others on their partaking. In this case, I don’t want to use marijuana anymore. I find happiness by being sober and enjoying what life has to offer me. While smoking marijuana may be fun, I create my life circumstances and breath fun into existence without the THC binding to my cannabinoid receptors.

Are you Ready? (This is Defeating Stigma Mindfully)

April 24, 2020July 1, 2020

Weedhead Gone Psychotic

Young man with tattoo on neck smoking marijuana joint

When Weed Plants Psychotic Seeds

It’s just weed! It doesn’t harm you and it’s better than alcohol! Alcohol gets you into fights and makes you do stupid things. Weed just makes you sit on the couch and watch Harold and Kumar! What people usually think about weed right? It’s time to snap out of this mentality because weed can cause psychosis in many users, especially those who are genetically vulnerable or those who smoke a ton. Marijuana enjoys planting seeds within your mind. Oftentimes, these seeds won’t sprout, but when they do, they can turn into psychosis.

The thing about marijuana is that the THC potency is much greater than it was 10-20 years ago. Growers are interbreeding various types of marijuana plants such as indicas and sativas, resulting in more potent strains. As with any drug, a user gains confidence based on his or her past tolerance, ending up smoking more of the drug until an unexpected adverse reaction develops.

In the case of cannabis, this adverse mental reaction is oftentimes paranoia or psychosis. The problem is that you can’t just turn off a paranoid or psychotic state of mind once it kicks in; the high has to dissipate before the paranoia subsides. If the paranoia kicks in within the first 15 minutes, the user has another 45-60 minutes to go before the marijuana calls it quits on his or her mental journey.

With psychosis however, this state can last even 1-2 weeks after the marijuana high is gone. It just depends on the person and how psychotic he or she has become during the high. For instance, imagine eating an edible at 7 pm and then experiencing no high by 7:45 pm. Many users who are inexperienced will indulge in a second edible, thinking that a second dose will do the trick.

By 8: 15 pm, the high from the first edible will start to kick in. The user will think, “I knew I just needed two doses!” But around 8:40 pm, the second edible will also start to kick in and the high will intensify during the whole night. At this point, a user is very vulnerable to becoming psychotic if they have ingested a very large dose of THC.

Depending on their state of mind, the psychosis may intensify during the night, causing their mind to fall deeper down the rabbit hole, sometimes to the point of no return. Now that is something scary to think about! In the field of psychiatry, we see many people who become psychotic from marijuana.

Please stop thinking that this drug is innocent; comparing it to alcohol does not make you sound any smarter! Every drug has its pitfalls. Period.

Are you Ready? (This is Defeating Stigma Mindfully)

February 4, 2020February 4, 2020

Taking Time Off From Weed And Alcohol

Grayscale photography of woman smoking a joint in bathtub

Appreciation For Different States Of Mind

Everyone enjoys their fair share of poison, whether that’s alcohol, marijuana, gambling or even sex. But when it comes to substances, it doesn’t hurt to take time off from weed and alcohol; in fact, you should be highly considering this process. You can derive much pleasure from life by enjoying sobriety.

One thing to make clear is that this article does not apply to drug or alcohol addicts: if you are suffering from an addiction, then complete sobriety for the rest of your life is what is needed. But for casual users of weed and alcohol who do not have a problem with addiction, taking time off is highly recommended.

For starters, your mind needs a break: it’s not used to being affected by substances on a daily basis. And that’s a good thing because if it were, then that’s what you would call an addiction. Secondly, any substance that you put in your body is neurotoxic; period! There is no arguing with this point; it’s proven by science.

Yes, weed and alcohol make you feel great, but this does not mean that on a cellular level, processes do not become disorganized, chaotic or even start to malfunction. It’s because of this neurotoxicity, that your brain develops an increased chance of experiencing a mental illness.

Excessive alcohol use can lead to depression and anxiety and excessive marijuana use can lead to potential psychotic states. And are we forgetting withdrawal? Yes, withdrawal does happen from chronic and heavy use of marijuana; it’s not a myth. But if you are experiencing withdrawal, you are already in too deep.

The idea is that if you enjoy recreational and responsible use of marijuana and alcohol, you want to take healthy breaks from time to time. For instance, if you have just smoked marijuana for 2 months in a row, you’d be doing yourself a great favor by not consuming it for a few months as well; just allow your mind to enjoy the peacefulness of sobriety.

When you smoke or drink too frequently, your start to develop tolerance: a state of mind that requires a greater quantity of the substance to experience a previous level of high. For instance: 2 beers don’t get you a buzz anymore and 1 joint now wears off in 45 minutes. So what you end up doing is consuming more: causing more neurotoxicity, increasing your tolerance and your chances of developing an addiction.

You have to learn how to enjoy the best of both worlds: having fun consuming substances recreationally and responsibly, and enjoying life in your natural state of mind without any substances in your system. If you can do this, then both experiences become much more significantly enhanced.

This is called appreciation for different states of mind, whether natural or unnatural.