I am JT’s aunt and raised him. Both his parents didn’t raise or tend to him. JT was once an ambitious, motivated honor roll student. He loved playing sports (baseball, football, and basketball), was par to the beta club, and was college bound. He experimented with marijuana in 12th grade mid-year after learning his biological father had passed away months before. He was hurt he didn’t know him, and his grandparents didn’t know JT or care to meet him. They all have lived roughly 40 minutes away from JT his entire life.
Instead of becoming excited with graduation, he became withdrawn and stopped doing schoolwork. He used marijuana and no longer cared about himself. He decided not to take an important test at the end of the year knowing he would still pass. He went from a 3.8 grade point average to a 3.1.
JT moved to Albuquerque NM a little over a month ago. He suffers from cannabis induced psychosis (CIP) and cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS). He was clean and not using but I got a call from a Walgreens that a prescription is ready. I hang up. Try him. No reply. I call Walgreens back and click the “more info” option and find out he has 2 prescriptions for nausea. The total is $208 and he is flat broke. He is once again suffering from CHS.
I am not sure if his psychosis has returned but with his last CHS episode, his psychosis came a few days/couple weeks after. I pray for a recovery for him and when I post about the negative effects on it, I don’t read or look at the laughing, smiley faces in response. I post a confirmed article and hope one person sees it and chooses not to experiment. JT’s doc says that he has to stay off marijuana and with temporary medication, his brain and stomach may recover.
He needs to make better decisions and learn who his real friends are. I never want to see him in psychosis again, to witness him out of his mind. Very heartbreaking and numbing. While it was happening, he swore to me he used nothing else and drug testing showed it was just marijuana. The ER doc is the one who let us know….marijuana has him this way and we were shocked because we had never heard of it causing psychosis. The ER doc taught us about CHS. The mental hospital kept him for 9 days and told me from day 1 about CIP. She encouraged me to go home and research it because you hardly hear of it and instead hear of the states legalizing it. I raised him to stay away from it, even though states were legalizing it. It is heartbreaking to see so many families suffering from this. My heart hurts for all. I wish we had a better wake up way to make sure people NEVER try it.
I wait, cringing at home. I live with chest pains. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. I have prayed and still pray. It will take a miracle for him to get it together and I hold onto that hope. He continues to hold onto the same friends who have seen him at his worst and they still smoke in front of him. I have tried telling him they are NOT friends.
Submitted by Judith M.
Hi Judith,
Yes, you are living the nightmare sooooo many of our Moms Strong families have endured with our kids whose use of 21st century MJ triggered “cannabis-induced-psychosis”. The ER physicians across the country have been seeing more and more admissions of both CIP and CHS. Both conditions are the direct result of the harmful physical and mental adverse effects from THC marijuana. There are many videos of prominent psychiatrists on the Moms Strong sliders who are sharing their testimonies about the extreme harms from this mind-altering drug. The scientific studies globally have been documenting these egregious assaults for many years.
You are supporting your nephew with the absolute truth- he must never use pot again. It is a very addictive substance which makes cessation all the more difficult. We have parents who are involved in Mar-Anon (Marijuana Anonymous) which may be a support group that can help you and your nephew. You can visit a local Families Anonymous or Al-Anon. I just must caution you there is a higher risk of suicide associated with marijuana cessation as some of our children have taken their precious lives. The brain toxic changes to their brain can be catastrophic. There needs to be strong support to help our kids withdraw from this substance, but with very careful monitoring. I hope you can find a very knowledgeable mental health professional that is thoroughly aware of the brain assault from today’s marijuana (in addition the still not well understood impact pot has on the stomach which causes cannabis- hyperemesis-syndrome).
There are a lot of professionals you can access across the country who are speaking out about the insidious effects on the brain caused by this drug. Unfortunately, your nephew’s “friends” who may not be directly impacted themselves by this drug are influencing him by continuing to use in his presence. This drug is a poison to your nephew and countless others.
While young people suffer emotional tragedies that often lead them to turn to ways to numb their emotions, they do not understand through at least age 25 (and many studies indicate longer) the developing brain is vulnerable because of the neuro-pruning process underway to both substance abuse disorders as well as mental health disorders. Our kids are NOT aware and all of us who support, cherish, nurture and love them have found out as we’ve watched in horror these amazing young people suffer such atrocities. Cannabis psychosis is one of the most terrifying brain assaults a person can suffer.
Does your nephew realize until 2013 this disorder was not included until the 5th edition of the psychiatrist’s tool for diagnosing mental health disorders (the Diagnostic Statistical Manual). It was added because thousands and thousands of people who use pot are suffering this disorder!!! Your nephew is so incredibly blessed to have such a loving aunt in his life. Please share with your nephew Colorado Just passed the first bill to begin reigning in the marijuana industry by enacting legislation aimed especially to keep 18-20 year olds from accessing this substance. It’s just a slap on the wrist to this nefarious industry that preys on our young people, but at least a beginning. We have a mental health crisis across America. This drug is wreaking havoc with young brains.
Lori Robinson, founder of MomsStrong.org
Thank you Lori for your insightful posting. It’s just heart breaking how law makers pass legislation with no regards to our young ones demise. My story’s posted, and I pray for TJ’s aunt through her struggle. So much more awareness needs to be brought in this struggle. Sadly it’s a “lifestyle” for the young ones, and a challenge to live up too? REALLY? I told my son to research, just google the side affects of marijuana, it’s truly scary. Not sure if he did.
Thank you so much for sharing this. When I went to Colorado during the HB1317 hearings, it was astounding to hear the same story over and over from so many different people. I am so sorry you have to go through this. I recently visited a CHS page, and the number of stories is truly astounding. My story is still being written as well. Let’s keep sharing until the word gets out to as many as possible.