Cannabis News

The Rise and Fall of the Cannabis Industry

Published

3 weeks ago

March 3, 2025

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the rise and fall of the cannabis industry

The Rise and Fall of the Cannabis Industry

The cannabis industry has undergone a radical transformation over the past forty years. What began as an obscure and illegal activity hidden in the shadows has blossomed into a multi-billion dollar industry that spans across multiple states and even countries. However, this evolution hasn’t come without significant growing pains. Is Trump 2.0 part of a new avenue for cannabis?

Throughout this journey, we’ve witnessed both tremendous benefits and troubling issues emerge from a complex web of factors: overregulation that strangles small businesses, persistent black market competition that undercuts legal operators, and federal government interference that creates a patchwork of contradictory policies.

Today, we’re going to explore a region that could be considered the birthplace of American cannabis culture – Humboldt County and the broader Emerald Triangle of Northern California. This legendary growing region helped put cannabis on the map long before dispensaries dotted urban landscapes and corporate cannabis became a reality.

Let’s dive into how this iconic marijuana mecca rose to prominence, flourished during the golden years, and now faces an uncertain future as the industry continues to evolve beneath the weight of legalization’s complicated aftermath.

Let’s go!

Though I’ve never personally visited Humboldt County, its reputation in cannabis culture is legendary. Those winding roads through towering redwoods and misty mountains have become almost mythical in the stories told by those who’ve made the pilgrimage to America’s most famous growing region.

The cannabis industry in Humboldt didn’t spring up overnight. It has roots stretching back to the counterculture movement of the 1960s, when idealistic young people fled urban centers in search of simpler, more authentic lives. These back-to-the-landers discovered that the region’s remote location and ideal growing conditions made it perfect for cultivating cannabis—a crop that could actually sustain their pursuit of alternative lifestyles.

What began as a means of self-sufficiency for hippie communes soon evolved into something much more substantial. According to Paul Modic’s historical account of Humboldt’s cannabis industry, the price per pound jumped from $1,000 in 1975 to a staggering $5,000 by the early ’90s. With these kinds of returns, cannabis cultivation in the Emerald Triangle transformed from a countercultural statement into a serious economic engine.

Modic refers to this economic boon as “the Green Nipple,” a colorful term suggesting how the industry nourished an entire regional economy. Growers were able to build homes, raise families, support local businesses, and create a unique culture that blended environmental consciousness with a fiercely independent spirit. During these boom years, cannabis money flowed freely through communities like Garberville, Redway, and Willits, supporting everything from hardware stores to schools.

But as with any gold rush, the good times couldn’t last forever. The passage of Proposition 215 in 1996, which legalized medical marijuana in California, marked the beginning of significant change. While seemingly a victory for cannabis advocates, it inadvertently opened the floodgates for increased production. As more people jumped into cultivation, supply increased and prices began their long, steady decline.

By the early 2010s, according to Modic, the “Green Nipple” had transformed into what he aptly calls the “Green Monkey”—were you riding it, or was it riding you? Growers had to dramatically scale up operations just to maintain their previous income levels. Where once a modest garden could support a family, now multiple light-deprivation greenhouses and larger grows became necessary.

The stress of managing larger operations brought new challenges: more workers to supervise, increased risk of crop failure from pests or mold, and the perennial challenge of finding buyers for ever-larger harvests. As Modic points out, these stresses replaced the previous concerns about “cops and helicopters,” which had “mostly disappeared from the list of stresses by then.”

Little did these growers know that the real challenges were still to come, as full legalization loomed on the horizon and would forever change the landscape they had helped create.

On November 8, 2016, California voters passed Proposition 64, legalizing recreational cannabis use throughout the state. For decades, legalization had been the rallying cry for cannabis activists, the holy grail that would end prohibition and usher in a new era of freedom and prosperity. But for many small farmers in Humboldt County, legalization would prove to be a poisoned chalice.

The promise of legalization was seductive: no more helicopter raids, no more fear of prison, and legitimate business status. What wasn’t as apparent was the bureaucratic nightmare awaiting those who chose to enter the legal market.

Modic’s account provides several telling examples of farmers who attempted to navigate the new legal landscape, only to find themselves drowning in expenses and red tape. He writes about “one grower from Salmon Creek” who went to the bank and reported, “Estelle told me it would cost $20,000 to go legal, now I’ve got $100,000 into it and it’s a big hassle, but I’m in too deep to stop and have to keep trying to finish the paperwork.”

Another farmer from Ettersburg, according to Modic, was “complaining that it had already cost him a few hundred thousand dollars to ‘come into compliance,’ he was still far from getting his license, and if he could do it all over, he wouldn’t.” Modic later observed that this once “handsome and youthful-looking” farmer was later spotted “looking old and haggard, and still struggling with his large weed farm.”

The regulatory requirements for legal operation proved to be prohibitively complex and expensive. Environmental impact reports, water rights documentation, building permits for structures that had existed for decades, application fees, consultancy costs—the list went on and on.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife became a particular obstacle for many farmers. Modic tells the story of “a former clone dealer from Sprowel Creek” who had a property with a spring that “started and stopped on his forty acres, one of the state requirements for licensing.” Despite this seemingly perfect setup, when Fish and Wildlife examined his land, they “discovered damage from logging decades before he bought it back in the seventies, and the expensive remediation costs would be more than the land was worth.” The farmer had no choice but to dump the property “at a loss.”

Meanwhile, as small farmers struggled to navigate the regulatory labyrinth, large corporations with significant financial backing moved in. These operations could afford compliance costs and were positioned to produce cannabis at scale, driving prices even lower. The pound price, which had already fallen to around $1,000 post-medical legalization, plummeted to $500 and then to a devastating $250 after recreational legalization, according to Modic’s account.

For context, when prices were $5,000 per pound, a farmer could make a good living with just 20 pounds per year. At $250 per pound, that same farmer would need to produce 400 pounds just to maintain their income—a scale impossible for many small operations and certainly not feasible within the constraints of legal permits for small grows.

The cruel irony wasn’t lost on the community: the very plant that had enabled generations to live independently in this rural paradise was now, under legalization, becoming the instrument of their economic demise. For many, the choice became stark: attempt to operate legally and face financial ruin, continue growing illicitly with increased risk, or abandon cannabis cultivation altogether.

As Modic notes, “businesses in town have closed, the hills have emptied out, and would-be farmers who got in late and have large land payments are abandoning their land.” The promise of legalization was revealing itself to be a complex and often devastating reality for the very communities that had built California’s cannabis industry.

When California voters approved recreational cannabis, many predicted the black market would quickly fade away. After all, why would consumers take risks with illegal purchases when they could simply walk into a licensed dispensary? Why would growers continue operating in the shadows when they could run legitimate businesses?

The reality has proven far more complicated, and the black market hasn’t just survived—in many ways, it’s thrived.

Industry analysts estimate that in 2022, California’s legal cannabis market generated approximately $5.3 billion in sales—impressive until you consider that the state’s illicit market was estimated to be worth $8 billion or more. Despite legalization, the majority of cannabis consumption in California still occurs outside the regulated system.

For Humboldt farmers, the persistence of the black market presents both an opportunity and a dilemma. As Modic observes in his historical account, “Many of those who are able to stay are looking for regular jobs with which to survive in this depressed economy, as the pound price plummets to $250.” However, he also notes that “there’s still farmers with good connections growing and selling like it’s 2008, and may have a few good years left.”

This suggests a divided industry where those with established out-of-state connections can still find buyers willing to pay premium prices, especially in prohibition states where cannabis remains scarce. However, this path comes with significant risks. Federal enforcement remains a threat, especially for interstate trafficking. Furthermore, as more states legalize and develop their own cannabis industries, these out-of-state markets become increasingly competitive.

The more troubling aspect of the thriving black market is what it reveals about the legal framework California has created. When licensed businesses struggle to compete with illicit operations, it suggests fundamental flaws in the regulatory system. The excessive taxation—which can reach 40% when combining state excise tax, local taxes, and other fees—creates an insurmountable price gap between legal and illegal cannabis.

Additionally, the limited number of licensed retail outlets throughout the state means many consumers don’t have convenient access to legal cannabis. With approximately 75% of California municipalities banning cannabis businesses, vast “cannabis deserts” exist where consumers have no choice but to turn to the black market.

For Humboldt’s legal growers, this dynamic is particularly frustrating. They’ve invested heavily in compliance, only to watch their illicit competitors undercut them without consequence. Many legal operations resort to what industry insiders sometimes call “diversion”—selling a portion of their crop into the illicit market to remain financially viable.

This reality points to a broader failure in California’s approach to legalization. Rather than creating a functioning legal market that could absorb and transform existing cannabis operations, the state has inadvertently strengthened the very black market it sought to eliminate.

For Humboldt County, this means the cannabis economy continues to operate in a precarious gray zone—neither fully legal nor completely illicit, with participants forced to navigate an increasingly complex and risky landscape.

Perhaps the most important question raised by the transformation of Humboldt’s cannabis industry concerns the fate of the pioneers who built it. As Modic asks in his historical account, “What’s going to happen to all those back-to-the-landers and old growers, now in their seventies and eighties, still living in their off-grid cabins in the middle of nowhere, without the steady income they had over the last forty years, and no retirement plan?”

It’s a profound question that highlights the human cost of this industrial transformation. For decades, these growers operated outside traditional economic systems. They didn’t have 401(k)s or pensions. Their retirement plan was their land and their annual cannabis crop. Now, with prices at historic lows and their physical ability to manage farms diminishing with age, many face an uncertain future.

Some have managed to sell their properties to younger growers or to transplants seeking rural lifestyles, but the collapse in cannabis prices has significantly devalued land throughout the region. Properties that might have sold for millions during the boom years now struggle to find buyers at a fraction of those prices.

Others have attempted to transition to different crops or businesses, with varying degrees of success. There are nascent efforts to develop Humboldt as a cannabis tourism destination, leveraging the region’s storied reputation. Some farms have opened for tours, created farm-stay experiences, or developed educational programs about cannabis cultivation.

Local support networks have emerged as well. Community organizations provide assistance to aging growers, helping them access social services they might have avoided during their years operating in the illegal market. There are food banks specifically serving rural communities and mutual aid networks where neighbors help neighbors.

County and state officials have largely failed to address this looming crisis. The same regulators who created nearly impossible compliance requirements for small farmers have offered little in terms of support for those displaced by the industry’s transformation. There are no pension programs for retired cannabis farmers, no transitional assistance for those whose livelihoods have evaporated.

The situation represents a broader ethical question about legalization: what responsibility do we have to those who built an industry while it was still illegal? These pioneers took significant risks, faced potential imprisonment, and developed the cannabis varieties and cultivation techniques that the legal industry now profits from. Yet they’ve been largely abandoned in the rush toward corporate cannabis.

For communities throughout Humboldt County, the human cost of this transition is impossible to ignore. Empty storefronts in once-thriving towns, properties reclaimed by banks, and elderly residents struggling to survive are the visible manifestations of an economic collapse that could have been mitigated with more thoughtful regulation.

The pioneers of Humboldt’s cannabis industry didn’t just grow a plant—they created a culture and an economy that sustained thousands of people for generations. As that era comes to a close, we must confront difficult questions about what we owe to those who came before and how we might create a more inclusive cannabis industry moving forward.

After reviewing historical accounts like Modic’s and analyzing reports from throughout the region, I’ve come to a sobering conclusion: what we’re witnessing isn’t simply market evolution but rather a deliberate transfer of wealth and opportunity from small independent producers to large corporate interests.

The cannabis industry that sustained generations of Humboldt residents wasn’t perfect. It operated outside the law, sometimes attracted unsavory elements, and certainly had environmental impacts. But it also represented something uniquely American—a decentralized economy where individuals with limited capital could build sustainable livelihoods through their own labor and ingenuity.

The promise of legalization was that it would bring these operations into the light, providing consumer protection while allowing the existing industry to thrive legally. Instead, the regulatory framework that emerged seems almost perfectly designed to eliminate small producers while creating opportunities for well-capitalized newcomers.

This doesn’t appear to be accidental. The excessive regulatory requirements, the high cost of compliance, the limited retail licenses, and the heavy tax burden combine to create insurmountable barriers for small operators. Meanwhile, large multi-state operators can absorb these costs while scaling up production to maintain profitability despite falling prices.

For consumers, this transformation means less diversity in cannabis products, as corporate cultivation favors high-yield strains over the unique varieties developed by Humboldt’s craft growers. For communities, it means the loss of an economic engine that supported everything from schools to social services through the circulation of cannabis dollars.

Most troublingly, the current regulatory regime has failed to achieve even its stated goals. The black market remains robust, suggesting that the legal framework hasn’t created a functioning alternative. Environmental issues persist, both from non-compliant grows and from the massive legal operations that have replaced smaller farms.

Looking forward, there are potential paths to improvement. Reduced tax burdens could help legal operators compete with the black market. Streamlined regulations could make compliance achievable for small farmers. Interstate commerce, if eventually permitted, could open new markets for California’s producers. Craft cannabis designations, similar to wine appellations, could help small farmers distinguish their products in the marketplace.

But for many of Humboldt’s original cannabis families, these changes would come too late. The community and culture they built over decades is already unraveling, a casualty of well-intentioned but fundamentally flawed legalization policies.

The rise and fall of Humboldt’s cannabis industry serves as a cautionary tale for other regions pursuing legalization. It demonstrates that how we legalize matters just as much as whether we legalize. If we truly value diversity, sustainability, and opportunity in the cannabis space, we must create regulatory frameworks that support these values rather than undermining them.

For those of us who care about cannabis culture and the communities built around it, the challenge now is to advocate for policies that preserve what was valuable about the legacy market while addressing its legitimate problems. The alternative—a cannabis industry dominated by the same corporate interests that control so many other sectors of our economy—would represent a profound loss, not just for cannabis consumers but for American culture as a whole.

INSPIRATION:

kymkemp.com/2025/02/21/sohum-history-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-marijuana-industry/

https://kymkemp.com/2025/02/21/sohum-history-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-marijuana-industry/

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Is the Cannabis Industry Cooling Down or Just Holding Its Breath Right Now?

Published

1 day ago

March 19, 2025

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The Leveling-Out Has Begun

When Colorado and Washington made history by fully legalizing recreational cannabis in 2012, the industry exploded like a champagne bottle that had been shaken for decades.

Sales surged almost immediately—and why wouldn’t they? Something that had been villainized and pushed into the shadows for generations was suddenly available at clean, well-lit stores with knowledgeable staff. No more texting sketchy dealers or meeting in parking lots. No more “my guy is running late” or “all I’ve got is this mysterious brown stuff.” Americans could finally buy cannabis products with the same ease as picking up a bottle of wine.

This green gold rush continued as legalization spread across the country. New markets opened in Oregon, California, Massachusetts, and beyond, each experiencing their own initial boom as consumers celebrated their newfound freedom. Cannabis businesses sprouted like, well, weeds. Investors poured billions into the sector, expecting an endless upward trajectory.

But something interesting has been happening over the past year or two. After watching this market for the past 15 years, I’ve observed a distinct “leveling-out” in 2024. The explosive growth has given way to a more sobering reality. In mature markets like Colorado, sales have actually declined significantly from their peaks. The industry isn’t collapsing by any means, but that initial euphoria has faded.

Today, we’re diving deep into this cannabis market cooldown. What’s causing this plateau? Is it market saturation, changing consumer habits, pricing pressures, or perhaps broader economic forces? And what can we expect moving forward, especially with the political shitfuckery surrounding cannabis policy at the federal level? Will the DEA’s potential rescheduling of cannabis to Schedule III change the game, or is it just another half-measure that misses the point?

Grab your favorite strain and settle in—we’ve got a lot to unpack.

Let’s face it—cannabis has undergone one of the most dramatic image rehabilitations in American cultural history. What was once depicted as a gateway to madness and moral decay in films like “Reefer Madness” is now casually discussed at dinner parties and openly consumed by celebrities on podcasts. These days, most people across the political spectrum support cannabis legalization in some form. The social stigma hasn’t completely vanished, but it’s fading faster than your memory after hitting a potent indica.

Sure, you still have your occasional media hit pieces about “today’s super-potent weed,” and there’s no shortage of conservative cucks who believe they should dictate what sovereign human beings can put into their own bodies. They’ll raise hell about the “dangers” of legalization while sipping their third bourbon of the evening. But these voices are increasingly drowned out by common sense and empirical evidence.

The truth is that the majority of Americans no longer consider cannabis to be more dangerous than beer. And if Budweiser can drop $7 million on a 30-second Super Bowl ad featuring talking frogs, then bowls of cannabis should be legally available to adults without controversy. This widespread acceptance is a double-edged sword for the industry, though.

When cannabis was first legalized, there was an undeniable electricity in the air. Hardcore stoners who had been advocating for decades were vindicated and celebrated. Curious newcomers who had been cannabis-curious but law-abiding finally had the opportunity to try it in a safe, legal environment. The euphoria of legalization was palpable, almost like fresh lovers high on endorphins and serotonin, eagerly exploring this new terrain of freedom.

However, as with any puppy love, that initial intensity eventually mellows. The novelty wears off. What was once exciting becomes routine. Similarly, the novelty of legal cannabis has faded into normalcy. The “I can’t believe this is actually happening” factor has been replaced with “Yeah, I might stop by the dispensary later, no big deal.”

I hate to break it to you all, but cannabis is now as mainstream as it gets. From soccer moms using tinctures to manage anxiety to lawyers unwinding with a vape pen instead of a martini, cannabis has infiltrated every demographic. College professors, construction workers, retirees, tech entrepreneurs—cannabis use cuts across all social boundaries. It’s just not that edgy or counterculture anymore.

As a result, the cultural force that was driving the cannabis industry in its inception has lost some power. Many consumers assume it’s a done deal—cannabis is legal, accessible, and here to stay. But this complacency is dangerous.

And that’s something we definitely need to address—until cannabis is completely removed from the Controlled Substances Act, nothing is set in stone. Federal prohibition still creates enormous problems for the industry, from banking restrictions to research limitations to inequities in enforcement. Just because you can walk into a dispensary doesn’t mean the battle is over.

The waning of novelty may be inevitable, but the fight for full legalization and normalization continues, even as we browse dispensary menus with the same casual interest we once reserved for Netflix titles.

The cannabis industry’s slowdown in 2024 wasn’t just about market maturation—it was also heavily influenced by the presidential election hanging over everything like a thick cloud of uncertainty. It’s pretty much a given that during presidential election years, cannabis reform tends to stall out as legislators and regulators become hyper-focused on election results and avoiding controversial moves.

The 2024 election was particularly paralyzing due to the vast ideological divide splitting the country. When Donald Trump reclaimed the White House to become the 47th president, the cannabis industry collectively held its breath. After all, the Biden administration had set various cannabis reform wheels in motion—however slowly they were turning—with the DEA’s recommendation to reschedule cannabis to Schedule III being the most significant.

With Trump’s victory, everything suddenly went into freeze-frame. Industry players, investors, and advocates all found themselves stuck in a waiting game, unsure how the new administration would approach cannabis policy. Would Trump honor the rescheduling process already underway? Would he reverse course completely? Nobody knew for certain.

I already told you all that Schedule III was dead on arrival, but the situation is even more complex when you consider who really came into power with Trump. People weren’t just voting for Trump—they were voting for the influence of Elon Musk, Tulsi Gabbard, RFK Jr., and others who have Trump’s ear. That’s why I call him “President Trusk”—because arguably Musk has unprecedented influence over the president’s policies and worldview.

I could go down a deep, dark conspiracy rabbit hole about all of this, but let’s stay focused on the cannabis stuff. What matters is that the industry is now recalibrating and gauging their next steps. We know that Schedule III will likely be blocked or abandoned, and that the only viable path forward is legalization via Congress. However, while that lengthy process plays out—if it even begins—state-by-state legalization must continue to build momentum.

The stark reality is that the next four years will be a roller coaster of unpredictable policies and political maneuvering. Most Americans will be so fixated on the broader cultural and political battles that cannabis reform may fade from the spotlight. The media cycle will be dominated by whatever outrageous tweet or policy announcement comes next, not by incremental changes to state cannabis programs.

I personally have no idea how it’s going to play out, and any analyst who claims they do—unless they have insider information—is lying through their teeth. We’re in uncharted territory with no reliable map.

The truth is that we’re in a weird spot. Without more states legalizing cannabis or expanding their existing programs, the federal government will have little incentive to pursue meaningful reform. The industry’s growth may continue to plateau until there’s a clear signal from Washington.

And let’s not forget, Trump promised the death penalty for drug dealers during his campaign. Will that extreme stance apply to all drugs or just fentanyl? Could the United States become an even more dangerous place for those involved in any aspect of drug policy? The uncertainty alone is enough to make investors hesitant and consumers anxious.

The post-election cannabis landscape isn’t just leveling out—it’s holding its breath, waiting to see which way the wind blows from the White House.

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Psychedelics Can Help with Which Severe Mental Health Disorders?

Published

2 days ago

March 18, 2025

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Which Severe Mental Disorders Can Psychedelics Help With?

Severe mental illnesses refer to conditions that leave the patient with significant functional impairment and extreme symptoms. Sometimes, these may include serious symptoms such as psychosis, which can have harmful consequences if they aren’t diagnosed and treated early on.

Common treatments for serious mental health disorders vary; they usually include a combination of somatic and psychotherapeutic treatments. When it comes to medications, these can include antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and anti-anxiety medications. Severe cases of depression may require neurofeedback, and other brain stimulation therapies to work. Until now, there is no one-size fits-all solution for mental health disorder treatments; many patients usually find success, if any, in using a combination of therapies for many years – sometimes, for life.

In fact, many patients even develop a tolerance to medications. This can make it difficult to find drugs that work, yet even then, most medications come with unwanted side effects.

But the rise of psychedelic use has brought about promise for those struggling with mental health problems, and their families. No other medication can induce psychological and neurobiological changes the way psychedelics can, thereby improving cognitive function and emotional processing. Psychedelics activate serotonin receptors, enhance neuroplasticity, and disrupt the default mode networks that cause rigid thinking and worsen depression. Because of this, psychedelics are considered a revolutionary treatment for severe mental health conditions that are resistant to treatment.

Check out this list of severe mental health disorders, and how psychedelics can help treat them.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a severe, chronic mental health disorder that greatly affects the way a person thinks, behaves, and fees. The main symptom of schizophrenia is a serious disconnection and detachment from reality, which can manifest through symptoms of psychosis. These may include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized behavior, and disorganized thinking.

Schizophrenia can be extremely challenging to treat and manage due to many factors, most especially the fact that the symptoms drastically differ from one patient to another. Also, many individuals with this condition don’t respond to conventional treatment.

Many studies have shown that psychedelics are promising for treating schizophrenia and managing its symptoms, allowing patients to regain control and enjoy a better quality of life. That said, it must be acknowledged that small doses of psychedelics are needed because larger doses may have negative effects. Keeping the doses at a clinically accepted low level can induce powerful anti-inflammatory properties especially benefiting patients’ brain function.

Additionally, regulated doses have been found to be well-tolerated and effective in treating several mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, which is notoriously difficult to treat.

Borderline Personality Disorder

Borderline personality disorder or BPD is a very complex mental health disorder whose hallmark symptoms include unstable relationships, severe emotional dysregulation, and constant impulsive actions. For this reason, it can also be known as emotionally unstable personality disorder. Some severe cases include high suicidal tendencies.

Successful treatment can feel like an uphill battle, as many patients often drop out. It has become critical to develop new treatments for BPD which have less side effects, and are certainly much more effective.

However, some research has pointed to psychedelic therapy. In one study in particular, authors found that MDMA combined with psychotherapy is effective and safe for treating borderline personality disorder. Researchers found that it provides a safe and beneficial alternative even for treating chronic PTSD, a co-occurring disorder of BPD. The researchers also found that MDMA was effective even when administered just twice or thrice during the course of a treatment, whereas psychotropic drugs commonly prescribed in psychiatry often must be taken everyday for a certain period of time.

The treatment, known as MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, is gaining traction for treating other complex mental health disorders as well.

Severe Anxiety Disorders

Severe anxiety disorders significantly impact the daily life, as well as quality of life, of patients. Whereas generalized anxiety disorders may be occasional bouts of anxiety, severe anxiety is intense, persistent, and chronic.

Patients with severe anxiety disorders excessively ruminate and worry about things that often can’t be controlled, even without a trigger. It can manifest physically, such a through hyperventilation, shakes, sweating, and a racing heart. Long term effects include insomnia, headaches, fatigue, and difficulty thinking straight. The severe anxiety is so debilitating that it requires serious and professional interventions for patients to regain their quality of life.

Thankfully, a handful of various psychedelics have shown promising results for treating severe anxiety disorders, even where conventional medications have failed. Psilocybin is one of the most widely studied psychedelics for treating chronic anxiety; studies show that it has long-lasting results in anxiety management, with excellent results observed months even after the last treatment.

LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), or also known as acid, has also been widely studied for mental health disorders especially anxiety. According to studies, LSD can enhance cognitive flexibility and reduce anxiety scores especially when used in psychotherapy. As a result, patients can break rigid mental thought patterns that can influence anxiety-driven behaviors. LSD interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain, such as 5-HT1A and many others, which help regulate mood and reduce anxious behaviors.

MDMA’s potential for treating anxiety and other mental health disorders likewise continues to grow. Patients who struggle with anxiety show positive responses to MDMA; it has been shown to strengthen emotional processing while improving the coping mechanisms of patients. Also known by its street drug names molly or ecstasy, MDMA works well in modulating neurotransmitters in the brain, including dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. These all play an important role in regulating one’s emotions and improve overall mood.

CONCLUSION

If you or a loved one are struggling with mental health disorders and would like to experiment with psychedelics, it’s always recommended to do so in a clinical setting. These are not conditions wherein self-medicating is advisable, because of the harmful side effects of taking too much or too little, as well as the potential interactions of psychedelics with other medications.

Therapy sessions in a controlled environment is the best, safest way to medicate with psychedelics for severe mental health disorders. Reach out to a medical professional to get started, but do your own research.

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How Worried Should You Be about Schizophrenia and Psychosis if You Smoke Weed?

Published

5 days ago

March 15, 2025

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Should You Really Be Worried About Schizophrenia and Psychosis If You Smoke Weed?

Occasionally, a study on cannabis and schizophrenia or psychosis makes its way to the internet and becomes viral for a few weeks. It gets republished and circulated across numerous news channels and social media sites, spreading often unnecessarily alarming news and fear-mongering.

So what’s the truth behind it? Should you really worry about developing schizophrenia and psychosis if you smoke weed?

Let’s get the facts sorted first.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a chronic mental health disorder characterized by hallucinations, delusions, cognitive distortion, trouble thinking straight, and lack of motivation. Extreme cases of schizophrenia can also lead to episodes of psychosis or delusion, which is what occurs when an individual can no longer tell the difference between reality and fiction. Being severely disconnected from reality can occur among patients of schizophrenia and psychosis, but these can be caused by a wide range of physical or mental conditions.

What Causes Schizophrenia?

There is no one known cause for schizophrenia, though several environmental and genetic factors can contribute to its symptoms. It’s also known to run in families, so if someone in your family tree has had schizophrenia, it’s important to practice caution when using drugs and alcohol.

Certain environmental triggers can cause psychotic or schizophrenic episodes, particularly going through extremely stressful life events. Stressful environments, such as fast-paced cities, may also trigger symptoms. Other factors include the experience of childhood trauma, or certain changes in brain chemistry.

Cannabis: Treatment Or Cause?

The symptoms of schizophrenia can be managed or reduced through the use of antipsychotic medications, which are typically the first line of defense for this condition. First-generation antipsychotics, such as Chlorpromazine, Perphenazine, and Fluphenazine, are examples of widely-used schizophrenia treatments. Second-generation antipsychotic treatments include Aripiprazole, Lurasidone, Clozapine, Quetiapine, and several others. In some occasions, doctors may also prescribe antidepressants if antipsychotic drugs don’t help with the depressive episodes that may be associated with schizophrenia.

However, many antipsychotic medications come with unwanted side effects. They commonly include sexual dysfunction, weight gain, sedation, heart problems, difficulty urinating, and many more.

The use of cannabis-based medications for treating the symptoms of schizophrenia has been gaining traction in the medical and scientific community over the past few years. That said, we must differentiate the compounds used in cannabis because we can’t generalize all the compounds in the plant and its effects on the human body. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound in marijuana, and cannabidiol (CBD), a relaxing, non-psychoactive compound, both work differently in the human body.

What The Research Says

Several studies have shown that CBD could be promising for treating and even mitigating the symptoms of schizophrenia and psychosis. This is especially true if the condition is in its early stages.

For example, in a review conducted in 2021, scientists found that CBD may be beneficial in adjusting the levels of different brain chemicals which have been associated with symptoms of psychosis. One of these is anandamide – and the study found that CBD can increase its levels in the brain.

Anandamide is an endocannabinoid, and it’s believed to help reduce psychotic episodes through several mechanisms in the brain. For one, high levels of anandamide have been observed as successful in mitigating acute cases of schizophrenia.

Meanwhile, another review discovered minor albeit significant evidence that CBD could possibly reduce the symptoms of schizophrenia when administered in high doses. In the review, the researchers noted that 800 mg of CBD were given to patients over the course of 4 weeks. The results were similar to those yielded by amisulpride, an antipsychotic drug which is used in the treatment of psychosis. A similar trial found that 1,000 mg of CBD given to patients over 6 weeks was effective in reducing schizophrenia symptoms.

The results of a 2024 clinical trial also found that CBD was successful in mitigating the symptoms of patients who were at high risk for psychosis. For the study, there were 31 patients involved; they were given either 600 mg of CBD or a placebo everyday for 3 weeks. However, they weren’t given any prescription drugs during the course of the study. Researchers analyzed their baseline at 7 and then again at 21 days.

“Short-term treatment with CBD can ameliorate the symptoms of CHR state for psychosis and is well tolerated. These results highlight the potential of CBD as a novel treatment for psychosis, and the need for large-scale efficacy studies to further evaluate its clinical utility,” concluded the study’s authors.

So Who Needs To Worry About Schizophrenia and Cannabis Use?

Smoking pot won’t make you go psychotic. It doesn’t cause schizophrenia per se.

That said, those with pre-existing mental health conditions must tread lightly and be very cautious when it comes to using high THC products. In other words, if you already have a family history of schizophrenia or have had a history of psychotic episodes, THC may not be the medicine or recreational drug for you. Individuals with bipolar disorder, delusional disorder, or other similar personality and mood disorders with a tendency to have episodes of psychosis should first seek out medical attention.

Products containing high levels of THC may not be recommended in these situations, though CBD may help reduce symptoms. If you aren’t sure, it’s always best to consult with your medical provider.

Conclusion

Even if there is promising evidence that CBD can be beneficial for schizophrenia, we must be careful not to consider it as a substitute for any kind of medical treatment. There are many different types of cannabis products out there but there isn’t one-size-fits-all solution for mental health disorders. So while most people wouldn’t have a problem smoking weed, there is a small subset of the population as mentioned earlier – who do have to be careful.