The darker side of cannabis

“It’s bad but all I want right now is a zoot. It’s the only thing that would make me feel better.”

Trembling, his skin moist from his third shower that morning, Tom retches over his toilet. He cries out in frustration.

Tom, 24 has been smoking weed for ten years now. However, this scene is one far from the days of his teenage self, smoking in a field with his friends.

It is clear Tom is suffering with Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS), a condition rising both in the UK and globally, parallel to the rise of cannabis use.

THC, the main ingredient in cannabis, has anti-nausea effects yet, when it is abused over a long period of time, we see a reverse effect. This is the dark cloud of cannabis use Tom is under; repeatedly vomiting for up to eight hours a day, struggling to keep food or liquids down, only making himself more dehydrated.  For both Tom and many others suffering with CHS, taking constant long hot showers is their quick fix.  It sends their water bill sky high, yet it temporarily eases the nausea.

This is still largely an under recognised condition in both research and society. Many people will suffer without understanding this is a direct cause from smoking marijuana and that the cure is to stop smoking it.

Like many other users of marijuana, Tom insists he is not dependent on the drug.

“I’m not addicted. I can quit any time I want – I just don’t want to quit.”

This kind of juxtaposing statement is one those familiar with addiction will understand with empathy. Weed addiction is something of a myth to most people, especially to those who smoke it. It is proven it is less addictive than alcohol and other substances, however it is still addictive. The same pattern as with any addiction is that the more you smoke weed, the higher the dosage you need.

“We just live for weed.”

Asking young men in the area if they believe marijuana is addictive, I found a common attitude in response.

“Well it’s not crack is it?” one laughed.

“You can’t be addicted to smoking weed, and you’re no better, you go to the pub every week, what’s the difference?” another pointed out.  I thought about it. That common narrative we are fed, a middle aged woman coming home and pouring a glass of rose; the tired detective drinking a beer alone; the tequila shots I myself consume every Friday night. We don’t tend to swap out the alcohol in real life or in the movies, with a joint.

Addiction or not, we can’t ignore the side effects. Cannabis is now linked to more mental health admissions than opioids.  The drug is a lot stronger nowadays. According to research by the University of Bath, THC, the psychoactive chemical in marijuana has increased by 14% from 1970 to 2017.

There is the ongoing debate as to whether cannabis is the cure or the cause to mental health. The correlation between schizophrenia and the use of cannabis should be a warning to anyone misusing the drug. Since 2000, cases of schizophrenia have risen 25% in Denmark, whilst in Finland incidence of the disease has doubled since 1993. In the United States, annual admissions in the past decade have increased from 1.26 million to 2.1 million.

Since suffering with CHS, Tom has quit jobs because of it and feels he misses out on further opportunities. I wonder why, if he wasn’t addicted as he says, he doesn’t quit smoking marijuana when it has such a negative impact on his health.

“Smoking makes me less anxious. That’s what makes me feel sick, the anxiety. Weed helps that.”

The cycle of feeling anxious and nauseous, smoking weed then feeling anxious and nauseous again, is one that many young men are trapped in. Known as “band aid theory”, smoking weed might immediately erase anxiety, however it is only temporary and the long term effects are far more damaging. 

Although Tom has been smoking everyday over the last decade, he admits it worsened during lockdown.

“I was smoking about five or six joints a day by myself during lockdown. It was lonely. I felt anxious. Smoking a zoot was part of my routine to make me feel a bit more normal.”

Tom is not a sole statistic. The pandemic isolated us all, leading to an increase in mental health issues, as well as just plain boredom. Living in Bishops Stortford, a middle class suburbia close to Stansted Airport, I find myself and my friends are not in the minority of those consumed by boredom. What do young people do when they are bored? Drugs. 

The commuter town filled with thriving independent coffee shops, boasts of its 35 minute journey into Central London, yet for the younger generation there seems to be a gap to fill. It falls short of facilities for those under 18 who cannot enter the pubs on a Friday night. The Youth Café appears empty whenever I walk past, as the “cool kids” rebel against choosing that as their hangout and are therefore left with the sole option of hanging around parks … and smoking weed.   

Many reports indicate a rise in self-medication during lockdown, particularly use of marijuana. Campaigning organisation Release stated seven out of ten purchases of drugs were for cannabis, making it the most reported substance across the pandemic. Most respondents reported an increase in their drug use during the pandemic, or that it stayed the same. Boredom and loneliness seem to the gateway to cannabis, and the mental health problems come after.

Lewis, 23, found comfort in cannabis during his time at university. The lifestyle, with little to no routine, and no adults breathing down your neck, is a dangerous concoction when mixed with substance abuse.

“I would smoke every day and wake up at 3pm. Now I smoke every day, but I have to get up at 9am and go to my job.”

Since coming back home and starting a career, Lewis has also struggled a lot with anxiety. This is where he leans on cannabis as his aid in life.

“I go to the gym every day which helps but I still need to smoke. I guess it isn’t as bad if I am going to work and the gym” he said.

It’s not just young men who struggle with cannabis usage. Reports indicate women are smoking cannabis at a higher proportion to males.

I spoke with Izzy, aged 24, who says she and her boyfriend are frequent users. “We have really struggled with it lately. Cannot live without it.”

She told me her relationship with it isn’t a negative one though…

“…apart from the money side and lack of motivation.”

She goes on to say how it affects their relationship. “It ruins it, it’s a routine, we rely on it. It’s caused a lack of affection and effort in our relationship for sure.”

I was shocked as she was the first person I spoke to who openly admitted she is addicted to it.

“I didn’t realise how addicted I was becoming. We just live for weed.”

So, should we legalise it?

Marijuana is still illegal for recreational use in the UK and classified as a Class B drug. Unlicenced dealing, production or trafficking can leave you facing up to fourteen years in prison, or an unlimited fine.

Medical use of the drug was legalised in 2018, only available by prescription from a specialist consultant, and only if there is clear evidence of its benefit, or once other treatment has been exhausted. Many have turned to the use of marijuana to ease chronic pain, whereas for others it holds their hand through the dark days of chemotherapy.

Many arguments for legalising the drug surround the point of it being a money maker and job creator. It is estimated that, if legalised, marijuana could raise up to £1 billion in tax whilst cutting costs across the justice system.

We appear to be stepping further away from the days of marijuana being a taboo. Walking down High Streets or popping into Holland & Barrett you will find CBD in the form of oils and gummies. Your Grandma has it on prescription for her joints (no pun intended), and you can find more articles arguing reasons for legalising weed compared to past newspaper headlines slamming hooded youth for ASBO behaviour.

In the US, marijuana is now legal for recreational use in twenty one States. The trouble is that most effects discussed in conjunction with legalisation are to do with boosting the economy rather than whether people would smoke more or less if it was legalised.

Is it the fact that the plant based drug is becoming more normalised that there is a surge in usage? Current figures estimate that there are two million cannabis users in the UK and, according to the most recent Home Office survey, it accounts for 78% of all drug use among 16 to 59 year olds. The stigma of smoking weed has disappeared in a sweet haze of smoke, one that used to separate the council estates and the private school boys. In modern times, young men up and down the country smoke weed daily.

Tom is cutting down slowly but surely on his usage but it’s a long road ahead.

“I try to smoke only every other day but sometimes it’s hard. I can be having a bad day and then I countdown to coming home to smoke, but then of course I feel guilty because I’m not sticking to the goal. It’s a constant battle in my head.”

Feature image by Natasha Pearce.