Aaron Weiner, PhD, ABPP’s Post

Let’s shine a light on another contentious topic. Cannabis causes PSYCHOSIS!! Cannabis causes or rather exacerbates mental illness! The evil reefer! Lol.. There is a reason these claims are never substantiated. There are plenty of flaws in the #science of it. The most important one, in my humble opinion, I’d like to address now. Yes, I know I’m not a doctor. But I am someone who experienced this firsthand. And I always think. If doctors really know how to heal you. Why do they go to OTHER doctors when they get sick? Sometimes it IS important to have first hand experience, that’s all I’m saying. Anyway, the fundamental issue with this type of research- Most clinical trials/testing around cannabis causing psychosis focuses solely on testing a hypothesis and either confirming or rejecting it. Again, it’s science. It can be very linear. But life is about nuance. You test participants, as in this study: https://lnkd.in/gzVyhvRC. Giving some participants #cannabis, and others a placebo. And when the people consuming cannabis confirm for researchers they have “induced transient psychotic symptoms”, the causal relationship between cannabis and #psychosis seems to be confirmed. HOWEVER, what ELSE did these participants have in their systems during these tests? Here’s another example. From the American Journal of Psychiatry. As cannabis use increases, does psychosis in the general population increase? Seems to. So it is then assumed there is some sort of correlation. But you know what else has increased dramatically? The use of anti depressants. SSRIS. ADHD medications. Etc, etc. All of which are KNOWN to interact negatively with cannabis. Serotonin Syndrome is a serious yet underreported diagnosis. MOST of the literature concerning cannabis causing psychosis. Can actually be directly attributed to #serotoninsyndrome. Yet serotonin syndrome cannot be caused by cannabis alone. Because it occurs in many people without cannabis involved at all. As we as a society become more and more attached to big pharma, we take more and more medicines. Yet many of these medicines readily prescribed together, shouldn’t be prescribed together at all. Again, I am sharing from personal experience. Having been diagnosed with serotonin syndrome. After being prescribed many different medications throughout my life. Of course, it was easiest to blame cannabis. And that’s why this pushback is SO important. Because ultimately, it wasn’t cannabis. It was the cocktail of medications I was prescribed so a medical industrial complex could profit. You unfortunately have to ask yourself. What actual incentive does a for profit business have to focus research on side effects caused by the medications that bring in said profits? And what real harm is that kind of inherent bias doing to our society? I truly believe much more harm than cannabis causes on it’s own. www.HealingMedicyn.com

In the field of cannabinoid research, precision is crucial. A recent study (https://lnkd.in/ePgXzdcy) emphasizes the importance of controlled titration. Remarkably, 10 mg of THC showed higher efficacy compared to 20 mg, highlighting that more isn't always better. This brings a spotlight to the therapeutic window's critical role and reminds us that proper control over the administration can not only enhance efficacy but could also reduce side effects. Let's continue to push for accuracy in our research! #thc #cannabinoids #cannabinoidresearch

Very excited to see our review on #CBD as a harm reduction strategy out in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. Key Takeaways: 1) CBD may reduce drug cravings & other addiction-related symptoms, 2) there's a significant need for more #research that accurately reflects real-world CBD dosing/ administration! Huge thanks to our superb author team in getting this out and for their unwavering commitment to supporting those experiencing a substance use disorder: Dr. Caroline MacCallum, MD Kate Nanson Michael Koehn Ian Mitchell MJ Milloy Zach Walsh Florriann Fehr https://lnkd.in/gzyBiYWh

Psychedelic medicine market set to reach $7.2 billion in 2029, forecasts GlobalData. Read the full article here: https://buff.ly/48qH457 #MentalHealthAwareness #trauma #ptsd #MDMA #addiction #depression #psilocybin #psychiatry #psychology #psychedelictherapy #psychedelics #medicine #innovation

Quoting Tom Marcotte, PhD, professor of psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine and co-director of the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research at UC San Diego: “While cannabis can be impairing, the effects vary for each individual. There is thus a public health need to confirm that evaluations of impairment are effective and unbiased, and this study is an important step towards that goal.” We at Otorize would like to highlight the effective and unbiased point, which are two of the strengths of our 5 seconds test. Otorize's test detects impairment, not by measuring residual (THC in the case of cannabis), but by running a cognitive test against a previously measured baseline (one time). In addition, Otorize's test is effective and unbiased in detecting impairment following any and all substances use. Does not require any bodily fluids, nor any personal or identifying information. So, Otorize's solution is not a match for the randomness needed by the police, but it is effective in helping drivers and workers to be aware of the state of impairment and thus help prevent the accident, avoid injury, damage or death. https://lnkd.in/dYpwkvad