A growing number of people are using cannabis instead of antidepressants to treat anxiety and depression. But there are still many people deciding to use both marijuana and prescription meditation simultaneously. The link between weed and psychiatric disorders has been studied a great deal over the years. However, very little is known about how antidepressants and cannabis interact when mixed. There is no concrete verdict as yet.
Mixing weed and prescription drugs makes testing efficiency difficult
It is more difficult for physicians to provide the appropriate dosage of medication to patients who use cannabis. This is because the drug can make testing the efficiency of the prescription (and the side effects) difficult to isolate assess. Patients are recommended to abstain from using marijuana when introducing a new prescription into their system. The same applied when adjusting doses.
The most common antidepressants (SSRIs)
SSRIs are the most common medications prescribed to treat depression and anxiety and work by increasing the users seratonin levels. The THC in marijuana also increases users seratonin levels. So what happens if you are using both? Dr. Ian Mitchell, an emergency physician in British Columbia, says that the effects of mixing both seratonin boosting substances depends on the person. The potential interaction risk is considered to be fairly low with these newer drugs. However, there have been some reported cases of hypomania. It is important to mention that many users who might experience adverse effects do not report this to their doctors.
Treating depression and anxiety with cannabis
There is evidence to support that micro-dosing marijuana can effectively relieve stress and soothe feelings of depression. However, large amounts of THC is likely to do the opposite, and increase feelings of anxiety. Try strains high in CBD and low in THC if you suffer from anxiety and/depression. Each user will have a different experience from using weed, so it is up to the individual to seek medical help if necessary
