How To Speak To Your Clients About Marijuana Usage
Mission Harbor Behavioral Health
It all starts with a conversation.
Each year in February, Marijuana Awareness Month is recognized to call attention to the potential negative effects of this drug. While marijuana can be dangerous for some people, the reality is that more and more jurisdictions are legalizing marijuana for recreational use, while other states are approving it for medicinal purposes. This has led to a more positive attitude toward marijuana, which can make it difficult to determine when marijuana use crosses the line into misuse or addiction. If you’re working with clients who use marijuana, it’s important to be able to have conversations about the risks and benefits of the drug, and to recognize when marijuana use is problematic.?
Medicinal Uses of Marijuana
Today, marijuana is widely used for medicinal benefits. In 1996, California became the first state to legalize medicinal marijuana with the passage of the Compassionate Use Act. There are a variety of purported medical benefits associated with marijuana, but some of the most common, widely-accepted uses of the drug include:
Beyond these uses, patients may use medical marijuana to treat symptoms of anxiety and depression. A review of the research with medical marijuana shows that people commonly use marijuana to treat these mental health conditions. While marijuana may be a common treatment method for anxiety and depression, it is not always effective.?
Some studies have shown that a majority of patients experience alleviation of anxiety and depression with medical marijuana, but some research has found that just 20% of patients experience improvement in anxiety, and only 10% experience alleviation of depression with the drug. It’s important to exercise caution when using medical marijuana, as some patients may not show improvement with this treatment method.
Marijuana and Worsened Mental Health?
Another consideration when using marijuana to treat mental health symptoms is that it may worsen mental health functioning for some patients. In fact, a review of the research shows that marijuana increases the risk of psychotic symptoms, including hallucinations and delusions, as well as general psychiatric symptoms, including depression and anxiety.?
What’s important to communicate to patients is that marijuana can have the opposite of the intended effect on mental health symptoms, especially if they are using large doses or self-medicating rather than seeking the advice of a physician. Furthermore, it’s helpful for patients to understand that the THC content in recreational marijuana tends to be quite high, and this potent form of marijuana may not be beneficial for pain and other conditions, such as anxiety and depression. In fact, the intended purpose of potent marijuana is often to achieve a high.?
For patients seeking relief of medical or mental health conditions with marijuana, excessive recreational use may come with consequences. It’s important for those seeking medicinal benefits to work with a physician and find the correct dose for their bodies.
Marijuana Addiction?
One additional message that patients must receive is that marijuana has the potential to become addictive, and people who regularly use the drug may develop a cannabis use disorder. According to the results of numerous studies, involving a total of over 1,000 marijuana users, 22% of people who use the drug meet the criteria for a cannabis use disorder. The risk of marijuana dependence is higher among people who frequently use the drug (ie: daily or weekly use).?
Patients who continue to use marijuana, despite significant consequences, such as inability to fulfill duties at work or problems in important relationships, may have a cannabis use disorder. Other signs of a disorder include:
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Those who continue to use marijuana, even in the face of significant consequences, and who are unable to stop using on their own, may require treatment for marijuana misuse. Despite the potential medical benefits of the drug, it is still a psychoactive substance, and some users may find that marijuana comes with more harm than benefit.?
Take Home Points for Patients
The bottom line is that marijuana comes with both risks and benefits. Some people find medicinal marijuana to be quite helpful for treating health ailments like pain or irritable bowel syndrome, and others occasionally partake in recreational marijuana use without any significant consequences. On the other hand, some people may develop worsened mental health with marijuana use, and some may even develop an addiction that meets criteria for a substance use disorder.
The take-home points for patients are as follows:
For those in the Southern California region, Mission Harbor Behavioral Health offers outpatient treatment for mental health disorders and co-occurring addiction. Contact us today to learn more about our services.?
Sources:
1)https://nationaltoday.com/marijuana-awareness-month/#:~:text=Marijuana%20Awareness%20Month%20takes%20place,illicit%20drug%20in%20the%20country.
7)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306460320306092?casa_token=N8vf6lXUamsAAAAA:dSq0UFzkLepocigosx8NThqoXDSVKF1Rqi-No8td7518bBfOhKHcs73L0nAZ500zQhxLhIrOJ6s