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Marijuana and Mental Illness: Is There a Connection?

With more states, countries, and government entities giving the go ahead for medical or even recreational marijuana use many questions have been raised about this drug that need to be answered. There is a well known and identified link between substance abuse and mental illness. Statistics show that people who have risk factors for schizophrenia and other psychotic forms of mental illness may be adversely affected by marijuana use, and this drug can even contribute to the development of psychosis in individuals who are already prone to certain types of mental disorders including schizophrenia. Mental health experts warn that marijuana use can mask or even aggravate the symptoms of mental illness and make an accurate diagnosis much harder to make. Using marijuana can cause depression, anxiety, and many other mental disorders to become worse over time and interfere with treatment.

There have been no studies to show that marijuana itself is responsible for the initial development of mental illness, but many studies have shown that this drug can have a negative impact on those who are already at risk or predisposed towards schizophrenia and other serious forms of mental illness. Individuals who have certain mental health disorders or who have close family members with serious mental illness are at a much higher risk of developing psychosis and other very serious symptoms when marijuana is used because of how the brain functions with these mental disorders. Using the drug can make it difficult or even impossible for treatment professionals to determine which symptoms are drug related and which ones are a result of the mental illness.

E-Joint Device Combines Tobacco and Marijuana

e-joint, marijuana, tobacco

e-joint, marijuana, tobacco

A recently launched e-joint device combines marijuana and tobacco in an e-cigarette, an d it was first reported by the New York Times. This device is being used in areas of the USA where medical or recreational marijuana has been legalized, places like Colorado, Washington, and Oregon. JuJu Joint, one of the brands of an e-joint, contains 100 mg of THC, it is designed to be disposable, and it can be used without causing any smoke or smell to alert others that the person is using anything. According to Rutgers New Jersey Medical School psychiatry department chairman Dr. Petros Levounis “In some ways, e-joints are a perfect storm of a problematic delivery system, the e-cigarette, and in addition a problematic substance, cannabis oil.”

The inventor of JuJu Joints, the e-joint that can be used for both marijuana and tobacco, told reporters that every inhalation is metered by the electronic device. Rick Stevens stated “Our goal is not to get people stoned so they sit in the corner and vegetate. I wanted to eliminate every hassle that has to do with smoking marijuana. I wanted it to be discreet and easy for people to handle. There’s no odor, matches or mess.” Many have voiced concerns that those under 21 could get their hands on these devices, and there are some suspected cases of this already in places where marijuana is legalized. Anyone who wants to purchase one of the e-joints must be at least 21 years old, and they cnan expect to spend between $65 and $100 for it.