Schizophrenia and vomiting: weird and dangerous side effects of cannabis use

Cannabis is largely safe for use in many medical and recreational situations. But even the biggest supporters of weed recognize that in some cases, cannabis use is the wrong choice for both health and safety reasons. Writes about it Lifehacker.

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"Vaping disease"

Before COVID-19 overshadowed all other health concerns, the media discussed what was dubbed the vaping crisis - a string of cases of lung damage in patients who reported using cartridges containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), often from unregulated sources. ...

These foods caused lipid pneumonia and lung damage as the oil particles they contained were inhaled and adhered to the lung tissue of people and, in many cases, resulted in their death. The condition was named EVALI, a lung injury associated with the use of e-cigarettes or vaping.

There have been 68 deaths and nearly 3000 hospitalizations due to EVALI, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which they attribute primarily to homemade vapes containing vitamin E acetate supplementation.

“Vitamin E acetate is strongly associated with the EVALI outbreak,” the CDC report noted. “It was detected in food samples tested by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and government laboratories, as well as in lung fluid samples from patients tested by the CDC from geographically diverse states.”

EVALI cases still occur even though the acute peak has passed. Melissa Pandica wrote last spring: “The vaping crisis is still here. Vaping still causes lung damage, even if not hospitalized, and is likely to lead to more sinister, slow-onset diseases. "

On the subject: How different ways of using cannabis affect the body: benefits and harms

While this lung damage does not pose a particular danger from the components of the cannabis plant itself, on the other hand, there is no doubt that tightening the regulation of cannabis products due to legalization will help at least make the products safer.

Stories of uncontrolled vomiting are not just a myth

Proponents of legalizing marijuana are sometimes confused when they talk about the potential dangers of this drug. Those who have problems with their habits are often attacked by members of the cannabis community, even if they generally remain supporters.

One such person is Alice Moon, a publicist and influencer who has abstained from cannabis for three years due to her experience with cannabis hyperemesis syndrome, which is roughly uncontrollable vomiting. In 2016, MVN first developed unexplained bouts of severe nausea.

“After vomiting for two years and undergoing numerous tests, I was diagnosed by a gastrointestinal specialist in 2018,” she said. “During the two years that I was sick, I visited many doctors and finally saw that one of them knew about this disease and suggested that I had it.”

Cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) manifests itself like other cyclical vomiting problems - there is a period before the attack when nausea or abdominal pain may begin; a period of uncontrollable vomiting and a recovery period before the next attack. Patients are not fully functional during an attack, and complications may arise as episodes get worse or more frequent.

“CHS is a rare but serious condition. There have been at least 5 CHS-related deaths due to persistent vomiting, causing dehydration and organ failure, ”Moon said.

Patients like Moon want consumers to know about CHS, but not worry about it.

“CHS is a rare condition and it is unlikely that most consumers will develop it. That being said, if you begin to experience any symptoms including nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain, I suggest taking a break from cannabis use for three months to eliminate this as a possible cause of your symptoms. Don't be afraid to talk honestly with your doctor about your cannabis use, but make sure you protect yourself by suggesting that they test you to rule out other possible causes, Moon says.

CHS and EVALI are just two of the potential problems that can arise with cannabis use, and some of these cautionary stories relate primarily to how much cannabis you are using. It is unlikely that you will get sick if you try cannabis.

Know Your Risk of Mental Disorders

One scenario in which it is advised to avoid using cannabis, even in small doses, is if you are prone to mental health problems that can cause psychosis. Hallucinations, paranoia, and other problems are frightening and can be indicators of an underlying medical condition. And while science is not perfect, there are competing theories that link cannabis use disorder to schizoaffective disorders and possibly schizophrenia itself, although other theories rule this out.

The recruiter, who deals with some of the scary psychological symptoms after smoking weed, shared his experience. She asked reporters not to reveal her name in order to avoid backlash from supporters of weed.

“It takes about 20-30 minutes after consuming cannabis that the side effects start to appear,” she said. “I get the feeling that I’m on stage and everyone hears my thoughts, they boo the bad thoughts, and chant “hurray” at the good ones. It’s like a rollercoaster of emotions.”

Because of this, she refrains from consumption.

“I've discussed this with my therapists and they're not surprised that cannabis affects my brain the way it does,” she said. “As someone who has a family member with schizophrenia, it is highly likely that cannabis causes schizophrenia in me.”

Some studies claim the connection is strong, while others seem to disagree, but anyone experiencing such adverse effects should simply not use cannabis.

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Side effect reporting should not undermine support for legalization

The recruiter believes in the medical potential of cannabis, even if it's not for her.

“I'm a proponent because I think it can really be medically beneficial for patients,” she said.

Moon wants the research to be up to date so that it can demystify the functions of the human endocannabinoid system and possibly allow her to enjoy cannabis again.

“I realize that while cannabis doesn’t work for me, it works for millions of people for a variety of reasons,” Moon said. “My previous work gave me the opportunity to see how cannabis positively impacts the lives of people from all walks of life. I want everyone to have safe access to cannabis. And I hope that one day there will be a cure for the syndrome and I can go back to my medicine.”

An unclean product is the root cause of some problems

Spoiled, moldy and otherwise contaminated products enter the market in both clandestine and authorized supply streams.

Since cannabis is an agricultural product, it will always be possible to grow it outside the authorized supply chain, and unscrupulous actors will always tamper with products in order to increase their quantity.

While no one wants to corporatize cannabis other than the corporations themselves, everyone wants clean, safe, and affordable access to products. Federal legalization could allow people to grow their own cannabis, opening the market to impatient small businesses and providing mandatory processing processes.

Just because something is generally safe does not mean that it is safe for you. All bodies are different and cannabis remains a scientific enigma; we do not yet know every chemical component of a plant or how it works in the body.

Read also on ForumDaily:

Green card and marijuana: how legal cannabis threatens an immigrant

No laughing matter: how modern medical marijuana kills

How different ways of using cannabis affect the body: benefits and harms

Ukraine legalized medications based on cannabis

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