Cannabis Induced Psychosis

Other Names

Wax, dabs, honey oil, black glass

How do people get it?

It is extracted from marijuana.

How is it dangerous?

It is a common misconception that cannabis does not cause withdrawal. It is true that in the vast majority of the people that use cannabis will have little to no issue stopping. However, for those using concentrates multiple times per day there can be many uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. At Gallus we have treated patients using 1000mg or more per day (standard dose is 5 to 10mg). At that level of use people can experience hyperemesis (uncontrollable vomiting), hypertension, psychosis, irritability, trouble sleeping, difficulty concentrating, trouble regulating body temperature, etc. The psychosis and metal health disturbance can become quite significant and treatment usually involves short term use of sedatives or antipsychotics to stabilize patients. Those experiencing hyperemesis may also require IV fluids.

In addition to concentrates, casual marijuana users also risk acute mental health episodes when using edibles. Because edibles act more slowly than smoking cannabis, people have been found to eat copious amounts when “I can’t feel anything.” A 5 to 10mg dose is enough to produce the desired high and when users ingest 5 or 10 times that dose paranoia, psychosis, and hypertension can lead to emergency room visits.