New Clinic Offers Hope for cannabis-Induced Psychosis as Cases Rise
London - A specialized clinic in the UK is reporting significant success in treating psychosis linked to high-potency cannabis use, offering a potential lifeline for a growing number of patients experiencing severe mental health crises. the clinic’s integrated approach, focusing specifically on cannabis cessation and tailored support, is demonstrating transformative results, even for individuals with decades-long histories of mental illness and repeated hospitalizations.
For years, the connection between potent cannabis and psychosis has been increasingly recognized by researchers, with a 2019 guardian report highlighting the rising risks associated with high-strength strains. However, treatment options have largely failed to address cannabis use as a primary driver of these conditions. This new clinic aims to fill that gap,providing targeted care for a vulnerable population often overlooked by traditional mental health services. The need is pressing, as access to increasingly potent cannabis products expands globally, raising concerns about a potential surge in related mental health issues.
One patient, who wished to remain anonymous, recounted a harrowing experience of psychosis triggered by heavy cannabis use. “I was running down the Old Kent Road wearing fluffy pyjamas and nothing on my feet at 2am thinking I was God,” she recalled. She subsequently endured 50 hospital admissions over two decades, receiving medication and support without specific attention to her cannabis consumption. Now,a year after beginning treatment at the clinic,she is abstinent and experiencing a marked improvement in her condition.
“I still hear voices ‘pinging off in my head’, but can live well,” she stated. “My paranoia was so bad I couldn’t get on a bus or a train, could barely get out of bed and leave my house at my worst… Now I’m here and everywhere,” she says.She is now able to eat and sleep regularly, marking a “seismic conversion” in her quality of life.
The clinic’s success suggests that a focused, integrated approach to treating cannabis-induced psychosis could have a significant impact on public health. while the patient emphasized she isn’t “better,” she feels “a lot healthier” and “able to do a lot more.”
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health issues, help is available. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org.
