Conflicted Over Cannabis Usage
It's been nearly two years since cannabis was first made legal in Thailand. Across the nation, there were plans to pardon everyone with cannabis convictions and overturn laws that could be deemed excessively punitive (sometimes two years for possession alone).
Thailand, coupled with Malaysia, is a good example that grossly conflicts with Peter Hitchens' thoughts in his book The War We Never Fought. Hitchens argues that punitive measures resolve drug problems, but drug usage and production in Southeast Asia have increased despite very punitive laws. I'm sure if he's reading this, he's rather sick of that debate – like a dog chasing its own tail. Drugs are bad quite simply, and they are exceedingly harmful if taken in large volumes.
There's something to point out here, somewhere yet to be discovered with cannabis: there is "The Study We Never Did." Cannabis changes people in ways we can't yet measure. It is, at times, an incredibly dissociative and psychotic experience for some people; others find it relaxing. However, somewhere along this spectrum, there's a line that can be crossed where people don't realize they're psychotic.
Back in the UK, I worked with several mental health units in Northamptonshire. There were frequent admissions for cannabis-induced psychosis, but not that many compared to the number of people who smoked cannabis in the region. It definitely has the propensity to trigger manic or psychotic states. Some can be eased with medication and subside over time; others find that their psychotic experiences never subside, leaving them in a state of chronic psychosis or schizophrenia, as it is medically known.
Schizophrenia is something that people struggle with throughout their lives. They may go in and out of phases of hospitalization. It disrupts their ability to work, maintain healthy relationships, and can be truly horrifying. Some people have shared their experiences with schizophrenia with me, and they are truly something out of a horror movie. TVs directly talking to them, hearing voices coming from wires within the walls, believing they're being tracked down by mobsters – so realistic that these aren't fleeting delusions; the person can genuinely see, hear, and feel these things happening to them. To the point where people will act out on them – even causing great harm, becoming a threat to themselves and others.
Of course, you don't have to smoke weed to experience all of this.
Intrusive Thinking
Almost every cannabis smoker I've met has experienced this at some point. They start to get uncomfortable thoughts about themselves and the world around them. They feel nervous or emotional around other people when they are in good company. They start to worry or panic about things that are either dreamt up or not an immediate concern. It's basically a form of anxiety or potentially a form of psychosis – albeit temporary emergency delirium.
Hidden Harms
Where I believe cannabis may harm individuals most is in slight changes in personality that cannot be seen by the individual nor can be measured without something like the MMPI-2 (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory), which is a detailed psychological method of analyzing personality.
I also strongly believe that mixing cannabis and alcohol has a symbiotic relationship in decreasing cognitive functioning, not only in the short term but potentially in the long term too.
I've anecdotally seen that cannabis is quite dangerous for certain people, and what makes me more concerned is the level of denial about its harmful effects. Some people put up a huge wall of defense if you should dare challenge them that some of their problems might be cannabis-induced.
Unfortunately, as I have lived in Thailand on and off for the last few years, I have witnessed a decline in people whom I've personally known. I've seen several people losing their jobs due to an increase in tardiness, excessive drug smoking, and one even due to psychosis. They've all had a complete anything-goes mentality towards cannabis, believing it benefits them and helps them deal with their problems. There's an old AA saying: "If you've got 15 problems and you drink, you've got 16", and more, some add.
I have tried CBD for inflammation and insomnia, and I can honestly say it had no effect whatsoever. I used it after the gym to reduce some strain on tendons, but it offered no benefits at all. I was later informed that it only works specifically on arthritis pain. However, my further research indicated many claims that it was suitable to reduce inflammation – but I noticed nothing. Regarding CBD, the active ingredients are usually made from hemp plants, not cannabis plants. Most of the cannabis plants in circulation focus on high levels of THC – which has very questionable effects. THC is mostly sought after by thrill-seekers for a joyride.
If you were to look online at cannabis plants, due to legal reasons, I will not link them here, but they are almost exclusively focused on higher levels of THC.
One unusual observation is the age of onset of psychosis for some people with cannabis use disorder; they are often aged between 35-50. Normally, it was thought that cannabis impacts more on developing minds, but this doesn't seem to be the case.
Change in Thai Law
Thailand's government has voted to reverse policies on cannabis, making the sale and possession of the drug illegal again from 2025. There is word that tourists should not seek to acquire drugs within the country as they may find themselves in serious legal trouble. There is talk about making cannabis available as a medicine to be distributed only by medical facilities, but information on this is unclear.
For further reading, you might consider the following sources:
- Peter Hitchens, The War We Never Fought: The British Establishment's Surrender to Drugs
- Studies on cannabis-induced psychosis and its long-term effects in the UK and Southeast Asia.
- Legal frameworks and changes in Thailand's drug policies.
By D.Kerr 2024
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