Cannabis and Mental Health: Navigating Complexities

This chapter explores the intricate relationship between cannabis use and mental health, focusing on distinctions between schizophrenia and bipolar disorders. It critiques existing research on cannabis potency and its link to psychosis, emphasizing the need for scientific rigor over opinion in discussions about legalization. The dialogue also addresses how individual expectations influence the effects of different cannabis strains and the potential implications for public health.

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Episode notes

In this episode, my guest is Dr. Matthew Hill, Ph.D., a professor of cell biology and anatomy at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute at the University of Calgary and an expert on the biology of cannabis. We discuss how cannabis affects the brain to produce its psychoactive effects (feeling “high”), including altered time perception, focus, memory, appetite, and stress.

We discuss how THC vs. cannabidiol (CBD) affects the brain, the effects of different routes of cannabis administration (e.g., smoking, vaping, edibles), high-potency THC, and whether cannabis is addictive. We discuss if there is a link between cannabis use and the development of psychosis, anxiety, bipolar depression, or schizophrenia.

We discuss whether CBD has clinical benefits in regulating stress, promoting sleep, and treating certain diseases. We also discuss if there are real and consistent differences in the biological effects of different cannabis strains, if cannabis impacts hormones, and the uses of cannabis for the management of pain, stress, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and nausea.

Listeners of this episode will get an up-to-date understanding of what is currently known about how cannabis affects the brain and body, including both its potential benefits and risks.

Access the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.