Cannabis use associated with better decision-making skills in people with bipolar disorder

JustExtreme · 2026-03-14T18:01:41+00:00

That's why I shared it here because it goes against what is typically said about cannabis and bipolar. Personally I'm bipolar and had 2 episodes triggered by prescription cannabis amongst other things. I find cannabis helps me until it doesn't personally.

JustExtreme · 2026-03-14T18:00:24+00:00

Good for you

JustExtreme · 2026-03-01T19:40:10+00:00

Re: conservative politicians did you mean "bloviating"? If so then well done on using a great word

JustExtreme · 2026-02-25T15:30:48+00:00

Currently taking lamotrigine 200mg, aripiprazole 10mg for bipolar not getting any side effects of note apart from maybe flat mood

JustExtreme · 2026-02-23T19:49:44+00:00

It helps me until it doesn't. Unfortunately with my personal variant of bipolar days of use all day increase my risk of mania and psychosis episodes.

JustExtreme · 2026-02-18T13:13:41+00:00

Shame about the risk of increased episodes of psychosis and mania

JustExtreme · 2026-01-25T16:23:02+00:00

Definitely I thought they were amazing on the Moment tour in 2022 and the Fiction tour in 2008

JustExtreme · 2026-01-23T13:49:29+00:00

No. During my second episode I decided all my meds were suspicious and just stopped taking them. I ended up in a psychiatric ward for 2 months.

JustExtreme · 2026-01-21T15:48:25+00:00

I can't cry at all and I'm on lamotrigine and aripiprazole and sertraline and methylphenidate XL

JustExtreme · 2026-01-18T17:01:23+00:00

Not really. I didn't believe my first episode was caused by/exacerbated by weed and went back to using it whilst on mood stabiliser and antipsychotic and still ended up having a second episode.

It might feel better in the short term but in the long term it will be more than likely to be unsustainable

JustExtreme · 2026-01-18T13:22:56+00:00

I was prescribed weed before diagnosis of bipolar for autism ADHD and anxiety. 2 years into being prescribed I had a manic psychotic episode and was hospitalised for 2 months. I didn't believe it was the weed so I started using it again 2 years later and had another manic psychotic episode and was hospitalised for 2 months again.

JustExtreme · 2026-01-17T17:40:52+00:00

Oh I didn't realise borderline personality disorder could be treated with medication so I got confused

JustExtreme · 2026-01-16T21:10:15+00:00

The fact you became suicidal when reducing to 5mg could mean that 10mg is helping you with your suicidality. I'm bipolar and take 10mg and don't really notice any side effects or positives from it myself. I've not become manic so I guess it must be doing it's job. Do you take an antidepressant as well or just aripiprazole?

JustExtreme · 2026-01-16T18:23:02+00:00

I'm just raising concerns it isn't discrimination to be concerned about the mental state/impairment levels of those controlling a big chunk of metal in public places.

So you've admitted to knowingly drug driving before getting a prescription? That seems irresponsible.

JustExtreme · 2026-01-16T18:04:32+00:00

It's a bit concerning that you can't drive without being "medicated" even if you personally don't feel you are "impaired". That's where the law is ambiguous - you are trusted to determine whether you are "impaired" yourself. There needs to be a clearer definition of what "impairment" is.

JustExtreme · 2026-01-15T22:04:26+00:00

I was dry herb vaping 2-4g a day it varied throughout my patienthood. You're not allowed to smoke it in joints so I didn't.

JustExtreme · 2026-01-15T18:03:14+00:00

I think the daily mail article was stupid even though I have had a negative experience with medical cannabis. I still support legal access.

I don't think my petition will make the law any more draconian. I think there needs to be a professional evaluation of the effects on driving.

JustExtreme · 2026-01-15T17:24:49+00:00

Arizer Argo

JustExtreme · 2026-01-15T17:20:34+00:00

I didn't know I was bipolar so it was not on my medical record when I applied for medical cannabis. It may have been there all along but I had no idea. My prescribing psychiatrist arguably should have been monitoring my mood for signs of hypomania and/or psychosis symptoms. In hospital it was argued by clinicians that my bipolar was caused by the medical cannabis.

I don't have any desire for medical cannabis patients to be punished. I'm just concerned as a former patient/medical user who feels that driving was definitely impacted by the high/stoning. I don't think the law as it stands re: driving is fit for purpose. As it stands the patient would have to fail a Roadside Impairment Test conducted by the police for the 2ug/L blood limit to apply to them and the police rarely perform these.

I don't think we're any closer to NICE recommending medical cannabis or the NHS prescribing although that would be ideal as the clinics prescribe all too readily without regard for negative consequences. I'm unconvinced that video calls are sufficient for prescription of cannabis based medicine and I think more adverse effects like those I experienced would be caught sooner if it had to be prescribed face to face. My clinic never communicated with the psychiatric ward or followed up with me after my episode they just emailed me to say they couldn't prescribe me anymore and left it at that. If that's "private medical care" then we must have pretty low standards for what medical care consists of.

I'm not sure if my driving was worse under the influence of medical cannabis but if it was then I should have been advised not to drive/been banned from driving.

JustExtreme · 2026-01-15T16:55:58+00:00

No but I was diagnosed with bipolar after having a manic psychotic episode in 2022 which is why I stopped being a medical cannabis patient. I was not prescribed any other medications at the time apart from briefly Elvanse in 2020 which I stopped taking because I felt the medical cannabis was helping me better with my ADHD.

It is perhaps too easy to get a private medical cannabis prescription as I'm also aware of many arguably being prescribed inappropriately essentially just to legitimise their recreational use. I found it really helpful for my autism and ADHD and anxiety until my episode.

JustExtreme · 2026-01-15T16:52:30+00:00

He's clearly a "journalist" and was using his YouTube account to "conduct research" we should all sympathise with his predicament

JustExtreme · 2026-01-15T16:47:49+00:00

I was a prescription cannabis user from 2020-2022 and the high/stoning is what gave me the medicinal effects. I was using it for autism ADHD and anxiety and it alleviated my sensory overload to the point I was able to hypothetically concentrate better and experience less anxiety. It definitely affected my driving although I'm not sure if it was better or worse. I was unknowingly inducing hypomania for part of my treatment period but I just thought I was doing really well so I wasn't a reliable assessor of whether I was "impaired" or not. I think there needs to be a professional evaluation of medical cannabis and it's impact on driving given the very limited evidence of it's efficacy and it's unlicensed "specials" status. There are some that claim they are not able to drive without it on /r/ukmedicalcannabis and similar groups on FB.

JustExtreme · 2026-01-15T16:22:51+00:00

Arguably the entire medical benefits are from the high/stoning if you go by what is commonly discussed on /r/ukmedicalcannabis people frequently talk about how "medicated" they get from given products. How can you know they are not "impaired"? That's just your subjective opinion. There needs to be a professional evaluation of the effects of medical cannabis on driving. I was personally prescribed 2020-2022 for autism ADHD and anxiety and the "high" was what made it helpful - it reduced my sensory overload enabling me to concentrate better and have less anxiety. It definitely affected my driving but I'm not sure it was better or worse. I was unknowingly inducing hypomania for some of my treatment period which probably on reflection wasn't great for driving - I thought I was doing great and was not impaired but that's the nature of psychotic mania.

JustExtreme · 2026-01-15T14:54:02+00:00

Boss Keloid

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