Posted by Tomatheus on August 21, 2012, at 17:17:25
In reply to Re: Marinol or marijuana for depression » Tomatheus, posted by SLS on August 21, 2012, at 16:41:29
Scott,
Thank you for the information on cannabidiol and cannabis indica. I was aware that THC might induce or exacerbate psychotic symptoms, but I'm curious about its potential as a treatment for depression, specifically depressions with vegetative features like mine. The information in the published report that I referred to in my reply to Phillipa indicated that Marinol/THC might be a useful treatment for depressive disorders, and so I was wondering what experiences if any others on Psycho-Babble have had with THC-containing substances.
Marinol or a strain of marijuana with a lower CBD/THC ratio could quite possibly exacerbate my psychotic symptoms if I were to try it, and that's one of the reasons why I probably won't be trying either Marinol or marijuana any time soon. However, I do think that activating the cannabinoid receptors could hold some promise for the treatment of depressive disorders. I don't have documentation of this readily available, but I've read that the cannabinoid receptor antagonist rimonabant is actually more effective as an inducer of depression than antidepressant medications are as treatments for depression. Wouldn't that suggest that a substance that activates the cannabinoid receptors might have antidepressant effects?
As far as psychosis is concerned, I do think that utilizing a strain of cannabis that's high in cannabidiol (an indica strain, as you indicated) would be a more sound strategy than using Marinol or a strain of marijuana that's high in THC. And the risks of using Marinol or marijuana (especially a strain that's high in THC) may very well outweigh the benefits for many individuals. However, I do think for the reasons that I described in the previous paragraph that THC may hold some promise as an antidepressant, and I think that targeting the cannabinoid system with agonists or partial agonists might some help some individuals who are unresponsive to other forms of treatment.
Tomatheus
Dx: schizoaffective disorder
Treatments: Abilify, 5 supplements, & counseling
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