Marijuana Paranoia – Oxford Researchers Prove Pot Bad For Your Mood
Reviewed by 
Dr Sheri Jacobson
by Andrea M. Darcy
Is marijuana paranoia a serious issue for mental health?
Marijuana paranoia
Over 2.3 million Brits reported themselves as using marijuana within the last year.
Ask a marijuana user why they smoke, and they might claim marijuana makes them feel better or more relaxed. But is marijuana really a good option if a better mood is your goal?
For those suffering chronic illness, perhaps. Recent studies around the helpful effects of marijuana on extreme pain management, as well as on the therapeutic benefits of Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive component of marijuana, are ongoing and intriguing.
But as for recreational and casual users, and for those users who already suffer from mental health issues like low moods and stress? Maybe not.
Pot paranoia is real
The largest yet study yet of the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis has finally proven that ‘pot paranoia’ isn’t a myth but a reality. It’s more likely that marijuana is making your brain anxious, not happy.
The study was carried out by the University of Oxford, the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London, and the University of Manchester. It looked at the main psychoactive ingredient of cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The researchers used THC to examine key cognitive patterns behind paranoia in those aged 21 to 50.
The participants were then put in a real social situation, a sort of ‘virtual reality experiment’. The result? THC was proven to be directly linked to having worried thoughts and feeling vulnerable. Around half who were given THC reported paranoid thinking, whereas only 30% of the placebo group did.
The study also found a significant increase in “anxiety, worry, depression, negative thoughts about the self… and reduced working memory capacity”.
Short-term effects, and yet….
So cannabis use has a good chance of causing low moods and a decrease, not increase, in your productivity. Neither of which is going to lead to a better sense of wellbeing long term.
Of course the study doesn’t prove that anyone who smokes marijuana will experience overwhelming paranoia. The paranoid feelings were shown to wear off as the cannabis leaves the bloodstream.
And it’s true that all of us experience paranoia now and then, whether or not we smoke pot. Fears that someone or something will hurt us that are not based on fact tend to come up when we don’t sleep well for several nights. Or when we have a stressful series of life circumstances that make us feel insecure.
But the study does put paid to the idealisation of marijuana as merely a natural relaxant, or as a substance that, unlike alcohol and cigarettes, is apparently always good for your health.
Marijuana and psychosis
Whether or not the paranoia largely ends, there is another link that shows it’s serious. Paranoia is one of the leading symptoms of far more serious psychotic disorders.
And other studies have highlighted that those who start using cannabis at a young age have a higher risk for developing bipolar disorder or even schizophrenia.
And the more you are already dealing with mental health, the more you might suffer paranoia. The study paper claims that it “definitively demonstrated that the drug triggers paranoid thoughts in vulnerable individuals”.
Instead of marijuana paranoia try this
If you do suffer from mental health issues, the take away is, mental health and marijuana don’t always mix well.
So if you suffer from low moods, anxiety, and depression, don’t forget that exercise, mindfulness, progressive muscle relaxation, and working with a good therapist are all healthy ways to try to feel better. Smoking marijuana, even if it gives you a temporary good feeling, is probably an idea best left to go up in smoke.
*photos by Blind Nomad, Benjamin Watson, Valerie Everett
2 Comments
I disagree with the opinion expressed in this article. Being a chronic depressive my treatment is anti-depressant pills which I have to take daily and which the doctor told me I would have to take them for the rest of my life. Venlafaxine 175mg. They work very well most of the time. They do not get rid of depression every time. I started smoking marijuana and had nothing but a positive reaction with no come-down afterwards. Legalisation would benefit the smoker, the government's income from the tax involved. The only people who would not benefit are the delears, who in any case might sell bad stuff, mixed with something else, possibly causing heath issues.
Hi D, we're glad you've found something that you feel works for you. Please note this article discusses a study and research, not an opinion. We'd also ask, are you seeking therapy? Or are you just relying on anti-depressants and weed? While this is an effective treatment to manage symptoms, it doesn't get rid of them or solve any of the root problems it simply masks things. We are assuming you re in America where the tendency is to put clients on medication without a course of therapy. Whereas in the UK we approach things with the idea that drugs manage symptoms to the extent that you buy time to do therapy to make real changes. We find the USA situation of drugs/no therapy really defeating, as depression is a treatable condition, not a life sentence.Yes, some people continue to have some bouts of mild depression, there can be a genetic component, but the right therapy and finding a therapist you really click with can make a world of difference.
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