The relationship between substance use and mental health has been a long-standing and complex public health issue. In 2014, a national survey from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found that 20.2 million adults had a substance use disorder, and of these individuals, 7.9 million had both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder (SAMSHA, 2015). These statistics emphasize the importance of conducting cross-disciplinary research in order to appropriately inform public health decisions and ultimately improve population health. In this chapter, the committee reviews the current evidence on the association between cannabis use and prioritized mental health outcomes.
SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). Behavioral health trends in the United States: Results from the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.2015. [November 24, 2016].
With many states now legalizing the use of marijuana under a variety of circumstances, it is important to understand how it can affect mental health and when its use becomes a serious health concern.
Tyler was a sweet, friendly, super smart, and super talented young man. He loved animals, gaming, skateboarding, drawing & painting, and was a talented musician. He was a straight A student, with a 100% on his ACT math scores, until his marijuana use started affecting his grades, and his will to care. After high school,…
Cannabis, a supposedly harmless plant, led to our daughter Catherine Mayberry’s death at the age of 24 on October 8th, 2022. Catherine was a perfect kid up until age 18 – social, smart, athletic, creative, and hardworking. In 2016 at the age of 18, Catherine went off to college at the University of Minnesota and…
Be Extraordinary, Be You. July 17, 2021, 1:26 AM: “My attitude with the music and everything has been way too self-righteous. I am done with the music. I’m quitting weed for good and want to surround myself with healthy and happy people. This has been too much for me and for you guys. I have…
Johnny Stack was born on February 7, 2000, and died by suicide on November 20, 2019, at the age of 19. He was an incredibly intelligent, funny, charming, handsome young man, which you can see in his tribute video at https://johnnysambassadors.org/tribute. We are a regular suburban family that did regular family things. He had a happy…
When you bury a child, you die with them. Yet you still wake up each morning and somehow have to function in your “new” normal. I’ve always considered myself as “politically” correct so when marijuana became “medicine,” I didn’t think it would ever affect my life. It’s too late for me and many other parents…
Aaron was an intelligent, handsome, articulate, and comical young man who was compassionate and forgiving. He was accepting, loving of everyone, quick-witted, and always joking around with family and friends. He was the life of the party. Aaron was in the Future Business Leaders of America organization as well as a college accounting program. Looking…
I am a physical therapist who so strongly believed in medical marijuana that I went to work in a Massachusetts marijuana dispensary for 1.5 years as a budtender. My dispensary sold high-potency products. There were rashes, mildew, and mold on the marijuana; the labeled weight was incorrect; batches were mixed with different testing results; marijuana…
My daughter is 24 years old and suffers from cannabis use disorder and cannabis-induced psychosis. We had her back for a short time, but the addictiveness of this drug has pulled her away from us once again. Roxanne was a beautiful baby, and as she got older, she was very bubbly and her imagination was…
My brother thought he was John the Baptist. He slept under a freeway because he believed God wanted him to live there. (See https://anightinjail.com/ and a long story of Kirk’s life from Moms Strong: https://momsstrong.org/2018/01/19/brothers-marijuana-use-led-mental-illness/ ) About 10% to 15% of the population is predisposed to psychosis, and most of us don’t know it. Many people have not heard THC…
My son Adam suffers from cannabis use disorder and cannabis-induced psychosis. My husband and I worked hard to provide our kids with a loving and stable home. Our son was born in 1995. He did well in school. He skied in the winter, swam in the summer, and always had friends. In the spring of 2017,…