Harm Reduction Weed: Is recommending weed really ethically in line with harm reduction?

[Jabberwocky]

I've noticed that a lot of people here believe in weed as a cure-all and recommend it in all types of situations - especially for coming down from or withdrawing from just about anything else. However, given that this is a harm reduction forum and there is a large amount of scientific literature on the harmful effects of weed especially on younger people and people with a predisposition to mental illness, I'm wondering whether the advice to have some weed for whatever your problem is is actually responsible and ethical advice.

For example, people would go mental if anyone recommended meth as way to get over your benzo / opiate habit, but recommending weed to a young person might be equally dangerous vis a vis possible psychosis and other problems.

I write this as a former smoker who attributes his adult psychiatric problems to overdoing weed as a teenager. I know there are a lot of weed lovers out there but let's not make this an ideological discussion....points for scientific references...

(There's probably an equivalent post on the ethics of harm reduction for the people keen to recommend their preferred psychadelic/disosiative/ empathogen as the correct cure for everything).

 

[G_Chem]

Good thought, I agree some folks push cannabis too much. That said, I think we can all agree cannabis side effect profile is minimal and overall very safe bar addiction which even that is relatively mild in all comparisons.

I guess it’s a better of two “evils” (?) situation where most folks are gonna often want to get high on something, cannabis has been that crutch to keep people off the harder shit for a long time.


Most people would look at my use as excessive and it is, but overall much more good than bad has come from its use IMO. Everyone’s different though. I actually have physical issues like Cyclic Vomiting and nasty asthma that are either greatly helped or completely cured with cannabis.

Growing up I had horrible asthma that almost killed me a few times, since my first toke I’ve had maybe 3 light episodes in 16-17yrs...


So yea it’s definitely medicine, it’s just not the panacea..

-GC

 

[Jabberwocky]

I've noticed that a lot of people here believe in weed as a cure-all and recommend it in all types of situations - especially for coming down from or withdrawing from just about anything else. However, given that this is a harm reduction forum and there is a large amount of scientific literature on the harmful effects of weed especially on younger people and people with a predisposition to mental illness, I'm wondering whether the advice to have some weed for whatever your problem is is actually responsible and ethical advice.

For example, people would go mental if anyone recommended meth as way to get over your benzo / opiate habit, but recommending weed to a young person might be equally dangerous vis a vis possible psychosis and other problems.

I write this as a former smoker who attributes his adult psychiatric problems to overdoing weed as a teenager. I know there are a lot of weed lovers out there but let's not make this an ideological discussion....points for scientific references...

(There's probably an equivalent post on the ethics of harm reduction for the people keen to recommend their preferred psychadelic/disosiative/ empathogen as the correct cure for everything).

Recommending anything without disclaimer as to your outlook and biochemistry in life isn’t harm reduction. But a lot of young people are bound and determined despite what you may see as naive. Remember we all were that kid that knew everything about everything, deciding to partake in our different endeavors. I think it’s equally dangerous to sit a child in an office alone with a stranger and confuse that child that his personality is a deficit and pump that kid full of speed as an alternative to nurturing and Instructional relationship. So it’s a double edged sword to think like this. Cause the site is alternative to begin with.

 

[F.U.B.A.R.]

The fact is that cannabis is a potent and insidious hallucinogenic. When I was young I didn't understand this - and neither do the youngsters today. It wasn't until I got much older that I realised just how mind bending it actually is. Dont get me wrong, I appreciate it more now than I ever did before - but I now recognise it as a drug that shouldnt be abused and should be respected as much as the classic psychedelics...

 

[w01fg4ng]

We have a lot of threads in Cannabis Discussion (as well as Sober Living) about how to quit weed if you are interested.

In addition to that, in the US, I've utilized programs such as Marijuana Anonymous to address issues I've had with using weed.


With that said, I personally chose not to use weed while I was in immediate opiate withdrawal but have used weed since then. The number of pain patients that benefit from a reduced opiate prescription is hard to ignore. I've prevented further issues with my cannabis use by dramatically reducing my intake and keeping it that way.

 

[Juniper Bruhmomentius]

From what Ive seen weed has caused a lot of mental problems to people I know. Propably the most of any drug.

 

[F.U.B.A.R.]

We have a lot of threads in Cannabis Discussion (as well as Sober Living) about how to quit weed if you are interested.

In addition to that, in the US, I've utilized programs such as Marijuana Anonymous to address issues I've had with using weed.


With that said, I personally chose not to use weed while I was in immediate opiate withdrawal but have used weed since then. The number of pain patients that benefit from a reduced opiate prescription is hard to ignore. I've prevented further issues with my cannabis use by dramatically reducing my intake and keeping it that way.

Weed is one of the last drugs I would recommend for alleviating opiate withdrawals. Total headfuck.

But the strange thing is that before my opiate addiction, weed would heighten my anxiety and make me withdrawn. However, since getting off opiates, weed has a much greater sedating and anxiolytic effect than it ever did before.

I realise this is a highly controversial point of view, but it's almost as though the trauma and journey of addiction and recovery has somehow reset my brain to what I perceive as relatively 'normal'.

On the other hand, any perceived benefits could purely be down to the natural aging process and the associated depletion of viable neurons leading to the inevitable yet imperceptible advance of chronic dementia.


Meh!


Nurse, I've shit meself again...

 

[empeebee]

Alcohol in moderate doses is strongly recommended. Also easier to come off/taper. Note: MODERATE doses.

 

[thegreenhand]

Yeah I would agree it can be over recommended. Just like psychedelics or dissos or empathogens are too. It's human nature to recommend what helped us.

Proper harm reduction, however, has to take a neutral stance. You can talk about the good but only if you include the bad as well. Cannabis and psychosis is a hotly debated topic and regardless of whether it's causation or correlation, the link is real. A lot of people will say "They were predisposed to have it anyways". Well even if that is the case how else can they know without trying it. I think statements like the one I just paraphrased often come as across as blaming the individual. As if they shouldve just not done it or known better or something. Kinda fucked if you ask me

Weed can be good for a lot of things and horrible for a lot of things. True harm reduction presents both sides. The whole story.

I've seen this sort of drug promotion in regards to psychedelics more than weed on here, personally. I think it's something we need to work on as a community

 

[tweakerguy]

I always viewed cannabis as closer the psychedelic class of drugs than anything else. It's always kind of stood on its own, though. I used to LOVE weed.
And for me and my friends, it was a religious experience every time. We'd shut the lights off and put on music or a movie and just trip the fuck out. But that was high school. Not a care in the world.
The problems started after i tried LSD and had a terrible trip. I see that as the turning point when weed began making me withdrawn and anxious. Where I would literally just worry about everything and want to go home.
In recent years ive found my sweet spot, where I only smoke at night before bed. It's the only way i've learned I can enjoy it. Smoking during the day, no go. I get sucked into my head and feel depressed and lazy.

this guy knows whats up:

 

[Jabberwocky]

True harm reduction presents both sides. The whole story.

I've seen this sort of drug promotion in regards to psychedelics more than weed on here, personally. I think it's something we need to work on as a community

I agree with this, I think we should be careful about unqualified recomendations of drug B for someone having problems with drug A. Not that we should shy away from recommending drugs, or sharing our personal experiences of the benefits of different, often illegal, substances but always with the caveat 'your mileage may vary' and acknowledgement of the scientific/medical literature on the dangers of the substances we want to suggest. Just because one person has a happy anecdote about using drug B does not mean its medically or scientifically sound for everyone. Not everyone asking for help here has a decades long history of polydrug use - some are just getting started.

 

[thegreenhand]

I agree with this, I think we should be careful about unqualified recomendations of drug B for someone having problems with drug A. Not that we should shy away from recommending drugs, or sharing our personal experiences of the benefits of different, often illegal, substances but always with the caveat 'your mileage may vary' and acknowledgement of the scientific/medical literature on the dangers of the substances we want to suggest. Just because one person has a happy anecdote about using drug B does not mean its medically or scientifically sound for everyone. Not everyone asking for help here has a decades long history of polydrug use - some are just getting started.

Exactly.

The insights of those who do have long histories of drug use are invaluable. But sometimes to a newb it can seem as if things are simple or easy as it has been dumbed down for them. I'm still a relative newb myself tbh (only been using drugs for like 3 years). Drugs will never be simple or easy, but hey that's fun of it. It ain't the right lifestyle for those who think it is