Ode to my sister
My sister is a pioneer in Psychiatric medicine. She is brilliant, clever and has great compassion for those who are zombified. As I call them, the already dead; those who have lost their family, friends, jobs, home. Those who have lost their lives to mental illness, psychosis, those who are forgotten and feared.
Talking today with her I gleaned some very useful insights into 'drug culture'. I have never been interested in drugs, consumed them or desired them. Moving to a state that is so explicit in it's drug culture, has been quite a wake up call for me and although my gut thinks it's not a good thing I honestly had no facts or evidence medically to suggest its illegal status in many places is deserved.
What I discovered today is that 15% of cannabis users will develop psychosis. Adult males aged 16-18 (possibly the most common user of the drug) haven't allowed their brain to fully develop, cannabis interferes with this process causing a dulling of development and contributes to pscizophrenia.
Although many compare the use of alcohol to the use of cannabis there are somethings to be said about our law makers...(who know all this information already). A much greater quantity and time period of alcohol consumption will cause addiction than that of cannabis usage, which requires less time and quantity to become an addictive substance. Their are psychosis affects of alcohol when a high consuming addict suddenly stops and doesn't have a gradual withdrawal. With cannabis the psychosis comes with it's consumption.
Although I've never been a person who voices strongly their opinions (languishing beige in the background of my vibrant friends). This is something I have a strong opinion on. I've seen too many families devastated by drug use and abuse. My sister sees too many psychotic young males in her workplace. If the only thing you are passionate about is whether cannabis should be legalised or not, whether or not I'm judgemental about it's use...then tell everyone you know I am super judgemental about it. Psychotic people do bad things to themselves and to others. I don't want my friends and community to have fried brains. I don't want people to idolize drugs and drug culture. I have a strong opinion about it. Who said the truth never stung. I'd rather be disliked than let my friends slowly destroy themselves.
For all those people who are care givers, family members or medical practitioners who deal with the consequences of clever and not so clever drug takers. This is for you. I hope that people who are so judgemental about people being judgemental about drug use realise, they harbour their own judgements....
Talking today with her I gleaned some very useful insights into 'drug culture'. I have never been interested in drugs, consumed them or desired them. Moving to a state that is so explicit in it's drug culture, has been quite a wake up call for me and although my gut thinks it's not a good thing I honestly had no facts or evidence medically to suggest its illegal status in many places is deserved.
What I discovered today is that 15% of cannabis users will develop psychosis. Adult males aged 16-18 (possibly the most common user of the drug) haven't allowed their brain to fully develop, cannabis interferes with this process causing a dulling of development and contributes to pscizophrenia.
Although many compare the use of alcohol to the use of cannabis there are somethings to be said about our law makers...(who know all this information already). A much greater quantity and time period of alcohol consumption will cause addiction than that of cannabis usage, which requires less time and quantity to become an addictive substance. Their are psychosis affects of alcohol when a high consuming addict suddenly stops and doesn't have a gradual withdrawal. With cannabis the psychosis comes with it's consumption.
Although I've never been a person who voices strongly their opinions (languishing beige in the background of my vibrant friends). This is something I have a strong opinion on. I've seen too many families devastated by drug use and abuse. My sister sees too many psychotic young males in her workplace. If the only thing you are passionate about is whether cannabis should be legalised or not, whether or not I'm judgemental about it's use...then tell everyone you know I am super judgemental about it. Psychotic people do bad things to themselves and to others. I don't want my friends and community to have fried brains. I don't want people to idolize drugs and drug culture. I have a strong opinion about it. Who said the truth never stung. I'd rather be disliked than let my friends slowly destroy themselves.
For all those people who are care givers, family members or medical practitioners who deal with the consequences of clever and not so clever drug takers. This is for you. I hope that people who are so judgemental about people being judgemental about drug use realise, they harbour their own judgements....
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