Anxiety Paranoia and Other Phobias

"I think it’s important to consider, however, that the two most active ingredients of cannabis are THC (tetra-hydro-cannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol). THC is the psychoactive ingredient, which produces the ‘stoned’ effect; but we also know that it is the ingredient that precipitates psychosis in certain cases, as well as potentially acting as a trigger that can cause a relapse of symptoms among patients who already have a psychotic illness.

CBD, on the other hand, is devoid of the psychological effects associated with THC, but has strong anti-anxiety (and even an anti-psychotic) effects. In other words, CBD has a calming effect. So it is also easy to see how the drug can trick people suffering from acute paranoia and temporary psychosis into believing that smoking a joint will relieve the symptoms. It won’t, because most commercially grown cannabis is cultivated to contain much more THC than CBD. This is surely one of the more obvious paradoxes that exist in cannabis culture.

For the millions of users who smoke every day without exhibiting any of the more extreme mental health symptoms, the problems of anxiety and paranoia can be less severe but also highly debilitating in their own right. Cannabis overuse tends to deliver a kind of continuous low-level anxiety that can affect relationships and situations at home, at work, and on the street.

All drugs have their side-effects. Something as straightforward as aspirin, for example, can cause stomach bleeding in certain circumstances. The side-effect of cannabis is undoubtedly anxiety, which I’ve observed impacts the ability to trust. Some heavy smokers tend to find it hard to take life at face value, and don’t trust others, or situations easily. This naturally has the effect of not allowing them to trust themselves and, in the wider sense, to trust life itself, thus robbing them of their potential to make the most of opportunities that come their way."