Page 17 - Silver Linings Issue1

there is definitely a link between cannabis use and schizophrenia
or other mental health issues.
“Adolescents think because adults say it’s legal it must be OK. There is growing evidence showing a correlation between cannabis use and the onset of
psychotic disorders,”
Dr. Frank Bartolomeo, Director of Adolescent Services
used cannabis in adolescence.
The earlier and longer the exposure, the greater the risk.”
D’Souza acknowledged that not everyone who uses cannabis
will develop psychosis, but the message needs to be clear that the risk is greater. He said legalization essentially translates into commercialization and that means young people will be the target of marketing efforts.
“Many companies know that if you have a young customer, you have a customer for life,” he said.
Range of treatments
Silver Hill Hospital offers a variety
of programs for cannabis abuse
and cannabis-induced psychosis. Treatment depends on the severity of the abuse and whether psychosis has developed. Adolescent Services at Silver Hill treats teens aged
13-17 in inpatient, transitional living and outpatient programs. Similar programs are available for adults struggling with cannabis abuse or psychosis.
Silver Hill’s Director of Adolescent Services
Dr. Frank Bartolomeo talks with Yale School of Medicine’s Dr. Deepak Cyril D’Souza following a talk by D’Souza at Silver Hill.
“There is a thinking that if there is a predisposition to schizophrenia, cannabis use can unlock that gene. Once unlocked, it is likely to remain unlocked.”
The new weed
So much about cannabis has changed over the last few decades. It is more accessible, stronger, and easier to use discreetly in liquid forms, with THC concentrations over 90 percent. It is odorless, and vaped from devices resembling pens or USB drives. Cannabis may also
be consumed in the form of candy, chocolates, and cookies.
“What makes vaping THC easy
is its accessibility. You can do it anywhere.” Dr. Bartolomeo said.
“If you light up a joint, you’re going to get a smell. Vapes don’t have a smell. Middle school or high school kids can go into the bathroom, take some dabs, pass it under the stall to their friend and get away with it.”
Safe or unsafe?
Marijuana advocates
say the drug is safe, natural, organic
and healthy.
“That’s gobbledygook,”
Dr. Marotta said. “Self-serving nonsense.”
Silver Hill recently drew further attention to the subject as Dr. Deepak Cyril D’Souza, a Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine, presented “Gone
to Pot?: The Complex Relationship between Cannabis, Cannabinoids and Psychosis,” during an event on our campus.
“We shouldn’t be surprised that
we are beginning to see negative consequences,” D’Souza said of the growing acceptance of cannabis. “The risk for developing psychosis later in life is much greater if one
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SILVER LININGS MAGAZINE | PREMIERE 2020