[hopeunlimited]

Anecdotal Evidence for Treatment of Bipolar with Cannabis

Many patients who have have attended Hope Unlimited meetings in 2008 discuss their use of cannabis as a mood stabilizer in bipolar disorder. Some use it to treat mania, depression, or both. Some use it as a substitute to lithium others combine the two. Their have been at least 16 bipolar patients with San Diego medical cannabis ID cards at this year's hope gatherings.

Scientific and medical research of medical cannabis has been limited by the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) classification of marijuana as a Schedule I drug. A schedule I drug is one with a high potential for abuse and NO MEDICAL VALUE. Crack, PCP, heroin and meth are schedule II drugs. This category is reserved for drugs with a potential for abuse but with legitimate medical uses. Psilocybin (magic mushroom) is another Schedule I drug. The FDA is telling us marijuana and mushrooms are much more dangerous than Crack, PCP, heroin and meth. If you don't believe me read it for yourself,

FDA Drug Schedule / DEA Shopping List


So why are California doctors recommending medical marijuana if it has no value? Why are they not recommending a drug our government thinks has medical value... medical meth perhaps? The answer lies in anecdotal evidence. When you get past the rhetoric and talk to actual bipolar sufferers you find a surprising number who medicate with marijuana. Cannabis is by no means a panacea for everyone with bipolar disorder. But anecdotal evidence clearly shows that it gives significant relief to sufferers of bipolar.

The scientific/medical community sees it as a chicken and the egg question. Do sufferers of depression smoke marijuana because they are depressed or are they depressed because they smoke marijuana? It's an easy question to answer for most people.... marijuana provides relief for their symptoms. For those who feel they are depressed because they are smoking marijuana there are a huge number of well-funded organizations out there to help them. Here is a very small sample:

Marijuana Addiction Drug Rehab
Marijauna Addiction Treatment
How to Stop Smoking Marijuana.com
Marijuana Anonymous


Clearly there are a huge number of free resources available to anyone who feels marijuana is detrimental to their health. Those who experience a benefit from medical marijuana are not so lucky. The 70-year prohibition of marijuana in America has made it difficult for many patients to be honest with their doctors about their use. However, that hasn't stopped them from searching out other patients on the internet. Bipolar sufferers in particular have sought to build the knowledge of cannabis as a treatment method. The following are examples of that effort:

"Numerous patients report significant improvement and stabilization with their bipolar disorder when they utilize adjunctive therapy with medical cannabis. While some mental health professionals worry about the impact of cannabis on aggravating manic states, most bipolar patients trying cannabis find they "cycle" less often and find significant improvement in overall mood. Bipolar disorders vary tremendously in the time spent in the depressive versus manic states. Those who experience extended depressive episodes are more likely to be helped with cannabis.

Patients who use cannabis to "relax" may be treating the anxiousness sometimes associated with depression. Cannabis aids the insomnia sometimes present in depression and can improve appetite. Better pain control with cannabis can reduce chronic pain related depression. While cannabis cannot yet be considered a primary treatment of major depression it may improve mood when used under physicians supervision and in combination with therapy and/or SSRI’s.

There is currently a debate as to which "strain" of cannabis is most appropriate for the adjunctive treatment of depression. Since symptoms are so individualistic it is hard to determine what strain is right expect empirically. In general Sativa dominant strains tend to be more "up" and Indica dominant strains more relaxing.

Patients themselves are often the best judges of whether or not cannabis helps relieve the symptoms of depression. A poorly educated or narrow-minded physician may think any use of cannabis to be a substance abuse related aspect of depression. More enlightened psychiatrists (i.e. Lester Grinspoon of Harvard Medical School) appreciate the often beneficial aspects of cannabis therapy.

Perhaps the most reliable yardstick of the efficacy of medical cannabis in the treatment of depression is whether or not specific aspects of functionality improve. Functionality includes aspects such as self-care ability, job or school attendance, social interaction, normal sleeping, and cognitive skills." source



"I find marijuana the right drug for me, because it helps lower my BP, prevents me from being quite so obsesive and relaxes me. I have Epilepsey, stress related seizures and Bipolar Disorder NOS and last but not least, Post Tramatic Stress Disorder. I believe it helps me control all of my disorders."

"Good for Mania, not for Depression I am fortunate enough to live in a state that allows medical Cannabis. I use it for the severe nausea of Menieres Disease and have to smoke it several times a day. I also am manic depressive though considered what they call,"borderline". I find that great when I need to chill out and calm down from a mania phase. However if you've ever smoked pot, you should remember that when you are high...it makes you think a lot. Sometimes thinking about your problem over and over can make you feel worse. Pot can make you do just that. So beware. Also count on being treated like a second class citizen if you choose to medicate with cannabis. In some counties of California, they actually do arrest and take away all a patients medicine......and feel it is up to the courts to figure it out. So expect to be treated like a criminal no matter where you live.....except San Francisco." source


"I use cannabis as a herbal alternative to pills. I suffer from acute depression or clinical depression aka bipolar disorder (anxiety, mood swings). Also suffer from recurring pain in my lower back and both knees from a car crash. One... What state should I move to? To get a medical card.. Two what strains would be the best for treatment? Three.. does anyone else suffer from bipolar disorder?"


"I also use cannabis as a safer alternative to the pills. In Alaska it is legal to own/cultivate for personal use. If you are goin for medical strains, i would suggest bubblegum, jock horror, or white widow.... anything with an abundance of THC... Hey good luck, and i know what its like to be bipolar.. this shit really helps doesn't it!"


"That is exactly what I use cannabis for. I hate taking pills."

"My wife is bi-polar and has taken so many meds over the years I can't remember them all. Right now she is down to Clonazapam and smoking AK47. This seems to be working well at this time. She has also used Cinderella 99. Both strains create a positive mental attitude...we live in Oregon and you can get a medical card here."


"I am extremely bi-polar, diagnosed at age 12 with the rapid cycling type of disease. Seroquel helps more than anything, I take 500mg a day. But weed definetly helps with the depression part." source

[silvercloud]

Your input is appreciated Hope Unlmtd ,me believes small correction in order not to mislead ... crack ,heroin ,pcp ,etc = Schedule I ,not Schedule II ; surely there is no 'recognized' medical benefit from these ... on the other hand ,mild hallucinogens(marijuana ,psylicibin) r misclassified ,should be reclassified Schedule II in which medicinal:smile2:value is evident ... thanks again for important input ... that is all .....

A very close friend of mine has bipolar and had been diagnosed with it at a very early age,.
She was on heroin for 10 years starting at 17 and now has daily Methadone treatments along with pills and weekly council meetings with her therapist,.
,... she's doing alright getting her life back together,.

Heroin: has lot's of medical uses, in use today and forever in our future.
And where MMJ is gaining ground as a non addictive medication,.

{Papaver somniferum} Poppy Plant Opiates : Heroin, Opium, Morphine, Codeine, Vicodin are all 'the best' pain relief on Earth,. too bad we get physically addicted to them in less than two weeks,.

* Legalization, Reform, and Rehabilitation is the key to unlock Americas #1 problem,. *

~ Wasting my tax dollars battling a never ending war against Americans using drugs will never be won,.
educating and helping addicts win their war would be more beneficial for a better American society,.

[LivnLifAgn]

My wife is Bi-Polor, I went through Several med changes in the beginning, and the ONLY med thats helped---Diagnosed 10 years ago--is MMJ! She hasn't used that Prescription crap in years!-----lol, and after 29 years married, i should know what works! :slaugh:

Cannabis is my all around mood stabilizing savior. No crazy side effects except enjoyment maybe. :slaugh:

[hopeunlimited]

to see this article and SOURCE DOCUMENT links visit
www.hopeforfree.blogspot.com
many hours of research was done to secure source document links

[endlesssky]

hi, there, i have been diagnosed bipolar for 15 year's, and i have taken every drug the have, lithum, depacote, tegartol, nerourontin, you name it i have proboly been on it. well i have HEP C and i'm in the last stage, so my liver DR two years ago told my phych DR, to stop all meds, because i needed a liver flush to survive, they would not!!! she increased them instead, so i stopped against medical advice. and detoxed horriable, i had tarkanestion, where you shake all over and can't stop the twiching, so i walk in to mental health and show them what they have done to me and the ding bats give me a full does of cogentin, which then overdose me on that and back to the ER i go vomiting for days with no help what so ever!! they hung me out to dry, and told the ER that i stopped against medical advice and they would'nt help me at all, well i have been on MMJ for 3 years now . right before i stopped those meds and i have not had an episode once, but all my diganose came to the fore front, like ADDISONS decease then diabites from the prinazone they put me on, now they are takeing me off tommrow and put me on hydrocortizone instaed because of the blood sugar going thu the roof, i was just told not to discontiune the Prdnazone or i would die, i'm a little nervous about this switch to this other med! why didin;t they put me on it in the frist place, i don't get it, the other meds were better for me not the prinazone and i would like to why they didn;t use this other one instead, of makeing me go thu hell and back with this really narly medication, anyway pray for me that this med will work for me and i won;t end up in the hospital today,,,, just a little scared Endlesssky, so hang in there, young man, my son was dianosed bipolar with pyochotic features and he stopped his med when he was 18 and is doing well, now don't get me wrong I AM NOT A DR, and i would not tell you to stop or start medication, but ask question;s is all , learn all you canm knowlege is power!~~! E.

[hopeunlimited]

endlessky you are a true hero for your courage-
the courage to share your story-is very very impressive-
you can always contact hope unlimited 414 418 0140 or cannabiscaregiver@yahoo.com

we need more people like you
people who seek the truth-and are not afraid to stand up for what you think is in your best medical interest

right on endlesssky
you have a friend in hope unlimited-always
peace

[endlesssky]

Thankyou, so much for your kind word's, and your so nice to say such thing's,!!see ya E. :partysmile:

[Marc_MGC]

PCP is short for Phencyclidine it is Schedule II
Crack AKA Cocaine is Schedule II
Heroin is schedule I, but morphine, oxycodone and many other opiates are schedule II

Don't believe me?
See for yourself:
http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/sc.../schedules.htm

Originally Posted by silvercloud

Your input is appreciated Hope Unlmtd ,me believes small correction in order not to mislead ... crack ,heroin ,pcp ,etc = Schedule I ,not Schedule II ; surely there is no 'recognized' medical benefit from these ... on the other hand ,mild hallucinogens(marijuana ,psylicibin) r misclassified ,should be reclassified Schedule II in which medicinal:smile2:value is evident ... thanks again for important input ... that is all .....

[BrattonBasher]

Originally Posted by Marc_MGC

PCP is short for Phencyclidine it is Schedule II
Crack AKA Cocaine is Schedule II
Heroin is schedule I, but morphine, oxycodone and many other opiates are schedule II

Don't believe me?
See for yourself:
http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/sc.../schedules.htm

Bunch of idiots have not moved cocaine to Schedule 1 and leave MJ! No doctors are currently prescribing cocaine as far as I know.

cocaine has been used as a drug and food product for years (COKE anyone?) We all know the scheduling is inaccurate and unjust.