Marijuana Use Could Have Done Long-term Damage to My Brain

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I have schizophrenia. I was diagnosed in 2007. My first psychiatrist said I was permanently and totally disabled. My second psychiatrist decided my case was too complicated, and immediately dropped me as a patient, even before I could find another doctor. My third psychiatrist wanted me to spend my days in an institutionalized day program because he believed I would never work again, attend school, or enjoy normal society or meaningful relationships.

My doctors were wrong. I beat the odds. Ten years ago, I graduated from college in molecular biology with a 3.8. Today, I work 30 hours a week, which includes time spent in education and advocacy.

Looking back, I question whether my abstinence from drug use contributed to my unexpected, full, and sustained recovery.

Marijuana use has been found to be linked to psychosis, sometimes including long-term schizophrenia. Regular users are four-fold more likely to develop schizophrenia than their peers (1). Adolescents who use cannabis are more likely to develop psychosis in a dose-dependent fashion (2). A study at Harvard Medical School determined that 78 percent of patients aged 16 to 35 suffering from psychosis had used cannabis (3).

It is no surprise that cannabis use leads to psychosis. In the brain of a person with schizophrenia, a dopamine surge can happen naturally, leading to hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, and other symptoms. Cannabis use also triggers a similar dopamine release, producing schizophrenia-like symptoms. Marijuana use also affects other neurotransmitters in the brain including glutamate, anandamide, and serotonin (1). These chemical changes also mimic the changes in the brain of a person with schizophrenia.

Smoking cigarettes can also have detrimental effects on developing brains. Kids who smoke cigarettes are twice as likely to develop psychosis (4).

Over the years, I have interacted and stayed in touch with a few young people who smoked marijuana only a few times before developing long-term psychosis. These persons have had to accept that they will probably need to take antipsychotics for the rest of their lives. Fortunately for them, medication has led to sustained recovery, which is not always the case.

I interact often with families who have loved ones diagnosed with schizophrenia and are seeking education and guidance. Oftentimes, they express frustration with their loved ones because they are not thriving in recovery due to continued marijuana use, which complicates their recovery.

They often explain that their son or daughter uses marijuana to help manage their symptoms of paranoia or hallucinations. However, families and patients must understand that marijuana use can cause long-term brain damage to the brain’s white matter (5) which can lead to impulsivity and other problems. Cannabis use also leads to nonadherence to antipsychotics (6) and has been found to reduce the effectiveness of an antipsychotic medication (7). The temporary relief patients experience on marijuana is not worth these risks.

Additionally, if a young person is taking an antipsychotic, smoking makes it up to 50 percent less effective (8).

Because I once experienced hallucinations, paranoia, and delusions myself (15 years ago) I have deep empathy for people wanting the symptom relief marijuana can bring. However, substances such as marijuana can make the psychosis permanently worse. I still wonder if the reason why I made an unexpected and full recovery was that I had never used drugs, which could have led to brain damage. I will never know for sure.

My goal is to help patients catch a vision for the new life they can have if they stop smoking marijuana, smoking cigarettes, and or using other substances. The hope is that, when off these drugs, there will be a greater chance that they will stay in remission from psychosis, enabling them to pursue education or purposeful work, and enjoy a thriving, higher quality of life.

Marijuana is not safe. It is imperative that we educate young people about the risks of marijuana and other substances before they develop lifelong psychiatric symptoms.