Anyone who frequently smokes today’s potent marijuana, especially with a family history of psychiatric disorders, should consider the results of multiple scientific studies, said two professionals at The Center for Counseling & Consultation, 5815 Broadway.
Scot Yarnell, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, and Jill Hulse, family nurse practitioner, wanted to share information about studies that indicate a link between marijuana and psychotic disorders.
“Since marijuana use is definitely present here in The Center’s four-county service area we wanted to let the community know what we have learned,” Yarnell said. “Studies show that marijuana can trigger a number of conditions, including schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder.
“The primary risk factor is the frequency of use. Other factors are the duration of use and family history.”
In some instances, marijuana users believe they are treating issues such as sleep problems or anxiety.
“But they are just making it worse,” Yarnell said. “They are self-medicating and causing new symptoms of a variety of problems. Negative effects include decreased memory, concentration and brain function.”
Synthetics, which are called cannabinoids, are the most potent, Yarnell cautioned. “Some forms of cannabinoids can be purchased legally at a store. But they can still show up in a urine test, which means failing a drug screen at work.”
Many physical problems also have been linked to marijuana use. These include lung issues, including cancer and pneumonia; gastro-intestinal problems; cardiovascular conditions; and stroke.
“We also want to remind people that marijuana is being laced with fentanyl,” Yarnell emphasized. “We have seen this in Barton and surrounding counties. Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent that morphine.
“Marijuana-related visits to emergency rooms represent 18 percent of all psychoactive drug visits,” he added.
Services/studies
The Center offers substance-use disorder counseling in conjunction with Mirror Inc. It also provides urine drug screens and treatment for underlying mental-health disorders.
“We can treat these disorders, while offering counseling, medication management and addiction therapy,” Hulse said. “We also can assist those who have withdrawal symptoms.”
Parents concerned about a teenager’s possible marijuana use may want to watch for symptoms. These include red eyes, dry mouth, increased appetite, decrease in alertness, social withdrawal, slow reaction time, impaired attention, short-term memory loss, and impaired judgment and coordination.
“Risks can be triggered by even the first use of marijuana and have lifelong effects,” Hulse commented. “These effects can be physical, mental and social. A person addicted to cannabis may not recognize the negative effects until they are free of the drug.
“Marijuana also can be a gateway drug to other substances,” she added. “For example, people with alcohol-use disorder are more than six times as likely to use marijuana. And people with cannabis-use disorder are more likely to use cocaine and misuse prescription stimulants.”
Hulse and Yarnell provided a few more study results:
• There is substantial evidence that chronic marijuana use, especially during adolescence, is associated with later development of schizophrenia.
• By eliminating marijuana use, the rates of schizophrenia could be cut by 10 percent.
• In addition to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, marijuana use has been associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and personality disorders.
• Up to 46 percent of people with cannabis-induced hallucinations will develop schizophrenia.
• For every dollar gained in tax revenue, Coloradoans have spent about $4.50 to mitigate the effects of legalization such as higher healthcare costs and problems related to high school dropouts.
The Center for Counseling & Consultation is a Community Mental Health Center serving Barton, Pawnee, Rice and Stafford counties. Professionally trained personnel offer: individual and group therapy; marriage and family counseling; community-support services; community-based services; psychosocial rehabilitation; peer support; and medication management. The confidential 24/7 crisis hotline number is 800-875-2544.
